First inhabited by the Lenape Indians and settled by European colonists in the seventeenth century, New York�s Sullivan County has experienced several ages of prosperity and growth over the last two hundred years. Locals conceived of timber rafting in the eighteenth century to support the shipbuilding industry, followed by a prosperous tanning boom in the nineteenth century that supplied leather to the Union army. Finally, two periods of tourism, known as the �Silver Age� and �Golden Age,�...

Compiled from the best of John Conway�s popular �Retrospect� column, these articles shine a spotlight on famous faces of the past, from George Suslosky, phenomenal yet feisty diner cook, to �the worst woman on earth,� Lizzie Brown Halliday. Enlightening and entertaining, the remarkable historical vignettes in this volume explore the customs and curiosities of the Sullivan County Catskills. High on a bank in Craig-e-Clare sat the stately Dundas Castle, rumored to house a beautiful woman who...

Europe's engagement from the late sixteenth century onwards in scientific Earth science inquiry has generated numerous and varied collections of minerals, rocks, and fossils, together with their associated archives, artworks and publications, forming a rich cultural geoheritage held in major private and especially royal and aristocratic collections, museums, universities, archives and libraries. The mines, quarries, geological structures, landforms, minerals, rocks and fossils - or geodive...

A multifaceted biography of a brilliant mathematician and iconoclastA mathematician unlike any other, John Horton Conway (1937–2020) possessed a rock star’s charisma, a polymath’s promiscuous curiosity, and a sly sense of humor. Conway found fame as a barefoot professor at Cambridge, where he discovered the Conway groups in mathematical symmetry and the aptly named surreal numbers. He also invented the cult classic Game of Life, a cellular automaton that demonstrat...

When love hit Cutler, it knocked him down. That’s when life kicked him in the teeth.Police officer John Cutler knew better than to fall in love. He should have walked away because she was dangerous. Cutler instinctively understood why, yet he couldn’t say no. That only led to him begging her to stay.When his world fell apart, Cutler lost everything—his job, his friends, and his self-respect.Now, he’s getting a chance to rebuild, and he’s making the ...

What if the life you lived was a lie?Private investigator John Cutler never met his father. Nearly forty years ago, the man abandoned his newborn son without explanation. It’s a painful truth to both Cutler and his mother, a fact neither can fully bury in the past.Today, Cutler has a new love, a stable business, and a continuing relationship with his daughter. Nothing is perfect, but it feels like his worst days are behind him.Then a woman shows up ...

How far would you go for the person who broke your heart? John Cutler is about to find out.When a past love calls for help, John Cutler returns to Seattle. He didn’t want to go, but she offered the one thing he needed more than distance from her—money.After the former cop arrives in the Emerald City, old feelings resurface, and new lies are told. Soon, Cutler doesn’t know which way is up, and that’s a dangerous place to be.For influential people are...

John Cutler Investigations is open for business. Unfortunately, things aren’t running smoothlyStarting a private investigation business isn’t as easy as the movies make it seem. Former cop John Cutler is learning this the hard way. Soon after opening, he’s running afoul of local gangsters, crossing paths with jealous husbands, and searching for killers who don’t want to be found.It’s all in a day’s work for Spokane’s newest private eye.But did it ha...

What would you do for a murdered friend? John Cutler is about to find out.When a friend is murdered, John Cutler is determined to find those responsible. This means running afoul of the local police department, a drug-running crew, and a wanted man who’s eluded capture for more than a decade.Now, danger lurks around every corner and in the shadows, but Cutler isn’t easily intimidated. Instead, he’s the type who will doggedly pursue justice at risk to his ow...

When love hit Cutler, it knocked him down. That’s when life kicked him in the teeth.Police officer John Cutler knew better than to fall in love. He should have walked away because she was dangerous. Cutler instinctively understood why, yet he couldn’t say no. That only led to him begging her to stay.When his world fell apart, Cutler lost everything—his job, his friends, and his self-respect.Now, he’s getting a chance to rebuild, and he’s making the ...

What will it take to stop a drug war? John Cutler is about to find out.Private investigator John Cutler only wants a peaceful day of drinking at his favorite bar. When a woman interrupts his afternoon with the promise of a lucrative payday, things heat up in his world.Soon, Cutler is embroiled in a world of drugs, gangs, and double-crosses—all things he would like to avoid. For a man trying to live a better life, he’s hanging around the worst of society.

Would you help an old friend if it cost you happiness?After years of turmoil, John Cutler’s life is on level ground. He’s reconnected with his daughter, started a business, and found new love.Now, an old friend rolls into town with a simple agenda—prove the innocence of his ex-wife. She’s in jail for murdering her husband and needs someone like Cutler to find the true killer.Helping will come at a steep price for Cutler. It means getting sideways wi...