Overview

The tragic and mysterious death of Hazel Drew that inspired the cult hit TV show Twin Peaks, is finally solved by Dr. Jerry C. Drake. The legend of Hazel Drew spread through stories of her ghost haunting the woods where her body was found. It was a hot summer day in July 1908 when the body of a young woman was found floating in a mill pond in Upstate New York. Hazel Irene Drew was murdered. Her death captured headlines across the nation and around the world, but after a whirlwind investigation lasting less than thirty days, the District Attorney abruptly closed the case. Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, with clippings and photographs from local Troy and Albany newspapers from 1908, Dr. Jerry C. Drake parses out the facts from the legend through back alleys and dark mountain forests, in pursuit of Hazel Drew's killer, in this engaging, historical investigation of a tragic American story. With firsthand accounts from locals dreaming of clues, tabloid journalists, railroad Robber Barons and political bosses, psychic investigators, and even a mysterious hypnotist, the tabloid sensation is debunked and the real woman is finally revealed. This is the definitive story of Hazel Drew, whose ghost can finally rest, knowing that her killer has been exposed.

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9781960988591

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Reviews

""Hazel Was A Good Girl is a haunting and exhilarating journey into the heart of darkness of a time and place that will shake you to your core."" —S.A. Cosby author of All THE Sinners Bleed “Hazel Was a Good Girl explores how the time period’s class system and victim blaming led to the case of Hazel Drew being unsolved for over a century. Drake lays out a feasible conclusion to the identity of the perpetrator(s) of this crime. A great read.” —Betty Frizzell, author of If You Can't Quit Cryin', You Can't Come Here No More and former Chief of Police, Winfield, MO “In Hazel Was a Good Girl, Dr. Jerry C. Drake embarks on a journey through the tangled web of yellow journalism, flawed media narratives, and the mythos of the cult TV show Twin Peaks to unveil the true story behind the mysterious death of Hazel Drew. This meticulously researched book kicks away the shiny veneer of Gilded Age glitz and the dreamlike fantasy of Twin Peaks to reveal the haunting story of who killed the woman who inspired Laura Palmer. With a sharp eye for evidence and a methodical approach to investigation, Drake peels back the layers of lies and legend, shedding light on the perils that shadowed Hazel's quest for a life beyond her working-class roots. Hazel Was a Good Girl is a riveting exploration of class, corruption, ambition, and the relentless quest for truth that transcends time.” —Eddie McNamara, author of Zodiactually: The Real Story of a Fake Serial Killer (March 2026)

Author Information

Dr. Jerry C. Drake is a career civil servant, former professor of history, all-around amateur detective, and sometimes writer and poet, with a wide-ranging educational background to include degrees in anthropology, United States history, and adult education. This is his first foray into writing true crime after being drawn into the mysterious death of Hazel Irene Drew, the real-life inspiration for the character Laura Palmer, from the pop culture phenomenon Twin Peaks. His short stories have appeared in two CLASH anthologies including Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath.

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