Headless in Hancock: 1882

By: Sebastian Lockwood

Narrated by: Sebastian Lockwood

Headless in Hancock, 1882 is a historical fiction novel set in the New England village of Hancock at the close of the nineteenth century. At the center of town stands the Hancock Inn where stagecoaches bring travelers from Boston, Concord, and beyond. Each arrival brings new stories—adventure, conflict, romance, and danger—that ripple through the quiet village.

Innkeepers Jarvis and Susan Blood, with Jeanette Winterstone at the front desk and Caleb in the barn, keep the tavern running as strangers arrive with tales to tell and secrets to hide. Among the visitors are both imagined and real figures: Ralph Waldo Emerson, frail but still profound; Washington Irving, haunted by his Headless Horseman; and Fly Rod Crosby, America’s first professional woman guide, challenging expectations of her time.

The novel immerses listeners in the texture of nineteenth-century New England—autumn storms sweeping over Mount Monadnock, stone walls marking the fields, blizzards that test every roof beam, and suppers of cider-braised pork and johnny cakes by the fire. Folklore and superstition linger in the shadows, even as science and modern ideas reshape the world.

For fans of historical fiction, American folklore, and atmospheric mysteries, Headless in Hancock offers a vivid portrait of a small town alive with character, spirit, and the spell of 1882.

©2025 Sebastian Lockwood (P)2025 Sebastian Lockwood

Sumptuous

Lockwood’s writing is richly descriptive, revealing life in New Hampshire as it was in the 1880s grounded with the natural beauty that still draws fascinating people for retreat and exploration. Mountains are their own characters, peers of the resourceful and determined people who bring the Hancock Inn and Fox Tavern to life. And the food and cocktails…sumptuous. I’m already on my second listen.