Tag Archives: Provincetown

Provincetown takes center stage in new book

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

Provincetown, that enigmatic town on the tip of Cape Cod, is part of the title of the newly released murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown, and it is the core focus of a perfect mystery lite.  A story that delves into the thoughts, fears, and aspirations of a medley of characters as varied in their socio-economic and sexual orientations as the town in which they reside.

 Roz Silva, is the power hungry publisher/editor of the town’s (fictitious) weekly newspaper The Provincetown Observer. Widowed three years earlier, with two teenage daughters, she is attractive and lonely—so lonely she’s been carrying on what she thinks is a secret love affair with the new town manager, who just happens to be married. But in a small town, there are no secrets.  Certainly talented and sensitive Frank Chambers, a chef and owner of the highly regarded Indigo Inn, knows of Roz’s indiscretions and he’s not going to pass judgment on who she sleeps with when he is too busy worrying how to get his restaurant staffed for the upcoming season and whether the HIV virus he’s carrying will develop into a full blown case of AIDS.  But he and his good friend Bruno, an Innkeeper with a weakness for young boys, do know one thing, they don’t like Roz and they want to start an alternative publication—a magazine.

And then there is the murder. Sonny Carreiro, Portuguese American native son, insurance agent, and real estate developer is mysteriously shot in front of his home on a Sunday evening and there are no witnesses. But there are plenty of suspects. He’s been separated from his wife Sarah for several months. Why did she leave him? He’s not on speaking terms with his business partner Beau Costa. Where was Beau on Sunday night?  Who in Sonny’s past, may have a score to settle?

Set in the early 1990s in a version of Provincetown which contains many actual businesses and locations used in a fictional context along with newly created places and situations that may feel oddly familiar, the book brings to life a town known for its beauty and the unique diversity of its inhabitants.  Available online at Amazon.com and at local bookstores in trade paperback, 306 pages $12.95 retail or as a kindle ebook, it is destined to become a mystery classic.

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Hanging out in Provincetown Cape Cod

New Central Hotel in Provincetown, Massachusetts now Crown & Anchor

New Central Hotel in Provincetown, Massachusetts now Crown & Anchor

The name of the Inn in Provincetown’s center may have changed from New Central Hotel to Crown & Anchor, but people still hang out and check new visitors walking by, particularly at the height of summer. This beautiful setting on the tip of Cape Cod is filled with a multitude of historic buildings,  has a view of the Bay, many art galleries, shops, and fine restaurants. Some visitors come once and never leave, Remaining in Provincetown, the name of the new murder mystery novel released just two weeks ago, everyone’s talking about. Now available at Amazon.com as a trade paperback and on kindle. Like the Facebook page.

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Provincetown Cape Cod East End Vintage Postcard

East End Cottages on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts

East End Cottages on Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown’s Commercial Street is unpaved and the sidewalks are made of wood, but the houses look very much the same as they do today. in this antique postcard printed 100 years ago.

Every town has its East End and West End and Provincetown, with its  long and narrow in configuration, is no different. The East End on the waterside has traditionally been populated with seasonal summer residents.  Famous artists like Robert Motherwell and  Helen Frankenthaler constructed a grand residence on the  East End waterfront, but others of more modest means stayed in historic Cape Cod cottages.  Empty lots are few and far between, when waterfront land is so valuable, but take a walk at the start of town, at the point where Commercial Street and Bradford Street divide, and see many beautiful old homes, primarily built in the beginning of the 20th century. What kinds of houses do the characters in Remaining in Provincetown live in? Real estate speculation has played a major role in Cape Cod’s economic development and where there is money to be made there is often graft and corruption. Could that kind of corruption lead to murder? You’ll have to read the  book to find out. Now available at Amazon in trade paperback or on kindle as an ebook. Like us on Facebook and be entered to win a FREE book and thank you for all the positive feedback

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Provincetown Harbor Prettiest on Cape Cod

A view of Provincetown, Massachusetts harbor from Town Hill.

A view of Provincetown, Massachusetts harbor from Town Hill.

An antique postcard from the time when it only cost one penny to mail, this color lithographic print captures the beauty of Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod when the harbor was filled with sailing ships. The description on the back says it all: PROVINCETOWN is one of the quaintest places, not only on the Cape, but in the entire country with its old streets, very narrow at that, and fairly teems with “local color” which attracts scores of artists every year eager to transfer the odd scenes to canvas. It is entirely unlike any other town in the country and must be seen to be fully appreciated. Writers are also artists, and the town is certainly the inspiration for the just released murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown now available at Amazon.com  and on Kindle. Like the RemaininginProvincetown Facebook page and you may be selected to win a FREE book.

