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Move over, Jersey Devil. A new generation of thrilling—and true!—stories is here to raise South Jersey’s shock factor.

Largely lost to time, these stunners include Atco’s dizzying love dreams, Camden’s underground mystical labyrinth, Glassboro’s UFO frenzy, and the origin of the “cursed” Deptford portion of Route 55. This gripping journey through New Jersey’s southernmost counties also offers views of an escaped show lion, a fatal family love triangle, and the young woman who hoodwinked Camden newspapers before going on to threaten the free world as Nazi propagandist “Axis Sally.”

Local author Danielle L. Burrows collected and researched these happenings and presents them here with detail and aplomb.

Authors Joseph Bilby and Harry Ziegler chart the brief rise of the Ku Klux Klan and how New Jersey collectively stood up to bigotry.

The state, though, was not immune to the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the first half of the twentieth century. Former vaudevillians Arthur H. Bell and his wife used the tactics of public theater to advertise and recruit for the organization. At a massive riot in Perth Amboy, thousands of immigrants besieged a few hundred Klansmen, tossed them out of building windows, burned their cars and ran them out of town. The allying of pro-Nazi German Bund groups and the Klan in the lead-up to World War II marked the end of the Klan’s foothold. Authors Joseph Bilby and Harry Ziegler chart the brief rise of the Ku Klux Klan and how New Jersey collectively stood up to bigotry.

Four decades after Jeannette DePalma's tragic death, authors Jesse P. Pollack and Mark Moran present the definitive account of the shocking Springfield township cold case.

As Springfield residents decorated for Halloween in September 1972, the crime rate in the quiet, affluent township was at its lowest in years. That mood was shattered when the body of sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma was discovered in the local woods, allegedly surrounded by strange objects. Some feared witchcraft was to blame, while others believed a serial killer was on the loose. Rumors of a police cover up ran rampant, and the case went unsolved - along with the murders of several other young women.

The kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. and the subsequent arrest, trial, and execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann have intrigued true crime buffs for decades.

New Jersey's Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial tells the story of the case that never dies through vintage photographs. Rare photographs, many not seen since the 1930s, will allow the reader to experience the massive police investigation led by New Jersey State Police superintendent H. Norman Schwarzkopf and the circus-like trial and execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann.

From the Pine Barrens to the Shore, the natural beauty of southern New Jersey is shrouded in local legends and lore passed down through the generations by way of oral tradition.

Deep in the woods of Colliers Mills, the mysteries of a place called Jack Davis keeps travelers at bay in the Bermuda Triangle of the pines. The state’s most famous legendary creature, the Jersey Devil, is often described as making its home among the pines. It is said that there is a hermit of Oswego Lake who guards the pines as a great mystical white stag. In the swamps of South Jersey, local legend tells of Hessian Island, a historic secret outlaw hideout of Pine Robbers, established by renegade soldiers from the Revolutionary War. Local author William J. Lewis colorfully presents tales, legends, lore and reflections from South Jersey and the Pine Barrens.

Ghostly Fun in the Sand and Sun

The wide sandy beaches, colorful boardwalks and majestic lighthouses of the Jersey Shore share supernatural secrets and unexplainable encounters...

In Absecon the dead pose as guides for a unique afterhours tour of its historic lighthouse. A reformed criminal met the apparition of his victim, learning remorse is eternal, on Long Beach Island. Newly built casinos in Atlantic City have former patrons stopping by for one last goodbye, from beyond the grave. A spectral organist haunts and plays the pipe organ of Asbury Park’s Convention Hall.

Author Patricia Heyer uncovers the eerie mysteries that shroud many of the Shore’s iconic landmarks.

Ghost stories from down the shore have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky Jersey Shore! 

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that many of the Jersey Shore’s famous lighthouses are haunted? Or that restless ghosts from the past wander these moonlit shores? Can you believe musical apparitions may be rocking—and haunting—the Convention Hall in Asbury Park? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the Jersey Shore and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Author Brian Armstrong tells the shocking story of this “sundown town” and how it evolved into the diverse community that exists today.

