In 1965-1966, my main interests were boys, learning how to
drive and school, pretty much in that order.
So I paid little attention to the news, never realizing how what was going on
then in my city would mirror the novel I would write many years later.
You see, after
my first Malone mystery was published, I learned something that actually gave me chills. From
October 1965 to December 1966, a man attacked, raped and murdered seven
Cincinnati women. He strangled them, using either an article of their own
clothing or something that was readily available to him. With one exception,
the women were attacked in their homes. The media dubbed him “The Cincinnati
Strangler.”
The Cincinnati Police apprehended
Posteal Laskey, a cab driver, after the last attack. He was arrested and
convicted of the seventh murder. He never confessed to having committed any of
the crimes but the attacks stopped when he was taken into custody. He died in
prison in 2007.
If you’ve read Mixed Messages,
much about The Cincinnati Strangler will sound familiar to you. Although
I didn’t know about the real life case when I wrote my novel, there are
so many similarities
between what I wrote and what actually happened. Hence, the chills!
In
the book, The Westwood Strangler
attacks women in their homes and he uses whatever is at hand to strangle
them –
just like The Cincinnati Strangler. The Westwood Strangler is on the
loose in a neighborhood on the west side of Cincinnati. All of The
Cincinnati
Strangler's victims were attacked within a few miles of Westwood.
Without giving away my plot for those
of you who haven’t read Unfinished Business, the sequel to Mixed Messages, I’ll let you in on a secret: the total number of victims
for The Cincinnati Strangler and The Westwood Strangler is exactly the same!
Was it merely a coincidence that what I wrote all those years later so strongly paralleled what really happened? Or, even though I didn’t consciously remember the news stories, did my subconscious retain bits and pieces for all those years? I guess we’ll never know.
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/ib9QTJItPA4
Buy link: http://tinyurl.com/o7wufnj
Fascinating, Patricia. I've had a similar experience though different in that I've written a book and then a couple of years later something that I've written happens. (Fortunately not murders.)
ReplyDeleteMarilyn,
DeleteTo this day, whenever I think about it, I still get the chills.
Thanks for stopping by!
That's amazing, Patricia. I have based quite a few of my books on real things that happened in my life but I did it on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing, Pat. So many bits and pieces of my life end up in my books. But this one was a real shocker!
DeleteWho knows how much information the subconscious retains? No matter how the story came about, it's a fascinating book. Learning more about the real crimes after writing the book, well, it would give me chills, too. Excellent post, Pat!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Marja! I guess it's one of those things that will remain a mystery. :)
DeleteMakes you wonder about the power of the subconscious mind. Loved the book, BTW.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does! Kind of scary!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Evelyn.
I'm sure it jarred you to learn about the strangler after writing the book. As others have suggested, information about the real case probably did lay dormant until you needed it. When we're young things happen around us and our conscious mind can be oblivious to them. But however the story came to you, many of us have enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, John. I appreciate your support!
DeleteI'm sure you knew something about those earlier crimes. I remember how distracting boys can be! Add driving and school and you're super-distracted. Probably a bit of self-protection was in play as well. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right, Maggie. Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteYou gave me a bit of a shiver, too! What else is lying there in wait for you to unearth? Makes me wonder, a bit, about how much we really imagine versus tapping into some collective unconscious!
ReplyDeleteSharon,
DeleteIt does make one wonder, doesn't it? LOL
Glad you dropped in. :)
You may think this is strange, Patricia, but I have on occasion believed in "alternate universes"--yourself on the same timeline, but in a different world based upon different choices. Found your post VERY interesting! And like Sharon, shivered.
ReplyDeleteMad,
DeleteI guess there are some things we'll just never know.
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)
This post gave me the chills, too. Your subconscious mind must have retained something and it bubbled up just when you needed it. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Amy. It's both chilling and amazing.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
WOW, that is chilling for sure! Better it be in the past rather than the future or you might be a suspect! 😜 Have a great week, Pat!
ReplyDeleteGood point, Sharon. LOL
DeleteHi Pat,
ReplyDeleteI like to write faction as well. Fiction that's mixed with reality is more meaningful. And yes, this is chilling.
Jacquie,
DeleteI think what I love most about fiction, as opposed to reality, is that any problems my characters have can be (and are) resolved by the end of the book.