Marcy McCreary--The Summer of Love and Death

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Woodstock. One word. That's all most of us have to hear to immediately envision one of the defining cultural events of a generation. I was too young to go to Woodstock, but old enough to think it was all incredibly cool and romantic. How I would have loved to have had a bird's eye view of the festival.

Author Marcy McCreary has given us better than that, however, in her new novel THE SUMMER OF LOVE AND DEATH, a dual timeline story set in 1969 and in 2019. Here's Marcy to explain!

MARCY McCREARY: On Friday August 15, 1969, my mom took me and my twin sister to the (now-defunct) Catskills Game Farm. If you know anything about that location and that date, you’ll pretty much guess what happened next. Yup, we got stranded on the road along with hundreds of thousands of hippies on their way to the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. I was six years old at the time and being stuck in that traffic jam pretty much sums up my personal experience with Woodstock.

But that memory stuck with me, and even inspired scenes in my latest novel, The Summer of Love and Death. But my stuck-in-traffic experience was not going to cut it for truly understanding what went down during those three days of peace and love. And so my research journey began.

As you can well imagine, there is plenty of information about the Woodstock festival on the Internet (the bands, the crowds, the ticketing fiasco), but there is next to nothing about how security was handled and the role of law enforcement at Yasgur’s Farm in Bethel, New York, where the festival took place. What was there felt incomplete, and I suspected, not 100% accurate. To authentically render the novel’s flashback scenes, what I really needed was a firsthand account of policing at Woodstock and the surrounding area.

For my earlier novels, I had no trouble finding and interviewing detectives, lawyers, doctors, and forensics specialists who could answer my questions or provide background on a particular subject matter. What were the chances of tracking down one of the three hundred NYPD police officers who worked at the festival? Felt like I was in slim-to-none territory.

And then luck stepped in.

In the fall of 2022, while at a writer’s conference, I chatted up fellow writer Gregory Renz about my manuscript and he thought he might know someone who could provide some insight. A few weeks later, Greg put me in touch with Nick Chiarkas, an ex-NYPD cop (and crime writer!) who was one of the 300 “Peace Force” cops at Woodstock. 

Nick and I talked for hours about the security apparatus and his personal experiences at the event. In addition to describing how law enforcement handled the crowds, kept the peace, assisted in medical emergencies, Nick regaled me with personal anecdotes that I have woven into the story (with his blessing). Meeting Nick felt fateful, and I’m grateful for his contribution to the novel.

The Summer of Love and Death is a dual timeline murder mystery—2019 and 1969—set in the Catskills featuring a father-daughter detective team. Detective Susan Ford is investigating a murder that is eerily similar to her dad’s first case as a detective. Detective Will Ford’s chapters are set in 1969, with the historical events of that year unfolding around him—the Apollo moon landing, the Miracle Mets, the Vietnam War protests. It was fun to incorporate these events within the context of his scenes, get his take on them, and see how they influenced his worldview. And although his chapters are dark (he’s investigating a serial murder!), Will’s optimism and idealism mirror the sentiment of that era’s generation.

If you could go back in time and attend Woodstock, would you? Which band(s) would you want to see? Would you skinny dip?

DEBS: Oh, oh, can I just cheat here?? I love Marcy's questions! 

Even as a romantic teenager, I was a little creeped out by the idea of the crowds, so not sure I would want to be magically there. But I would love to experience it vicariously! The bands! I would love to have seen (and did see some in concert):

Hendrix. The Who. Joplin. Jefferson Airplane. Crosby, Stills, and Nash! But you know which one really jumped out at me? Country Joe and the Fish. Who grew up in the late sixties who couldn't sing Joe McDonald's "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die?"

Oh, and skinny dipping. Yeah, sure, if I could look like I did when I was seventeen:-)

Here's a list of the bands for your perusal.

Marcy McCreary is the author of The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon, a Silver Falchion finalist for Best Investigator Mystery and The Murder of Madison Garcia, a Society of Voice Arts and Sciences winner for Best Audiobook—Mystery. The Summer of Love and Death is the third book in her Ford Family Mystery Series, released in August 2024. She graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in American literature and political science and pursued a career in marketing and communications. She lives in Hull, MA with her husband Lew. She is an active fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. 

The Summer of Love and Death

Detective Susan Ford and her new partner, Detective Jack Tomelli, are called to a crime scene at the local summer stock theater where they find the director of Murder on the Orient Express gruesomely murdered—naked, face caked in makeup, pillow at his feet, wrists and ankles bound by rope. When Susan describes the murder to her dad, retired detective Will Ford, he recognizes the MO of a 1969 serial killer . . . a case he worked fifty years ago.

