Wicked Strange Explores the Weird Side of New England
New book chronicles roadside oddities, unique graves, haunts, cryptids, and out-of-this-world encounters through stunning photography and storytelling. Award-winning author, television host, and podcaster Jeff Belanger teams up with photographer Frank Grace to produce a riveting guide to northeastern oddities. NEWBURYPORT, MA, AUGUST 26, 2025 — Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC today announced the publication of Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England, the latest book by best-selling author Jeff Belanger and award-winning photographer Frank Grace. Wicked Strange is the ultimate northeast travel guide taking readers on a journey to the strange and frequently unseen world that is often right under their noses. “Wicked Strange is the culmination of more than a decade of collecting weird tales for my PBS television series New England Legends, and my weekly podcast of the same name,” said Belanger. “Frank Grace and I had been publishing the annual Haunted New England wall calendar since 2014, so this book was the next logical step in our mission to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time.” Covering haunted places, swamps, forests, and lakes where mysterious creatures have been spotted, areas where unusual events have happened, eccentric locals, and roadside oddities, noted expert of the strange Jeff Belanger is your guide to all that’s local and weird. All six New England states are equally represented in this guide of the bizarre. Highlights include: Mark Twain’s haunted mansion in Hartford, Connecticut; The Westford Knight in Westford, Massachusetts; Beer Bottle Church in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire; the Vampire in Cumberland, Rhode Island; the Sweetest Cemetery in Waterbury, Vermont; and the Specter Moose of Lobster Lake in Piccataquis, Maine. “Legends have always run deep in New England—thankfully, Jeff Belanger is here to uncover them and bring them to life. Partnered with the stunning photography of Frank Grace, this collection of mysteries, secrets, and folklore from America’s birthplace is as illuminating as it is fascinating.” –Josh Gates, explorer, host of Discovery’s Expedition Unknown. Wicked Strange is now available as a full-color paperback and e-book. About Jeff BelangerJeff Belanger (jeffbelanger.com) is an author, adventurer, journalist, and one of the most visible explorers of the unexplained. Some his best-selling books include The Fright Before Christmas, Weird Massachusetts, and The World’s Most Haunted Places. He is also the Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and the weekly New England Legends podcast that’s garnered more than 6 million downloads. He’s been a guest on hundreds of television and radio networks and programs, including History, Travel Channel, Biography Channel, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, BBC, and Coast to Coast AM. Jeff lives near Boston, Massachusetts. About Frank GraceFrank Grace (trigphotography.com) turns renowned, infamous, and peculiar landmarks into stylized, yet creepy, works of art. He has been photographing weird and wonderful New England since 2010. He’s been a finalist for Ron Howard’s Project Imagination in 2010 and 2011, and his work has been shown in galleries in both New England and New York. His photography has appeared in many books, magazines including Playboy, and other publications. He loves all things ghostly and strange. Since 2014, he’s published the annual Haunted New England wall calendar with Jeff Belanger. About Red Wheel/WeiserRed Wheel/Weiser is an independent publisher specializing in “Books to Live By.” The company’s books serve to expand the mind, heal the body, and nurture the spirit. Imprints include: Weiser Books, the premier publisher of occult and esoterica since 1957, and New Page Books, offering well-researched books on Alternative History, Paranormal, UFOs, Ancient Mysteries, and Unexplained Phenomena.
