Eagles Mere, Pa. sets the scene of a new, spine-tingling murder mystery novel by Priscilla F. Clement, of Wallingford, professor emerita of history and women's studies at Penn State Brandywine.
Blood on the Path, published by Eagles Mere Museum, is the gripping tale of the 1959 unsolved disappearance of a teenage girl, that is, until her niece sets her sights on the truth years later. Her quest to solve the mystery takes her on a dark path from historic Eagles Mere to Media, Philadelphia and even New York City.
"Clement rekindles fond memories for anyone who has visited this quaint mountain village," Penn State Brandywine Head Librarian Sara Whildin writes on the novel's back cover. Clement, who has visited the small town with her family every summer since 1970, uses her intimate knowledge to bring new life to the town's Victorian charm—"the inn, the village green, the ice cream parlor and that treacherous path around the lake."
Writing a fictional novel has always been a dream for Clement and her family. "My kids have wanted me to write a novel for years," she remembered. "When I started thinking about writing a book I knew I wanted to connect to the past. I love mystery fiction."
During the nearly 40 years that she taught at Penn State Brandywine, Clement received three teaching awards. She is the author of numerous articles and several books on various aspects of the history of children and of welfare and poverty in the United States. Blood on the Path is her first novel.
