Scholarly Pursuits

A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #6

by M. Louisa Locke

“Something is rotten in the state of Berkeley” --1881 Blue and Gold Yearbook, University of BerkeleyIn Scholarly Pursuits, the sixth full-length novel in the USA Today best-selling Victorian San Francisco mystery series, Locke explores life on the University of Berkeley campus in 1881, where Laura and her friends face the remarkably modern problems of fraternity hazings, fraught romantic relationships, and fractious faculty politics. While Annie and Nate Dawson and friends and family in the O’Farrell Street boardinghouse await a blessed event, Laura Dawson finds herself investigating why a young Berkeley student dropped out of school in the fall of 1880. No one, including her friend Seth Timmons, thinks this is a good idea, since she is juggling a full course load with a part-time job, but she can’t let the question of what happened to her friend go unanswered. Not when it means that other young women might be in danger. This cozy historical mystery of romantic suspense is set in the period immediately after the fifth book in the series, Pilfered Promises, and the two novellas, Kathleen Catches a Killer and Dandy Delivers. However, it can be read as a stand-alone.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, 19th Century, Audiobook

390 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

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 in her investigations into crime by Nate Dawson, a local lawyer, and the residents in the boarding house she owns.

Maids of Misfortune, the first in the series, finds Annie investigating a murder by going undercover as a domestics servant. In Uneasy Spirits, she is asked to investigate a fraudulent trance medium, and in Bloody Lessons, she is asked to find out who is attacking local public school teachers. The fourth book, Deadly Proof is set in the printing industry in San Francisco, and in the fifth book, Pilfered Promises, Annie and Nate investigate theft and murder in a modern department store.

Book six in this collection, Scholarly Pursuits, takes Laura Dawson and her friends (introduced in Bloody Lessons) across the Bay to Berkeley to attend the university where unexpected skulduggery is afoot. In Lethal Remedies, Annie is tasked with uncovering who is trying to ruin a clinic run by and for women, and in Entangled Threads it is a woolen factory that is the site of her investigations.

Volume One of my collection of short stories about minor characters, Victorian San Francisco Stories, are free to anyone who signs up to my newsletter. (see my website for sign up at http://mlouisalocke.com)

Not content with just writing about the past, under the pen name Louisa Locke, I have now turned to the future with a new science fiction series set in the collaborative world of the Paradisi Chronicles.

As an indie author I absolutely depend on the readers who have read and liked my cozy historical mysteries and spread the word. This second career has turned out to be more fun and rewarding than i ever thought possible. So thanks to all of you!

Reviews

[Genean · Rating 5 out of 5]

As books go - definitely worth the wait. Great style and great setting. Good historic backdrop. Congratulations on a book well done.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novels and stories in the Victorian San Francisco mysteries series combine old fashioned charm with cutting edge feminism, and that feminism is more apparent in this novel than in previous ones. Instead of revolving around the O'Farrell Street boarding house, much of this story takes place at Berkeley University where hazing, particularly of female students, is blood sport.

Although Annie Dawson is seen throughout the book, she takes a supportive role to Laura Dawson, our intrepid university student. Laura attends classes, works at her job as a typesetter, attends university functions, and still makes time to solve a mystery. What is no mystery is the way the women students are treated by their male contemporaries. It would seem that boorish behavior knows no special time period.

I would encourage reading the Author's Notes at the end of the book. It is always apparent that M. Louisa Locke has researched the life and times of Victorian Era San Francisco. In her Notes, she details particulars from her research for SCHOLARLY PURSUITS. The rather overt abuse of women in this novel strikes a very modern chord. She notes that, although not intentional, the book coincides with today's events. I have found that many writers seem to incorporate the state of the world today in their writing and have often wondered if it is their writing or my reading of their work.

Reading this as a standalone might work, but you would be depriving yourself of the rich background story presented in the previous novels and stories. Some might pigeonhole the series as women's fiction; I would not. It is a series for anyone who has an interest in history and how the past relates to today.

