Publisher's Synopsis
It is 1695, and New England still reels from the horror of the Salem witch trials. A pirate returns from abroad with a strange and magical device that could destroy his fragile community, or free it. When he is found with his eyes gouged and cabalistic markings around the body, many believe it a sacrifice to bring on the end of the world. Did a mortal hand strike Captain Brown, or has the Devil come to Newport? Meticulously researched and written in the authentic voice of the era, Night's Colony is the first and only mystery novel set at this volatile moment in American history, when the Age of Enlightenment collided with supernatural terror and millennial prophesy. Author Douglas Burgess deftly weaves actual characters and events into a brilliant tapestry of pirates, Puritans, Indians, witches, Quakers, astronomers and others that all lived together in the wild town of Newport at the fin de siecle. The result is not only a first-class mystery but also a work of significant literary merit. Set against the gaudy, bawdy backdrop of an America in transition, Night's Colony will enthrall mystery fans, history buffs and general readers alike."
