It’s official: THE JACKLIGHTER: Murder, Betrayal, and Justice in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains launches October 27, 2026, the Tuesday before Halloweenโand I have four bookstore signings lined up so far ๐
I’ve known about the launch date for a while, but thought I would make a joint announcement of the pub date and bookstore events … at some point. I’ve been in my writing cave working on edits to the manuscript (hence my MIA status on this blog and my socials), BUT I learned this morning from a neighbor (thank you, Tina!) that my local news site, Around Ambler, ran a feature on the book. So, here’s my overdue blog postโofficial pub date, the Around Ambler feature, and my first four events, all in one.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you can read Suzanne McNaughton’s piece here: Ambler author releasing true crime novel 50 years after infamous murder. It was a full-circle moment to have my local news site cover a story I first started chasing in my husband’s hometown of Montrose, PA, when I was a much younger journalist.
For anyone just finding me through the Around Ambler piece: THE JACKLIGHTER tells the story of the 1976 murder of Montrose attorney Martin Dillon, and the decades-long fight to bring his killer to justice. The Endless Mountains hold a lot of secrets, and this oneโwrapped up in hunting culture, small-town loyalty, and a betrayal that split a family in twoโincludes a revelation that has never before been made public. It’s the follow-up to my award-winning debut, Chained Birds: A Crimemoir.
Now, the part I’m most excited to share … I’ve booked my first four in-person events, and I’d love to see you at one of them:
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- Thursday, October 29, 7 PM โ The Bookshop on Main, 5 N. Main Street, Ambler, PA
- Saturday, October 31, 12 PM โ Barnes & Noble, 2443 Vestal Parkway E, Vestal, NY
- Sunday, November 1, 5 PM โ Thrillerdelphia, 4203 Main Street, Philadelphia (Manayunk), PA
- Saturday, November 28, 1 PM โ Doylestown Bookshop, 16 S. Main Street, Doylestown, PA
Four stops so far, and I’m working on moreโI’ll keep this page updated as new ones get confirmed. There’s something extra special about kicking things off in my hometown of Ambler, at the new Bookshop on Main that our town is so lucky to have!
Thank you, as always, for following along on this ridiculously long journey. Thirty years is a long time to sit with a story, and it’s almost here.
Mark your calendars, and I’ll see you in October. ๐ โจ
By the way, for all you eBook fans who like a deal: The eBook is on pre-order sale at $5.99 on my Crimemoir Store. That price is good up until publication day, when the eBook goes to $9.99 everywhere.
Carla Conti is a journalist and the award-winning author of Chained Birds: A Crimemoir. Her next true crime book, The Jacklighter, is set for release in 2026. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, who supports her true crime habit.
