Dawn M. Barclay

I picked this up out of curiosity and ended up hooked! Vacations Can Be Murder is a mix of true crime, local history, and travel guide, and it totally feeds that part of me that loves both spooky stories and road trips. The Connecticut section? Wild. Some of the cases I'd never even heard of, and now I can't stop googling them.

It’s definitely not a cozy weekend read. It’s dense with info, and you’ll want to take it slow. But it’s also super well-organized and respectful in how it show more talks about victims. If you're into dark tourism or true crime and like the idea of mixing travel with chills, this one’s worth checking out. It's a complete tour guide! show less

A fun, informative, and useful guide to true crime persons, places, and events in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The first volume of Dawn M. Barclay’s Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England appears to be a pretty comprehensive and useful tool to devise any number of trips to the country’s northeast for a true crime-themed holiday. Focusing on the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, show more Rhode Island, and Vermont, the author provides background information on the region’s dark, criminal past, both recent events and those from long-forgotten eras, renowned and little-known outside the area.

The author offers suggestions for places to stay, haunted restaurants, true crime or ghost tours in the vicinities, and related places to visit while in the area, such as cemeteries, courthouses, jails, and prisons. However, one of the most valuable resources is the suggested itineraries with maps from someone who’s already made the trips to help travelers get the most out of their trip to the area, a wonderful asset whether you’re familiar with the area or not. One of my favorite sections for each state, though, is the list of books featuring the different highlighted stories, so you can read more in-depth about those that interest you most before you go. The book is so well done; I hope the author continues to create many more guides that target different areas of the country.

I recommend VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER to true crime fans who would like to plan a trip to see some of the more notable locations of past crimes.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. show less

guide to crime sites, museums, accommodations