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71st out of 250 books
—
487 voters
Maids of Misfortune (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #1)
by
M. Louisa Locke (Goodreads Author)
It’s the summer of 1879, and Annie Fuller, a young San Francisco widow, is in trouble. Annie’s husband squandered her fortune before committing suicide five years earlier, and one of his creditors is now threatening to take the boardinghouse she owns to pay off a debt.
Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam...more
Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam...more
Paperback, 327 pages
Published
December 3rd 2009
by Createspace
(first published 2009)
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Though I just published an indie book myself [Spontaneous Combustion], I admit I'm dubious about a lot of indie fiction. But based on Locke's website and blog, I took a chance on this book: and I'm glad I did. It is no surprise that it is well-researched, as Locke is a retired college history professor. I loved the 1870s San Francisco setting, and I like the heroine, Annie Fuller. It was a well-written, enjoyable read that combines social history, mystery, a dose of spiritualism, and romance. Th...more
What fun! This is the first book in a series (known as A Victorian San Francisco Mystery), and I look forward to reading the next book (Uneasy Spirits).
It's set in 1879, in Victorian San Francisco and involves a widow (who is also a business advisor under the guise of a clairvoyant -- unusual, no?), a young lawyer, and a wealthy businessman who dies. And the death is definitely murder. The widow goes into action to find out who killed him, posing as a maidservant at the businessman's house. The...more
It's set in 1879, in Victorian San Francisco and involves a widow (who is also a business advisor under the guise of a clairvoyant -- unusual, no?), a young lawyer, and a wealthy businessman who dies. And the death is definitely murder. The widow goes into action to find out who killed him, posing as a maidservant at the businessman's house. The...more
This is Victorian mystery set in 1879 San Francisco with an atypical and advanced thinking young woman named Annie Fuller as the heroine. In addition to an enjoyable mystery story (I didn't guess "whodunit" until more than half-way through the book), the author provides an interesting commentary on the social mores of the day, especially the plight of women at that time.
Annie appears to be from an upper middle class family, widowed at an early age, and now in financial difficulties. She has mana...more
Annie appears to be from an upper middle class family, widowed at an early age, and now in financial difficulties. She has mana...more
Absolutely delightful cozy mystery with plots and twists to get your teeth into. I loved the way I was drawn straight into the life of Annie, a young widow running a boarding house and who mascarades as a clairvoyant to make ends meet. One of her clients dies and to all intents and purposes it looks like suicide, but not to Annie who find anomalies in the subsequent reporting of his death as well as vital business papers missing that lead her to suspect murder. Then she leaps on the trail even t...more
Locke mines the complexity of the Victorian Era in Maids of Misfortune, adroitly shedding light in shadowy corners of a time now as subject to stereotype as Regency England. But Annie Fuller is no stereotype. Widowed when her husband committed suicide, Annie has fled his abusive family to establish a rooming house in a San Francisco property left her by an aunt. To supplement the meager income generated by this endeavor, Annie operates an intriguing business on the side – as a clairvoyant!
While...more
While...more
It can be difficult for me to read books about San Francisco; it irritates me when they take too many liberties, and it annoys me when they get things wrong. That said, Victorian San Francisco was done well, and I felt like the setting was well handled; it was S.F., but it wasn't overdone, and it was never really about the city.
Rather, the book was about Mrs. Annie Fuller, the widow who has found a way to eke out a living by running a boarding house and offering financial advice as the clairvoya...more
Rather, the book was about Mrs. Annie Fuller, the widow who has found a way to eke out a living by running a boarding house and offering financial advice as the clairvoya...more
This debut novel set in the later 1800's of San Francisco, CA is very well researched historical fiction mystery.
For women, throughout history, times are difficult to maintain your own household, even if you are a respectable, hard-working widow. It is 1879 and widow, Annie Fuller is barely making ends meet by inheriting her Aunt's home which she promptly converted into a boarding house. For extra money, the entire house backs Annie's decision to become "Madam Sibyl" a clairvoyant that can aid p...more
For women, throughout history, times are difficult to maintain your own household, even if you are a respectable, hard-working widow. It is 1879 and widow, Annie Fuller is barely making ends meet by inheriting her Aunt's home which she promptly converted into a boarding house. For extra money, the entire house backs Annie's decision to become "Madam Sibyl" a clairvoyant that can aid p...more
I loved the character of Annie Fuller from the first page. Already a widow at the age of twenty-six, she's been pushed around, mistreated, gone from wealth right down to destitution and still pulled herself back. As the story opens, we find her the owner of a respectable boarding house, enjoying the independence she deserves. And if I had to describe Annie Fuller in one word, 'independent' is the word I would use. Nobody tells this lady how to behave!
