BRENHAM HERITAGE MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RELEASES NEW BOOK

  

The Brenham Heritage Museum’s executive director has released a new book.

Mike Vance has authored “Getting Away with Bloody Murder”, a work of historical true crime from Pelican Publishing.  The story is set in Southeast Texas at the dawn of the twentieth century and focuses on James Brockman, or J.B., who transforms himself from a shady character with a dubious background into the best-known criminal lawyer in the Lone Star State.

The book grew out of research for an earlier volume called “Murder and Mayhem in Houston”, co-written with John Nova Lomax.  This is Vance’s eighth book to be published.

Local and area stories are found in the pages of the book.  An early case with some notoriety involved a daring daylight robbery in La Grange and two members of Sid Preacher’s gang.  Several incidents took place in and around Hempstead, including an infamous shoot-out and blood feud that led to the murder of a sitting U.S. Congressman.  Most notable in the story is J.B. Brockman’s murderer, a man who grew up in Brenham and came of age in Austin County.

Vance has his first book signing event for the new title scheduled for Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at Round Top Brewing, located at 101 West Austin Street in Round Top.

“Getting Away with Bloody Murder” is available through Vance’s website, www.mikevancewriter.com.  It can also be found through certain national chain bookstores and online booksellers.