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Uneasy Spirits
(A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #2)
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In this sequel to Maids of Misfortune, it is the fall of 1879 and Annie Fuller, a young San Francisco widow, has a problem. Despite her growing financial success as the clairvoyant Madam Sibyl, Annie doesn't believe in the astrology and palmistry her clients think are the basis for her advice.
Kathleen Hennessey, Annie Fuller's young Irish maid, has a plan. When her mistres ...more
Kathleen Hennessey, Annie Fuller's young Irish maid, has a plan. When her mistres ...more
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Start your review of Uneasy Spirits (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #2)
A True Psychic?
In this episode, Annie Fuller is called upon to investigate the machinations of a family of psychics.
Having her own persona as a psychic (as Madam Sybil), Annie feels offended that someone would use the spiritual life to take advantage of anyone.
Although her intentions are honorable, Annie’s life is in constant danger, but from whom? With so many suspects thrown in, the page-turning is ferocious!
And just when is she and Nate going to make it official?
In this episode, Annie Fuller is called upon to investigate the machinations of a family of psychics.
Having her own persona as a psychic (as Madam Sybil), Annie feels offended that someone would use the spiritual life to take advantage of anyone.
Although her intentions are honorable, Annie’s life is in constant danger, but from whom? With so many suspects thrown in, the page-turning is ferocious!
And just when is she and Nate going to make it official?
Dec 31, 2011
Erin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historic-fiction-1800s
Find the enhanced version of this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Dandy Detects was an entertaining short but it was Maids of Misfortune that captured my attention and piqued my interest in Uneasy Spirits. I looked forward to the book for months and now, after reading the book, I find I have very mixed feelings.
I obviously enjoyed the book. A four star rating isn’t exactly a finger in the eye but I found that while I appreciated the piece, many of my pre-read expec ...more
Dandy Detects was an entertaining short but it was Maids of Misfortune that captured my attention and piqued my interest in Uneasy Spirits. I looked forward to the book for months and now, after reading the book, I find I have very mixed feelings.
I obviously enjoyed the book. A four star rating isn’t exactly a finger in the eye but I found that while I appreciated the piece, many of my pre-read expec ...more
An interesting cozy mystery. Better than the first book, which is often the case. The characters are familiar and we learn more about them. I enjoy a book that takes into account a character's internal struggles.
There's also a look at psychological issues, trying to see them from the perspective & knowledge of Victorian San Fransisco. The situation was warmly and kindly portrayed.
As in most cozy mysteries, this one is light, enjoyable and keeps one interest.
I look forward to picking up the th ...more
There's also a look at psychological issues, trying to see them from the perspective & knowledge of Victorian San Fransisco. The situation was warmly and kindly portrayed.
As in most cozy mysteries, this one is light, enjoyable and keeps one interest.
I look forward to picking up the th ...more
I enjoyed the first book in this series 'Maids of Misfortune' and looked forward to reading another mystery with the charming characters Ms. Locke created. Unfortunately I did not care for this story and was disappointed by the lack of growth and development the characters undergo during the course of this book. I felt I had a better sense of the characters at the end of the first book than I did after reading more than three hundred and fifty pages about them in this book.
I thought much of thi ...more
I thought much of thi ...more
Aug 30, 2012
Cindy Amrhein
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-read-to-me
I got hooked into this book as soon as I started it. Victorian era is a favorite time period of mine. I found an instant connection with the character of Annie Fuller, a widow who owns a boarding house and sidelines for extra cash as a clairvoyant, Madam Sibyl. The difference is she doesn't believe in such things, but it's a means to take a woman seriously when giving financial advice learned from her father. Think about that--people wouldn't take advice from a woman, but from their dead uncle?
...more
It’s 1879, and Annie Fuller runs a boarding house in San Francisco. One of her boarders, Miss Pinehurst, asks her to investigate some self-proclaimed spiritualists who have convinced people that their dead relatives are present at seances. Annie starts to attend the seances, and learns things which put her own life in jeopardy. I loved the quotes from the 1879 San Francisco Chronicle which start each chapter, and the fact that the author, a retired history professor, has done thorough research t
...more
Yes. Scholarship does add immensely to my enjoyment of a book. I might even go on to read some of Dr. Locke's scholarly writing about the lives of 19th century women.
Lately I've felt inspired to seek out books about powerful women. So many authors think that means a man in heels. Locke has created a believable, very female, protagonist who has found ways to build her own life within the constraints of her time. Her culture makes it very difficult to find love without sacrificing her self-determi ...more
Lately I've felt inspired to seek out books about powerful women. So many authors think that means a man in heels. Locke has created a believable, very female, protagonist who has found ways to build her own life within the constraints of her time. Her culture makes it very difficult to find love without sacrificing her self-determi ...more
Great mystery
I enjoyed book two of this series more than book one. I became very engrossed in the story and the characters. Extremely good plot.