She augments her modest living by masqueradin...more
She augments her modest living by masqueradin...more
Jan 12, 2012
Kerry
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Kerry by:
free download
The gimmick of this mystery is that it takes place in Victorian-era San Francisco, so the protagonist (the widowed Annie) must work through social norms to resolve a murder. She spends time (unescorted!) with a single man - gasp! A boardinghouse owner, she also moonlights as a psychic - gasp! She wears a skirt that shows her ankle - double gasp!
Annie takes a job as a housemaid at the murdered man's house in order to continue her investigations. While this plot device moved the story along, it se...more
Annie takes a job as a housemaid at the murdered man's house in order to continue her investigations. While this plot device moved the story along, it se...more
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Maids of Misfortune is a Victorian mystery from the 1880s. It is set in San Fransisco. The main character is Anne Fuller. She as a widow is trying to make her way in a male society and becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. Anne is a spitfire woman who wants only her due. She is a woman before her time. Her intelligence and curiosity both are a curse and a blessing to her friends. Anne actually undertakes a job as a maid to help uncover the real murderer and help bring him to justice. Anne also...more
Jan 05, 2012
Sharon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
e-books,
historical-fiction
Overall rating: 4.75 stars
"Maids of Misfortune" is the first of M. Louisa Locke's Victorian San Francisco mystery series. I read the second volume, "Uneasy Spirits," first. Either book stands just fine on its own.
In this story, widow Annie Fuller is trying to figure out how to manage an unexpected debt incurred by her late husband ... at the same time that one of her clients passes away. Annie leads a double life as "clairvoyant" Madame Sibyl; she dispenses investment advice based on her own bac...more
"Maids of Misfortune" is the first of M. Louisa Locke's Victorian San Francisco mystery series. I read the second volume, "Uneasy Spirits," first. Either book stands just fine on its own.
In this story, widow Annie Fuller is trying to figure out how to manage an unexpected debt incurred by her late husband ... at the same time that one of her clients passes away. Annie leads a double life as "clairvoyant" Madame Sibyl; she dispenses investment advice based on her own bac...more
I happened to get this book for free on book bubs and wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It centers around Annie, a widow running a boarding house and moonlighting as a fortune teller in order to keep herself afloat at a time when women were relegated to home service. When one of her clients commits suicide, she is plunged into a mystery because her fortune teller alter ego is named in the will and her inside information tells her that he would not have taken his own life.
I...more
I...more
This excellent historical mystery takes place in 1879 San Francisco. A young widow supports herself as boarding house owner Annie Fuller, and as psychic Sibyl who gives personaly and financial advice to clients who will accept such as coming from the stars, when they wouldn't had they known her real identity. When one of her clients dies, supposedly by suicide, she knows his finances weren't in the shambles the police claim. When the police realize it was murder, they look to his family. Annie p...more
I actually won the second book of this series from Goodreads, and loved it, so I had to go back and read the first novel.
As I stated in my review of Uneasy Spirits (A Vitorian San Fransisco Myster #2), I really enjoy Ms. Locke's characters. I like that Annie Fuller, the main character is very much a modern woman for her time. She is widowed, a property owner, has financial acumen, and enjoys having an opinion and sharing it, whether or not the men of her time care for it. Nate Dawson is a great...more
As I stated in my review of Uneasy Spirits (A Vitorian San Fransisco Myster #2), I really enjoy Ms. Locke's characters. I like that Annie Fuller, the main character is very much a modern woman for her time. She is widowed, a property owner, has financial acumen, and enjoys having an opinion and sharing it, whether or not the men of her time care for it. Nate Dawson is a great...more
My Kindle Prime Lending Library book for this month.
