Thanks to Hollywood and any number of swashbuckling novels, the word conjures up instant visions in our heads: rolling ocean waves, tropical islands, palm trees swaying in Caribbean breezes and of course, buried treasure.
But did you know there were pirates on the Great Lakes? And not all that long ago.
These pirates roamed the waters on America’s Great Lakes in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and did things like poach lumber from federal forests so they could transport it via the lakes to cities that were itching for wood for buildings. They filled their boats with Canadian liquor and traded American firearms for it. One of their most interesting tricks was called “moon cussing.” This devious activity involved setting up false lights on the waters to trick other ships into thinking they were reaching safe harbor. Instead, the lights drew the ships to rocky waters and once they ran aground, the pirates would board those ships and steal everything in sight.
The most famous of the Great Lakes pirates–and the only man in America who was ever formally tried for piracy–was![Dan_Seavey_around_1920[1]](http://notesfromme.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/dan_seavey_around_19201.jpg)
Roaring Dan Seavey, who plied the waters of Lake Michigan in the early 1900s. Seavey’s crimes on the high seas (er…lakes) include everything from running a floating brothel to stealing sailing vessels. He was eventually brought before the court, and the charges were dropped on a technicality. In his later years, Seavey worked as a US Marshal. His speciality–tracking down lake pirates and bringing them to justice.
What writer could ignore fascinating historical tid-bits like this! As soon as I heard Roaring Dan’s story, I knew I had to use it in one of my Button Box mysteries.
I got that opportunity in Panic Button, Button Box mystery #3. In the book Josie Giancola, one of this country’s leading experts in antique and vintage buttons, has a customer who brings her a charm string (a string of 1000 vintage buttons) to be appraised and insists that the charm string is cursed. Josie, ever practical, isn’t about to believe that…until the customer is found dead behind the Button Box shop, strangled with the charm string.
Yes, it all involves a Great Lakes pirate, one I’ve named Thundering Ben Moran, and those 1000 buttons, one of which is far more valuable than anyone would have imagined.
Panic Button is on store (and cyber) shelves now. Enjoy!
Thanks to the publisher, I have one (1) copy of PANIC BUTTON to give away. Contest open to US residents only and ends January 25. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The book will be shipped directly from the publisher.
Meet the author
Kylie Logan is the author of the Button Box mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime, books that follow the adventures of Josie Giancola who owns the Button Box, a shop that specializes in antique and vintage buttons. Book #3 in the series, Panic Button, was published on New Year’s Eve. It follows Button Holed and Hot Button. Kylie is currently working on book #4 in the series and will have a new, different series premiering in June. It’s called “The League of Literary Ladies” and is set on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, where classic books, a court-ordered reading group, and murder mix. Kylie also writes as Casey Daniels and under that name, publishes the Pepper Martin mystery series.
You can reach me via email at kylielogan@rocketmail.com, or on Twitter or on Facebook.
I love the Pepper Martin series and I am loving the Button series. I would love to win. My grandmother had a big jar of old buttons that I played with all the time. When she passed away, I wanted the jar of buttons, but no one knew where the jar had been placed. I would have loved to keep the old jar of buttons.
Love this series! My button jars aren’t very full but I can remember all the wonderful buttons that my mother, aunts and grandmothers had – but none had a charm string!
I love it when history is incorporated into a mystery. I hadn’t thought about piracy on the great lakes, but the false beacons was something that was done on the English coast to lure boats on to rocks. Mostly for rum smuggling and other plunder.
Ann
Love the idea of the priacy being in the book.
Love this series!
This is one of my favorite series. Thanks for having this contest. I would love to win a copy of PANIC BUTTON.
I grew up sitting on the floor, sorting the buttons in Granny’s old button jar, as she worked on a sewing project. Today, my craft room is lined with button jars and I use buttons on almost every card and layout I make.
I can’t wait to begin reading this series–thanks so much for featuring it! You have introduced me to so many authors–thank you, thank you!
I must look for this series. I’d love to win. Dee
thanks for the chance to read this novel
i would love to win!
Thank you for the giveaway.
Have old bucket filled with buttons collected by my grandmother and mother.
So jealous of all of you with old buttons! I do have some, but not many, and I find them all fascinating.
Love your series! I am pretty hooked on Cozies, but especially enjoy the ones that involve something out of the ordinary, as “buttons” are. Aside from our grandmothers collections to be used for repacement and new sewing projects, how many of us know button collectors? Ranks right up there with the Shadows series, as we may know collectors of old books, but not too many who collect just old book illustrations. Makes for a great learning experience along with a great read.
love the fact that Roaring Dan started working for the other side! How pirate of him would love to win this 🙂 thanks
I’ve read “Don of the Dead” which is the first of the Pepper Martin series and I would love to read “Panic Button” . I met Casey/Kylie at a book gathering near my house last year. We live in the same area.
Also, I have co-workers who dive and explore the sunken boats off of Lake Erie. One of them has been in the news for the group’s exploration.
Looking forward to his one….
Oops – should be looking forward to this one…. 🙂
I had no idea there were pirates on the Great Lakes at one time—but since I live in a state that borders one of the lakes, I’m certainly interested. I love cozies and this would be a fun book to read.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Really looking forward to this series. I have several jars of buttons from my Mom, Grandmother and Aunts, but have never seen a charm string!
Sounds like a great story, I love buttons and still have my grandmothers collection.
This is a great series. I think buttons are fascinating, and featuring them in a series makes for fun reading. I ‘m looking forward to learning about pirates on the Great Lakes.
I would love to win Panic Button. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have some buttons, but real, serious button collectors . . . oh my! These people know so much. About history. About how the buttons are made. About what the buttons are made of. Every time I meet a true collector, I am in awe! A couple years ago I got invited to sit in on a judging panel at a contest at a button show. I was blown away by the judges’ knowledge.
Pirates? Count me in!
sounds like a fascinating read!
Sounds like a fun read.
“Pirates” caught my attention, but “buttons” kept me reading. I would so enjoy the history lesson as well. Please put me in the drawing. Thanks.
Button collector here. I’m about to use some of them to dress up a cupcake pin cushion.
Really great books. I’m so happy to learn about all the different buttons. It makes it exciting. Thank you for your wonderful thoughts.
Love the sound of a button-decorated pin cushion. Judy, you must post pictures somewhere and let me know how to find them!
Right now my life is in one BIG panic, lol, just starting to get under control, maybe, haha! Thank you for the chance to win this book.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you for the chance to win this book. I enjoy this series.
griperang at embarqmail dot com
New to this series. Can’t wait to read it.
Sounds like a great book. Would love to read it.
This is so interesting. i had no idea that there were pirates on the Great Lakes and did not know that there was only one man officially tried for piracy, let alone for piracy on the lakes.
This sounds like a book I would enjoy! Thank you for the giveaway!
contest is closed.
This sounds interesting as does Miss Dimple but alas your blog would not allow me to comment on that one. I will keep an eye out for both of these.