Do you enjoy reading mysteries, or stories about shipwrecks and/or ghosts? Michigan has plenty of these type of happenings and, if you want to read about them, check out the “new” nonfiction shelves on the first floor near the circulation desk. Here are some new books that have been added to our Michigan Collection section.

“Waterfalls of Michigan,” By Greg Kretovic. Walking in the woods can be so peaceful, but when you hear the sound of water and come across a waterfalls, you have found something magical. Michigan has lots of waterfalls, but you might wonder where they all are and how to get there. This book will help you out.

Let professional photographer, Greg Kretovic, guide you to the top-ranked waterfalls in the state. The book has over 100 falls listed with information, directions, distance, hike difficulty and more. From the Porcupine Mountains area and its many impressive waterfalls to the most famous falls in the state, Tahquamenon Falls, experience them all with this wonderful guidebook. (917.74 KR Mich. Coll.)

“The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Eyewitness accounts from the U.S. Coast Guard hearings. Edited by Michael Schumacher. Shipwrecks and mysteries somehow always go together, and perhaps the most famous shipwreck story in Great Lakes History is the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The investigation generated more than 3,000 pages of documentation, a mere fraction of which has been made available to the public. This book follows the investigation, speculation, and expert testimony to a problematic conclusion. Read all the information and come up with your own conclusion to what happened.

(343.7309 SC Mich. Coll.)

“Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes.” A history of murder and misfortune. By Dianna Stampfler. Losing one’s life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse sadly wasn’t such an uncommon occurrence. Death by murder, suicide or other tragic causes, while not unheard of, was more unusual. Read about two keepers who disappeared on a summer day in 1908, another who had a consultation with a local butcher, a smallpox outbreak in the late 1890’s and many more stories.

Dianna Stampfler uncovers the facts, and debunks some fiction, behind some of the Great Lakes’ darkest lighthouse tales. (977 ST Mich. Coll.)

“Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses.” By Dianna Stampfler. Many lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings, and Michigan is no exception. We have more lighthouses than any other state. Discover stories of a cigar-smoking Captain, a prankster named John, Sarah who stills keeps a clean and tidy house, a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse and the many spirits between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in a area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join Dianna Stampfler, author and Promote Michigan founder, as she recounts tales from the ghostly beacons of Michigan. (133.122 ST Mich. Coll.)

By Arlette Dubord, Cataloging & Acquisitions Assistant