Bøker av Troy Taylor

WEIRD HIGHWAY: MISSOURI ROUTE 66 HISTORY & HAUNTINGS, LEGENDS & LORE BY TROY TAYLOR "GETTING YOUR KICKS" ON MISSOURI'S ROUTE 66! There is no greater highway in American History than Route 66 - the legendary "Mother Road" - which began in downtown Chicago and stretched all of the way to the Pacific Ocean. For millions of people, it represents a treasure trove of memories and a link to the days of two-lane highways, family vacations, and roadside diners that vanished decades ago. For many, it conjures up images of souvenir shops, tourist traps, cozy motor courts, flickering neon signs, and roadside attractions that have blown away in the wind. To others, the highway holds stories of ghosts, haunted hotels, roadside spirits, mysterious vanishings, and bewildering anomalies from America's past. In the second books in the "Weird Highway" series, author Troy Taylor takes readers on a virtual road trip and journey back in time to one of his favorite eras in our history. Part travel guide, part crime thriller, part ghost book, this volume reveals everything from lost restaurants to outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde, forgotten towns, abandoned motels, haunted places, and restless spirits that still linger from the heyday of Route 66. This is not just another book about the Mother Road, but an entertaining trip along parts of the road that many have never heard about, or have forgotten altogether. Hope in, buckle up, and let us take you on a ride you'll never forget! Some of the stories in this volume include: * Spirits of St. Louis * Mystery at the Coral Court Motel * Times Beach: Modern-day Ghost Town * Legends of "Zombie Road" * Diamonds & the Tri-County Truck Stop * Meramec Caverns * The Man Who Would be "Jesse James" * "Mammoth Cave of Missouri" * Tribute to the "Trail of Tears" * Murder at Devil's Elbow * Ghosts of Fort Leonard Wood * Munger Moss Motel * The Story of "Nelsonville" * Spectral Soldiers at Wilson's Creek * Haunts of Pythian Castle * Ghosts of the "Brookline Massacre" * Hiding out with Bonnie & Clyde * Billy Cook's Unmarked Grave * The Hornet Spook Light * Kansas on Route 66 - and much more!

THE TWO LOST GIRLSTHE MYSTERY OF THE GRIMES SISTERSA "DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES" BOOK BY TROY TAYLOROn a cold night in December 1956, two young girls mysteriously vanished after a night at the movies on the Southwest Side of Chicago, beginning one of the greatest searches to ever take place in the history of the city. Three weeks later, the bodies of the two lost girls, Barbara and Patricia Grimes, were found on the side of a secluded, snow-covered road, miles from where they disappeared. The discovery of their battered corpses created one of the greatest unsolved mysteries to ever baffle post-war America. Where had the girls been for the past three weeks? Who had killed them? Why could no one determine their actual cause of death?The discovery of the two lost girls began a criminal investigation of epic proportions, involving hundreds of police officers and detectives, embattled coroners, thousands of potential suspects, eerie confessions, psychics, and puzzling questions that no one seemed able to answer. The authorities believed that the girls had died on the night they went missing, but how could they account for the scores of sightings of them that occurred days and even weeks later? What of the reliable witnesses that saw them or spoke to them in person, or during late-night phone calls? And the biggest question of all - why could no one find their killer?In this chilling entry in the "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series, author Troy Taylor explores this horrifying case and takes readers step-by-step through the case, pursuing the suspects, and exploring the links between other crimes that may have been committed by the same unknown killer who murdered the Grimes sisters and was never caught. This may be the most unsettling book from Troy Taylor that you''ve ever read!

The third installment in Troy Taylor's travel guide to the weird side of Route 66

"A Whitechapel Press Book from American Hauntings Ink"--Back cover.

