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kristymakes's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot begin to express how much I love this series. I have never been a particular fan of Victorian settings...thinking them of no particular interest, but M. Louisa Locke has changed that!
Annie Fuller is such a refreshing character. Having been shaped by her misfortunes in life, she is determined to carry on as a successful business woman, despite the restrictions imposed by society of the time.
And what can I say about Nate Dawson. A similiarly flawed hero to match Annie's personality. He is a strong willed but surprisingly comprising, and entirely frustrating & delightful all at the same time!
I am a fan of mysteries and this one really had me playing out the suspects close to the very end before all was revealed! Would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good who-done-it!!!
Annie Fuller is such a refreshing character. Having been shaped by her misfortunes in life, she is determined to carry on as a successful business woman, despite the restrictions imposed by society of the time.
And what can I say about Nate Dawson. A similiarly flawed hero to match Annie's personality. He is a strong willed but surprisingly comprising, and entirely frustrating & delightful all at the same time!
I am a fan of mysteries and this one really had me playing out the suspects close to the very end before all was revealed! Would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good who-done-it!!!
nocturne_21's review against another edition
5.0
I found this series accidentally on a nook book sharing group and was pleasantly surprised. A strong female lead in an era where it wasn't necessarily encouraged. This second book in the series was just as good as the first, if not a little better. The characters have really developed at this point in the series. Honestly, I can't get enough of this series right now and can't wait to get the next one!
mad_about_books's review
4.0
I read a lot of grit, murder, mayhem, and mosters, so it is always refreshing to read a book that looks at life through the rose colored glasses of gentility. Very often, this can only be accomplished by reading books published in the nineteen thirties and forties. Even during that period, hard boiled noir seems really tame by today's standards. Ms. Locke's descriptions of various locations in San Francisco eschew Victorian gentility while making the locales come to life.
The Victorian Era was rife with the spiritualist movement. Seances were all the rage, and money was made exploiting the bereaved. Barbara Hewitt, one of Annie's lodgers, broaches the subject of unscrupulous mediums taking advantage of her younger sister's loss with Annie, more or less on the basis of 'it takes one, to know one' given Annie's alter ego, Madam Sybil.
Much that is currently written with a Victorian backdrop, involves a woman acting contrary to that which is expected of her by men and women alike. Quite often this does not spring from active rebellion but from innate intelligence. There is always a man ready to come to the rescue for all the wrong reasons. Such is Mrs. Annie Fuller's dilemma as she finds herself falling for Nathaniel Dawson, Esq. Here we have two people well suited to each other at odds because although they talk to each other, they never really say what's on their mind until it's too late. Clearly a situation of one step forward, two steps back.
As is so often the case with a mystery series, where the mystery intrigues, the backstory is the driving force to read the subsequent tale. With each novel, we learn more about not only Annie and Nate, but the other recurring characters that loom large in the boarding house, both residents and staff. By making these folks both human and interesting, one feels compelled to read on to see what is happening to this circle of friends. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series.
The Victorian Era was rife with the spiritualist movement. Seances were all the rage, and money was made exploiting the bereaved. Barbara Hewitt, one of Annie's lodgers, broaches the subject of unscrupulous mediums taking advantage of her younger sister's loss with Annie, more or less on the basis of 'it takes one, to know one' given Annie's alter ego, Madam Sybil.
Much that is currently written with a Victorian backdrop, involves a woman acting contrary to that which is expected of her by men and women alike. Quite often this does not spring from active rebellion but from innate intelligence. There is always a man ready to come to the rescue for all the wrong reasons. Such is Mrs. Annie Fuller's dilemma as she finds herself falling for Nathaniel Dawson, Esq. Here we have two people well suited to each other at odds because although they talk to each other, they never really say what's on their mind until it's too late. Clearly a situation of one step forward, two steps back.
As is so often the case with a mystery series, where the mystery intrigues, the backstory is the driving force to read the subsequent tale. With each novel, we learn more about not only Annie and Nate, but the other recurring characters that loom large in the boarding house, both residents and staff. By making these folks both human and interesting, one feels compelled to read on to see what is happening to this circle of friends. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series.
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
One of Annie's boarders asks her to investigate a pair of mediums who, Miss Pinehurt is sure, are damaging her sister's already fragile state of mind. During the course of the investigation Annie is forced to confront her own alter ego as Madam Sibyl: is she just as bad as they, misleading clients for her own ends, or is she justified because of societal restrictions?
Not quite as good as [b:Maids of Misfortune|7708599|Maids of Misfortune (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #1)|M. Louisa Locke|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340747107s/7708599.jpg|10422886], but I still enjoyed it. The subject matter is a little strange, but as I generally enjoy historical stories for a glimpse into the past, I picked it up anyway, and as a cozy historical mystery it still fits the bill. The writing didn't seem to be as strong, overusing the device of recap, switching abruptly to either another character or a completely different plot thread during suspenseful moments, and taking too long to draw the two together.
What made me give it 4 stars was the mediums' secret weapon.
One of Annie's boarders asks her to investigate a pair of mediums who, Miss Pinehurt is sure, are damaging her sister's already fragile state of mind. During the course of the investigation Annie is forced to confront her own alter ego as Madam Sibyl: is she just as bad as they, misleading clients for her own ends, or is she justified because of societal restrictions?
Not quite as good as [b:Maids of Misfortune|7708599|Maids of Misfortune (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #1)|M. Louisa Locke|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340747107s/7708599.jpg|10422886], but I still enjoyed it. The subject matter is a little strange, but as I generally enjoy historical stories for a glimpse into the past, I picked it up anyway, and as a cozy historical mystery it still fits the bill. The writing didn't seem to be as strong, overusing the device of recap, switching abruptly to either another character or a completely different plot thread during suspenseful moments, and taking too long to draw the two together.
What made me give it 4 stars was the mediums' secret weapon.
Spoiler
In reading about Evie May, the startling and incredible transformations she made, and the intimations of abuse, I was struck by the thought that the trauma and difficulties in her life may have triggered some kind of personal disorder, which the hypnotist had discovered and manipulated for financial gain; possession by spirits seemed - even as late as Victorian times - an understandable explanation. Mrs Hunt's story strengthened this theory of mine, so I was disappointed to see no author's note about her thoughts on both of them, but as it transformed the story from another "spooky mystery" into something with more depth, I kept the rating.katiemulcahy122's review against another edition
4.0
I loved seeing Annie get a little deeper into the fraudulent side of the Spiritualism trend, and although this mystery is a little less straightforward than the last (in part because of a strange little girl), it definitely had some high stakes. I also like how involved all the boardinghouse residents get into Annie’s hijinks.
pinars's review against another edition
4.0
better than the prequel. characters better developed and the story more interesting. am waiting for the third book in the series.
magickislife's review against another edition
4.0
It was a very well written book and I enjoyed it but sadly I saw the culprit coming from a mile away. All that was a mystery was his motive.
tuff517's review against another edition
4.0
I love these little cozy mysteries! Got this one for free and enjoyed it as much as I did the first one, so I'll be willing to buy her other books. Great characters and a fast-paced story about shenanigans by some fake fortune-tellers! Good ending and I liked that I couldn't guess "whodunit".