A nicely entertaining standard cozy set in 1879 San Francisco. Plucky young widow heroine, romance, etc. The insight into the historical setting was a big plus---both public transportation and communication (via telegram) were a good bit more advanced than we tend to think.
After building up nicely, I felt a bit let down towards the end. The denouement had some incredibilities, e.g., in the big climax scene three women battle the bad guy with ru...more
A nicely entertaining standard cozy set in 1879 San Francisco. Plucky young widow heroine, romance, etc. The insight into the historical setting was a big plus---both public transportation and communication (via telegram) were a good bit more advanced than we tend to think.
After building up nicely, I felt a bit let down towards the end. The denouement had some incredibilities, e.g., in the big climax scene three women battle the bad guy with ru...more
This was a historical cozy mystery set in 1870’s San Francisco. The protagonist is Annie, a progressive-thinking widow who owns a boarding house and also secretly doubles as ‘Sylvia’, a psychic medium who gives domestic and business advice. One of Sylvia’s favorite clients is believed to have been driven to suicide by financial problems, but Annie knew things were actually going very well for the man and suspects foul play.
This was actually a charming story but with a few flaws. Nate, the young...more
This was actually a charming story but with a few flaws. Nate, the young...more
I thought this book was actually very good. I was a little unsure, in the beginning, because it's not really like anything I've read before.
The characters are the strong point of the book. Annie was an interesting heroine, torn between how she knows she should act and how she wants to be, but not so much that I found her annoying. I thought she seemed very credible. Her romance with Nate was paced exactly as I thought it would be.
I also enjoyed the mystery. I had a few ideas for the sleuthing an...more
The characters are the strong point of the book. Annie was an interesting heroine, torn between how she knows she should act and how she wants to be, but not so much that I found her annoying. I thought she seemed very credible. Her romance with Nate was paced exactly as I thought it would be.
I also enjoyed the mystery. I had a few ideas for the sleuthing an...more
I got this as a free book off of Amazon's free book list. It took me a while to get into it, but that was probably due to the fact that I was only able to read it in fits and starts till about the middle of the book. At that point I was able to read it in much longer stretches. The main character managed to be a bit of a more modern heroine without being too out of the norm for the late 1800's I thought. The take down of the villain was humorous and I laughed out loud at several points.
When I go...more
When I go...more
Recommended for lovers of mystery, suspense, and romance!
Late in life, I have become a convert to mysteries! I doubt I’ve read two mysteries in my lifetime but am so happy to have given Maids of Misfortune a chance. The author’s attention to detail brings the setting, 1800s San Francisco, to life. The story is unique and kept me engaged throughout. There were no boring interludes, no leaps of logic or holes in believability—every scene led swiftly into the next, and the writing is skillful and v...more
Late in life, I have become a convert to mysteries! I doubt I’ve read two mysteries in my lifetime but am so happy to have given Maids of Misfortune a chance. The author’s attention to detail brings the setting, 1800s San Francisco, to life. The story is unique and kept me engaged throughout. There were no boring interludes, no leaps of logic or holes in believability—every scene led swiftly into the next, and the writing is skillful and v...more
Probably 3.5 stars. I read this for free through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library and it was well worth it. It's a nice historical mystery. I really like the heroine who runs a boardinghouse and dispenses financial advice through a clairvoyant act. When one of her clients is murdered, she poses as a maid in his household to find the killer. There's a good focus on women's roles in society and issues of class. (Apparently this is the point of the series and subsequent books explore different pr...more
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I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t expecting to sit up late reading this book. I had already read Dandy Detects and while I enjoyed the short story, it wasn’t what I would call a page turner. I was pleasantly surprised by Locke’s light-hearted mystery and found it thoroughly enjoyable.
Our story revolves around Annie Fuller, an enterprising boarding house matron in 1879 San Francisco. Annie is a rare character. She is mode...more
I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t expecting to sit up late reading this book. I had already read Dandy Detects and while I enjoyed the short story, it wasn’t what I would call a page turner. I was pleasantly surprised by Locke’s light-hearted mystery and found it thoroughly enjoyable.
