Author Matt Birkbeck became fascinated with the history of the Molly Maguires when he did a stint in the Lehighton bureau of the Morning Call in the early 2000s.

He covered meetings and features, but he was drawn to the coal mining heritage of the region and the legend and lore of the Maguires.

As Birkbeck walked the streets of Jim Thorpe and Panther Valley, the seeds were planted about a book on the secret society of Irish coal miners who fought against harsh working conditions and exploitation through intimidation and violence, resulting in the controversial trial and execution of 20 men between 1877 and 1879.

That’s when he got the idea for his first fiction novel, “The Wicked.” It’s based in modern day Jim Thorpe and tells a different story of the Maguires.

“It’s an interesting part about the history of the region,” he said.

Birkbeck mentions businesses such as Molly Maguire’s Irish Pub, Dee Zines Flowers and Gifts, Emporium of Curious Goods, the Mauch Chunk Opera House, the old jail museum and other landmarks.

The opening begins with a priest’s murder at St. Joe’s church.

The main character is a newspaper reporter. “You stick with what you know,” Birkbeck said.

Writing resume

Birkbeck, an investigative reporter, covered federal court and wrote nonfiction books about killers and crime bosses.

He wrote the best-selling book “A Beautiful Child,” which told the tragic story of “Sharon Marshall” and her “father” Franklin Delano Floyd, and the sequel “Finding Sharon,” which is a memoir about his ten-year effort, along with the FBI and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to find Sharon’s true identity. He was the executive producer of “Girl in the Picture,” the movie adaptation of both books for Netflix.

He also wrote the best-selling book “The Life We Chose,” which told the story of William D’Elia, who was the former head of the Bufalino crime family and the so-called son and confidant to former influential mob boss Russell Bufalino, as well as the critically acclaimed “Deconstructing Sammy” (2008) about the life of Sammy Davis Jr. and efforts to resolve his debts and his legacy following his death in 1990.

In 2013, he wrote “The Quiet Don: The Untold Story of Mafia Kingpin Russell Bufalino,” and “A Deadly Secret (2002/2015),” about New York real estate scion Robert Durst, who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathie Durst, and two others. The book was adapted by Lifetime for the 2017 movie “The Lost Wife of Robert Durst.”

Four of his eight books have roots in Pennsylvania. “There is so much happening in this part of the world,” Birkbeck said.

Before coming to Lehighton, he wrote investigative pieces for the Pocono Record, but left to work on his book.

Later, he wrote for People magazine, New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Boston Magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer, before revisiting Jim Thorpe and his idea for the novel.

His book on sports betting, “The Bookie” will be released in January. Finally, he had a window for the Molly Maguire story.

Mining history

“The idea of the Molly Maguires stuck with me over the years,” Birkbeck said. “It percolated for a long time.”

He would always talk to his wife about the history. She said it would make a great book, and it became his passion project.

He came back to Jim Thorpe in 2017 to once again tour the prison and the museum.

“The book presents Jim Thorpe as a great place to visit,” Birkbeck said.

Though his previous books were nonfiction, Birkbeck has written narratives that visually paint the picture. He already had the skills for a fiction novel.

He said people often commented that the Robert Durst and the kidnapping novels had no real ending, because the conclusion hasn’t happened.

With “The Wicked,” Birkbeck started with the ending, which is a shocker. He worked toward that ending, staying true to the historical facts, but delving into fantasy.

“How am I going to make this as believable as possible,” he said. Without ruining the plot, he said. In the end, “All got their just desserts.”

He calls it a story of redemption. While the Mollies were violent, Birkbeck said, “They were also guys fighting for a better way of life.”

In the book, they call themselves “Men of Honor,” but all these people were wicked in their ways. That led to the title of the book, which Birkbeck originally wanted to call Jim Thorpe.

“It’s an important part of history,” he said. “It was a really tough life working in those conditions six days a week to provide food, clothing, shelter. They died by the dozens. It was a brutal way of living.”

Then the hurried trials, quick convictions and the hangings. “I can’t imagine the thousands of people waiting outside for the hangings,” he said.

Birkbeck researched in detail. “Even though it’s fiction, the history is accurate,” he said.

He leads with the Isaiah 55:7 “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Birkbeck said, “They were good people who did bad things and needed to find ways back to God.”

Matt Birkbeck will be appearing for a book signing at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Barnes & Noble, 421 Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes-Barre. The book is published by Summerville Books, and is available in stores and at mattbirkbeck.com, and in Kindle format on Amazon.