"Cornflower's
Ghost: An Historical Mystery" by Thomas Pullyblank
Each day that week I sat at my desk, pencil in hand, intending to
summarize what I knew about Theodorick Crane and Cornflower and
arrive at some conclusions about their lives and deaths. But
each day as I set to work I was hit by a malaise that froze my
fingers and numbed my mind, the result, I knew, of something more
than a case of the midwinter blues. My unease was partly
explained by Langley's death, an event that brought back dark
thoughts and feelings from my own past: contempt for an uncaring
God, jealousy for those who had not suffered loss, resentment
towards a world that
seemed to offer no
consolation.
-- from "Cornflower's Ghost"
Some of the best detective stories feature a sleuth who isn't
really a professional investigator, from Miss
Marple to Eleanor
Roosevelt. They are driven by their sense of morality and
justice, and guided by a keen intelligence applied to the facts and
feelings that they observe. Tom Flanagan surely brought
passion and perceptiveness to the case of history professor Peter
Langley, who died in an accident -- or maybe was murdered.
Tom is a graduate student at the fictional (but quite
real-sounding) State University of New York at Clinton Falls and
Langley's teaching assistant. He must take over his classes
but is more concerned with the circumstances of Langley's death and
its connection to others on the campus and in the community.
The roots of Langley's sudden death may lie in a parallel with
events from the time of the American Revolution: the
murder of a disillusioned revolutionary named Theodorick Crane and
the execution of an Iroquois spy called Cornflower (actually a
British sympathizer named Mary Strong). Flanagan's
investigation draws on his talents as an historical researcher but
also alienates those who might advance his career and could lead to
his own death.
"Cornflower's
Ghost: An Historical Mystery" is narrated by Tom Flanagan and
the cast of characters he must deal with at SUNY-Clinton Falls all
seem to have something to hide, personal pains and resentments that
make the present as mysterious as the past. They include
Martha Radisson, a college administrator who was once Tom's
supporter, her husband Harold, a powerful U.S. congressman and
their niece Julianne. The well-positioned Radissons are also
descendants of Theodorick Crane. Harold and Martha's plan to
develop a Revolutionary War theme park in Clinton Falls has drawn
angry opposition.
This is the first mystery novel written by Thomas Pullyblank and
it reveals many sides of his experience as a farmer in Fly Creek,
NY, an Ordained Elder serving two
United Methodist churches in Otsego County and an historian who
teaches at SUNY-Oneonta. The characters from the Revolution are
fictitious but the setting and atmosphere of the Revolutionary War
era are true to the facts. However, in "Cornflower's Ghost"
the flow of historical fact often appears to be directed out of its
natural stream. People can make history in more ways than
one.
Thomas Pullyblank joins Bill Jaker on OFF THE PAGE to
tell about history and fiction, his work on "Cornflower's Ghost"
and the sequel "Napoleon's Gold". You can also still submit
questions and comments by e-mail to OffThePage@WSKG.ORG.
