Books by Eleanor R Mayo

The people of the little Maine town of Frenchville were suddenly faced by a new danger that October night. this is the story of how they individually responded to that danger. It had been the dryest summer and autumn on record. Early in October had come the fire that all had feared so long, a terrific holocaust that swept back and forth under changing winds across the peninsula, that most beautiful portion of the whole beautiful coast. Frenchville had been evacuated. Capriciously, parts of the village were burned and portions left untouched in curious contrast to the blackened hills. Now the people were gradually returning to their homes. In was Jay, the town's first slectman, who accidently discovered that the new fire in the powder-dry woods had been deliberately set. the men with him, all of them exhausted by the week of fighting the fire night and day, realized what that meant. Someone wanted to destroy what remained of Frenchville. Even as they began again patroling the back woods roads, watching for the slightest flicker of light, each man looked suspisciously at his neighbor. The days of suspense that followed did things to people. Mike Airey, just returned after seven years absence, found that his feelings for Ginny Hanscom, engaged though she might be, had not changed from that moonlit night when they had parted in bitter anger. Tiz Airey, so sturdily aloof and independent, found that perhaps adfter all a woman could not live for herself along. Subdued Polly Hanna, Jonesy, and even Powder Tilton, with nine children and his house destroyed, find a strength they did not know they possessed. then an accident turns out to be murder and horror is added to danger.

Bub Dolliver was home to stay. He had fled five years before, a hot-headed rebellious youth, a town terror who had won the cold hatred of the townspeople, a bitter lad who did not care if he ever saw Minot Harbor again. He returned, stubbornly determined to erase his past from the long memory of the villagers and make them accept him as a responsible, honest, hard-working member of the community. His reception was as cold as his worst fears-with one exception. The moment that Lou Jellison first saw him her faith and loyalty kindled then burst into steady flame. Her family, however, had quite another reaction, and eligible, respectable Joe Pettigrew has always taken it for granted that Lou was his. Besides, the people of Minot Harbor had rarely found it to their advantage to change their minds about anything, and were as unyielding as the coast from which they made their meager living. And then Bub's trifling younger brother took advantage of his return, shrewdly aware of where the blame for his actions would fall... Source for the film noir Tarnished (Republic Pictures, 1950) directed by Harry Keller, starring Dorothy Patrick and Arthur Franz.