Please note: this is a pre-order. You will not receive the complete eBook until its Fall 2026 release, but you will receive a short preview file to view on your choice of eReader. Please see PRE-ORDER DELIVERY & RETURNS below for more details.
THE JACKLIGHTER
In 1976, attorney Martin Dillon went hunting with his best friend in the shadows of Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains—and never came home.
The official story seemed straightforward: a tragic accident during an afternoon of skeet shooting. But when the only witness was Dr. Stephen Scher, the man having an affair with Dillon's wife, Martin's family refused to believe it. Then Scher did the unthinkable: he married the widow and raised her children as his own, living a stolen life for 20 years.
Until Martin's body was exhumed.
Some secrets never stay buried.
THE JACKLIGHTER follows a decades-long quest for justice that tore apart a small Pennsylvania town and a prominent family. From the suspicious "accident" in 1976 to an explosive murder trial 20 years later—to the killer's eventual release from prison—award-winning author Carla Conti uncovers the dark secrets beneath Montrose, Pennsylvania's Victorian charm: betrayal, forbidden love, and a killing method as cowardly as it is calculated.
With unique access to hometown victims and key witnesses, Conti reveals how one shotgun blast shattered multiple lives and tested whether justice can survive when everyone in town thinks they already know the truth. And in a revelation never before made public, Conti uncovers the one secret that could have changed everything—and the reason it was never told.
By the award-winning author of Chained Birds: A Crimemoir (1st Place True Crime: Next Generation Indie · True Crime Silver Medal: IPPY · 1st Place Chanticleer Nellie Bly Journalism · True Crime Winner: IndieReader Discovery Awards)
PRE-ORDER DELIVERY & RETURNS
Please note: this is a pre-order. You will not receive a download link to the full book until its scheduled release this Fall 2026.
DELIVERY
The Jacklighter eBook is available for pre-order at the special early supporter price of $5.99 (regular retail price $9.99). Your payment is processed at checkout today.
Upon purchase, you will receive two emails:
1.) A Shopify order confirmation from Crimemoir Store confirming your purchase.
2.) A separate email from BookFunnel containing a link to download a short pre-order preview file. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not see this email within one minute. This preview includes the book cover, copyright page, and an introduction to the story — a taste of what's coming. Please click this link within 14 days to claim your preview into your permanent BookFunnel library at my.bookfunnel.com. If your link expires before you click it, visit my.bookfunnel.com and log in with your purchase email address — or contact help@bookfunnel.com for assistance.
Your complete Jacklighter eBook will be delivered automatically via a new BookFunnel email at its Fall 2026 release date. Watch for that email at release time — and check your spam folder if you don't see it promptly.
RETURNS
Due to the nature of digital pre-orders, all sales are final and non-refundable once the eBook has been delivered.
Exceptions include:
1.) Duplicate purchases: A customer who accidentally purchases the same pre-order twice can be refunded for the duplicate purchase.
2.) Technical issues: If a technical issue prevents access to the delivered eBook and cannot be resolved by BookFunnel's support team, a refund may be warranted. Contact help@bookfunnel.com for technical support.
For other inquiries, send a message to the store owner via the CONTACT form—that link is at the top of this page.
Shop Other Digital Books in Crimemoir Store's Collection
