A Lack of Temperance
-
-
3.5 • 11 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
From Anna Loan-Wilsey comes the first installment of a new historical mystery series featuring Hattie Davish, a traveling secretary who arrives in a small Ozark town only to discover her new employer has disappeared. . .
On the eve of the heated presidential election of 1892, Miss Hattie Davish arrives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a scenic resort town where those without the scent of whiskey on their breath have the plight of temperance on their tongues. Summoned for her services as a private secretary, Hattie is looking forward to exploring the hills, indulging her penchant for botany--and getting to know the town's handsome doctor. But it's hard to get her job done with her employer nowhere to be found. . .
An army of unassuming women wielding hatchets have descended on the quiet Ozark village, destroying every saloon in their path--and leaving more than a few enemies in their wake. So when their beloved leader, Mother Trevelyan, is murdered, it's easy to point fingers. Now that she's working for a dead woman, Hattie turns to her trusty typewriter to get to the truth. And as she follows a trail of cryptic death threats, she'll come face to face with a killer far more dangerous than the Demon Rum. . .
"A wonderful read from a welcome addition to the genre. This one shouldn't be missed--it has it all!" --Emily Brightwell
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1892, Loan-Wilsey's delightful debut introduces Hattie Davish, who has left Kansas City, Mo., for the Ozark town of Eureka Springs, Ark., to take a temporary secretarial position with Edwina Trevelyan, a woman she's never met and knows little about. Typewriter in hand, Hattie arrives to find a riot in progress, courtesy of the local American Women's Temperance Coalition, and the rioters' leader, who happens to be her new employer, being carted off to jail. Further belying the surrounding hot springs' much touted healthiness, Edwina later turns up dead and stuffed into her steamer trunk. Offended to be called "only a typewriter," Hattie decides to track down the killer herself. Suspects include Edwina's bad-tempered AWTC rival, Cordelia Anglewood; friendly Josephine Piers, who claims she's Edwina's new secretary; and any number of disgruntled imbibers. Cozy fans will eagerly await Hattie's next adventure.
Customer Reviews
Good read
Interesting time period and location. The book flowed well. Easy read. Kept me guessing the culprit until the end.