Will remembers a lot of things about that summer—the Woodstock Festival, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Miracle Mets, the Vietnam War protests—yet he is fuzzy on the details of the decades-old case. But when Susan and Jack discover the old case files, his memories start trickling back. And with each old and new clue, Susan, Jack, and Will must narrow down the pool of suspects before the killer strikes again.

Your Fantasy Concert

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We just scored tickets to see James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt, here in Dallas (Frisco, actually) on July 31st. JT!!! 

The theater is new to us, and looks fairly intimate. I hope so, because no way could we afford front of house seats. Yikes!! We are talking thousands!

But we are huge James Taylor fans, especially Rick, who I think can play every single JT song on the guitar, but we've never seen him play live, so this was a must! We've seen a lot of rock-n-roll legends. My first-ever concert was the Beatles in Dallas in 1964. Not that you could hear them, mind you, but it was an experience (as in mass hysteria...) But a few years ago, I got to see Paul McCartney on tour in Dallas. It was the last stop of his tour, and when he walked out on the stage you could tell he was exhausted. But then he seemed to just suck up the energy from the audience and he played full on for THREE hours. Amazing.

We've seen the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young reunion tour. We've seen the Police on their reunion tour. (Man, I wish I had seen them in the day. I have a huge crush on Andy Summers.) We've seen Sting with Annie Lenox.

I did see Led Zeppelin in the day (maybe 1970?) It was a stadium concert, and I don't remember much other than the sweltering heat and the sound of Jimmy Page's guitar.

There is one more long-time idol I would really really really love to see in person, and that's Paul Simon. I think he is the singer/songwriter/genius of my generation, at least.
How about you, REDS? Memorable rock concerts? And who would you want to see that you've missed over the years? (I want to see Green Day, and they are going on tour but not coming to Dallas:-( Not that I know who I could drag with me...)

JENN: Concert lover here! Like you, Debs, I’m married to a musician and the Hooligans have gone musical, too, so we are big time concert goers. Guns n Roses was last year’s big concert for us, this year it’s Dead and Company (formerly the Grateful Dead) but I’ve heard grumblings that we’re going to see Metallica, too. My first concert was my junior year of high school and it was Rush at the New Haven Coliseum. In college, I was a bartender at Toad’s Place, also in New Haven, which is a live music venue, so I got to watch and meet everyone from the Allman Brothers to Cyndi Lauper to the Stray Cats, oh, and my fave band was the Ramones because they played there all the time since they lived in the area and were friends with the owner. Those were definitely some of the most fun years of my life! Hub went on to be the music editor for our local paper so I got to be his plus one for years and was giddy to see so many great shows like Aerosmith, George Strait, Madonna, Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. Wow, this really makes me realize how important music is in my life. Here’s a question, I tend to use music to help my writing, especially when I’m stuck. Does anyone else do that or do you need silence?

INGRID: I loved going to concerts when I was growing up, and I saw some amazing artists.  One of my sisters was an avid concert-goer, and that’s how I got started. No joke, I think Prince may have sweat on me when I had second row seats to his show.  I also saw Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, George Michael, Elton John, Duran Duran (yes, I was a tween in the 80’s), James Taylor, Billy Idol, Tears for Fears, Erasure, Squeeze, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd,) and Howard Jones.  I haven’t been to any concerts lately, but I would love to see Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars, although huge stadium concerts seem too big unless you’re right in the front, spitting (or sweating) distance from the stage.  As much as I love listening to upbeat pop music, I can’t listen to it when I work.  Anything with lyrics is too distracting for writing, but it’s just the ticket when it’s time to unload the dishwasher!

RHYS BOWEN: When I was growing up it was really the Golden Age of rock and roll. I saw the Stones when they were brand new and so amateurish. I saw the Beatles before they went to America and became super stars. In my staid and boring adulthood I have opted for people like Harry Connick Jr, who is an amazing performer. I've never seen Billy Joel, but I would have liked to. Frankly I don't think I would want to be involved in that seething mass of humanity at a concert. But I've a good concert story. I was in Australia visiting my mother. My daughter Jane was visiting people in South Dakota for whom she used to babysit. She was about fifteen at the time. John called me and said that Jane had asked permission to go to a concert and he had said yes. When I got home I found out it was Def Leopard and she had gone alone! And John couldn't understand why I freaked out. Jane said everyone was very nice to her and lifted her over their heads to get a good view.

