Aaron Mankey opens by addressing the core audience of his deep-dive history shows, Unobscured and Grim and Mild Presents, describing them as people who love detail and extended exploration of a single topic. He reflects on the range of subjects those shows have covered, including the Salem Witch Trials, sideshow performers, Jack the Ripper, and pirate lore. He frames the announcement as a natural continuation of that work, describing a new project built around a topic he says he 'dearly loves.' The central subject is Mercy Brown, identified as the young woman at the heart of the New England vampire panic. Mankey describes the key historical event in plain terms: her community exhumed her corpse, cut out her heart, and used its ashes as medicine for her dying brother, adding a wry 'You know, normal stuff, right?' The project is a book titled 'Exhumed,' which Mankey positions as twice the depth of a typical Unobscured season, covering 20 chapters rather than the usual 10 episodes. The book is available in hardcover and ebook formats, and the ebook version includes an audiobook narrated by Mankey himself. He acknowledges it is not a podcast but calls it 'the beginning of a new adventure.' A key selling point he emphasizes is the one-time purchase model with no advertisements, allowing listeners to consume it at their own pace. He also argues that having the book in physical bookstores creates an opportunity to grow the community of weird-history fans beyond the existing podcast audience. The official release date is August 4th, and pre-orders are available immediately. Mankey directs listeners to aaronmankey.com/exhumed, which hosts cover art and two links: one to find a retailer for pre-ordering in any format, and one for hardcover buyers to submit receipts and claim a free tote bag. He mentions a book tour is planned for August, though he acknowledges he cannot visit every location he would like. He teases a specific announcement for Boston-area fans tied to the release day, directing them to follow his social accounts. The episode closes with a direct personal appeal, with Mankey telling his audience 'you are my people' and asking them to pre-order, tell friends, and help make the release a success.