[Cathy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this whole series and have become a silent member of Annie and Nates Boarding house. I followed their romance, marriage and now a new baby will be joining the family. Nate's sister is now living at the house and attending Berkley College and keeping down a part time job as well. Laura thinks she would like to become a Lawyer like her brother Nate.
There are very few women students at Berkley at this point in time, and the male students don't feel that a woman belongs there. Some one Laura knew has been driven away from the campus by hazing. As a result of the torture she endured, the young lady, Grace does not survive the onslaught.
Grace's cousin comes to Berkley to find Laura and ask her for help in finding out who caused all the trama Grace was subjected to. Laura and Caro team up and start causing a lot of problems on campus.
The men of fraternety Zeta Pi do not like women "sticking their noses into business that does not concern them". Now Laura and Caro become the object of harrasment. The investigation leads down a dangerous path and Laura's friend Seth will hopefully be around to help her out of a very dangerous situation.

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much better than the last one in the series. The storyline of the harassment of women in college during this time period and how they handled it was quite informative (and interesting).

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars.
Well, even though 140+ years have passed from the Victorian era it seems college male fraternities still carry on with scandalizing situations now just substituting modern Rohypnol for old fashioned laudanum.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy the characters, but the mystery this time wasn’t quite as interesting to me, despite the basis in facts.

[Heatherinblack · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic mystery!

the “detectives” did an AMAZING job at chipping away at the clues to figure out what happened. love hearing about SF in the late 1880s. this was the best book so far.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The College Days in Berkeley and it’s mysterious adventures

I didn’t know what kinda trip these wonderful characters would make around San Francisco in 1881,butI love reading a mystery that takes me to the heart of the matter. Ms. Locke has done it once again . Her words take you around this city and I can visualize perfectly because I visited the beautiful village and I am hoping with crossed fingers, crossed ankles, crossed eyes there just may be a novel , book 7.......Also that all is well by the 20th century with an impending visit with Mrs. Winchester (her husband built the Winchester rifle) and the earthquake of 1906 I am sure our characters will and Annie,
Nate, Abigail and Laura and Seth live happily ever after

[Lori McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok,ok, I’ll get out of my pajamas...just let me finish this chapter, ah er, book. This is the sixth in M. Louisa Locke’s Victorian Mystery Series. I’ve enjoyed the previous five installments, however, this has been my favorite. Set in the 1880s on the UC Berkeley campus, which was in its infancy, the novel was rich in historical details. Locke looked to some of her supporting characters to tell this particular story. I was hooked as the storyline dove into the seemly underbelly of fraternities and corrupt professors, grappled with hazing, sexual harassment and assault. Phew, the mystery was solved...love bloomed...and I finally got dressed!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the rest of the series all at once, I felt like I waited so long for this to be published...and then it took me so long to get around to reading it, that it didn't quite live up to the rest of the series.

The problem that I had previously was that Laura Dawson annoyed me, and I resented the time spent on her group rather than on Annie and Nate in the other books. So on the positive side, Laura really grew on me this time around (which was good, because she was the primary POV). I also really liked the introduction of Caro's character, though I felt Seth was underutilized.

However, the plot dragged so hard. Like, it took over half the book for the characters to rehash everything multiple times to finally confirm that yes, a girl was harassed by a fraternity. And while I like the historical background info, when the action finally picked up, it happened so incredibly fast and had a very lame resolution. So I didn't feel great about that.

I'm just hoping that there's going to be another book, and that it goes back to focusing on Annie and Nate and the rest of the boardinghouse residents.

[Rachel Friedland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this was the most involved any of the characters have been in an investigation, if that makes any sense. Almost all of the previous books included some crime that was at least noticed by police, but this one is taken over completely by our protagonists.

It was a nice change of pace to see more about Laura and the other students, although we do get snippets of Annie's POV a few times in the book.