HALLIE EPHRON: It's so embarrassing to admit, but rock music and concerts isn't my thing. Ask me about dance or art and I can offer up opinions. So... most memorable concert for me was WAAAAAY back -- Joan Baez on tour, and her warm-up act was an unheard of singer, Bob Dylan. I thought he was awful. I also saw Big Brother and the Holding Company and Janis Joplin at the Filmore West and thought she was... inscrutable. Like I say, I've got no sense at all when it comes to popular music.

LUCY BURDETTE: Oh Debs, I love love love Bonnie Raitt. Have seen her several times and would go again in a heartbeat. Also Emmylou Harris and many bluegrass bands back in my Tennessee days. Jenn, Toad's Place!! I wonder if we overlapped in New Haven? I moved there in 1984...

Did you see that Paul Simon just announced a tour? We did see Art Garfunkle a couple of years ago, but he'd lost his voice and it was embarrassing. Also saw James Taylor and Carole King--wonderful. Oh, and Traffic in NYC, back in my wild college days:). And a little bit of Kenny Chesney right here in Key West. But I'm with Rhys, the great big crowds put me off so we don't do too much of it these days. I'd rather go to a Broadway show!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, you KNOW I will go to Paul Simon..any time any place. We saw the Beatles in the 1964, I'm sure no one could hear a word over the screaming.  In college, we sneaked away form class and drove to Chicago to hear Crosby Stills and Nash (maybe 1968?) and after a few songs, they said--"we're thinking about adding someone else to our group, let's bring him out and see what you think." And then out came Neil Young! And if that wasn't amazing enough, the out came Judy Blue Eyes herself.  Jonathan and I went to a Judy Collins concert a year ago--wow, forty-five years later?--and she was still amazing.
I went to a Linda Ronstadt concert in maybe--1999? And sat in the front row. She was amazing. AMAZING!  I've been to several James Taylor concerts at Tanglewood--he's a local boy--and I am always so happy afterward. (I'd adore to hear Carly Simon, too, but never have in person.)
And Bruce Springsteen at Fenway Park. Blew the roof off the place. Well, there's no roof, but he would have. LOVE The Boss.
Now--I'd love to hear Bruno Mars or Justin Timberlake or Adele. But Jonathan would never go. Agreed--I'm not a fan of HUGE concert events.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Ross and I went to a concert for the first time in years this past summer  we saw Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band. We had a great time. The audience was multi-generational, and we talked and sang along with the folks seated around us. Buffett played for over two hours, which at his age I think constitutes good value for the money. We saw Three Doors Down a few years ago after winning four tickets - the most memorable thing about that was the beautiful location on a pier in Portland. We could watch the ships coming and going and the sun setting while drinking beer and occasionally tuning in to the music.

When I was young? First concert was Barry Manilow when I was a junior in high school. My best friend and I went and we both had SUCH a crush on him. The most memorable thing about the Grateful Dead concert I saw was discovering AFTER I had gotten inside that my boyfriend had stashed his weed in my purse! I saw the Who during their farewell tour in England, after a mad dash from London to Birmingham to reach the venue.

On the smaller live band front, we've seen Robert Earl Keen several times. If he and his band come to your town - and they might, they're a touring band - I highly recommend them.  I'd drop dough for Harry Connick Jr. in a New York minute, but overall, I'm much more likely to pay for seats at the symphony than at a rock concert. 

DEBS: Well, you have all put me to shame, and I have an embarrassing confession to make. When we've been to rock concerts the last few years, I've had to wear ear plugs. How lame is that? But I have a bad ear (nerve damage) so that much noise is really painful. But, as much as I love classical concerts (and I was a season ticket holder for the Dallas Opera for more than twenty years) and Broadway or West End shows, there is nothing like the energy and experience of a rock concert. I was too young for Woodstock--now that must have been something.

I'm adding to my fantasy concert list. Having just recently become a huge Bruce Springstein fan (I know, totally dopey, but I listened to ENGLISH bands...) I would love to see him. 

And I'd love to see Bruno Mars. There is just a huge amount of joy in his performances.

So, readers, what about you? What's the fantasy concert you've always wanted to see? (And, yes, we will accept non-rock:-))

PS: Jenn, I cannot listen to music when I'm writing. Unless I'm in a coffee shop, and then it's fine. Isn't that weird?