r/WVU • u/Automatic-Cookie4181 • 6d ago

Blood in the Coal — FREE 5-Chapter Preview | Historical Crime Fiction

On December 6, 1907, the Monongah mine disaster devastated a West Virginia coal community in what remains the worst mining disaster in American history.

That tragedy forms the historical foundation of Blood in the Coal, a historical crime novel following the rise of Jimmy DiSalvio and his organized crime empire in north-central West Virginia (Morgantown, Clarksburg, Fairmont) during Prohibition in the early 1920s.

As Jimmy and his brother Frank build their criminal empire, they discover that power comes at a price—and loyalty can demand blood in return.

Want to start the story? I'm making the first five chapters available FREE.

No purchase required. No email signup. Just read it and see if you want to continue.

Read Chapters 1–5 FREE:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nzQ7GEG_RfbHO43_JRy8Ka1uTBdmUdcW/view?usp=sharing

Learn more about Blood in the Coal:

https://scottdouglasbooks.com/

Blood in the Coal releases March 30, 2027.

Watch the Official Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaXmaNfXEeQ

If you enjoy the trailer, please consider liking it and subscribing to my YouTube channel.

— Scott Douglas Haning

 

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u/Ok-Cranberry-5582 6d ago

I'm excited to read this later when I have time. Born in Fairmont, father was full Italian from Morgantown. Growing up in the 60's/70's, my Dad had a lot of supposed mafia friends.

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u/Automatic-Cookie4181 6d ago

I think you will really like this. The first five chapters introduce many of the main characters (but not all of them). In those five chapters you will walk through Clarksburg, Monongah (Chapter 2 - the mine disaster of 1907), and Fairmont (Chapter 5 - Mabel's place). Morgantown is in a later Chapter as Jimmy DiSalvio's prohibition empired expands to it as a mid-point to Pittsburgh and Philly. I spent a lot of time and great detail in world building, and If you grew up in the area (like me, originally from Shinnston) you will like the vivid descriptions. Moreover, this gives people not familiar with north central West Virginia, a real understanding of this forgotten American history (with my artistic liberty of course).