Murder on Old Mission

By Stephen Lewis

In the summer of 1895, Woodruff Parmelee, the son of a well to do farmer on Old Mission Peninsula, was tried for the murder of Julia Curtis, his pregnant girlfriend. On the day the verdict was announced a large and menacing crowd gathered in and around the courthouse demanding that justice be done.

Parmelee's defense rested on his alibi. He claimed that he was clearing brush for a new road leading to West Bay while the body was found near the shore of East Bay. At trial, Louie Parmelee, Woodruff's fifteen year old son from his first marriage who was living with him at that time, testifed in support of his father.

These are the bare facts out of which Stephen Lewis has woven his fictional version of this compelling story. His novel focuses on the son's dilemma. Should he confirm his father's alibi? What if knew it to be false? What if he himself was in love with the victim?

What Reviewers Say About Lewis's Novels

About Murder on Old Mission: At the center of this history-inspired mystery are the complex and secret relationships between fathers and sons. The sophistication and intricacy of these interactions-spoken and unspoken, buried and unburdened-make... Murder On Old Mission a haunting, rewarding read. -Anne Marie Oomen, author of Pulling Down the Barn

In Murder on Old Mission, Stephen Lewis has crafted a historical tale abundant with longing, betrayal, jealousy, and moral indignation that proves how an imaginative ctionist can stir fresh and intriguing life from the ashes of an authentic, long-forgotten homicide. -J. Kingston Pierce, January Magazine

Lewis conveys a remarkable understanding of time and place...in this finely nuanced novel with keenly wrought descriptions of Old Mission Peninsula...at the close of the nineteenth century.-Merril D. Smith, author of Sex and Sexuality in Early America

About The Sea Hath Spoken: A tremendous Colonial mystery that deserves a wide readership. The story line is well written, as seventeenth century life in New England seems so vividly alive. The who-done-it is fun and Catherine is quite the heroine. With a powerful support cast augmenting the plot with an insider's look at the times. -Harriet Klausner

About And Baby Makes None: The neighborhoods, streets, delis, parks and beaches of Brooklyn have not received such loving care since the days of Walt Whitman. -Michael Dunne, Professor of English, Middle Tennessee State University

About The Monkey Rope: A dark, gritty first novel. -Kirkus Reviews

About The Blind in Darkness: A dark, compelling novel, rich with undercurrents, brings us to New England in the days of the Pilgrims. -Roberta Alexander, Contra Costa Times

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1943995214
• ISBN13: 9781943995219
• Release Date: November 2016
• Publisher: Mission Point Press
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

great read

Great read that's rich in mystery, history and sadness of what a person will do to either hide or forget unpleasant things in life. It also gives you a rich picture of Old Mission and the era and what the pennisula has lost in building subdivision and pricing the cherry and apple farms off the land.

A Page Turner

Murder on Old Mission is a thoughtful, well-layered story with beautifully drawn characters and a suspensful plot line. There is something for everyone here: courtroom drama, a love triangle, a tragic loss of life, even racial tension. This book is a 'period piece' loosely based upon an actual event. Mr. Lewis successfully takes the reader on a journey into the past with rich, descriptive language. This is a great escape read!

Murder on Old Mission Review

Steve Lewis evokes powerful images in this suspenseful murder mystery. A definite page-turner, the pace builds with each chapter to its climatic ending. Beautifully written and character driven, this novel will appeal to all readers, not just mystery enthusiasts. This is the best book I've read all year.

Murder on Old Mission

Inspired to look beneath the quiet surface of a local cemetery, Lewis creates a window into the past where a turn of the century village comes to life in the midst of personal tragedy, public scandal and murder. Filled with his descriptive gems and thorough attention to detail, this emotionally charged story develops into a living, multi-layered drama showing different perspectives of a heart wrenching situation. Very interesting work and good reading. I also recommend his trilogy of mysteries set in Colonial times which feature Catherine Williams, mid-wife and Massaquoit, a Pequot Indian leader: The Sea Hath Spoken, The Dumb Shall Sing and The Blind in Darkness.