I enjoyed book two of this series more than book one. I became very engrossed in the story and the characters. Extremely good plot.
Fabulous book! Uneasy Spirits is another beautifully written, evocative, full-immersion trip to San Francisco in 1879. The independent and intrepid Annie Fuller is asked by one of her boarders, Miss Pinehurst, to investigate a popular medium who has seemingly manipulated Miss Pinehurst's grieving sister by channeling the spirit of her dead child. San Francisco has many such mediums, as the Spiritualist movement is very popular, and attending a seance is as fashionable as it is thrilling. Annie,
...more
Apr 13, 2014
Hilary
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
mystery
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 Maids of Misfortune, but I still enjoyed it. The subject matter is a little strange, but as I genera ...more
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 Maids of Misfortune, but I still enjoyed it. The subject matter is a little strange, but as I genera ...more
Again, I started reading this in fits and starts, getting distracted by other books, but once I started reading larger chunk of it at a time I enjoyed it more. I didn't quite have it all figured out before they gave us the reveal and there were some things that felt like loose ends but had only been in there to throw us off the trail I suppose. Still it all came to a satisfactory conclusion and I really like the descriptions of San Fransisco in the 1890's, including the little blurbs from the pa
...more
Did not enjoy as much as the first in this series. Seances, mediums and ghostly apparitions are not my cup of tea. However, I do like the characters and will continue reading the series.
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 ...more
The Victorian Era was ...more
This is the first book by this author I have read, and I am sure to read more! I enjoy the history of Spiritualism in a time when palmists, palm readers, tarot, mediums and seances were extremely popular. One thing I found interesting in the book was the beginning of each chapter featuring a news headline, which I firmly believe is an actual headline from the 1870s. That said, this is a particularly well-written story with great character portrayals. The book is suspenseful, intriguing, and stra
...more
This is the second in the series and finds Annie Fuller drawn into another investigation, this time something a little closer to home as she investigates a couple that claim to be able to contact the dead and pass on messages from the other side. Of course, things start off simply enough as an acquaintance asks for her help but things escalate as she begins to uncover the truth. As ever Annie's is determined to see things through despite the risk of exposing her own alternative persona and despi
...more
I would argue that this book has a gloriousness that examines how hard the passion it takes to accomplish a thing and is not possible with ordinary passion and sometimes makes the spirit disappear and becomes bored, the book has a good selection of language and understanding of how that spirit should,
The widowed San Fransisco boarding house operator who moonlights as a fortune teller is invited by one of her boarders to investigate some local spiritualists who appear to be up to no good. Her investigation leads to attempts on her life and she is neatly rescued twice by her lawyer-suitor. Nate confesses his love to Annie and all ends happily. A sweet little Victorian mystery.
I looked back at my review of the first book in this series and saw that I finished it two days before Christmas last year. An odd coincidence. I enjoyed this second entry more than the first actually. The subject matter was more engaging for me this time around. Pleasant entertainment.
This is Ms. Locke’s delightful sequel to Maids of Misfortune, and the second in the Annie Fuller historical mystery series. Set in the late 1800’s in one of my favorite cities, San Francisco, California, I felt like I was there, walking these streets as they were a hundred years ago.
By day, Annie Fuller makes her living as the proprietor of a respectable and well established boarding house, but at night, she becomes Madame Sybil, fortune teller. Annie may have been brought up studying finance at ...more
San Francisco, from the mid to late nineteenth century was, by far, the largest and most diverse city on the west coast of the United States. It served as a magnet, attracting peoples of all nationalities and walks of life, making it an interesting concoction of humanity. As in all cities, crimes, intrigues, and machinations run amok as everyone competed to stay ahead in the game of survival.
Twenty-six-year-old Annie Fuller, while living in a large house she had inherited, found it difficult to ...more
Twenty-six-year-old Annie Fuller, while living in a large house she had inherited, found it difficult to ...more
Nov 08, 2012
Degeorgetown
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history-and-historical-fiction
I hate that I could only give this book three stars. I loved the characters and the setting so much but there were just too many flaws in other parts of the book.
What I loved: Annie and Nate are such well written characters and I found myself really invested in their romantic subplot. The author also does an amazing job describing victorian era San Francisco, I loved the descriptions of what the characters were wearing and how they celebrated halloween. The main plot about Annie investigating t ...more
What I loved: Annie and Nate are such well written characters and I found myself really invested in their romantic subplot. The author also does an amazing job describing victorian era San Francisco, I loved the descriptions of what the characters were wearing and how they celebrated halloween. The main plot about Annie investigating t ...more
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 ...more
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 ...more
Found entertaining and a very enjoyable read. Would enjoy reading others in the series about Mrs Fuller and friends.