The most interesting thing was the parallels between university life now and in 1881. Locke does acknowledge that but even a few incidences of harassment experienced by the female college students are a chilling reminder of how far we haven't come, and how microaggressions can build until they can take a dangerous toll. This is probably the closest the series has come to a standalone so I recommend it to historical fiction fans even if they aren't familiar with the rest of the series.

So far, I think this might be my favorite of the series so far.

[I.M. Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little different from the others in that Nate and Annie slipped into the background, while Laura and Seth took the lead. It was completely understandable and a wonderful way to handle Annie's "delicate condition." I did find the book a bit slower read then the others, however, mostly because there were quite a few places where the facts were repeated. There were also long periods where Seth was nowhere to be found, and while Annie made an appearance, Nate was practically a non-entity. I would have liked to see more of both, and more about Laura and Seth's relationship.
That being said, the mystery was still gripping and held my attention, keeping me turning the pages. The plot kept you guessing, and it certainly didn't deter me from reading. It's clear the author did a great deal of historical research for this and it comes through in her writing. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be very good. #6 in the series focuses on Laura, Nate's sister. Annie is waiting rather impatiently for her baby to arrive, Nate is working too hard, and Laura is going to the Univ of California at Berkeley as well as working. She and her female friends all suffer from the hazing of the immature 'frat boys', which often goes well beyond teasing. She meets the cousin of a girl who dropped out of school, fled home, and died of pneumonia. The cousin is determined to find out what caused this, and Laura decides to help her. In the process, they discover a lot about university politics as well. There are a couple romances going on, but fortunately they don't overwhelm the story. A very interesting read, especially about what it was like for women trying to get degrees in the 1880s.

[Joselle McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historic Academic Students lives of the period are oddly similar yet timely different. Like one foot forward two steps back as Laura trying to work on her higher education with road blocks and challenges for female students hunts for answers on why one young lady's educational pursuits ended in her death. Enjoyed the social observation and M. LOUISA LOCKE is a most excellent writer. All her books are really good. I really like how her heroines of the day sought to better their conditions and then their encouragement of other women to step out and do the same. I passed this book on to my sister who is a retired teacher for my neice who is a CAL Alumni. My sister read it and told my sister it was good. So sister approved LOL you heard it here...jo

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Call an Editor!

I’ve read all Ms Locke’s full novels and this was the first disappointment. I’d never been a fan of Laura, too immature, yet I trusted the author’s storytelling abilities. Boy was I wrong.
First the editing, or lack there of. Annie’s name changed to Anna from one page to the next. Caro to Cara! Secondly, It Dragged. And Dragged. And Dragged. I skimmed & skipped over paragraph after paragraph.
I’m not sure I’d waste my money on another book by this author. Very disappointed.

[Sheryl Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book!

This book is amazing in its breadth and scope of university life at Berkeley in the 1880’s, and then to interweave a mystery into the telling is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was both entertained and intrigued by the world in which the story took place. I loved the characters and felt joy with Annie’s little addition to the world, as well as developments in Laura’s life. I was sad to see Kitty find another best friend, but that reflection of real life is what makes this series, and this book, well worth reading.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully researched historical fiction, still very relevant for present times.

Dr. Locke's work continues to enlighten and engage her readers. As I turned pages quickly I found so many things still relevant for today. The story itself and the characters I've come to love make me hopeful Ms Locke will write quickly for her growing and adoring audience. It amazes me how far we've come as a society toward women, and how far we still need to go to achieve a genuine balance for women pursuing the highest goals. This is such a good book!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of Ms Locke’s Victorian San Francisco Mystery books. This one was my least favorite. I have never been a big fan of Laura, so a story with her as the MC was already a bit off. And it just dragged. I felt like all the history details bogged down the story. What saved it and what Ms Locke excelled at, is the POV’s of Annie, Cato, and Seth. Loved them. In spite of my misgivings with this one story, I do hope this is not the finale of the O’Farrell street boarding house and all the denizens!!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really liked this series, but I never got into this one. This book focuses on Laura, Nate's sister, and her friends at the recently co-ed University of California. Laura and her new friend, Caro, spend the entire semester trying to figure out what happened to Caro's cousin Grace. While Laura knew Grace, they were not particularly close. I never really cared what happened to Grace.

