Who Killed the Candy Lady?


Book Description

A deep dive that “has brought together all the evidence” in the fascinating cold case of a millionaire widow, the Chicago horse mafia, and murder (Daily Mail). Thirty-five years ago, Helen Brach walked out of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and vanished without a trace. By all accounts, the sixty-five-year-old heiress to the E.J. Brach & Sons candy fortune was in good health. But shortly after her leaving the clinic the details of Helen Brach’s life—and presumed death—moved from fact to speculation, and they have been shrouded in mystery ever since. Who Killed the Candy Lady?: Unwrapping the Unsolved Murder of Helen Brach is the true and complete story of Helen Vorhees Brach’s mysterious disappearance and unsolved murder, as told by veteran Chicago journalist Jim Ylisela. This book will reveal the sordid facts behind the case and the seedy underbelly of Chicago’s notorious crime world. Drawing from never-seen documents, interviews, and insiders’ perspectives of prosecutors, horse thieves, and candy heiresses alike, Who Killed the Candy Lady? is a true-to-life whodunnit. This is a fascinating and entertaining tale, and after finishing it readers will be unable to stop themselves from jumping to their own conclusions. Written with the straightforward precision and sly wit of a longtime Chicago writer immersed in the case’s details, Who Killed the Candy Lady? is the ultimate guide to this unsolved murder mystery. “It only took me a day to read this book because I could not put it down . . . A fantastic writer and great storyteller.” —Nerd Problems




Golden Tongue


Book Description

Golden Tongue: The Innocent Man that Killed Her? By: Richard Bailey On January 1, 1977, Richard’s life changed forever... On New Year’s Eve, Richard is dancing with the lady of his dreams, and spends a wonderful night of romance at the Waldorf Astoria. Then later, on February 19, 1977, in Florida, she disappears. The devastation of her disappearance is inconceivable, that twenty years later, he is accused of the Murder of Helen Brach—insanity! Helen Voorhees Brach, known as the Candy Heiress, lived a life of luxury and prestige. Her mansion in the northern suburbs of Chicago was staffed with butlers and housekeepers, but all of that couldn’t compete with her love of horses. Brach, the wealthiest woman to ever disappear, disappeared without a trace in 1977. Her disappearance sparked national attention and her male suitor Richard Bailey was swept into the limelight of this enduring murder mystery. There were several suspects, but never a conviction… at least until federal prosecutors came after Richard, a Chicago area stable owner. Richard went from dance and driving instructor and horse entrepreneur, to a “cold-hearted murderer” of a lady who brought the only pleasure into Richard’s life. Golden Tongue tells the story through the eyes of Dr. Annette Hoffman, a plastic surgeon who fell madly in love with a stranger, Richard Bailey. Will Dr. Hoffman believe in Richard’s innocence or guilt? Dr. Hoffman is brought into the drama and sensationalism of who killed Helen Brach. This is the story of a search for truth, love, lies, murder, the mafia, a rogue prosecutor and detective, and a justice system that isn’t very just!




Golden Tongue


Book Description

Golden Tongue: Helen Brach "Candy" Heiress and "The innocent man that killed her?" On January 1, 1977, Richard's Life changed forever...Imagine, experiencing the enormity of emotional extremes from spending New Year's Eve, dancing with the 'Lady of his Dreams' to a wonderful night of romance at the Waldoff Astoria. Then her 'no-show' on February 19, 1977, in Florida, the devastation of her disappearance, inconceivable, that 20 years later, being accused of the Murder of HELEN BRACH, "insanity!"Helen Voorhees Brach, was known as the "Candy Heiress," who lived a life of Luxury and prestige. Her mansion in the northern suburbs of Chicago was staffed with butlers and housekeepers, but all of that couldn't compete with her love of horses. Brach, the wealthiest woman to ever disappear, disappeared without a trace in 1977. Her disappearance sparked national attention and her male suitor Richard Bailey was swept into the limelight of this enduring murder mystery. There were several suspects, but never a conviction, at least until federal prosecutors came after Richard, a Chicago area stable owner.RICHARD was involved in Murder... invented by David Hamm, Illinois State Police. Fueled by an old vendetta, with Richard's Family, convincing Steven Miller (AUSA), that RICHARD BAILEY, a 'womanizer' was the main suspect in "Candy Heiress," HELEN BRACH... "RICHARD's HEART WAS CRUSHED."Richard went from Dance & Driving Instructor, and Horse Entrepreneur, to a "COLD-HEARTED MURDERER," of a "lady that brought only pleasure into Richard's Life."Golden Tongue: Volume I tells the story through the eyes of Dr. Annette Hoffman, a plastic surgeon who fell madly in love with a stranger, Richard Bailey. Will Dr. Hoffman believe in Richard's innocence or guilt? Dr. Hoffman is slung into the drama and sensationalism of who killed the "Candy Heiress" Helen Brach. This is the story of a search for Truth, Love, Lies, Murder, the Mafia, a Rogue Prosecutor and Detective, and a justice system that isn't very just!THE INNOCENT MAN THAT KILLED HER?The story is also being told by the man that has been sentenced to a death penalty by his age and his health... a man that has proven the "facts" that should have released him and the facts could only be told after LOVING this LADY.