I stumbled across this book by chance when it showed up rather cheaply on a Kindle titles sale and the outline sounded quirky and I must say I am very pleased with the find. I didn’t realise it is actually the second in the series and I’m quite glad as I think that would have put me off but actually, it was very easy to read without having read the first. You could quickly pick up who the characters are and each of their rough backgrounds, but you are also not swamped with information about them
...more
“Uneasy Spirits” is the sequel to “Maids of Misfortune”, and is part of M. Louisa Locke's Victorian historical mystery series featuring Annie Fuller, a young widow running a boarding house in San Francisco. Recurring characters include her young Irish maid Kathleen Hennessey, her cook Beatrice O’Roarke, and various boarders. To make ends meet, Annie takes on the persona of a clairvoyant named Madam Sibyl.
Annie is asked by one of her boarders, Miss Pinehurst, to help her expose a fraudulent medi ...more
Annie is asked by one of her boarders, Miss Pinehurst, to help her expose a fraudulent medi ...more
I found this book on my mother’s iPad, which reverted to my ownership when we discovered the housekeepers were using it rather than my mother!
So, historical detective novels: don’t deliberately avoid them but don’t usually choose them, either. I was surprised at its readability and despite a simple premise (blackmailing séance attendees), the final twist that gave the ending pizzazz.
The real attraction here was the historic perspective of San Francisco, geographically, politically, and socially ...more
So, historical detective novels: don’t deliberately avoid them but don’t usually choose them, either. I was surprised at its readability and despite a simple premise (blackmailing séance attendees), the final twist that gave the ending pizzazz.
The real attraction here was the historic perspective of San Francisco, geographically, politically, and socially ...more
I had mixed feelings about this book. I love the setting of Victorian San Francisco and its brief inclusion of the politics of the time. I think Annie is an interesting protagonist and her feelings on the role of women do not seem overly modern and anachronistic. Still, despite the large circle of people who care about her, she continues to set off on her own (ok) without telling anyone where she is going(not ok) and consequently finds herself in a dire situation requiring rescue.
So often in th ...more
So often in th ...more
This was a great follow-up to the first one. Almost all of the characters in Maids of Misfortune are back, and there has been some character development in a good way. Nate and Annie, especially, do spend some time reflecting on their relationship in a way that really works with the story as a whole.
One thing I thought was really interesting was the exploration of spiritualism in the 19th century, from multiple sides of the issue, and it was interesting to read the excerpts from the San Francisc ...more
One thing I thought was really interesting was the exploration of spiritualism in the 19th century, from multiple sides of the issue, and it was interesting to read the excerpts from the San Francisc ...more
The second book in the Victoria San Francisco mysteries series. I truly enjoy this series of cozy mysteries. This book was a bit more exciting than the first and definitely had some extra twists. This time around, I had an idea of "who dunnit" but couldn't grasp the entirety of it until the end.
I was disappointed that there was more swering in this book. The majority of it happening all together made it even worse. The clean nature of the first book was one of the reasons I invested in the next ...more
I was disappointed that there was more swering in this book. The majority of it happening all together made it even worse. The clean nature of the first book was one of the reasons I invested in the next ...more
I already had this book, but waited to read it until after I acquired #1 in the series. In this one, Annie is trying to investigate a medium and her husband. Her maid Kathleen also gets involved, and they get Kathleen's friend Biddy a job in the mediums house to try to get inside information. Annie begins to attend seances, and is intrigued by a young girl who projects 'spirits', seemingly changing her personality, voice, and even to some extent, her looks, according to the 'spirit' she is speak
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book Promotions: Historical Fiction 99 Cents | 1 | 4 | Mar 06, 2014 07:40PM | |
| Creative Reviews: Review of Uneasy Spirits by M. Louisa Locke | 1 | 7 | Feb 11, 2012 10:37PM |
Readers also enjoyed
After being a professor of history for over 30 years, I am now retired and writing full time. The books in my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series are based in part on my dissertation research on women who worked in the Far West at the end of the Nineteenth Century, and they feature Annie Fuller, a young widow who gives domestic and business advice as the clairvoyant, Madam Sibyl. She is aided i
...more
Other books in the series
A Victorian San Francisco Mystery
(9 books)
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“it to Miss Pinehurst, and, putting her arm around her,”
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“It takes double the capacity, ingenuity, patience and experience to teach a child five years old that it does one of ten.” ––Mr. Slade, Quincey Board of Education speaking at the California State Teacher's Association, San Francisco Chronicle, 1880”
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