ONE AUGUST MORNING THE TRUE STORY OF LIZZIE BORDEN BY TROY TAYLOR LIZZIE BORDEN TOOK AN AXE... OR DID SHE? Lizzie Borden is a name that has lived in infamy. As everyone knows, she's the young woman who "took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks" and then "gave her father 41." Everyone seems to know the rhyme, but most people don't know the truth behind the grim story of one of America's most famous unsolved murders. In this new entry in the "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" series, author Troy Taylor delves into the true story of the Borden Murders, revealing what really happened on that morning in August 1892, how Lizzie was hounded by the police, prosecutors, and reporters, and then finally acquitted - yet always believed to be guilty. Was she a murderer or truly innocent? Did she swing the hatchet that killed her parents, or was Lizzie simply part of a plot that accidentally led to murders committed by a madman? You'll have the chance to decide for yourself as the suspects are revealed, the conspiracies unveiled, and the strange circumstances of this haunting case are presented. Forget everything you already think you know about this compelling case and discover what did - and what did not - happen in the story of Lizzie Borden! What dark secrets have never been told? What happened in the grim aftermath of the murder trial? Do the spirits of the dead still linger in the house where the Bordens were killed? You'll find these answers and more and you'll never look at this chilling story in the same way again! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Troy Taylor is the author of more than 110 books about ghosts, crime and the unexplained in America. He is also the founder of American Hauntings, ghost tours, books, events and excursions across America. He was born and raised in the Midwest and currently divides his time between Illinois and the far-flung reaches of America.

FEAR THE REAPER America's Rural Mysteries, Hauntings & Horrors by Troy Taylor and Rene Kruse The "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" series returns with a nightmarish journey into America's heartland in search of terrifying, gruesome and heartbreaking takes of murder, mayhem and ghosts! Far away from the bright lights of the big cities, such tales of depravity, violence and murder seem far removed from what appeared to be the peaceful countryside of the "good ol' days." But those days were often far from good, as killers, psychopaths and rapists often roamed the regions far removed from the reach of the law. The isolation, loneliness and despair of rural life often led to horrific acts that can hardly be imagined outside of our worst nightmares. From seemingly normal farmers who one day snap and slaughter their entire family to murderous hired hands, dangerous drifters, depraved lunatics and worse, this is a collection of dark tales that will have you turning the pages long into the night -- and making sure you lock the doors after dark! You'll be chilled by... * "Inhuman Butcher" Robert McConaghy * "Monster in the Shape of a Man" Anton Probst * "The Bloody Benders" * The "Northwood Murderer" * Joseph Lapage, the "Demon from the Bottomless Pit" * The Meeks Murders * Pearl Bryan, the "Headless Wonder" * Belle Gunness * The "Bluebeard of Quiet Dell" * The Clutter Murders of "In Cold Blood" * The Keddie Murders & many, many more! For those who believe that the most horrendous crimes in American history were confined to major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, you'll be both frightened and shocked by events that occurred in the bucolic countryside, along peaceful back roads, in the dark woods and in the small farming communities of America - and by the ghosts they left behind!

SOLDIERS & THE SUPERNATURAL America's Haunted Forts, Prisons, Battlefields and Military Ghosts Ask any ghost hunter where to find America's most haunted places and they are sure to point you to the battlefields, forts and former prisons that dot the historic landscape of our country. At places like the Alamo. Antietam, Gettysburg and Little Bighorn, terrified soldiers fought and died in the midst of blood, smoke and fire. The men who died in military prisons wished for death in battle. They faced a slow, excruciating, wasting kind of death, far from their brothers, their loved ones and their homes. Is it any wonder that such placed become haunted? Without a doubt, the horrific deaths, as well as the valiant deeds of soldiers on the fields of battle, create the hauntings we know today. History tells us the locations of troops, the number of dead and wounded, the quirks of generals and how one side maneuvered against the other, but if ghosts are born, they are born from humanity's most atrocious acts -- war and mortal combat. Authors David Goodwin and Troy Taylor have combined their knowledge of history, hauntings and military regimen to present a book unlike any other military ghost book you have ever seen before. No mere collection of folklore and spooky campfire stories, it presents a chilling account of life and death on the battlefield, in the fort and in the prisons of historic America. Interwoven with the supernatural and the macabre, these dark tales will have you believing that you hear the clash of battle and feel the panic, horror and sadness of the soldiers who have long since vanished through death's door.

CABINET OF CURIOSITIES The History of the Supernatural in 20 Objects BY TROY TAYLOR During all of recorded history, man has been fascinated with the trappings of the supernatural, from ghost stories and strange events to possible communication with the other side. In the first book of its kind, author Troy Taylor traces the historical events that make up the supernatural world as we know it today by using 20 objects that made their mark on its past. This isn't another volume on haunted objects, but a book tracing a wide range of different items that represent the history of the supernatural, from a spirit trumpet of the Spiritualist movement to a small bell from Borley Rectory; a camera that tells the story of spirit photography; a radio that details communication with the dead; a child's leather ball; a broken door; a stack of letters that proved life after death; and much more. The author invites you to re-live the events and stories that created the paranormal as we know it today through objects that were worn, carried, used and manifested through a fascinating period of history. It's a book unlike anything that has ever been attempted before and a perfect addition to every ghost enthusiast's library!