On March 1, 1894, two African American men broke into a home in rural Franklin Park and murdered a white woman and her daughter before her husband fought and killed the attackers. The newspapers called it the “Franklin Park Tragedy,” and the story captivated public attention nationally and abroad. Another tragedy came afterward, with the racist forced expulsion of many local African American residents.

Bursting with delightful colors and bright illustrations, Local Baby: Jersey Shore engages babies’ attention and encourages families to explore what makes their region so great.

Play at the boardwalk arcades, splash in the waves, and ride the rides at the historic amusement parks from Sandy Hook to Long Beach Island, Atlantic City to Cape May! Explore the Jersey Shore with this joyfully grabbable and wonderfully local board book that is sure to bring generations together.

Folktales, hidden treasures and witchcraft.

The towering skyline of New Brunswick stands in stark contrast with the swampy ceder forest it emerged from in the late 1600s. While the city grew over the original Lenape settlement of Ahanderamock, its history was passed on through whispers of tales both real and imagined. In the Buccleuch Mansion, a skeletal figure dressed as a British Grenadier is said to stagger the halls with a lantern, and at Rutgers University tales of secret societies swirl through campus. Long-lost pirate treasures, some rumored to be connected to mysterious clues etched in stone, remain undiscovered to this day.

Author Mark Neurohr-Pierpaoli uncovers the mysterious stories lurking below the surface of New Brunswick. 

Many of the North Jersey Shore towns we know today began as quiet retreats for pious New Yorkers wishing to escape the vice and crime of the city.

Towns such as Long Branch, Ocean Grove, Red Bank, and Atlantic Highlands all got their start like this, but with the passage of Prohibition in 1919, the region became a haven for criminals who began smuggling liquor through the serene seaside. Speakeasies sprang up on virtually every corner, as gangsters like Vito Genovese, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and Meyer Lansky ruled this brutal underworld, while civilians were caught in the crossfire of gun battles between rival syndicates. Discover the true drama that captured the Jersey Shore during Prohibition.

On January 9, 1850, Judge John Van Winkle and his wife, Jane, were brutally stabbed to death by their former farm hand, John Jonston.

The murder happened in their home on Goffle Road in Hawthorne, NJ (which is still standing). This story would go down in history as the first in Passaic County. Since the murder in 1850, it inspired the work of New Jersey's greatest poet William Carlos Williams. Williams would go on to inspire the works of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. In 1850, with the execution of Jonston, it became the first execution in Passaic County. The newspaper accounts of the day go into great depths to describe the day. As recorded in The New York Times in 1882 the abode of unearthly visitants, there have been documented occurrences of the unexplained occurring, and the current owner, Henry Tuttman is working to bring the house in the 21st Century while retaining the heritage of the house.

In this middle-grade adaptation of Shark Attacks of the Jersey Shore, author Patricia Heyer dives into the history and lore of shark attacks along New Jersey’s coast. Every summer, thousands of people flock to the boardwalks and beaches of the Jersey Shore looking for fun and relaxation. But some come face to face with much more. A boy paid a gruesome price for teasing a trapped shark in the first recorded attack in 1842. Three bloody attacks of 1960 left one man’s limb amputated. The horrific summer of 1916 included seven attacks within two weeks, sparking the man-eating reputation that sharks still have today. These stories and more have been adapted for younger readers brave enough to dive in to our shark-infested waters.

The Jersey Devil isn’t the only supernatural entity that stalks the Garden State: Here are tales of pirates, patients, and prisoners, oh my!

Few places are as obsessed with the paranormal as New Jersey, and the area once known as West Jersey is a hotbed of supernatural activity.

The ghost of a young boy in Mannington appears to welcome guests and partygoers to a historic bed-and-breakfast. The tortured soul of a weathered sea pirate remains in Greenwich, still imprisoned after three hundred years. Malevolent spirits haunt the abandoned Salem County Insane Asylum, menacing those who dare venture to the solitary confinement rooms in the basement.

