Welcome! I’m Duke Southard, an author, retired educator, and lecturer.
I have published seven novels, a commissioned history, and an anthology of
award-winning short stories and essays.
Please check out my blog where I write about true crime and a wide ranging variety of literary and everyday subjects.
My Programs
My programs are offered free of charge to any schools, public libraries, and educational/community groups.
Free Book
Grab a free copy of my book, The Week from Heaven and Hell
My Books
View a list of my published books, including Tainted Justice.
Recent Posts
An “Active Investigation”
In the last two years on this blog, I have posted two hundred and ninety four items, a large majority of them regarding the Stacey Burns murder. Several of those have sought a definition of what exactly constitutes an "active investigation" of a murder case. Like so...
A “Lady Killer”
On December 12, my post on this blog mentioned the resurrected possibility (by an anonymous caller) that the killer of Stacey Burns was a woman. It also mentioned that the investigation was not at a standstill; in fact, it is an active investigation as evidenced by...
Live Free or Die Bonus
When Live Free or Die is released, possibly as soon as February, there is a bonus attached. The first two chapters of my next Parker Havenot novel are included as a preview. The title, tentative for now but probably final, is Cracks In The Wall. Watch for the exact...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I want to wish all my followers a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Healthy New Year! My blog posts will resume after Christmas with updates on my letter writing about the Stacey Burns case, information on my upcoming new release of Live Free or Die and reports...
“Face DNA”
In a post on my blog, a follower mentions the term "face DNA" in the context of a police officer using it. My research on this finds only that experiments are being conducted to use DNA to reconstruct the facial appearance of a person. I'm wondering if anyone out...
The Investigation
Over the years I've been working on writing about the Stacey Burns murder case, at least four sources have indicated that they believed that it was a woman who killed Stacey. A recent conversation resurrected that idea. In two of my "plausible" scenarios, which some...
Live Free or Die
The second Parker Havenot novel is coming fast. A mentor of mine when I first entered my second career of writing (Robert Newton Peck) told me that if I wrote a book, it had better be a book I was proud to have my name displayed on the cover. I said this about the...
Letter to the Governor
As mentioned in my previous post, I have made a holiday resolution to write to public officials in New Hampshire requesting updates on the progress in the investigation into the murder of Stacey Burns on May 10, 2009. Below is just a portion of the first letter to...
A Holiday Resolution
All of my recent writing has focused on getting Live Free or Die, my new Parker Havenot novel, ready for publication. It appears on track for a spring publication date so watch for further information coming up. and have made a personal holiday resolution to write...
Passion for a cause?
In my last post about the Stacey Burns murder case, I mentioned that passion for a cause has a limited lifespan. Some interest in this statement leads me to provide just a little more detail as to why I believe that the statement applies to the murder of Stacey Burns....
Great advice!
Every once in a while, I enjoy looking through the various volumes of Life's Little Instruction Book. Whenever I do, I find a small nugget of truth that strikes home with wherever I happen to be mentally at the moment. This morning, I found these in Volume II. "Don't...
Someone Needs To Care
The phrase, "someone needs to care," is mentioned in a response to my most recent post. I believe there are those who care about finding out who killed Stacey Burns. I had a phone call yesterday from someone who lives in Wolfeboro and is upset with the lack of...