《(Real) Unsolved Mysteries》isdal woman
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Does this face look familiar? If so, you may hold the key to the Isdal woman – a 44-year-old cold case that remains one of Norway's greatest mysteries.
On a chilly november morning in Norway's Death Valley, a university professor made a gruesome discovery: the charred remains of a naked woman lay hidden amongst the rocks at the end of a remote hiking trail. Surrounding the body were a dozen pink sleeping pills, an open bottle of booze, two empty kerosene containers. A nasty bruise discolored what remained of her neck.
Police launched an investigation soon after the discovery. They connected the victim to two unclaimed suitcases at a Bergen train station. Inside were clothes neatly folded with all tags removed, and a legal pad filled with encrypted messages. Upon closer inspection, police found wads of west German currency sewn into the case lining.
Autopsy results only deepened the mystery: the victim's fingerprints had recently been sanded off; distinct dental work suggested she visited a dentist in South America.
Who was this woman? With the help of INTERPOL, investigators produced a composite sketch. Intriguing details emerged from individuals who claimed to have interacted with the mystifying figure.
The Isdal woman spoke several languages and used nine different assumed identities. She had open accounts at hotels across Bergen, where she had a habit of changing rooms soon after checking in. Conflicting descriptions of hair color and style suggested she wore wigs to disguise her identity.
The last sighting occurred on November 23, when she checked out of her room at Hotel Marin. The Isdal woman paid in cash before disappearing into a taxi.
The the trail runs cold. Police still do not know her true identity or what happened in the days leading up to her demise. They eventually ruled her death a suicide, though the decision remains highly controversial. Mant are convinced the Isdal woman was a spy and her end: an execution.
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It would take years before investigators and amateur sleuths caught a major break in the case. On November 24, 1970, five days before the discovery of the burned body, an Isdalen man was hiking through Death Valley. He claims to have encountered a woman rushing up the trail, her face distorted by fear. As they passed she mouthed words but was too frightened by a pair of men in black coats hurrying behind her. The bizarre trio disappeared into the wilderness before he could do anything else.
When news broke of a brutalized body found in Death Valley, the hiker contacted police. He immediately recognized the composite sketch as the terrified woman on the trail. Yet, according to the man, authorities were strangely indifferent to his story. "Forget her," one officer said. "She was dispatched. The case will never be solved."
So he took their advice, waiting 33 years before finally going public.
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Entangled Fates Book 1 - Quantum Beginnings
“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” —Eliezer Yudkowsky Hey all, we're moving over to book 2. This content is in a state of transition. The book is now availble on Amazon (includes extra chapters): https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B07W1534R8 Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind’s last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn’t quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. Alex Sage is a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. Chapters will stay up on RRL until Aug 10. It'll go up on Kindle Unlimited after that. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene with a new partner, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Complaints that people missed out on it when it was published here won't help (sorry!). I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. What about book 2? Drafts for Book 2 will go up around Sept 10. My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like what I did with book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better = higher likelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. Then we move to book 3 which already is around 60K words already. What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.
8 142The Unknown Returnee
Warning: Slowly Developing Story For 60 years, Aldryn, the Oracle of Light has been searching for the people who murdered his family. Just when he was about to give up, he encountered a mythical creature who arrived from another world. Apparently the creature could also see the world in a game-like interface. It appears that Aldryn's life is about to become more interesting.
8 143Raven
What is the purpose of your life?Is it wealth? Power? Or something else?But does it even matter, since everything would be over when you're dead?Nay, the truth isn't something like that.Very few had known about the truth of life and death, and I, Raven, am one of them.Do you have what it takes to know about the truth? If so, then... follow me on my journey to unravel the truth.-----------------------------------------------------------------------Cover pic (Raven) drawn by our glorious artist, drealicious. Many thanks to you!
8 192Cross Roads: Wolves of Oleander (Book Three)
Guy Finley once wrote, "Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over." For the remaining members of the Nether Elite, it's easier said than done. With their dark past crippling any progression, it's a constant struggle for acceptance and moving forward as they fight against old enemies and each other.Memories of the past are forced to come to light as the former members of the Oleander Syndicate are given a once-in-a-lifetime chance of redemption while being on the right side of the law. However, for them to seek redemption they must first ask for absolution for their past transgressions-- no matter how big or small.
8 147Murderously Disturbed
This collection chronicles the horrific contents of my brain in poetic form. This is not for the faint of heart. It contains terrifying moments of murder, suicide, mayhem, rituals, hauntings, and nightmares in various poetic forms from ballads to sonnets and many more. Most of these pieces are oneshot tales, but the "Haunted Blades" ballad sequence is marked with an asterisk (*) throughout the collection to denote an interconnected series of poems.
8 172Fifty Shames of Earl Grey
Young, arrogant tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?This extended excerpt from Fanny Merkin's Fifty Shames of Earl Grey is presented courtesy of Da Capo Press.
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