Union Street Boarding House: An Edwardian Mystery

by Jamie Michele, Mary Roberts Rinehart

Once a fine debutant, Mrs. Peterson capsized her own life with an unsanctioned marriage, tossing her adrift from the vaulted ceilings and expansive drawing rooms of her youth. When widowhood brings her back to Pittsburgh, she stays afloat with the running of a respectable Union Street boarding house.

Deep in water, mire, and a mystery.

A famous boarder has gone missing during the flood of 1907, and all clues point to murder. A half heard conversation, a broken knife, cut rope, a missing Onyx clock, and blood that can’t be explained. Mrs. Peterson fears the truth, yet as the waters rise, they dredge up her past, challenge her present, and force her to consider a new future.

An unlikely pair.

Mr. Graham rows in at precisely the right moment; an older, dabbling detective with a pragmatic approach to everything he does. The two join forces and, despite a string of hilarious mishaps, commit themselves to a common goal: To solve the mystery of Anna Baker.


Set against the flooding of Pittsburgh in 1907, Union Street Boarding House: An Edwardian Mystery is a reworking of the 1913 novel The Case of Jennie Brice by Mary Roberts Rinehart.

213 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

About the author

Jamie Michele is a San Francisco born author who fell in love with a Londoner and promptly moved to England. When not researching, writing, or rewriting, she can usually be found on a picnic blanket in Bath, reading on the lawn out front of the Royal Crescent.

With a passion for out-of-print texts and access granted to literary archives that are restricted to most of the public, Jamie Michele is a frequent contributor to Project Gutenberg. She was awarded Editors' Choice by the Historical Novel Society for her work on Mount of Hope, resurrecting Frances Trollope's 1844 novel, Young Love.

Reviews

[Ravenna Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not much of a historical buff, but when I read the blurb for this book, I had to check it out. What snagged me from the first page was the unique narrating style; It was different then what I am used to and reflective, I think, of an individual of the time. Definitely an older generation dynamic, but still very good. This book is extremely well-written and edited. The story makes sense and is believable which is sometimes hard to achieve with mysteries.

What I loved was the characterization--Mrs. Pederson ran the Union Street Boarding House and at some points she came off as a bit eccentric and Mr. Graham was adorable. The missing person/murder mystery pulled me in and before long, I had finished the whole book in one sitting. Mr. Graham was at times hilarious as he played detective and his liking of Mrs. Peterson was sweet, romantic.

Set during the time of the Pittsburg flood of 1907, the mystery revolves around those coping with and trying to regroup after the disaster. The realities behind Mrs. Peterson's past and the events within the story seemed at times a bit too raw and there were some shocking scenes, but overall the storyline was professionally done--believable and intriguing. I cried once during the story (I won't say why)and finished the story feeling great sadness for what the characters (and people living during this disaster) had gone through but I was thrilled for how things turned out for Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Graham. I like that I can walk away from a story and still feel very much invested in it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

1907 Pittsburgh Mrs Peterson, widow, rents out rooms in her boarding house. When the rivers flood it results in the lower floor of her house being flooded, and so the tenants are moved. But it seems one of her lodgers has gone missing. Has she been murdered, and if so is it by her husband. Various people try and determine the answer.
An enjoyable mystery

[Please Pass the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really wonderful, lighthearted, and entertaining read for me on my first two mornings of post-summer solitude (thank you, back to school!). Mrs. Peterson is a supremely lovable and hilarious character. She's an upstanding member of her community, having plummeted to the lower-middle class rungs of Edwardian Pittsburgh society after a marriage that her first-tier family didn't approve of.

The mystery itself involves Anna Baker/Mrs. Lawrence and her husband, and Mrs. Peterson is partnered by the much older Mr. Graham to find out what happened to her boarder. There are clues throughout, and plenty of twists, turns, and laughs to keep the story engaging and fun. The ending is fair and perfectly executed, with no annoying loose ends—and a surprise, to boot.

Cozy mysteries are what I turn to when I don't want to work too hard but still want to be pulled in. Union Street Boarding House ticked all the boxes for me, bringing to life a time and a setting in US history that I knew very little about. The writing is clean, tight, and engrossing, and the characters are layered and well developed.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a hankerin' to buy a rowboat.

I'd like to thank the publisher, Vintage Volumes, who furnished an ARC of this book for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.

[Angelina Kerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

ook Title: Union Street Boarding House: An Edwardian Mystery
Book Author: Jamie Michele and Mary Rinehart
Source: Downloaded from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4 stars

I would that this novel would fall under the category of mystery, cozy mystery.

