The Spellbinding Tale of Fiona Brown

Book excerpt: In the summer of 1977, in Monroe, Wisconsin, the sudden death of an elderly man who was living alone in his house looked like an accidental fall down a flight of stairs. However, Police Chief Brandon Johns and Det. Samantha Gates weren’t totally convinced. Was it a suspicious death? A week later, a second victim, an elderly woman living alone in her house, met the same fate. Were the two deaths connected? Also, in 1977, the artifacts from the burned-out house of Fiona Brown went on sale at the local antiques store. In 1952, Fiona Brown had died in the suspected arson fire of her home. At the time, she had suffered under the moniker of being a witch because of her alternative lifestyle, brewing lotions and potions as medicinal remedies for health-related illnesses. The arsonist was never identified and prosecuted for her murder. Following the two mysterious deaths in 1977, the city was suddenly cast into a firestorm of rumors about both victims having purchased Fiona Brown’s relics at the antiques store. Was that connection all the proof needed to show that Fiona’s ghost was haunting the city, seeking revenge? This stampede of hysteria was hampering the police investigation. The murders were baffling the police, who were challenged and frustrated, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Then suddenly, the body of a third murder victim that summer was discovered. No immediate plausible explanation or link among the three recent deaths was apparent. Did the killer of Fiona Brown resurface? The police decided to reopen the cold case of Fiona Brown, looking for answers. Would they be able to unravel the mystery of her death and bring the killer or killers to justice for the other three deaths as well?