True crime fans, we have the event for you! Colorado-based author Silvia Pettem will present on her two latest books, In Search of the Blonde Tigress, about Eleanor Jarman, who, beginning in 1933, was sensationalized by the press as the "blonde tigress" and "the most dangerous woman alive," and, Someone's Daughter, which details a cold case from 1954 in Boulder, Colorado and how Silvia's local history research led to the victim's identification and probable killer. There will be a Q&A and book signing following Silvia's presentation, and light refreshments will be provided.
In Search of the Blonde Tigress: In 1940, Eleanor escaped and managed to live out her life as, perhaps, America's longest-running female fugitive. Following the murder of an elderly shopkeeper, readers are given a front-row seat for Eleanor's arrest, trial, conviction, and sentencing--all documented with recently unearthed primary-source police records, court transcripts, and prison files--and her subsequent prison years. Woven in are comparisons and contrasts between Eleanor's and her escape partner's criminal histories, as well as speculation on their lives on the lam. Whether Eleanor deserved her sentence, or whether it was too harsh, is left for the reader to decide. In Search of the Blonde Tigress sets the mystery and intrigue of this wanted woman into historic context. It also includes her family's plea, in 1993, for Eleanor to come forward and apply for clemency. Most revealing at the time was Eleanor's alias. With that information (and considering that Eleanor, born in 1901, is certainly now deceased), Silvia Pettem documents her search for Eleanor's remains--right up to a visit to her likely grave.
Someone's Daughter: In 1954, near Boulder, Colorado, the body of a murdered young woman was found. The initial investigation turned up nothing, and "Jane Doe" was buried. Decades later, the author set in motion the events that led to Jane Doe's eventual identification and the identity of her probable killer. The 2023 paperback edition includes an epilogue with updated information on how the mystery finally was solved.
Silvia Pettem is a Colorado-based author, writer, and historical cold case researcher. After local history research led her to the identification of a decades-old murder victim, Pettem switched from writing solely about history to the genre of historical true crime. Her latest book, In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story of Eleanor Jarman, combines biography and prison reform in the 1930s with a best-case scenario to help unravel a long-standing mystery. Silvia can be reached through her website, http://silviapettem.com
