Christy Scott Cashman + Dave Wedge: What Happened in Beulah

Join bestselling author Christy Cashman and acclaimed journalist and author Dave Wedge for a discussion of WHAT HAPPENED IN BEULAH. New York Times bestselling author Dave Wedge will be in conversation as they discuss writing mystery and suspense from two very different perspectives — fiction and nonfiction. Christy's new novel, What Happened in Beulah, is a haunting coming-of-age mystery set in Appalachia, while David's new book Blizzard of Lies brings the lens of a journalist and nonfiction storyteller to the darker questions of crime, truth and human behavior based on the Karen Read case. With both authors rooted in New England and bringing new work to New York, the evening will explore how real life informs suspense, where fact and fiction diverge, and what keeps readers turning the page. This event will be hosted at The Strand at Columbus Ave located at 450 Columbus Ave. Can’t make the event? Purchase a signed copy of What Happened in Beulah here. ACCESSIBILITY: Strand Book Store is an ADA compliant venue. The event space is accessible via elevator. ASL interpretation is available for this event by request only. Please reach out to our events team at [email protected] by Oct. 5 to request. Please ask a Strand employee upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred. For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------- A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing. Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown. When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home. A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury. Christy Scott Cashman is an award-winning author, actress, producer, and passionate advocate for literacy and the arts whose second novel, What Happened in Beulah, will be published on October 20, 2026. Her bestselling debut novel, The Truth About Horses (2023), earned multiple literary awards and acclaim for its emotionally resonant storytelling and exploration of resilience, family, and hope. She is also the author of the children’s books The Not-So-Average Monkey of Kilkea Castle, Petri’s Next Things, and The Cat Named Peanut Shrimp Cookie Fry Muffin Who Lives on Staniel Cay. As an actress and producer, Christy has appeared in more than twenty feature films, including American Hustle, Joy, The Women, Ted 2, and The Forger. Committed to nurturing creativity and the next generation of storytellers, Christy founded YouthINK, a nonprofit mentorship program connecting young writers, filmmakers, actors, artists, musicians, and other creatives with accomplished industry professionals in the United States and Ireland. She is also the founder of YOUthink Creative Wellness and Writing Retreats, which bring together writing, creativity, and wellness while supporting YouthINK’s mission. Christy serves on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library and on the National Council of the American Film Institute, and she supports the Wahlberg Youth Foundation and other organizations dedicated to literacy and the arts. The second youngest of ten children, Christy was named after Catherine Marshall’s beloved novel Christy. She grew up in North Carolina, where her lifelong love of horses began, and today divides her time between New York City, Martha’s Vineyard, and her farm in Pennsylvania with her family, four horses, and two dogs. Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning investigative journalist who wrote for the Boston Herald for 14 years. His book about the 2013 Boston Marathon attacks, Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy, was adapted for the 2016 movie Patriots Day. He has written bestsellers about Tom Brady and “Deflategate,” Whitey Bulger, and John Lennon. His most recent books, Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagan Motorcycle Gang and Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s Battle for Glory, are both in development as feature films. His most recent, Blizzard of Lies: Karen Read, John O’Keefe and the Shocking Unsolved Murder in Cop Town, USA, is his third New York Times bestseller. Dave is also a co-producer on Hunting Whitey Bulger, a three-episode Hulu docuseries produced and narrated by Ben Affleck and based on Dave's book, Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss. The series airs in early 2027. New York Times Bestseller In January 2022, a Boston police officer turned up dead in the snow, seemingly a victim of a simple hit-and-run. But Officer John O’Keefe’s death kicked off a scandalous whodunit that invited federal scrutiny and triggered nationwide outrage. The explosive story of O’Keefe’s death and the subsequent accusation and trial of his girlfriend, Karen Read, ignited one of the most high-profile true crime mysteries in decades. The apparently open-and-shut manslaughter case quickly devolved into a chaotic mixture of lies, institutional corruption, and police cover-ups that threw the Massachusetts law enforcement scene into turmoil. In 2025, Read’s acquittal left O’Keefe’s death an unresolved mystery, with more questions than answers. Blizzard of Lies is a Boston-area veteran reporter’s detailed and immersive account of one of the most controversial crime stories of his career. Featuring interviews from both sides of the case, including law enforcement, Read and her legal team, and the O’Keefe family, investigative journalist Dave Wedge shares inside stories and new details on: • John O’Keefe’s turbulent relationship with Karen Read • Evidence excluded from the courtroom • Additional cases now in jeopardy because of misconduct uncovered during Read’s trial • Heroic acts from O’Keefe’s policing career • The O’Keefe family’s civil suit and ongoing pursuit of the truth The definitive narrative of a controversial, headline-grabbing tragedy, Blizzard of Lies dispels the myths and misinformation around John O’Keefe’s death to chronicle a vivid account of a complex case and the lasting emotional toll on everyone involved.