Inspite of All the Tears and Fears


Book Description

The first section describes living conditions in our village in the 1930s.Our home had no running water, no indoor plumbing, no central heating, and no refrigeration. Every family was self-reliant and self-contained, meaning you had to grow and produce your own food. Prior to 1940, there were limited markets of food supplies available. After the war, stared coupons were provided by the government, but their rations did not meet our needs. The Hitler regime brought about a critical change in the way the two nationalities lived together. Prior to that, they coexisted peacefully. Now there developed a mistrust and insecurity at gunpoint in our daily lives. However, as human nature would have it, there were many heroic good deeds performed under the radar of the political powers by both groups. The second section of this story begins with the last day of World War II and the beginning of Ethnic Cleansing in Czechoslovakia. All the Germans who lived in Jihlava and the surrounding areas were evicted from their homes under the watchful eyes of their neighbors. It ends one year later with the Germans being transported by freight trains to Bavaria in Germany. Freedom, yes, but what next? This chapter concludes with painful time of hunger, working hard, and becoming accepted by our new neighbors.




Alligator Candy


Book Description

From award-winning journalist David Kushner, a reported memoir about family, survival, and the unwavering power of love—and the basis for the podcast Alligator Candy. David Kushner grew up in the early 1970s in the Florida suburbs. It was when kids still ran free, riding bikes and disappearing into the nearby woods for hours at a time. One morning in 1973, however, everything changed. David’s older brother Jon biked through the forest to the convenience store for candy, and never returned. Every life has a defining moment, a single act that charts the course we take and determines who we become. For Kushner, it was Jon’s disappearance—a tragedy that shocked his family and the community at large. Decades later, now a grown man with kids of his own, Kushner found himself unsatisfied with his own memories and decided to revisit the episode a different way: through the eyes of a reporter. His investigation brought him back to the places and people he once knew and slowly made him realize just how much his past had affected his present. After sifting through hundreds of documents and reports, conducting dozens of interviews, and poring over numerous firsthand accounts, he has produced a powerful and inspiring story of loss, perseverance, and memory. Alligator Candy is searing and unforgettable.




Witnesses for the Dead: Stories


Book Description

How does witnessing a crime change a person? This powerful collection of stories by a star-studded roster of contributors examines this very question, with proceeds benefitting the Alliance for Safe Traffic Stops. Inspired by recent true events, the all-original stories in Witnesses for the Dead are set in motion by the act of witnessing. The characters who populate these pages are not themselves the perpetrators of the crimes they see, but as they grapple with what to do—take action or retreat into the shadows—their lives are indelibly changed. In “Envy” by Christopher Chambers, a sweet, shy wallflower looks on as something horrific happens in his neighborhood—revealing something horrific about himself. Agatha Award–winner Richie Narvaez’s “The Gardener of Roses” sees a Puertorriqueña college student on the run from the FBI for her accidental involvement in a “terrorist” plot. Anthony Award–winner Gary Phillips confronts police corruption in “Spiders and Fly.” And the protagonist of “A Family Matter” by IPPY Award–winner Sarah M. Chen investigates the murder of a stranger, leading her to question the political structure of Taiwan entirely. Other stories feature a brothel, the film industry, immigrant detention centers at the Mexico-US border, World War II–torn France, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories are incisive, unflinching, wry, dark, and, in some cases, terrifying. You’ll ask yourself: If I saw what they saw, what would I do? Edited by Anthony Award–winner Gary Phillips and Shamus Award–winner Gar Anthony Haywood, the collection includes contributions from NAACP Image Award–winner Pamela Samuels Young, New York Times bestsellers Cara Black and Tod Goldberg, Edgar Award–winner SJ Rozan, Agatha Award–winner Richie Narvaez, and more.




Death in Yellowstone


Book Description

Intriguing stories of how people have died in Yellowstone warn about the many dangers that exist there and in wild areas in general.




Women who Kill


Book Description

A study of women murderers in America from precolonial times to the present reveals a social history of the United States in terms of the women who murdered and their crimes.




The Reporter Who Knew Too Much


Book Description

Was journalist Dorothy Kilgallen murdered for writing a tell-all book about the JFK assassination? Or was her death from an overdose of barbiturates combined with alcohol, as reported? Shaw believes Kilgallen's death has always been suspect, and unfolds a list of suspects ranging from Frank Sinatra to a Mafia don, while speculating on the possibilities of reopening the case.




Local Woman Missing


Book Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! "Dark and twisty, with white-knuckle tension and jaw-dropping surprises." —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Home Before Dark In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense Mary Kubica, author of Just the Nicest Couple, takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried. People don't just disappear without a trace… Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they'll find… Don't miss Mary Kubica's chilling upcoming novel, She's Not Sorry, where an ICU nurse accidentally uncovers a patient's frightening past... Look for these other edge-of-your-seat thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica: The Good Girl Pretty Baby Don’t You Cry Every Last Lie When the Lights Go Out The Other Mrs. Just The Nicest Couple She's Not Sorry