The Blood of Whiskey Run (The Moorheads)
In 1932, Tom Moorhead, a County Detective, is dispatched to investigate a body found in the dilapidated husk of a burnt-out house in the old “patch” town of Whiskey Run. His initial inquiry leads to the discovery of other heinous crimes, including multiple murders and more going back to 1911 in the former Pennsylvania mine town. Though some of the crimes he investigates border on humorous, this latest case leads down a winding and hideous decades-long trail, ultimately leading to the Al Capone crime family in Chicago. Despite veiled and genuine death threats from former mining and law enforcement officials along with crime syndicates, Tom perseveres through all leads to arrive at the truth.
This detective novel concerns a cold case investigation that spans three decades during a very interesting time in the criminal and labor history of the United States. Beyond the investigation, the book includes curious anecdotes of everyday life in the time periods covered. As a former Yellow Cab taxi driver, I especially found the short account of the violent “gang war” between the Yellow Cab and Checker Cab companies in Chicago in the 1920s fascinating. As can be imagined, a mental institute in the 1930s was a dreary place. And a coal miner is basically on his own if he is unfortunate enough to get injured on the job. It was also a violent world with Black Hand organized crime strike breakers and suspicious accidents in the mines. The original immigrants of the times and places included many Italian, Polish, and Slovak workers, among others, and the author captures this early stage melting-pot environment exceptionally well. An illuminating and quite satisfying read.
