Thank you for visiting Old Spirituals!
My name is Kimberly Tilley and I’m a non-fiction author and the co-founder of Pivot Talent Development LLC.
I’ve written four books about crimes that happened at the turn of the century (circa 1900). The Poisoned Glass, Cold Heart, and Has It Come to This? and Grievous Deeds are Amazon category #1 best sellers in True Crime, American history, and other categories in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia.
I left my former publisher and have republished my books under Old Spirituals Press.
Click the book covers to visit the book’s page on Amazon.
Grievous Deeds, the True Story of Four Years of Fury in Chattanooga, Tennessee was originally published in 2023 and republished in 2024.
Chattanooga 1906. The town erupts when a young white woman is assaulted in a dark cemetery. After a quick, flawed trial, a black man named Ed Johnson is convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. Despite a direct order from the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution, a mob lynches Johnson. The infuriated high court holds Captain Joseph Shipp, the ambitious county sheriff, responsible for the outrage and charges him with contempt.
As the sheriff’s case progresses, another crime rocks Chattanooga. The body of a beautiful young woman is found murdered on Lookout Mountain and her killer slips through the sheriff’s fingers.
Desperate to save his career, Captain Shipp makes a wild gamble on Dave Edwards, a charming but notoriously insane inmate in the county jail. Dave is released and deputized to apprehend the fugitive killer but his madness soon manifests, with dreadful consequences.
The eBook and paperback are available on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The audiobook, narrated by the one and only Samuel Burst and produced by musician Bryan Gibbs is available now!
Has it Come to This? The Mysterious, Unsolved Murder of Frank Richardson was originally released in March 2022 and was republished in November 2025.
Somebody got away with murder on Christmas Eve in Savannah, Missouri.
In the last months of 1900, Frank Richardson was on the verge of losing everything. The merchant’s drinking, jealousy, and carousing were destroying his marriage and livelihood. When his wife Addie took the children and left, Frank vowed to change. His promises and heartfelt pleas won his wife over and the family returned to Savannah.
On Christmas Eve, the Richardson family planned to attend a concert but a mysterious chain of events sent Frank rushing home instead. Seconds after he entered the dark house, a gunshot rang out. The merchant lay dead on the floor and his murderer vanished like a phantom.
The investigation exposed Frank’s troubled life to the world. He had many enemies but his last words “Has it come to this?” created a cloud of suspicion around three suspects: his wife Addie; his 17-year-old paramour Goldie; and Stewart Fife, the young man who was often the target of Frank’s jealousy and aggression. To whom did he ask that fateful question?
The clues and evidence are here. The case is waiting to be solved. Can you discover the truth behind who murdered Frank Richardson?
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Cold Heart: The Great Unsolved Mystery of Turn of the Century Buffalo was originally published in 2020 and republished in 2024.
On February 27, 1903, Buffalo residents awakened to the shocking headlines that Ed Burdick, the wealthy manufacturer, was found brutally murdered in the den of his home. The generous young father of three was at the center of a lurid scandal involving Buffalo’s young elite and the police investigation revealed the no shortage of suspects. Ed Burdick’s murder is the true story of the great unsolved mystery of turn of the century Buffalo.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Poisoned Glass was released in August 2019. The Poisoned Glass is currently out of print. I have no plans to republish it.
October 1900. Paterson, New Jersey. When the lifeless body of 17-year-old Jennie Bosschieter was discovered beside the Passaic River in October 1900, the outrage in Paterson, New Jersey was palpable. But when the identity of the killers came to light, public opinion divided. Some people still demanded justice for the brutal crime, while others now insisted Jennie’s murder was her own fault.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
OldSpirituals.com
Old Spirituals covers art, true crime, historical events, photography, fashion, and character studies from the turn of the century. I write about some well-known people, like Evelyn Nesbit, Mata Hari, and the Romanovs, and many more obscure characters.
The site has existed since 2013 and great things are happening. I’ve authored the majority of the content on the site but, as of 2025, I’m delighted to have two fantastic writers who are now regular contributors. Our very own Nicola Di Crescenzo, aka Jax Saggezza, began posting in 2024. Nicola is a pro at finding, researching, and writing obscure stories from the turn of the century. I’m also delighted that Erik Rivenes, host of the legendary historical true crime podcast Most Notorious and accomplished author, has joined us on Old Spirituals. Both Nicola and Erik bring a unique new dimension to the site.
I love to hear from people about the stories on this site and about my books on the discussion pages. I hope you’ll leave comments, but please note there will be a short delay the first time you post a comment.
Have a question about Old Spirituals or my books? You can contact me at Kimberly@OldSpirituals.com
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