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Finback Whale watching in Provincetown Cape Cod

Finback Whale on Provincetown beach one of the largest ever taken.

Finback Whale on Provincetown beach one of the largest ever taken.

The Finback whale shown in this antique postcard which was mailed in 1918, at first glance looks as if it beached on the Provincetown shore. But on closer examination, and from reading the caption on the photograph, the sad truth is this whale was hunted and killed for its blubber oil.   Currently an endangered species, the Finback is the second largest animal in the world. (The Blue Whale is the largest) It has been described by naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews as “the greyhound of the sea”. Since the mid 1980’s whale watching has become a way for visitors to Cape Cod to observe these handsome mammals. Often sighted in the waters on the tip of Cape Cod are primarily Humpback Whales as well as a few Finback Whales.

This particular whale in the vintage postcard above was killed by Captain Joshua Nickerson while at the command of the steamer the A.B. Nickerson. It was one of the largest of the Finback species ever taken in Provincetown and measured 65 feet and 4 inches in length and weighed 136 tons.  According to the book Provincetown written by Herman Atwell Jennings, “in 1886 the steamer and a facility for processing whales was built at Herring Cove near the Race Point Lighthouse and in 1889 a wharf was extended from shore four hundred feet to enable the factory steamer to bring the whales and other fish alongside to be handled.” A number of the streets in Provincetown have the names of the early families that include Nickerson, Snow, and Dyer. Small towns have their secrets. Want to gain a more intimate sense of the town and its inhabitants?  You’ll want to read the new novel Remaining in Provincetown, now available at Amazon.com. Like us on Facebook and you may win a FREE copy.

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Provincetown Pilgrim Monument inspires new novel

President Theodore Roosevelt Laying the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown in 1907

President Theodore Roosevelt Laying the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown in 1907

President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt came to Provincetown, Massachusetts on August 20th, 1907 to lay the cornerstone for the Pilgrim Monument as shown in the above antique postcard.  It was a joyous occasion for the Cape Cod town and the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association founded in 1892 to honor Provincetown as the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing place in 1620.  Crowds gathered and the bands played to mark the start of construction that was completed three years later in 1910.

While Plymouth often gets much of the glory for being the first settlement of the pilgrims, it was  in Provincetown and Truro that the Pilgrims, sailing to the New World on The Mayflower, spent five weeks before they sailed to the base of the Cape. It was in Provincetown Harbor that they drew up the Mayflower Compact, which established the basic rules of governance for their new home.

The novel everyone is talking about is about to be released.

The novel everyone is talking about has been released.

The Pilgrim Monument situated up on a hill looking out over the town, stands 252 feet in height.  The design of the all granite monument that sits 350 feet above sea level, was modeled after a classic stone monument in Italy, Torre Del Mangia in Siena. Whether you approach Provincetown by boat, car, or airplane, the Pilgrim Monument immediately grabs your attention as an important landmark.  Which is why the Pilgrim Monument is a focal point on the cover of the just released novel Remaining in Provincetown now available at Amazon.com.  If you’ve been enjoying this blog,  you’ll want to read the book.

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Old Cape Cod and Provincetown in stories and song

Vintage Cape Cod postcard circa 1930

Vintage Cape Cod postcard circa 1930

“If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air,” goes the 1957 song written by Alan Jeffrey, Claire Rothrock and Milton Yakus, “Quaint little villages here and there, you’re sure to fall in love with  Old Cape Cod.” The hit tune sung by Patti Page captures the spirit of the above antique postcard published 20 some years earlier.  “If you like the taste of a lobster stew served by a window with an ocean view, you’re sure to fall in love with Old Cape Cod,” the song goes on to say although they don’t mention Provincetown’s Pilgrim Monument, fishing excursions, swimming, and little neck clams as illustrated in the postcard, the reference to “Old Cape Cod” alludes to the preponderance of historic buildings and antique shops even in the 1950s.  There are still plenty of antique shops, flea markets, and yard sales on Cape Cod today. And there were plenty of antiques bought and sold during the 1990s, when  the soon-to-be released mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown takes place. One of the book’s characters  Bruno, has furnished his entire Bed and Breakfast with antiques and another character, Sonny Carreiro, collects antique postcards. Visit our facebook page to see the novel’s front cover . Click the “like” button and you’ll automatically be entered to possibly win a FREE copy. Now available at Amazon.com.

