Publisher's Synopsis
Shape-shifting leprechauns (1919). Mad scientist-sorcerers (1979). Haunted pine groves (2009). In Woburn, they've all been chronicled. A collection of three (interconnected) short stories, The Woburn Chronicles mixes historical fiction and urban fantasy, with a dash of Boston-Irish wit thrown in for good measure.
Fans of Stephen King, H. G. Wells, and H. P. Lovecraft will feel right at home in this wickedly weird universe, which is brimming with ghosts, goblins, and drunks who go bump in the night.
Plot Overview
An invisible nuisance plagues an Irish American household. A local reporter is held captive in an unfamiliar room from an unfamiliar era. A cult meeting is interrupted by a disheveled intruder. Over the decades, the residents of Woburn, Massachusetts have shrugged off a host of such unusual occurrences. But the truth is... there's something wicked bubbling beneath the surface of their city.
Set in New England's most mysterious city, Woburn, Massachusetts, located ten miles northwest of Boston, Chronicles takes the real history of this blue-collar community and methodically peels away the layers, revealing its sinister and supernatural underbelly.Keep reading to learn more about the three supernatural tales you'll find inside. But for those of you who enjoy bone-chilling, spine-tingling surprises, fair warning: This is a book best served with as little preamble as possible. To ensure an optimal reading experience, skip the rest of this description and grab your copy now.
I. The Little Ones
Ten-year-old Deirdre has grown accustomed to being blamed for all manner of mischief, much of which she is, admittedly, the source of. But when a series of false accusations begins piling up against her, she'll enlist the help of her bookworm brother to reveal the identity of the real perpetrator. Set in 1919, just after the end of the First World War, the opening story of The Woburn Chronicles will prove that terrible things can, indeed, come in small packages.
II. A Civil Mutation
Griff shouldn't be locked up in this room. That much he knows for sure. But it's not just his imprisonment that he finds baffling, it's also the room's 18th-century decor. (He could have sworn it was still 1979 when he left his apartment...) As the details surrounding Griff's captivity slowly fall into place, he'll uncover a murderous plot that's been decades in the making, and readers will finally understand why no one drinks the water in Woburn.
III. Beware the Witch's Wood
Eight cloaked figures stand around a bonfire in a pine grove behind Horn Pond. Billy, the newest member of this nocturnal fraternity, is keen on making a good impression. Unfortunately, he'll quickly become distracted by a mysterious female presence. While set in 2009, the third and final tale of The Woburn Chronicles harkens back to a much older episode in New England's history-an episode that wasn't just confined to Salem
