Delaware Behaving Badly: First State, True Crimes
About this ebook
"Tabler turns Delaware's darkest crimes into gripping human stories, revealing how history's villains and victims shaped the state we know today." —Kirkus Reviews
Delaware Behaving Badly offers a vivid portrait of the First State through the lens of its most infamous crimes. Spanning centuries, the narrative combines deep research with character and drama, turning courtroom transcripts and newspaper clippings into living history.
Tabler pulls the reader into Harley G. Brown's 1878 train derailment and Patty Cannon's 1820s kidnapping ring, recounting not just what happened but how it must have felt. These criminals are not caricatures, but people shaped by—and shaping—their times. He also addresses broader forces at work in Delaware crime: the Dover Eight's 1857 escape from slavery was a defiant act of resistance, while Delaware's witchcraft laws revealed how fear and prejudice enforced racial hierarchies. The grim case of Anne Marie Fahey's murder by Tom Capano contrasts with the absurd 1891 raid on Ada Winters' brothel, where bungling constables mistook Wilmington's mayor for a client.
Delaware Behaving Badly cracks open the past to reveal the scandals, crimes, and curiosities long hidden in the state's quiet corners. Open the cover and step inside a world you weren't meant to see.
Discover more
About the author
Dave Tabler is a Delaware historian and author of six books on Delaware's past, including "Delaware Behaving Badly" and "Delaware Keepers." Drawing on diaries, period newspapers, and archival records, his work uncovers the overlooked stories of everyday Delawareans. He also publishes AppalachianHistory.net, and is a member of the Delaware Press Association and the Delaware Historical Society.
Regina Higgins is a writer and editor living in Lexington, Kentucky. She has more than twenty years of experience working with writers, publishers, universities, and nonprofits.