Our story revolves around Annie Fuller, an enterprising boarding house matron in 1879 San Francisco. Annie is a rare character. She is mode...more
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I absolutely LOVED this book. Hands down my favorite read, thus far, of 2012. It was a wonderful mix of mystery & 'Old World' charm. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the main character, Annie Fuller. She was smart, brave, feminine & yet forceful enough to stand her ground when men tried to disuade her from her plan of action. I especially loved that this was set in the late 1800's, though I'm not sure why the Victorian setting drew me in so much. The language was clear & not flow...more
I was on the fence about Annie pretty much the entire book. In the real world, her actions would have jeopardized and ruined investigations and cases. On the other hand, I felt that she really stepped up to the plate and figured things out for herself - which I can admire.
The relationships between various characters seemed really well thought out and realistic/multi-faceted. The chemistry between Nate and Annie was delicious also :).The story really slowed down in the middle, but understandably...more
The relationships between various characters seemed really well thought out and realistic/multi-faceted. The chemistry between Nate and Annie was delicious also :).The story really slowed down in the middle, but understandably...more
Dr. Locke utilizes her knowledge of American History to bring to life her first book, Maids of Misfortune. I love Historical Fiction and this novel places the reader (me) in the middle of San Francisco during the summer 1879. Annie Fuller, a young widow, is trying to pay off her deceased husband's debts. She opened a boarding house and worked as Madame Sybil, a medium. She had been well-schooled in business and she aids her clients in monetary matters. Dr. Locke peppers the story with the with t...more
I liked the character that the protagonist was trying to be; independent, smart, strong willed. But over the course of the book she seemed to take a dive into the ditzy schoolgirl category and it became more and more annoying to watch her stumble through nothing day in and day out. I thought the "romance" aspects were a bit contrived though I liked the characterization of the male lead and I was hoping to see the protagonist relationship expanded a bit more before the end. Overall, nothing reall...more
This is a charming, entertaining story with great characters and lots of historical tidbits that I really enjoyed. It begins with widow Annie Fuller learning that she might lose her only asset--a boarding house in San Francisco that was left to her by her aunt. You're rooting for Annie from page one. Then, a friend of hers dies and the circumstances surrounding his death are pretty murky. Annie shows her true mettle by doing whatever is necessary (and that's a lot in this instance) to find out h...more
Annie Fuller is an independent widow running a boarding house while dispensing advice from the parlor disguised as clairvoyant 'Madame Sybil'. Shocked by the apparent suicide of one of 'Sybil's' favorite clients, Annie is determined to prove Matthew Voss's death was not suicide but murder.
Annie knows the police officer first on the scene and is able to learn details about the crime from him. Voss's attorney, Nathaniel Dawson does some investigation of his own and discovers Voss's connection to...more
Annie knows the police officer first on the scene and is able to learn details about the crime from him. Voss's attorney, Nathaniel Dawson does some investigation of his own and discovers Voss's connection to...more
This was a well-researched, intersting novel set in Victorian-era San Francisco. The Victorian era is one of my favorite historical time periods, so that made me want to read the book.
The romance between Nate and Annie started off a little slowly, and the book was a bit long, but I liked how their relationship progressed. I loved the descriptions of fashions, home life, and food, and enjoyed the secondary characters.
I liked the way the murderer was captured, and would love to have friends like...more
The romance between Nate and Annie started off a little slowly, and the book was a bit long, but I liked how their relationship progressed. I loved the descriptions of fashions, home life, and food, and enjoyed the secondary characters.
I liked the way the murderer was captured, and would love to have friends like...more
This is a nice easy read. I liked Annie Fuller, she was a modern woman ahead of her time. When one of Annie's clients dies under questionable circumstances, Annie works as a maid to try and discover who killed him and why. There is a lot of mystery surrounding all the characters in the Voss household and while the author reveals something about each of the characters by the end of the story, I had trouble believing the explanation regarding the Lady's Maid Cartier.
Overall I enjoyed the book and...more
Overall I enjoyed the book and...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did you read/like the short story, Dandy Detects | 3 | 12 | Aug 08, 2011 05:41am |
After being a professor of history for over 30 years, I am now retired and writing full time. My first book, Maids of Misfortune, was actually written over twenty years ago, based in part on my dissertation research on women who worked in the Far West at the end of the NIneteenth Century. However, a full time career of teaching and an active family life left me little time to do what was necessary...more
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