The Hellbox Chronicles: Stories From Early Kansas City

In his newest work, David Huckett has created the world of a journeyman printer who wanders into post-Civil War Kansas City just in time for all the excitement. He encounters actual historical characters such as Madame Berenice Chouteau, the French "mother" of Kansas City, and "Old Timer" John Calvin McCoy who has seen it all in his years around the growing metropolis. The history is right, but even more important, the story is right. Believable characters, a twisting plot line and Huckett's insider knowledge of the job requirements of his hero all make this a wonderful historical novel. Late 19th-century Kansas City was an explosive place with the cattle trade on the move, the newspaper business booming and real estate selling at a quick clip. Less well known is that Kansas City became a center for the printing industry peopled by characters like Duzi. All aspects of life, including the shady aspects, come in for scrutiny in this imaginative work of historical fact and creative fiction. - Dr. William S. Worley, Kansas City Historian