Does the door of an abandoned farmhouse bleed as a macabre reminder of a young boy's tragic accident? Does the ghost of old William MacKenzie play the piano and run the clanking antique press in the middle of the night? Can the crystal "Skull of Doom" really bring death to anyone who dares to mock its eerie powers?
These and other strange happenings are the targets of investigators Joe Nickell and John Fischer. Neither a mere collection of mystery stories nor a categorical debunking of magic, Secrets of the Supernatural is an investigative casebook featuring detailed analyses of specific instances of reputedly preternatural phenomena.
Written in the style of a traditional whodunit, each chapter relates the original tale or sequence of events that gave rise to a legend - and, in many cases, the subsequent exaggeration and embellishment that assured its place in the annals of folklore. The authors describe the evidence and the clues they find along the way, giving the reader the opportunity to attempt to solve the mystery before they reveal the final piece to the puzzle. Eighteen illustrations, including two drawings by Joe Nickell, provide relevant documentation for the particular case under discussion.
Secrets of the Supernatural will interest, educate and entertain mystery fans and curious readers and will put the gullible on their guard against scams, tricks and rip-offs.
Joe Nickell teaches technical writing at the University of Kentucky. A former professional stage magician and private investigator, he is author of Inquest on the Shroud of Turin and a children's book, The Magic Detectives. He has written numerous articles for the Skeptical Inquirer and other popular and scholarly publications. Dr. Nickell is a Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.
John F. Fischer, a forensic analyst in the crime laboratory of the Orange County sheriff's office, Orlando, Florida, is president of a corporation specialising in forensic research. An experienced crime-scene investigator, he has published several articles in technical journals.