Saturday, December 21st, Two Consecutive Afternoon Events

Diane L. Twilley and Dr. Donald Willett will return on Saturday afternoon to sign copies of their latest books. Astrodome Murders is the 4th in Twilley’s series which follows the adventures of two amateur crime solvers who live in Galveston. Galveston Chronicles is edited by Dr. Willett and features select articles on a variety of Galveston historical topics by some of Texas’ best writers.

Starting at 1:00 p.m. at the store.


1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Astrodome Murders
by Diane L. Twilley
Soft cover, $15.95

The opening of the Houston Astrodome in 1965 is a landmark event for the largest city in Texas, bringing thousands of visitors from all over the world and with them the winds of change.

For University of Houston student Dottie Murphy, it brings an exciting job opportunity and a host of new friends. Dottie loves her job as a Spacette, as do her best friends, Millie and Maggie Sue, but when one of Dottie’s friends is killed in a tragic accident in the Dome a couple of years later, Dottie’s world is turned upside down. Soon she begins to wonder if her friend’s death was really an accident. Dottie decides to investigate and within months of starting her search, she disappears without a trace, leaving her family and friends devastated.

Nearly forty years later, Dottie’s teen-aged niece discovers Dottie’s journal, and begins to question what happened to her aunt. Soon this cold case falls into the laps of amateur sleuths Gina Malloy Tierney, and her aunt, Sister Catherine Malloy. A successful journalist, Gina jumps at the opportunity to research the case, knowing it would make a fascinating story. What she and her aunt don’t count on is the fact that there is a devious killer, alive and well, prepared to do anything to keep the terrible truth hidden, and their lives will be in jeopardy before they have a chance to solve the Astrodome Murders.

3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Galveston Chronicles
by Dr. Donald Willett
Soft cover, $21.99

Subtitled “The Queen City of the Gulf,” Galveston Chronicles is a collection of historical essays on the island city’s history. Named for Bernardo de Galvez and established in 1839, Galveston measures just over two hundred square miles. In early Texas history, however, it was actually the largest city in the Lone Star State, as well as a hugely important port that would become a strategic target during the Civil War. The Oleander City survived the depredations of war and flourished, a resilience it would also display in the wake of the devastating hurricane of 1900. From early cannibals and pirates to the woman suffrage movement and Nazi POWs, Galveston’s amazing story continues to evolve today. Join thirteen of Texas’s most noted scholars and historians as they share this remarkable island history.

Contributors include Donald Willett, Patricia Bellis Bixel, Chester Burns, Gary Cartwright, Margaret Henson, Arnold Krammer, David McComb, Bill O’Neal, Merline Pitre, Robert Shelton, Edward Simmen, Elise Hopkins Stephens and Larry Wygant.