⋙ Read Maids of Misfortune A Victorian San Francisco Mystery Book 1 edition by M Louisa Locke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

Maids of Misfortune A Victorian San Francisco Mystery Book 1 edition by M Louisa Locke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

Download As PDF : Maids of Misfortune A Victorian San Francisco Mystery Book 1 edition by M Louisa Locke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

Maids of Misfortune A Victorian San Francisco Mystery Book 1 edition by M Louisa Locke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks

This was a "free choice" book and it sat on my Kindle for maybe 2 months before I read it. But on a recent trip, I chose it as my reading material and I was quite entertained by this mystery. The backgrounds of the main characters were woven into the narrative well, giving small glimpses into the "whys" of their thoughts and behaviors. The time period was well-researched; I was transported to San Francisco of the 1880's, and it was believable. Although there were murders afoot, the description of each event wasn't graphic or horrific. The underlying sexual tension was minimum, but "there"; culminating in warm fuzzies for me in the end. I am a rabid, torrid romance reader, so this was a departure for me, but I am glad I had the book for the trip. It was truly enjoyable, and I will seek out M. Louisa Locke's titles again. Final point: the editing of this story was done well; I only found 1 glaring typo. I wish that the romance novel editors could be just as meticulous!


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Maids of Misfortune A Victorian San Francisco Mystery Book 1 edition by M Louisa Locke Mystery Thriller Suspense eBooks Reviews

Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke, a review by Juliet Kincaid

This historical novel, set in San Francisco in 1879, hooks you from the start with the widowed Annie Fuller receiving a letter claiming that she owes some gent the sum of $1,380 for a loan made to her late husband. If you keep in mind the statistic that what you could buy for a penny in 1900 would cost you a dollar in 2000, you’ll realize just how shocked Mrs. Fuller must have been with an unexpected debt of the equivalent of $138,000.

Ms. Locke follows through on her strong opening with the revelation that Mrs. Fuller supplements her income running a boarding house by giving advice on investing and personal matters as Madam Sibyl, a clairvoyant. Sibyl charges $2 (or $200 in 2000 dollars) a sitting and worth every penny of it, at least according to her favorite client, who sadly has died under suspicious circumstances. And so Annie goes undercover as the new hire maid to find out what really happened to him in this lively first book in Ms. Locke’s Victorian San Francisco Mystery series.

A couple of quibbles . . . Descriptions of San Francisco seem a bit thin, though of course lots of that city as it was in 1879 disappeared in the great earthquake and subsequent fires of April 18, 1906. The romantic subplot with a handsome lawyer who soon shows up seems somewhat conventional. These reservations disappeared, though, as I read Uneasy Spirits and Bloody Lessons, the next two novels in the series as well as her collection of Victorian San Francisco stories. Obviously I remain hooked by the engaging Annie Fuller and I suspect that other fans of historical mysteries will enjoy the series as well.

FYI Maids of Misfortune is permanently free for and other eBook readers.
MAIDS OF MISFORTUNE is a charming little murder mystery, set in Victorian San Francisco, with nary a strange steam engine in sight.

When you read Victorian, does London, shrouded in fog, come to mind first? Do you think of Whitechapel and Saucy Jack? In MAIDS OF MISFORTUNE, you will find yourself far from the British Isles in another city where the fog rolls in quite regularly, old San Francisco.

Annie Fuller is a strong female protagonist in a male dominated era in history. Her story is revealed over the course of the book as she embroils herself in the mysterious death of Matthew Voss. I found her story to be believable, and, in many ways, reflective of women's issues today.

I am finding that nearly every piece of fiction I have read over the past year or so contains the patina of current political issues. This is true even for books that were published well before the current situation. I think it is because every issue of equal rights and human rights is in the forefront of my mind. For example, the immigration issue, again front and center in American life, hasn't changed much since the 19th century. The nationality of distain in Victorian era San Francisco was Chinese; however, you only need substitute the social group under attack on any given day to see that we have not progressed very far.

When I review a book, I just don't do spoilers. I think it's bad enough that the description of many books does just that. I try not to read more than a word here and there in the descriptions myself. I delight in being surprised by what I read. I will, however, clarify what I mean by a charming little murder mystery. Many of today's mysteries are either cozies or hard-boiled and gritty. I would not classify MAIDS OF MISFORTUNE as either. The language invites reading by any and all age groups, and the story is told in such a way to highlight Victorian mores. I find this kind of writing to be quite refreshing.

M. Louisa Locke has created a well-rounded cast of characters, and I look forward to learning more about each of them. I found MAIDS OF MISFORTUNE to be an excellent introduction to a series that I have put off reading for far too long. If you enjoy a good mystery, you will probably find that this is just your cup of tea.
This was a "free choice" book and it sat on my for maybe 2 months before I read it. But on a recent trip, I chose it as my reading material and I was quite entertained by this mystery. The backgrounds of the main characters were woven into the narrative well, giving small glimpses into the "whys" of their thoughts and behaviors. The time period was well-researched; I was transported to San Francisco of the 1880's, and it was believable. Although there were murders afoot, the description of each event wasn't graphic or horrific. The underlying sexual tension was minimum, but "there"; culminating in warm fuzzies for me in the end. I am a rabid, torrid romance reader, so this was a departure for me, but I am glad I had the book for the trip. It was truly enjoyable, and I will seek out M. Louisa Locke's titles again. Final point the editing of this story was done well; I only found 1 glaring typo. I wish that the romance novel editors could be just as meticulous!