Adirondack murder story selected for Amsterdam Reads

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jessica Harding

With over 1,200 votes cast this year for Amsterdam Reads 2009, the winning book with 481 votes is “Murder in the Adirondacks: an American Tragedy Revisited,” by Craig Brandon.

Amsterdam Reads committee members lobbied for votes at various community events and about 500 more votes were cast this year than last year. The program has also seen more participation this year from high school students, committee member Maureen Hand said Wednesday.

In its third year, Amsterdam Reads encourages community members to read the same book at the same time and participate in various activities related to the book’s themes and topics.

“Murder in the Adirondacks” looks into the 1906 murder of Grace Brown, a farmer’s daughter from central New York, by Chester Gillette, a prep school graduate.

Hand said programs related to the book will begin in January. The committee is trying to get Brandon to speak at one of the program’s events. Brandon worked for years at the Times Union and currently lives in New Hampshire.