Missouri-based 66 Roadies Press has published three historical novels set on Route 66 from author, artist and preservationist Jamie Jessop. They’re part of the Mother Road Mysteries series.
“The stories use maps, signs, ledgers, photographs and preservation history as fictional evidence while clearly separating invented crimes and characters from real landmarks and people,” Jessop stated in an email.
“My aim is to make the history approachable and entertaining: Readers get a mystery to follow while also learning how the Mother Road developed, how it shaped communities, and why preserving its places and stories still matters.”
The first is “The Wrong Nail Hole” (Amazon affiliate link).
The synopsis: “Set in December 1926, when a moved Route 66 shield, a dead sign inspector, and a town fighting for traffic turn the new highway’s first alignment into a matter of life and death.”
Next is “The Blue Whale Ledger” (Amazon affiliate link).
The summary: “A visitor ledger, a missing photographer, and one of Oklahoma’s most memorable roadside landmarks open a mystery about the names and stories the road leaves behind.”
Finally is “The Last Landing at the Painted Desert Trading Post” (Amazon affiliate link).
The summary: “In 1953, a fuel-starved airplane lands beside Route 66 while a camera captures a survey stake that should not exist.”
All three books are available in paperback or Kindle editions.
Jessop stated that upcoming Mother Road Mysteries include:
- “The Two Guns Map”
- “Twin Arrows, Broken”
- “The Rabbit Beneath the Sign,” centered on Jack Rabbit Trading Post
- “The Shamrock Cut”
- “The Thirteenth Spoke,” a Wagon Wheel mystery.
(Images of the Mother Road Mysteries book covers courtesy of the author)