Jailing the Johnston Gang
By Bruce E. Mowday
(Barricade Books, 256 pages)
One of Chester County’s most relentless historians and a former managing editor of the Daily Local News, Bruce E. Mowday takes on the infamous West Chester-based Johnston Gang 30 years after covering their investigation and prosecution. This true crime tale draws on his substantial reporting experience, along with personal accounts from investigators, attorneys and former gang members, to detail how the combined efforts of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies brought Chester County’s most notorious criminals to justice.
Just Be Simple By Brian Troy (77 Productions)
You may have caught Philadelphia-based filmmaker Brian Troy’s new film as it made the rounds at the Main Line, Media Arts Council and Philadelphia film festivals last month. A quirky nine-minute short, Just Be Simple portrays the demanding and, in this case, warped creative process as experienced by 40-year-old screenwriter Marcus Williams, who’s broke, balding, in debt and about to be evicted from his apartment. With two weeks until D-Day, his attempts are nothing short of desperate and—as seen through Troy’s eyes—just a little bit humorous.
Land Mines
By Sheilah Vance
(The Elevator Group, 188 pages)
Any woman who’s been through a separation and divorce, and managed to come out on the other side with her wits—and heart—intact, will appreciate this Paoli-based writer’s inventive take on one of life’s most painful experiences. Part divorce survival guide, part self-help book, this fictional novel is written journal style. In the end, Land Mines proves that fairy tales are just that. But happiness and peace are there for the taking.
