One of the more violent coal strikes in Western Maryland occurred in 1922 as the union made an all-out attempt to unionize the coal mines in the area. Because the union didn’t want to give up Maryland, the strike lasted months longer here than in other areas of the country. Strike the Fuse, a new novel by James Rada, Jr., captures this tumultuous period in the county’s history. Strike the Fuse is the second book in the Black Fire Trilogy. The first book, Smoldering Betrayal, was released in 2018. The story follows Matt Ansaro, a WWI veteran who is a now a Pinkerton detective. He returns to his hometown of Eckhart in 1922 after being away for five years. His family doesn’t know his current profession or that he has been sent to Eckhart to spy out union activity for Read more…