Janik's Murder

On a June night in 1953, on the northside of Chicago, Eugene Janik was shot and killed. The newspaper and judge said it was a robbery gone wrong and the homeowner was within his rights to shoot the intruder. But is that the whole—or even the real—story?

On a June night in 1953, on the northside of Chicago, Eugene Janik was shot and killed. The newspaper and judge said it was a robbery gone wrong and the homeowner was within his rights to shoot the intruder. But is that the whole—or even the real—story? In 1953, as the crime unfolds, two small children are staying at the Edgewater Beach Hotel, where their father took them to live after their mother's mysterious disappearance. Forty-three years later, one of those children—Steve Lewin—and his wife set off to discover the truth about Steve's mother. The story takes them from St. Louis back to Chicago, and explores the lives of the people involved in Janik's murder. Was it a home invasion? Or was it a mob hit? Personal interviews, photos, newspaper articles, and documents validate the theory of conspiracy and murder. Readers will hear firsthand what really happened on that summer night in 1953, and will be drawn deep into the secrets of the conspirators. The final section, centered around a photo taken in 1958, brings closure to the mystery but leaves open certain questions. Where is Fritzie today? Is she still alive? Following the day-to-day saga of a fearful young woman, caught up in a time and place she had no chance of escaping, will have readers wondering just who the real villain is.

Janice Drake started writing book blurbs for her elementary library in the fourth grade, which prompted the school librarian to guide her toward writing. She was an English major and an educator in Missouri for 36 years. She is the board president of a non-profit in St. Louis that builds and preserves housing for people with low to moderate income, a field in which she's volunteered for 25 years. She has spent the last few years editing novels by other authors, and Janik's Murder is her first full-length book. She lives in St. Louis with her husband and escapes to her extensive garden to relax and gather ideas.