Review by Martha Quillen
Colorado – December 1994 – Colorado Central Magazine
It Happened In Colorado
by James A. Crutchfield
Published in 1993 by Falcon Press
ISBN 1-56044-202-6
Ghosts, Ghouls & Goblins
Twilight Dwellers of Colorado
by Mary Joy Martin
Published in 1985 by Pruett
ISBN 0-87108-686-7
HERE’S A BOOK of thirty-four legendary events told in short, clear, easy-reading prose. It Happened In Colorado is a painless way to explore a bit of Colorado lore, and might well interest children, too, but some of the historical integrity of the tales is lost in the brevity.
The story of Alferd Packer, for example, is told only from Packer’s viewpoint, with nary a hint of the theory that Packer may actually have murdered the companions he ate.
Crutchfield’s story of Bridey Murphy, who was presumably a past-life personality of a Colorado housewife, ends with the consequent public acceptance of reincarnation after the publication of the book, The Search For Bridey Murphy.
This was not the end of either the Bridey Murphy story — or problems associated with recollections gained under hypnosis. According to some accounts, the Bridey Murphy character was later found to be compiled from true tales an old housekeeper had told the housewife in her childhood. Others, of course, may not agree. Either way, a more complete account would have been interesting.
Crutchfield’s book, however, leans more toward presenting folklore than history, and as such, it’s a pretty good read — especially if it inspires a further interest in some of the tales cited.
In the beginning, Martin’s book was interesting enough, although Twilight Dwellers was not quite as ominous or exciting as its topic might lead one to believe. But whereas Crutchfield, in his book on Colorado legends, might have improved upon some of his stories by giving them a few more pages — Martin gives far too many words to most of her twenty-two tales of legendary Colorado ghosts.
In one tale, To Kill A Barber, Martin amalgamates excess words with surplus characters so effectively, she creates a mix more somnolent than chloroform. And that’s sad, because the author has gathered an impressive quantity of Colorado ghost lore.
But Martin just doesn’t make it spine-tingling, or even very interesting. So unless you’re either a dedicated ghost story buff, or else someone looking for an insomnia cure, there are better ghastly tales of terror available.
— Martha Quillen