Perfect for locals who want to learn more about their community’s history or those planning road trips throughout the region, Level Best Books has announced that “Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States” by award-winning author Dawn M. Barclay was released on Jan. 27.

It is the second of a multi-volume series covering the U.S. and beyond (the first being New England, released in March 2025) which should interest those who enjoy reading about true crime, law enforcement, the paranormal and/or tombstone travel.

Even families with older children obsessed with ghosts or police museums will find value here.

This second volume covers New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Topics within each state will include:

– Major crimes in the state and where those crimes were committed, down to the street name (but not the exact street number for private houses).

– An extensive list of additional books to read about those crimes

– Haunted restaurants and hotels

– Restaurants and hotels with a crime or punishment connection

– Crime museums and other attractions

– True crime and ghost tours

– Where the criminals are jailed

– Where the bodies are buried

– Easy-to-follow itineraries that bring all the different pieces together in a logical way

– Resources for victims of such crimes

Dr. Katherine Ramsland, an American non-fiction author of more than 72 books, and a professor of forensic psychology and criminal justice, calls “Vacations Can Be Murder” “the perfect reference book for the U. S. crime traveler… This travel guide is a gem. Be packed and ready before you start reading because you’ll want to go explore.”

While perfect for travelers, the guide can also prove useful to those who plan travel — travel agents, tourist boards, event planners and tour guides.

“Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshops.org and all major book distributors in both e-book ($9.99) and paperback ($19.95) format.

Barclay is a veteran travel journalist who penned “Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible” and “Neurodiverse.”

She is the author of hundreds of trade and consumer articles, and as D.M. Barr, has written seven psychological and romantic thrillers and has edited several crime fiction anthologies.

Barclay is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Society of American Travel Writers and the New York Travel Writers Association.

Her website is www.VacationsCanBeMurder.com.