It is about an event that had occurred at a boarding house of Mrs. Peterson. The event being of a murder of one of her tenants. It took me a chapter to get into the story line, mainly due to me not being used to reading the language in that format. It has some parts which made me cringe and I rather not have read them, mainly the ones to do with animals. Throughout reading this beautiful piece of work, I thought of a movie that I’ve seen a couple of years ago- How to murder your wife (1965).

Jamie and Mary have come up with realistic characters which was a pleasure to follow. The main character of Mrs. Peterson is very believable and relatable… well could be if they were in similar familial situations. It was nice to see, a regular man, trying to solve the mystery. He was no Sherlock Holmes, but awesome to read because of his passion.

I recommend this novel to eighteen and over audience.

[Jessica Jesinghaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I positively adored this book! Considering I started it on my lunch break at work and finished it by bedtime the same day, I think it's safe to say the story had me hooked.

Set in Pittsburgh in 1907, the main character (and our POV for the narrative) reminded me of Ms Marple, yet with a timidity and grace appropriate of a woman of that era. The story was well paced, the dialogue felt natural, and the mystery an engaging one.

Union Street Boarding House was a quick read, enjoyable from the first page to the last. Anyone who enjoys a good period piece or a good mystery would be well served by this little gem!

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

3//151907, Pittsbug Press headlines; Pittsburgh PA., was totally devastated & flooded by the 3 rivers: Allegheny, Monongahela, & Ohio.
Rumor has it that Mr. Philip Lawrence (husband, former actor, play writer, local theater business), & Anna Baker Lawrence (28, wife, actress, Liberty Stock Co.), were heard arguing by Mrs. Peterson (landlady, 42 Union St.).

Jack (Irish Water Spaniel) had found Anna’s slippers floating by the stairs.
Then there was a knife & an onyx clock part of the murder puzzle.
Detective Gunn (Pittsburgh PD) came to investigate what the fuss was all about.
Virginia Grace (leading woman, Liberty Theater) did not where Anna was.
Philip (boarder) was picked up at a train station, & later arrested.

The trail had started.
Prosecution calls: Elizabeth May Peterson (boarding-house landlady, 42 Union St.), Mrs. Agnes Moray, & Archie Vann.
Defense calls: Emma Bauer (postmistress, Horner), & Clarence Ainsworth pharmacist.

2nd. day of trial was a little more exciting.
Defense calls: Mr. Harding.
Prosecution calls: Dr. Lyndon.
Guilty. 1st.-degree murder.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or a mini TV series. It was exciting as I like so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free Story Cartel; Vintage Volumes; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Robin Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, clean, old fashion murder mystery. Rather than a whodunit, it is a why did he do it. It is also a revamp of the 1913 novel ‘The Case of Jennie Brice, as the author’s blurb states.

While the story is rich in texture and tone of the era, I wish there had been more re-working for my slightly ADA mind. I never read The Case of Jennie Brice but checked it out on The Project Gutenberg (public domain works) after reading this book. Some things were changed but the essence and innocence of the original novel remains - no vampires or werewolves were added.

As with any older writings, some of the wording caused me to pause and ponder. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I think there was more room for re-working. While Hollywood does remakes all the time, there are too few modernized classics to enjoy in print or pixels. I would love to read more of them.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets better as it goes along. It started a little slow and without first names I got some characters confused, but both of those things sorted themselves out by the midway point.
Learning about the flood and how people and houses survived through it was awesome. The main character, Elizabeth, grew on me. I'm not totally over the moon for her though. I think she could have stood up for herself more often and demanded to be recognized. However she chose to hide it and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
The mystery itself was fabulous! So many twists and turns. You think you have it figured out and then you don't. It reminded of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. That was far and away the best part of the story. Read it to discover the mystery! It is worth it.

Thanks to Story Cartel for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann Pratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful tale of murder mystery and intrigue! Without wanting to say much about the storyline - because I don't want to give the entire storyline away - I can say that I absolutely loved the language of this book. It has an upbeat tempo that made it very easy to read in one sitting, and my mind was captured, page after page, by the question 'what really happened?' This is a different kind of book from many modern, mainstream reads, and that, combined with its quirky tone, made it a real joy to read.

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming Edwardian period mystery with delightful characters and evocative descriptions of the locale.
It is well paced, and has enough twists to keep the pages turning briskly.
I particularly enjoyed the eccentric Mr. Graham and his antics.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

*Reviewed at the request of the author, who, one hopes, will write more mysteries involving this quirky group of characters.*