A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna Loan-Wilsey

First Line: And then it was my turn to view the body.

Hearing the news of the death of her good friend's father, traveling secretary Hattie Davish returns to St. Joseph, Missouri. She may be back in her hometown due to sad circumstances, but she is looking forward to seeing people again. However she's in for a rude awakening. Her friend Virginia behaves as though Hattie is the last person she wants to see. Virginia's father's death is more than a bit mysterious, and there are problems at Hattie's alma mater, Mrs. Chaplin's School for Women.

When Hattie begins to investigate the incidents at the school, her search for the truth leads her from the town cemetery to an outlaw's home-- and into the tunnels beneath the State Lunatic Asylum. 

In this fourth book in the Hattie Davish historical mystery series, Hattie has some ghosts that she must lay to rest, and she does even though her investigation has her traveling from one spot in St. Joseph to another-- and trying to avoid an old boyfriend at the same time. There are several plot threads in A Deceptive Homecoming, and author Anna Loan-Wilsey deals with them with ease. One of the reasons why I enjoy the character of Hattie Davish is that she is an inveterate list maker (like me). Whenever she has a moment or is trying to think something through, she'll sit down and update her list of questions. Not only does this practice keep her thoughts organized, it helps readers think the mystery through themselves. 

There are some serious topics in this book. An old friend who behaves like an enemy. Hattie's beloved alma mater is under some sort of attack. Something's not quite right at the State Lunatic Asylum.... Fortunately the author doesn't keep everything deadly serious all the time. One of the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most involved Hattie being forced to deal with her fame: she's being idolized by many of the students in Mrs. Chaplin's School. Many, but not all, the girls are starstruck, and Hattie is fun to watch when she's in situations with the girls.

There is one scene in A Deceptive Homecoming that had me thinking that Hattie was too stupid to live-- normally a deal breaker for me. When she got past the reception area in the State Lunatic Asylum and began following someone deep down into the bowels of that creepy place, my eyes rolled so far back into my head that they almost stuck. Since I did indeed finish reading the book and have written this review, you can tell that Hattie redeemed herself in some way. (But I'll be keeping an eye on her!)

Anna Loan-Wilsey's series is light and fun to read, and it also manages to highlight historical personages and incidents that are downright fascinating. I look forward to traveling with Hattie and her typewriter again in the future.
 

A Deceptive Homecoming by Anna Loan-Wilsey

eISBN: 9781617737275

Kensington Books © 2015

eBook, 304 pages

Historical Mystery, #4 Hattie Davish mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley 

Anything But Civil by Anna Loan-Wilsey

First Line: "Is he dead?"

Traveling secretary Hattie Davish is pleased to be in Galena, Illinois, and back working for her wealthy employer, Sir Arthur Windom-Greene. Hattie is helping Sir Arthur with his definitive biography of Civil War General Cornelius Starrett. What shocks the pair is the fact that even though forty years have passed, old wounds from that terrible conflict are still very raw. But Hattie has her hands full helping Sir Arthur with his book and getting the house ready for Christmas. She's never been in charge of Christmas preparations, so she's very excited and anxious to do the best job possible. She may not have much time to deck the halls; however, when General Starrett's belligerent son Henry is murdered and one of the main suspects is Sir Arthur himself.

I really enjoyed Loan-Wilsey's first Hattie Davish mystery, A Lack of Temperance, but I have to admit that I had a more difficult time getting into Anything But Civil.  This is mostly due to the fact that I intensely disliked two of the characters. Henry Starrett was a pompous, spoiled bully who found little reason to rein in his horrible temper. He was so obnoxious that I simply didn't care who killed him because Henry's absence was such a relief. Another character who drew my ire was Rachel Baines, a vain, ill-tempered sort of woman who feels better about herself by constantly putting others down. Henry and Rachel are two sorts of people whom, if I met them in real life, I would walk away-- and stay away-- from. Since they are prominent characters with many scenes, it was tough going at times.

But I still think the character of Hattie Davish is a winner. She's smart, hard-working, quick-thinking and brave, and I enjoy watching her piece together clues to solve the crime. Getting acquainted with Hattie's oft-mentioned employer, Sir Arthur Windom-Greene, was a treat as well. He's an interesting blend of scholar, forward thinker, and proper upper class British gentleman. Also tops on my enjoyment scale is the setting of Galena, Illinois. The author made a very good decision to set her book in the hometown of Ulysses S. Grant. What better place to show the lingering aftereffects of the Civil War than in the home of the best-known of the Union generals?

Although two obnoxious characters did dim my enjoyment of Hattie Davish's second mystery, I like her so much that I'm looking forward to her next adventure.

Anything But Civil by Anna Loan-Wilsey

ISBN: 9780758276360

Kensington © 2013

Paperback, 304 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Hattie Davish mystery

Rating: B-

Source: NetGalley 

A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey

First Line: It was chaos.

It's 1892. Self-described typewriter Hattie Davish has been paid to work for a Mrs. Edwina Trevelyan of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. She boards the train in Kansas City, and when she arrives in the resort town, the very first thing she sees is the American Women's Temperance Coalition (AWTC) trying their best to demolish a saloon. By the time she gets to the Arcadia Hotel, Hattie has learned that Mrs. Trevelyan is the president of the AWTC.

After a short battle of wills with a AWTC member, Hattie assumes control of Mrs. Trevelyan's correspondence, but the woman herself seems to have disappeared. Hattie does as much as she can with the letters and telegrams, then she sets out to find her employer. Shortly thereafter, she finds the woman's body, and when an arrogant woman in the temperance organization tells her she can go home, Hattie refuses. She's been paid for a week's work, and she's going to stay to help find her employer's killer. What Hattie hasn't planned for is that-- by her conscientiousness, she's putting her own life in danger.

Author Anna Loan-Wilsey sets her stage immediately by having Hattie Davish witness the demolishing of a saloon. I can't remember any other fiction book I've read using the background of the women's temperance movement, and as I began reading A Lack of Temperance, I had to wonder why. All the various members created a microcosm of motives, which is perfect for a mystery.

Her choice of Eureka Springs, Arkansas was also inspired. The Victorian resort town's treacherous, twisting streets, steep stairs, luxurious hotels, and many hot springs fired my imagination and created many locations for Hattie to investigate.

Hattie Davish is a young, spirited woman who-- as a traveling private secretary-- is a bit ahead of her time. She's a workaholic who can forget to eat or rest, and in her spare time she loves to explore, finding plants to add to her catalogue. Hattie is meticulous in her work habits, to the point of being what we would call OCD today. Throughout her investigation, she settled her mind by sitting at her typewriter creating lists of facts and lists of questions. It's no wonder this young woman attracts all sorts of other characters to her-- including handsome young doctor, Walter Grice.

I did find the identity of the killer to be a bit obvious, but as a debut book with an 1890s traveling secretary as the main character, I think this series is set up for a very interesting, enjoyable run. I look forward to reading more books about Hattie and to learning more about her mysterious benefactor, Sir Arthur Windom-Greene.

A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey 

ISBN:  9780758276346
Kensington Publishing Corporation © 2012
Paperback, 304 pages

Genre: Historical, Cozy Mystery, #1 Hattie Davish mystery
Rating: B-
Source: NetGalley