The information about life at college in the 1880s is interesting, but very upsetting too.

This book is not bad and I read the entire thing, but just not as good as the ones that focus on Annie.

[Michele Hermansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.Louisa Locke puts her life’s work to good use in her second career as a writer. This book deals with women at universities, where they endured hazing in many forms, due to some male students inability to accept them. The mystery involves a female student who left the university suddenly and eventually dies at home. Her cousin comes to California to find out what happened. Excellent details, some difficult subject matter, but authentically presented. Of course our favorite boardinghouse and it’s residents get involved, this time most prominently Laura Dawson.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid follow up to the previous book in the series, exploring some of the minor characters that appeared there. Some of the action and a lot of the setting in and around Berkeley (1881) are based on a solid research foundation. The author's notes at the end are well worth reading. Plot-wise this also moves along the larger character and story arcs of the ensemble cast in good ways. (In chapter 42 I was quite pleased with the culmination of a slow-burn relationship that began at least a couple of volumes before!)

[Erik Sapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Locke Does It Again

I admit, I debated not preordering this book because the last two have not been as good as the earlier ones. In the end, though, I decided the topic (women at UC Berkeley) was too interesting. I am so glad I did, as this book is as good as the first few.

The action kept moving, never really slowing down. There are plenty of twists, and what I thought would happen turned out to be wrong.

[Jennifer Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction!

The author obviously did exhaustive research for this novel, providing it with rich details on the daily lives of coeds in the early days of US Berkeley, as well as general life in the Bay area at the time. The characters are equally well fleshed out, each with a distinct personality and past. The mystery unfolds in an intriguingly believable way and kept me guessing until the end.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from M. Louisa Locke! I always feel I am experiencing the events in her books, rather than reading about them. Her characters are beautifully crafted, the dialogue is natural and to the point. Her research and attention to historical detail are impeccable. I already can’t wait to see what story she tells next, and to read about the future developments in the lives of her characters.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series but as I was listening to it I realized that it seemed like there was a lot more dialog that activity, and sometimes it was hard to follow. The plot was interesting and possibly the most interesting part was the author's comments at the end, explaining her research into late 19th century academia and women as students. It was enlightening to read about women students at that time.

[hetty wolfs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more things change........ Sadly the subject of sexual harassment on campus is still a newsworthy topic today. And Victorian woman had to face many more obstacles than modern women, in order to acheive justice. The author's use of actual characters and events made this great mystery even more entertaining and interesting. Also I hope to see Laura's new friend again. The books get better and better. Bring on the next!

[Patricia Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will it ever end?

I’m a little over half through the novel and the same petty things happen repeatedly. The majority of the story is about Laura Dawson and her friends. They are usually side characters and following Locke’s usual formula this should be a Victorian San Francisco novella rather than an entire novel. The story is repetitious and has become boring. This has become a chore rather than a delight to read.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura, Nate's sister is attending Berkeley with Celia and Kitty. Laura meets Caro, a cousin of Grace who was attending the school but left abruptly and was ill. She would not talk about what happened to her there or who had caused her distress. Caro wants Laura to help her figure it out.

This was a good story, based on a true incident. It was so hard for women to go to college back then without being picked on.

[Elizabeth Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another fantastic book by this author.
It is obvious that she does extensive research for each book and uses that information well, without bogging the story down.
The insights into co-ed college at this time were very interesting.
Sadly, many of the challenges the women faced then are still here.
Overall, a great mystery with solid characters that make you care.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another charmer

Set in UC Berkeley in 1881, this story could be right out of today’s headlines. The goings-on on campus, the harassment of female students, the threatened and actual assaults, all could be right out of the #metoo movement. And yet the novel remains true to its time-period, with a satisfying outcome to a long-simmering romance.