An Unconventional Path with Rob Osler

Edith/Maddie writing from a chilly north of Boston.

But my heart is warmed by the prospect of a new book by Rob Osler! I love his two Hayden and Friends mysteries and his award-winning short stories, but the premise of his new historical Harriet Morrow Investigates series delights me even more. How much do you love the cover of The Case of the Missing Maid?

The book will be out December 24, and you can bet my copy is preordered from the local independent bookstore.

Check out this starred review! “The first woman hired by a Chicago detective agency faces one daunting challenge after another in this excellent historical series launch from Osler… With lush historical detail, optimistic but plausible gender politics, and an unforgettable heroine, this series is primed for success.”—★ Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

Take it away, Rob.

I couldn’t have possibly planned it (better).

“Sorry, your project is not the right fit for our list.” That phrase is triggering for any author who has ever queried agents or had an agent submit their novel to publishers. Here are two others: “Don’t write to a trend because by the time your book comes out the market will have moved on” and “Write what you know.” Hold those wise words in your head while you consider the wisdom of my decision to write a lesbian, bicycle-riding detective in America’s Progressive Era (1890 to 1920). If you’re curious how my new series “Harriet Morrow Investigates” happened, read on. You’ll discover its path to publication was as unconventional as Harriet herself.

The very beginning.

I was raised in Boise, Idaho (don’t worry, I’m not going back that far) and return annually to visit. Boise has a superb greenbelt that follows the river through town. About ten years ago, I came across a plaque at the southeast end of the trail for a long-gone historical site: the Natatorium, a palace-like indoor swimming pavilion. I thought, “That’s a setting for a murder mystery!” So I wrote Murder at the Nat. I queried agents. I got multiple requests for full manuscripts and eventually signed with a leading New York agency. After ten months of slow back and forth, my agent unexpectedly left the agency, and I was dropped as a client.

The next beginning.

Scarred, I changed course. I wrote a contemporary, zany amateur sleuth novel. I titled it Devil’s Chew Toy and called it a “Quozy Mystery.” That book was a finalist for last year’s Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity awards for best debut. Naturally, I thought, “Now I’ll return to that historical mystery set in Boise!”

The mushy middle.

I dusted off Murder at the Nat. I revised. I queried agents. Randomly, I happened upon an agent’s social post that mentioned the need for more diversity in crime fiction. I leaped. “I have one!” She replied, “Send it.” Months passed before I got a response. It came with notes. Lots of notes. I revised and resubmitted. The cycle continued. More than a year after first sending the novel, I was offered representation. Fun fact: my now agent was among those who, seven years earlier, had requested a full of the original Murder at the Nat and eventually passed.

Get to Writing, Writer!

After more polishing, my agent sent Murder at the Nat to potential publishers. Right away, we heard from one editor, “I liked it, but other readers thought . . .” Those thoughts included shifting the novel’s setting to Chicago (from where Harriet set out for Boise) and the year (rewinding ten years to Harriet’s first day as the Prescott Detective Agency’s first and only woman operative). “This is an opportunity!” My agent said, “You’ve been given a roadmap! Get to writing! Give me a tight outline and four polished chapters.” Fast forward three months, and page one of The Case of the Missing Maid, set in 1898 Chicago, begins with Harriet Morrow, wearing a bowler hat and men’s shoes, arriving for her first day of work for Theodore Prescott. Three weeks later, I got the call from my agent. “Three book deal.”

A new historical series, present tense.

The Case of the Missing Maid arrives Dec. 24th. The Case of the Murdered Muckraker awaits copy edits. Book three, The Case of the Swindled Suffragist, is peering up on a screen behind this one, demanding my attention.

Readers: Can you name a historical mystery with a main character, time, and place unlike any other you’ve read? What is something you accomplished by not giving up but which came about in a roundabout way?

I’m excited to share that my publisher, Kensington, is featuring THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID in a Goodreads giveaway. 100 lucky winners will receive a copy. Enter here now through Dec 10th.

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Rob Osler writes traditional mysteries. His new series, Harriet Morrow Investigates, launches with THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID, which features a woman detective solving crimes in Chicago in America’s Progressive Era. Rob’s work has been a finalist for the 2024 Edgar Award (MISS DIRECTION, EQMM), 2023 Anthony, Agatha, Lefty, and Macavity Awards (DEVIL’S CHEW TOY), and a winner of the 2022 Mystery Writers of America Robert L Fish Award (ANALOGUE, EQMM).After living in Boise, Chicago, and Seattle, Rob resides in California with his husband and a tall gray cat.