For nearly two decades, Troy Taylor has been chronicling the haunted history of Illinois, from its ghost-infested houses to its abandoned graveyards and beyond. In this volume of hauntings from the Prairie State, Taylor has recruited the staff of the award-winning Illinois Hauntings Tours to submit stories and accounts of their favorite haunts from every corner of the state, resulting in a collection of tales from Taylor and the motley crew that have never appeared in any other book in the Haunted Illinois series before! Traveling from one end of the state to the other, the book reveals little-known tales from Southern Illinois of ax murders, brutal slayings, mysterious ghost lights, haunted historic sites and more. In Central Illinois, tales of Jacksonville appear in print for the first time, along with hauntings of the James Eldred House, the Great River Road Opry, Greene County Almshouse, Ghost Hollow, Towanda Meadows, Coliseum Ballroom and others. Taylor also adds new stories to the spectral list from Northern Illinois, including Joliet Penitentiary, Marion Lambert, the Naperville Train Crash of 1946 and many others. This is a book that is not for the faint of heart and one that shouldn''t be missed by anyone with a fascination with true Illinois ghost stories!

On Halloween 1926, the Curtain Closed for the Final Time of the One of the Greatest Magicians in History... Or Did it? Harry Houdini was a man obsessed with death... In his spectacular shows, he committed feats of daring that cheated death time and time again. He desperately searched for a way to contact his dead mother and some believe that Houdini actually reached out from beyond the grave to make contact from the other side - cheating death once again! In this long-awaited book from Houdini and Spiritualism buff Troy Taylor, he examines the life, death and mysterious afterlife of the famed illusionist and escape artist. Not merely a biography of Houdini, this is a revealing look at Houdini's fascination with the spirit world, starting with his own days as a fraudulent medium with a traveling circus and continuing on to his exposures of fake Spiritualists, his psychical investigations, his "death pact" with fellow magicians and the legendary Houdini Sances, which are still being held today. This is a unique book in the long list of Houdini books that have been written and a worthy addition to the library of anyone with an interest in Houdini, magic or the spirit world!

Los Angeles -- the fabled "City of Angels," home to the rich and famous, to palm trees, sandy beaches, orange groves, and most of all, to that wonderful, almost magical place known as Hollywood. But beneath the shiny surface of glitz and glamour in America's movie capital is a dark side of crime and corruption and behind the doors of the lavish homes, luxury hotels, and magnificent mansions are tales of spirits who do not rest in peace. There are many unsolved mysteries connected to Hollywood, as well as tales of scandal, depravity, murder, and, of course, ghosts! In this installment of the best-selling "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" Series, author Troy Taylor takes you behind the scenes of Hollywood noir in a way that no other book ever has. This is not your typical Hollywood ghost book, but a unique perspective on how crime, murder, sin, sex, scandal, and unsolved mysteries have shaped the haunted landscape of Tinseltown. From the bloody history of L.A. & Hollywood to the myriad of scandals, sin & gore-soaked crime of the film colony's Golden Age, this is a chilling look at the haunted underbelly of Hollywood - and the dark side of the American dream!

Join author Troy Taylor for his darkest and strangest book yet as he takes a historic, haunted and horrific look at sex and the occult through the ages, from sex magic to Satanism, demonic possession, vampires, demon rapists, poltergeists, phantom lovers & more! Sex, death and the supernatural have always played important roles in human society and culture, dating back to the fertility rites of ancient Greece and the role of a virgin at a black mass. In this startling and provocative book, Troy Taylor explores the all-pervasive influence of sex on the occult, from ritual orgies to Aleister Crowley, devil worship, outbreaks of sexual possession, demon lovers, real-life vampires, the sexual side of Spiritualism, love and sex from beyond the grave, and much more! As the most complete book of its kind, it draws a vivid, frightening picture of the erotic, cruel, sometimes horrifying, and always compelling beliefs and practices that have long linked the sexual and supernatural sides of our lives.