TURN THE PAGES OF THESE TITLES WITH TIDEWATER TIES
By Butch Maier
With spooky season upon us, here are three Halloween reads, as well as a crime novel, and for those hungry for history…ham!
The Ghostly Tales of Haunted Coastal Virginia
Written by Joe Tennis & Abigail Tennis / 2026 / 101 pages
Virginia Beach native Joe Tennis and his daughter, Abigail, explore Hampton Roads’ haunted happenings. As the back cover of their book details: “Did you know that a phantom pirate prowls the woods at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach? Or that a cast of Caspers sometimes steals the show at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk? Can you believe that every July—above the Lynnhaven River’s blue crabs and oysters—a ghostly light glimmers at the site of the Witch Duck?” Available on arcadiapublishing.com and amazon.com.
The Haunted Lighthouse
Written by W. Scott / 2026 / 24 pages
“This sun was just beginning to set on a cool October evening as Pendleton T. Pelican (better known as Pen to folks living around the Chesapeake Bay) and his friend Penny were flying home from a visit to the eastern shore of Virginia.” And with that, we’re off on a children’s picture book ride with two birds to the Wolf Trap lighthouse. Available on xpresspublisher.com.
Sundays with Vlad
Written by Paul Bibeau / 2007 / 306 pages
Paul Bibeau, intrepid investigative journalist, detective extraordinaire, vampire-obsessed myth hunter (and now a Coastal Virginia Magazine freelance writer), travels around the globe in search of Dracula—the monster, the myth, and the icon. In this historical and hysterical novel, Bibeau describes his transformation from a fictional character in Bram Stoker’s novel to a figure that has pervaded popular culture. Sundays with Vlad is available in paperback and on Kindle via amazon.com.
Fadeaway Joe
Written by Hugh Lessig / 2023 / 288 pages
Looking for a crime novel to take to the beach? Check out this one, penned by an ex-Peninsula reporter. “Once the most famous bouncer in Hampton Roads, Joe has been diagnosed with early-stage dementia, and it’s cost more than a job. He’s been abandoned by his boss, Maxie Smith, the owner of Captain Maxie’s, a bar known for its beer selection and illegal poker games. Joe has collected more than a few bad debts for Maxie, whom he loved like a brother. Now cast aside, Joe plots his revenge.” So starts the summary of Fadeaway Joe, a crime novel written by former Daily Press reporter Hugh Lessig. Coastal Virginia locations featured in the book include: the Phoebus section of Hampton; Fort Monroe, near the coastal artillery bunkers; the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel; downtown Newport News, in the shadow of Newport News Shipbuilding; and a rural area near Pungo. Lessig, who also has worked at Newport News Shipbuilding, said Fadeaway Joe is sold at the following bookstores on the Peninsula: Dog-Eared Books in Hampton, See Which Books in Hampton, Paperbacks Ink in Newport News, Barnes & Noble in Newport News, and Barnes & Noble in Hampton. The book is also available at penguinrandomhouse.com.
Virginia Ham: A History of Salt & Smoke
Written by John DeMers / 2026 / 123 pages
Want to chew on some historical facts about Virginia ham? The new book Virginia Ham: A History of Salt & Smoke can cure your curiosity. As author John DeMers writes in the book’s introduction, “Virginia ham is the oldest, the original, and, we might even say, the founding American ham that evolved from homemade food to saleable commodity.” Smithfield, “the center of Virginia’s oldest, most successful ham-making region,” is mentioned all over the book, with Chapter 6 titled Becoming Smithfield. The book closes with eight Virginia ham recipes: Chicken Stuffed with Virginia Ham, Mrs. Randolph’s Spanish Olla, White Bean and Ham Soup, Flora Mae Hunter’s Ham Omelet, Santiago Scallops with Ham and Onion, Arancini with Prosciutto and Rice, English Ham and Cauliflower Pie, and Jinhua-Braised Cabbage. Available on arcadiapublishing.com and amazon.com.
Butch Maier
