Murder in the Lehigh Valley

by Katherine Ramsland, Zachary Lysek

As idyllic as eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley may be, there’s an unexpected dark side. Serial killers, mass murderers, violent gangs and outright hit men have all operated here, along with high-profile family killers. Even before these incidents, there were several Indian massacres and some homicides that made forensic history. In these pages Katherine, in collaboration with Northampton County coroner Zachary Lysek, looks at historical and contemporary murders, as well as some not yet solved.

Genres: History

143 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2008

About the author

I've loved books since I was 3, and the library was a highlight of my childhood. I've been fortunate to be able to find great joy in what others have written and sometimes to give this to readers. I follow my own muse, because it leads me on interesting adventures. I began my writing career with "Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice." I had a bestseller with "The Vampire Companion." Since then, I've published 69 books and over 2,500 articles, reviews and short stories. I have also been an executive producer for "Murder House Flip" and "BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer." From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, I have taken on a variety of dark subjects, mostly in crime and forensics. I hold graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, creative writing and philosophy. Currently, I teach forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. My books include "I Scream Man," "How to Catch a Killer", "Confession of a Serial Killer", "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds", "The Mind of a Murderer", "The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation", "Inside the Minds of Serial Killers", "Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators", and "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers". My background in forensic studies positioned me to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, "The Cases that Haunt Us", and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, "The Unknown Darkness", as well as "Spree Killers" with Mark Safarik, "The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist" with Henry C. Lee, and "A Voice for the Dead" with James Starrs. I speak internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Currently, I'm working on a fiction series, The Nut Cracker Investigations, which features a female forensic psychologist who manages a PI agency. "I Scream Man" is the first one.

Reviews

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dozens of Eastern Pennsylvania true crime cases, many of them unsolved, are mentioned here in under 100 pages, so you can imagine how little detail most of them receive. At least one ('The Church Lady') has since been adjudicated and given full-length book treatment (LOVE ME OR ELSE by Colin McEvoy and Lynn Olanoff).

[Vick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a lot more interesting information in this book, compared to the Bethlehem Ghosts book by Ramsland. Even though I didn’t find information for what I was researching, the stories definitely kept my attention, especially the ones from my hometown!

[Jessica Weida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and researched accounts of solved and cold cases in the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area. A must-read for any resident.
Would love to see a revised version of this book since many cases in here have been talked about recently.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short book. It was full of interesting stories about murders that took place in Eastern Pennsylvania. While some of the stories were more detailed or more recent than others, I loved them all.

[Kara Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ... don't read at night. :)