Lin Waterhouse
represented by agent Jeanie Pantelakis
The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion
Published by The History Press
West Plains, Missouri Friday, April 13, 1928.
Looking at the photos and reading the story, I was moved to help them. They want everyone to know the truth, which may have been hit men or geological in nature. If it is the former, most likely the culprits are dead, but the facts need to be revealed. If it is the latter, next time could be catastrophic. Lin has touched the tip of an iceberg and has data, interviews, and stats to prove her findings.
This is one I could not put down for two reasons: 1) it was real, and 2) it still has not been solved. Lin has done an unbelievable job of research and has written it so well, you actually go to bed at night seeing the explosion and hearing the voices of those who have crossed over but are not satisfied; who need closure. This book may bring someone forward who knows the who and why. Just look at the pictures and imagine.
Bond Hall hosted dances every Friday night for many years. This night was like any other; young and old alike gathered to dance and listen to the live band consisting of their own local talent. At 11:00 pm that evening, not one family within 50 miles of West Plains was left unaffected by the horror that unfolded in a scant 10 minutes. An explosion ripped through the second floor dance hall located above Wiser Motor Corp; sending 39 unsuspecting people to their deaths.
Waterhouse has done a remarkable job of researching the historical registers, newspapers, and courthouses as well as finding and getting first hand information from survivors and their descendents. She grabs you from the first sentence; taking you back to the day of the tragedy, carrying you through intricate details leading up to the moments before, and then combing through the testimony, coroner’s reports, and investigative findings, she brings you to where it all stands today. As you read The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion, you realize you are reliving a real cold case. Intriguing and fascinating!
She has much more pertinent information to add since she finished the MS: geological statistics, personal interviews, and diaries/journals from descendents who found them in trunks.
There have been pools that have mysteriously been sucked dry of water near ground zero, in West Plains there was a community septic cesspool that disappeared, and sunken foundations that all indicate an unstable terrain. If all this is substantiated, and this book comes out with all the facts, it could clear the Wiser name and bring closure to so many open doubts.
It could easily prevent another tragedy as well. Explosions, sink holes, etc.
Then again, the two men in dark suits showing up at Wiser’s showroom at 10pm that night throws suspicion on gangster activity since no one came forward fitting those descriptions. Still, if Wiser was involved, I don’t think he would have stayed around to be blown up; he would have run with his family.
This would make for a great 48 Hours episode or a Discovery Chanel story; bringing national and international attention to an incident that killed over 39 people, took out a whole city block and caused eternal pain for all those who were touched by it.
She has also written two novels centered around a watermill in the Ozarks: Bred to the Bone: Eternal Secrets at Hunter’s Water Mill release date December 2012 and The Ghost of Timmy Wahl : Eternal Secrets at Hunter’s Water Mill, release date February 2013. Mysteries with twists that are true entertainment. Published by Mitchel Morris Publishing.
Hunter’s Water Mill
Bred to the Bone: Eternal Secrets at Hunter’s Water Mill, a 79,000 word mystery set in the Missouri Ozarks town of Hickory Bend.
Caroline Hudson, a widow who moves to the Ozarks to start over, works part-time at a renovated water-operated mill turned into a tour stop/shop. She and her boss find a hidden bank safe in the attic. What it contains, certain people would rather not be public knowledge. The extent of their determination leads to stalkings, snakes, and murders.
The Ghost of Timmy Wahl : Eternal Secrets at Hunter’s Water Mill, a 61,589 word mystery set in the Missouri Ozarks town of Hickory Bend.
Caroline Hudson’s daughter, Catherine and fiancé, Scott, are visiting when they decide to hike the trail behind the mill. Encountering a young boy of about 4 years of age, they assume he is a local who got lost in the woods. They ask him to come with them so they can find his parents, and as they turn to go, he vanishes into the fog.
This is the beginning of an unfolding mystery dating back over 80 years. Timmy Wahl in death is about to impact the lives of more people than he ever knew when he was alive…
Waterhouse is a freelance journalist/writer, living and working in Ozark County, Missouri. Since moving from California and Arizona to Missouri nine years ago, she has written articles for local and regional newspapers and magazines, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Ozark Mountaineer, Ozark Magazine, and The Ozark County Times. www.linwaterhouse.org
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