Paranormal investigator and researcher Kelly Lin Gallagher-Roncace shares frightening New Jersey folklore that makes for great fireside storytelling.

The rolling hills, picturesque farms and lush highlands of northwestern New Jersey exemplify the often-overlooked natural beauty of the Garden State. But among its historic towns and scenic vistas lurk haunting mysteries and unexplained apparitions...

A recluse who practiced witchcraft generations ago is said to be still spinning misdeeds as the Sussex Sorcerer on Sunrise Mountain. The ghost of Reverend O’Malley walks the woods around Mount Allamuchy as the Purple Bishop, seeking vengeance against those who betrayed him. The sinisterly named Shades of Death Road along the sod farms and meadows of the Pequest River Valley has a bloody reputation of bandit killings and supernatural encounters.  

Author Robert Oakes leads readers on a spirited journey through the historic ghost lore of Northwestern New Jersey.

Spirits of the Deep

The maritime tragedies of the Jersey Shore reveal the terror of North Atlantic hurricanes, the high price of human failure, and the dreadful consequences of mutiny and murder. But this sad and dark history also has a haunting side. Immigrants perished just miles from their destinations, their dreams of a new life dashed, and well-heeled passengers aboard posh vessels never saw land again. Yet all their cries still echo shoreward to this day. Destroyed by fire or mysterious mishaps, ocean liners still travel the waters they sank beneath many years ago.

Through numerous accounts of hauntings and unique maritime apparitions, New Jersey author Patricia Heyer introduces the ghosts of the Shore’s spine-tingling maritime folklore.

Explore the Shore on the Silver Screen

From the boardwalk to the bay, the Jersey Shore boasts a rich but somewhat overlooked history of filmmaking along its 130 miles of beautiful coastline.

Atlantic City, the Garden State’s most iconic town, has been featured in dozens of critically acclaimed films, including The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Atlantic City (1980), and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). Asbury Park, though largely known for its music scene, has graced the screen in numerous films, music videos, and television shows set and produced within the city’s mere 1.61 square miles of land and water, including The Wrestler (2008), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), and Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025). Cinematic gems like Coyote Ugly (2000), Amityville Horror (1979), A Complete Unknown (2024), and many others were produced on location from South Amboy to Cape May. And of course, there is Kevin Smith, the Red Bank native whose cinematic love letters to his home state helped change the face of independent film.

Marci Mazzarotto profiles more than 140 films, spanning 110 years, along with sundry TV shows and music videos that contribute to the richness of Jersey Shore’s film history. 

Hidden History of Atlantic City tells the stories of the legendary nightspots, spectacular hotels and the glittering casinos of the real Boardwalk Empire.

For decades, Atlantic City was deservedly known as the queen of resorts. All the glitz and glamour imaginable shined on the boardwalk, where visitors of all ages enjoyed breathtaking views of a pristine beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The city by the sea had grand hotels, iconic restaurants, and amusement piers. Its nightclubs introduced Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a comedy team and booked stars like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and many more. As the city slipped from its one-time prosperity, its decay was on view nationally when it hosted the 1964 Democratic Convention, but when legalized gambling arrived in 1978, some of the legendary glamour returned.

Entertainment journalist, author, and jazz performer Bruce Klauber traces the incredible history of a city that’s been up and down and over and out—and up again.

“New Jersey is the most celebrated cider making district in America,” wrote Andrew Jackson Downing in 1849. At one time, New Jersey grew more apples than any other state, and they have been a key part of life across the Garden State for more than 300 years.

