Colby Historian and former Dean of the College Earl Smith has written a new fiction mystery novel entitled The Dam Committee, due to be published on Nov. 1.

This new book is Smith’s first work of fiction, though he is known for writing both history books Mayflower Hill: A History of Colby College and With the Help of Friends: The Colby College Museum of Art, The First Fifty Years, 1959-2009. His work has also been published in magazines such as Downeast and Sports Illustrated.

“I wanted to try my hand at fiction….We’ll see if anyone buys it or not,” Smith said. The book is set in a small town called Belfry, Maine and tells the story of a community trying to deal with repairs to the recently mechanized local dam. The Belfry Dam Committee is charged with convincing the financially wary voters to continue with the project. In the midst of these difficulties, “there’s a murder, and there’s a bit of an adventure with money that gets found near the murder,” Smith said.

Smith will be at a book-signing hosted by The Colby Bookstore on the book’s release date from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. “I have a great affection for the college, having worked there for so long,” he said. Smith retired from the College in 2004 after being dean of students from 1976 until 1981 and then serving as dean of the College. He currently lives in the Belgrade Lakes area.

Smith also writes a blog on the College’s website, entitled “Pond Reflections,” in which he “reflects on the College, life in Central Maine, and anything else on his mind,” as noted on the website.