Frankfort Author Pens Mystery Novel About 'Stamps to Die For'

Frankfort resident Janet Feduska Cole just might do for philatelism what Indiana Jones did for archaeology.

Philatelism is the scholarly study of stamps. Cole, who works as a technical writer by day, recently completed her first novel on the subject. The book, a story that combines action with the intrigue of the past, is titled “Cancelled: Stamps to Die For.”

“It’s an adventure into the world of stamps,” said Marcus McGee, who is an associate publisher and associate editor with Pegasus Books, the company that published Cole’s debut work.

“Cancelled” tells the story of protagonist Elyse, who becomes entangled in the search for the legendary Lunersee stamps when she comes into contact with an old college friend and stamp collector whose life is colored by mystery.

The plot was inspired by events in Cole’s own life. A college friend of hers is a philatelist and as he told her about his work and the history of stamps, she was struck with the idea for the book.

Before writing the novel, Cole didn’t have a strong interest in stamps and she isn’t a collector. However, during her research, she became captivated by philatelism.

“It just became really fascinating,” she said.

“Cancelled” revolves around the search for the Lunersee stamps. Named for a lake in Austria, where it is believed that they were buried by Nazis, the stamps originally belonged to a Jewish prisoner at Dauchau, a concentration camp, where they were stolen.

The stamps in the Lunersee collection have never been identified, but some speculate that they were rare or out of print, which is why they were considered valuable by the Nazis.

“The way they were acquired gives them a story unto themselves,” said Cole.

“Cancelled: Stamps to Die For” is available at bookstores and online. The novel retails for $14.95.

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