On Flashback Fridays, I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
The Case of the Missing Maid (Harriet Morrow Investigates)
LGBTQ+ Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Chicago, 1898
Publisher โ : โ Kensington
Publication date โ : โ December 24, 2024
Print length โ : โ 320 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 โ : โ 1496749480
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1496749482
Paperback
ISBN-10 โ : โ 1496749499
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1496749499
Kindle
ISBN-13 โ : โ 978-1496749505
ASIN โ : โ B0CZGV2TSM
Audiobook
ASIN โ : โ B0DR9BSRPN
Instant USA Today bestseller!
The acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devilโs Chew Toy delights with the first in a new historical mystery series set in turn-of-the-20th-century Chicago, as America is entering its Progressive Era and Harriet Morrow, a bike-riding, trousers-wearing lesbian, has just begun her new job as the first female detective at the Windy City’s Prescott Agency…
Chicago, 1898. Rough-around-the-edges Harriet Morrow has long been drawn to the idea of whizzing around the city on her bicycle as a professional detective, solving crimes for a living without having to take a husband. Just twenty-one with a younger brother to support, she seizes the chance when the prestigious Prescott Agency hires her as its first woman operative. The move sparks controversyโwith skeptical male colleagues, a high-strung office secretary, and her boss, Mr. Theodore Prescott, all waiting for her to unravel under the pressure . . .
Only an hour into the job, Harriet has an assignment: Discover the whereabouts of a missing maid from one of the most extravagant mansions on Prairie Avenue. Owner Pearl Bartlett has a reputation for sending operatives on wild goose chases around her grand estate, but Harriet believes the stunningly beautiful Agnes Wozniak has indeed vanished under mysterious circumstancesโpossibly a victim of kidnapping, possibly a victim of something worse . . .
With Mr. Prescott pushing a hard deadline, Harrietโs burgeoning career depends on working through a labyrinth of eccentric characters and murky motives in a race to discover who made Agnes disappear. When her search leads to Chicagoโs Polish community and a new friendship in Agnesโs charming older sister, Barbara, clues scattered across the city slowly reveal just how much depends on Harrietโs inexperienced investigation for answers . . . and the deep danger that awaits once she learns the truth.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Twenty-one-year-old Harriet Morrow has a younger brother to support, and she has always dreamed about solving crime for a living. The Prescott Agency was looking for a junior field operative. She shocked Theodore Prescott when she applied for the job, but he was convinced to hire her on a trial basis. A controversial move, especially with his own staff, and most are very unwelcoming to Harriet.
Her first assignment, before she receives any training, is to find the missing maid of Pearl Barlett. A neighbor of Mr. Prescott, who has sent his operatives on fruitless searches before. Mrs. Bartlett truly believes, and evidence appears to show, that Agnes Wozniak has disappeared in what could be a kidnapping, or worse. Mr. Prescott gives her a firm deadline, and she plans to meet it. Her investigation takes her all over Chicago and into Chicago’s Polish community, where she meets Agnes’s sister Barbara. A budding friendship feeds her need to find Agnes and bring her back to her family, but it could be a very dangerous undertaking.
Harriet Morrow is a compelling young lesbian woman ahead of her time, filled with spunk, drive, and a need to prove herself.ย Her father was a lawyer representing labor unions. Her mother was an active member of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association. They had encouraged Harriet to pursue her dreams, despite what others may think of them. Her father died 26 days after her mother was lost due to pneumonia. She is now responsible for her teenage brother, Aubrey, and all that entails. Most of the people at the Prescott Agency are uncomfortable with Harriet being an operative, including the man tasked with training her. Matthew McCabe, another Junior Operative, steps up when Mr. Somer isn’t very helpful. Mr. Prescott appears to be a fair man; Harriet just needs to prove herself. All of Mr. Osler’s characters are well-crafted, and their nature and personalities seem to fit the time. Harriet could pontificate at times, but for me, it gave a clear insight into her charm. She did have a lawyer as a father.
Harriet’s first assignment, to find Mrs. Bartlett’s missing maid, was expected to take nothing more than a visit to her mansion and show the woman that she was mistaken, that the maid was there, just in another part of the home. Harriet does a complete search. The maid is not there. In fact, it looks like she was taken against her will from her room. Harriet asks a few basic questions, then returns to the office for instructions, and then embarks on a journey that takes her to Chicago’s Polish immigrant community and elsewhere around town as she follows leads. Leads that take her to a gritty pool hall and a gay bar. In addition to trying to get the information she seeks, she finds a hidden world she didn’t even know existed, but where she may fit in. After it all, the case takes a turn, and a secret is revealed. I had sleuthed out part of the mystery earlier in the story and had an inkling about the rest, but it did not deter my enjoyment of the story.
The Case of the Missing Maid is an entertaining, well-researched, and well-plotted mystery. Harriet has a lot to learn, but with her first case behind her, Mr. Prescott has officially bestowed her with the title of Junior Field Operative, and her true training will begin. I have The Case of the Murdered Muckraker waiting impatiently on my To-Be-Read shelf. I hope to get to it soon, as book 3, The Case of the Swindled Suffragist, is set to be released on January 26, 2027.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Rob Oslerย writes mysteries with LGBTQ+ main characters. Robโs debut novel,ย Devilโs Chew Toy, was a finalist for the Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Awards. His first publication, โAnalogue,โ won the Robert L. Fish Award at the Mystery Writers of America Annual Edgar Awards, and he is an EdgarโAward finalist for his short storyย Miss Direction. He has a philosophy degree from the University of Puget Sound and an MBA from the University of Washington, and previously worked as a brand marketing executive for global agencies and corporations. After living in Chicago and Seattle, Rob resides in California with his long-time partner and a tall grey cat. Visit him at RobOsler.com.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissionโs 16 CFR, Part 255: โGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.โ โAs an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.โ I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.โ These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
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