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Digging for clams in Provincetown, Cape Cod

Ptown clammers

This rare antique postcard shows clam diggers using rakes to gather bushels of clams in Provincetown, Massachusetts on the tip of Cape Cod.  Clam chowder, stuffed quahogs, and fried clams are some of the favorites visitors enjoy when they dine, as do the characters in the novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, at Sally’s Chowder Bowl (a fictitious place that may bring back memories).  Quahogs, also known as cherry stones and little necks, along with steamers (soft-shell clams), sea clams, and razor clams were once exceedingly plentiful in Provincetown Harbor.  They were an important source of food for the Indians and the purple portion of the quahog shells were used as a trading exchange referred to as wampum.  The early American colonists took advantage of this easy to access food source and developed a taste for shellfish stews and chowders. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, shellfish provided sustenance when jobs were few and families were struggling to put food on the table. The result was a depleted shellfish population, overfished almost to extinction. The one exception is mussels, which live on rocks and benefitted from the construction of breakwaters. Today efforts are being made, with some success, to restore the shellfish population because their presence helps to filter the Bay’s water and maintain an ecological balance.  Take note that the gathering of clams and oysters requires a license and is under strict regulation.  There are, however, plenty of opportunities to go fishing.  There are a number of boats that take off from Provincetown harbor. To see another vintage postcard, just posted, visit our new face book page and like it to be entered in the drawing to win a FREE copy of the new mystery coming out later this month. Thank you.

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Gay Provincetown friendly to pets

An antique postcard with an interesting statement

An antique postcard with an interesting statement

Is this young lady saying she has no chance in Provincetown because none of the men in town are interested in her or because she is walking with a dog? When did Provincetown first get its reputation as a gay town? Lest you think this postcard is of recent manufacture, here is the back of the card.Ptownlady2

Provincetown has long had a reputation for not following society’s conventions. The fishing village at the very tip of the Cape was known as “Hell Town” back in the 19th century.  Whatever your sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or philosophical perspective, the small town on the tip of Cape Cod has long been the place you get away to not be deterred or influenced by what everyone else thinks. And as for that very cute dog, being walked on a leash, well Provincetown is also quite dog friendly and a great place to visit if you have a pet. There are many dog friendly inns and hotels in the area and placse to eat outside looking towards the bay you can sit with your favorite four legged honey.  And of course everyone with dogs know they love to run across the sand bars when the tide is low. The characters in the new novel Remaining in Provincetown, due to be released April 15th, like to walk along the beach with or without a dog. It’s a great place to think and reflect on just who the murderer in town might be. Want to find out more about the book? Visit our new facebook page, just launched, to see the cover. (click on it to see the entire image).  Like the page. We’ll be giving away some FREE copies to our facebook fans. So keep following.

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Provincetown Cape Cod railroad

Provincetown, Cape CodRailroad Station 1920

Provincetown, Cape Cod
Railroad Station 1920

Wouldn’t it be nice to take a train to Provincetown? The last train that provided service to Cape Cod as far as Hyannis, shut down operations in 1986.  Yet the railroad was an important mode of transportation to Provincetown businesses, residents and tourists 100 years ago.  It was by train that the fresh fish caught by Provincetown fisherman packed in ice was delivered directly to New York City and it was by train that summer tourists and weekend visitors from Boston and New Bedford could conveniently get to Cape Cod vacation resorts and beaches.

As recently as 1960, the freight train was still running all the way down to the end of Cape Cod. When you visit Provincetown and go for walks along the trails, you can walk along the old railroad track bed. The railroad ties left behind when the tracks were removed and have been put to other practical uses by local folk in gardens and landscaping projects, but if you close your eyes you can imagine the sounds of the train chugging through the woods.

The railroad station shown in the 1920 vintage postcard above, was located on Bradford Street in the center of town between Alden and Standish Streets.  It opened in 1873 and shut down in 1938. Initially operating as part of the Old Colony Railroad, the New Haven Railroad served the community from 1893 to 1960.

These days, you can get to Provincetown by airplane, car, bus, and boat.  Sarah Carreiro (a character in Remaining in Provincetown) takes the small plane from Boston to come back to Provincetown for her husband’s funeral.  Looking down from a small plane is a great way to see the unique geography of the Outer Cape, but that’s another story.