Murder on the Boulevard

by Anne Sloan

Mystery set in Houston Heights, pre-WWI. Female suffragist and amateur sleuth encounters murder involving construction of The Rice Hotel.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a series and it was impressive. 1912. The protagonist is a young lady named Flora. She has an overbearing father and a sweet mother who instills in Flora a love of gardening. While banished to her aunt's home in New York City, Flora is demonstrating with the suffragettes when she meets a nice looking young man by accident. She learns of her father's untimely death and recieves a desperate plea for help from her half-brother to come help with the family business in Houston. When she gets there she realizes that the one man she hoped never to see again (the man whose actions led to her banishment) is in charge of her father's business. There are those who suspect that her father did not kill himself but was murdered. Flora investigates and discovers that all is not as it should be. Then another murder occurs and after some hard-headed decisions Flora learns that she can't do everything, and that she needs a bit of help from friends before her father's murderer is brought to justice.

I loved the inclusion of several real historical people mixed among the fictional characters. And the references to the places in Houston that are now experiencing a resurgence of popularity such as the Heights is fantastic. Loved it.

This book was passed around to read for a book club.

[Melanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy mystery set in 1908-1912 Houston Heights.

The heroine was a bit too modern in her sensibilities for my tastes. I know that's a common trope in historical fiction, but I'd rather have characters that are either true to the period or those with views just slightly more modern than they would have been. Instead, Sloan fills the book with young suffragettes.

I also hate the silly trope of having the heroine solve the mystery then rush in and confront the criminals alone. And then after she does so, the love interest praises her for being "clever" in solving the mystery. Uh, how about calling her a moron for endangering her own life? That would be a bit more realistic a response... I know confronting the villains alone is a common resolution for cozies, but it's not one I'm fond of.

But I really loved the historic Houston Heights setting, and it went a great way towards making up for the book's flaws.

[Christine Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fairly entertaining. If you are familiar with the Houston Heights it will be enjoyable.

[Kw · Rating 3 out of 5]

What fun, to read a historical mystery novel set in the Heights! I loved it.