North Jersey orchards produced internationally renowned Newark cider and high-proof apple brandy—known as applejack, cider spirits, Jersey Lightning, and dozens of other nicknames—which were signature products produced in hundreds of New Jersey distilleries. America’s oldest distillery is a Monmouth County applejack maker. Orchardists, cider makers, and distillers made New Jersey applejack famous. In addition, farmers supplied Washington’s Continental Army with spirits during the coldest winters of the American Revolution, and bootleggers produced thousands of gallons of illegal applejack during Prohibition. By the early 20th century, tastes changed, and the cider industry dwindled. Prohibition nearly snuffed it out entirely. In the 21st century, New Jersey cider is experiencing an unprecedented revival.

James Malchow is a New Jersey native and the director of the Ralston Cider Mill Museum in Mendham, Morris County. The Ralston Cider Mill preserves the unique history of cider and applejack in New Jersey. The images in the book are drawn from museums, private collections, public libraries, and other archival collections.

From 1920's Speakeasy to mid-century haunt of the famous and infamous, discover the tantalizing history of a legendary New Jersey Nightclub.

Where did Frank Sinatra, Mickey Mantle, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joan Crawford and hundreds of other A-listers along with mobsters like Meyer Lansky eat, drink and dance? It wasn't in Hollywood or at the Copacabana but at Bill Miller's Riviera in Fort Lee. The Riviera's breathtaking views of New York, its stunning showgirls and its gambling hall drew the famous and infamous to its tables. After it was originally run as a speakeasy by Ben Marden during the 1920s, Bill Miller, a Russian Jewish immigrant, attracted the most sought-after performers and turned it into one of the most popular nightclubs during the 1940s and 1950s. Relive Bill Miller's Riviera and experience the excitement of his lucky patrons.

Author John E. O’Rourke recounts the crime that rocked a sleepy community and brought the nation’s eyes to North Jersey.

On a spring morning in Morristown in 1992, authorities discovered a car idling in a driveway with the door open and the driver missing. After they learned the driver was Sidney Reso, the president of Exxon International, the FBI joined the investigation. Over the next two months, law enforcement received cryptic communications that led to a cat-and-mouse chase for those responsible. Retired cop Arthur Seale and his wife, Irene, demanded one of the largest ransoms in U.S. history, and authorities struggled to solve the case.

Read about the stories and characters of Asbury Park during its down years and the events and people that led to its resurgence.

By the 1980s, Asbury Park was left for dead. The once vaunted beach town had emptied out. Redevelopment efforts were derailed by economic upheaval, incompetence, or the slow workings of the judicial system. The city seemed destined to be a cautionary tale. But not everyone left, just as not everyone stayed away.

Henry Vaccaro made his best effort, Domenic Santana resurrected the Stone Pony, and even Tillie remains thanks to Debbie DeLisa, Lance Larson and Kevin Feehan bringing back Wonder Bar at the right time. The counterculture that drew bohemians and artists made for the perfect atmosphere that allowed Jenn Hampton to turn a bowling alley into a music venue.

William Clark recounts how Asbury Park came back to life through the stories of the people who helped its resurgence. 

“New Jersey is the most celebrated cider making district in America,” wrote Andrew Jackson Downing in 1849. At one time, New Jersey grew more apples than any other state, and they have been a key part of life across the Garden State for more than 300 years.

North Jersey orchards produced internationally renowned Newark cider and high-proof apple brandy—known as applejack, cider spirits, Jersey Lightning, and dozens of other nicknames—which were signature products produced in hundreds of New Jersey distilleries. America’s oldest distillery is a Monmouth County applejack maker. Orchardists, cider makers, and distillers made New Jersey applejack famous. In addition, farmers supplied Washington’s Continental Army with spirits during the coldest winters of the American Revolution, and bootleggers produced thousands of gallons of illegal applejack during Prohibition. By the early 20th century, tastes changed, and the cider industry dwindled. Prohibition nearly snuffed it out entirely. In the 21st century, New Jersey cider is experiencing an unprecedented revival.

James Malchow is a New Jersey native and the director of the Ralston Cider Mill Museum in Mendham, Morris County. The Ralston Cider Mill preserves the unique history of cider and applejack in New Jersey. The images in the book are drawn from museums, private collections, public libraries, and other archival collections.