Chestnut Heights Publishing

06/05/2025

Katy Hawelka's killer has again been denied parole. But here's a sobering thought or two about the parole board's recent decision, their much redacted hearing transcript, and what this means for the possibility that he might one day be freed.

After his latest parole hearing on April 29, 2025, the commissioners gave him his ninth denial — but also a glimmer of hope.

04/12/2025

The front page, no less! Thank you, Eagle Newspapers.

03/04/2025

The man who killed Clarkson University sophomore Katy Hawelka in 1986 is scheduled to appear for his ninth parole hearing in April 2025. For those who read about her life and tragic murder in the 2021 true-crime book "A Stranger Killed Katy,” there's now an update about the killer's efforts to get out of prison.

William D. LaRue has written a follow-up: “The Long Shadow of Katy’s Killer,” with some startling details on the 2021 and 2023 parole hearings, plus newly discovered psychological reports and risk assessments, appeals, and fresh details on efforts by Katy’s family to keep him behind bars.

Both books are available now in eBook and paperback formats.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW9H9TLC

university

02/28/2025

For everyone who read the 2021 true-crime book "A Stranger Killed Katy” and wondered what happened next, William D. LaRue has written a follow-up.

“The Long Shadow of Katy’s Killer” updates the story of the 1986 murder of Katy Hawelka on the Clarkson University campus in Potsdam, N.Y., with two latest parole hearings for the convicted killer, plus newly discovered psychological reports and risk assessments, appeals, and fresh details on efforts by Katy’s family to keep him behind bars.

Both books are available now in eBook and paperback formats.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW9H9TLC?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1740716523&sr=8-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin

02/17/2025

Chestnut Heights Publishing has just released William LaRue's newest book, "The Long Shadow of Katy's Killer: Parole Hearings and Other Updates to ‘A Stranger Killed Katy.’" You can order it now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and numerous other online bookstores as a paperback or eBook. (See the Amazon link below.)
Drawing from New York parole board transcripts, prison records, interviews, and newly uncovered psychological evaluations, LaRue takes readers inside the New York parole process, revealing the stunning ways convicted murderer Brian M. McCarthy has attempted to win freedom—such as portraying his 1986 beating and strangulation murder of Clarkson University sophomore Katherine “Katy” Hawelka as a tragic accident. He is scheduled for his ninth parole hearing this April
This sequel to LaRue’s 2021 true-crime book, "A Stranger Killed Katy," builds to a dramatic 2023 parole hearing, where McCarthy’s manipulations collide with a board determined to uncover the truth. The book also highlights the tireless fight by Katy’s family to keep him behind bars, and how the "Morbid" true-crime podcast’s two-part episode in 2022 helped to spur more than 60,000 people to sign an online petition opposing McCarthy’s parole.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Shadow-Katys-Killer-Hearings/dp/1732241694/

11/16/2024

Turn up the volume on Chestnut Heights Publishing's newest take on history! 🎧 "The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism", written by Fred M. Fiske and narrated by Patrick Lawlor, is now on Audible.com. Dive into the chilling tale of fear, power, and one grocer’s dark legacy—perfect for your next binge-listen! 📚🔊

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Laurence A. Johnson, a supermarket chain owner in Syracuse, New York, wasn't just passionate about fresh produce; he was equally fervent about purging communism from America's airwaves in the early 1950s. Teamed with like-minded anti-communists, Johnson .....

08/30/2024

More good news for Fred Fiske and his new book "The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism" from Chestnut Heights Publishing. Tantor Media has announced it will be publishing an audiobook version on November 5, 2024. It will be widely available to libraries as well as on Amazon, Audible, Spotify, Apple, Google Play and other places. Award-winning audiobook narrator Patrick Lawlor, who has voiced more than 500 titles, will be reading this for Tantor. https://tantor.com/the-grocer-who-sold-mccarthyism-fred-m-fiske.html

08/04/2024

Public radio station WRVO-FM talk host Grant Reeher did a wonderful interview Sunday with Fred Fiske talking about Laurence Johnson and Fred’s new biography about the Syracuse supermarket chain owner. The station’s website has posted audio and a transcript. https://www.wrvo.org/show/campbell-conversations-0/2024-08-03/fred-fiske-on-the-campbell-conversations?fbclid=IwY2xjawEcnhhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVIxDPLhT8OGhK4pJITnatnzmLIEaNX-eNppGGmXpw3qLGcr94iaP1J6nA_aem_G-uOADVBu785EesobUzE5Q

Fred Fiske discusses his new book, "The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism: The Rise and Fall of Anti-Communist Crusader Laurence A. Johnson".

07/29/2024

WSYR-TV, Channel 9, morning talk show “Bridge Street” interviewed Fred Fiske on Monday about his new book, “The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism.” The station’s website has posted the interview.

(WSYR-TV) — A new book sheds light on a little-known chapter in Central New York history. It’s called “The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism.” Local journalist Fred Fiske tells th…

07/11/2024

In an essay published in The Post-Standard and on Syracuse.com, author Fred Fiske examines how the story of supermarket owner and anti-communist crusader Laurence Johnson — told in Fred’s new book from Chestnut Heights Publishing — offers a “cautionary tale” still relevant amid the polarized politics of modern America. https://www.syracuse.com/opinion/2024/07/the-syracuse-grocer-who-sold-mccarthyism-a-cautionary-tale-for-our-times-guest-opinion-by-fred-m-fiske.html

Laurence Johnson shook democratic values in his effort to limit speech and impose anti-communist orthodoxy in broadcasting, writes retired Syracuse journalist in a new book.

07/01/2024

📚 Exciting News! 📚

Fred Fiske's new book, "The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism," from Chestnut Heights Publishing, is now available for purchase.

Fred digs deep into the little-known story about the rise and fall of Laurence A. Johnson, a Syracuse, New York, supermarket titan who in the 1950s became a controversial national figure when he bullied advertisers and broadcast networks into blacklisting actors and others he suspected had communist leanings. Fred brings to life Johnson's fascinating rise in the grocery business--and his stunning fall when reckless accusations by Johnson and others prompt a libel suit by CBS radio host John Henry Faulk.

If you’re into history, curious about how business and politics can intersect, or just love a well-told story, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in Fred's book, which went on sale Monday, July 1, at Amazon and other places. https://www.amazon.com/Grocer-Who-Sold-McCarthyism-Anti-Communist/dp/1732241686/
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The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism: The Rise and Fall of Anti-Communist Crusader Laurence A. Johnson

06/26/2024

Check out this very nice review of Fred Fiske’s new biography of Laurence Johnson.

The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism: The Rise and Fall of Anti-Communist Crusader Laurence A. Johnson is a work of non-fiction in the American history, biography, and sociocultural writing genres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience. Penned by author Fred M. Fiske, this fascinating w...