Puget Sound–Set Mystery Novel Traces Blackbeard Legend from Centuries-Old East Coast Secret to Local Tribal Lands
Cover for Blackbeard's Lost Head
Though originally from Hampton, Virginia, Schmanska has spent much of his professional life in the Pacific Northwest, primarily managing construction projects, to include an award-winning traditional Coast Salish longhouse on the Port Gamble S'Klallam Reservation. In Blackbeard’s Lost Head, he draws on that experience to craft a genre-bending mystery rooted in Puget Sound Indian Country—while connecting it to one of America’s most enduring pirate legends.
Set in 2025, the novel follows former FBI agent Dodge Chee Jones, who is sorting through the estate of a deceased friend on the Port Gamble S’Klallam Reservation when he uncovers a 1920 letter written by a Native student attending Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). The letter claims that the severed head of the pirate Blackbeard was once hidden in the basement of the school’s museum—but is it still there?
Dodge’s investigation leads him across the country to Virginia, but the trail ultimately pulls him back to the Pacific Northwest, where the mystery deepens and the answer may lie closer to home than anyone expects.
Blending historical intrigue with a vivid portrayal of contemporary tribal life, Blackbeard’s Lost Head explores the connections between place, memory, and history—linking the legacy of Blackbeard’s 1718 death with the modern-day communities of Puget Sound.
Kelly Sullivan ~ Ha’mekwiten, executive director at Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, says that Blackbeard’s Lost Head “shows the writer’s affection for our tribal people here on Puget Sound. He lovingly captures the nuances of daily life in our communities, no doubt culled from his thirty years at Port Gamble S’Klallam and Tulalip.”
For more information about the author and his new book, visit schmanska.com
Hannah Tonsor
Koehler Books
+1 800-435-4811
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
