This is part of a series of books about a historical site curator in Wisconsin. I am taking a 4-week mini-course on mysteries set in this state, called Badgers Behaving Badly. (It's not really a course, we have a program where retirees can share their interests in science, film, history, literature, etc.) I had previously read the first book of this series, Old World Murder, which I thought was pretty good. This one I found just ok. I do enjoy all the local references. This book is set in Mineral Point, Wis, where many Cornish miners came in the 19th century. I have visited the town and the site.
This book is #8 in the series and maybe it's just a coincidence but I found several things the same as the other book - a nice old lady turns out to be not nice, a young woman's boyfriend has a criminal bent, a local policeman (and love interest of the heroine) bends or breaks the law in the name of "justice'". And of course the one common to many "cozy" mysteries - the heroine goes alone, without telling anyone, and after dark to dangerous places, where she of course gets confronted by a bad guy. I gave this 3 stars but I don't feel compelled to read more of the series. I believe they are all based in different "living history" museums around the state. Oh yes, the heroine has some kind of ability to sense the aura of an old building to tell if people were happy there or something horrible happened. So there's often another mystery about the past of the location.
This book is #8 in the series and maybe it's just a coincidence but I found several things the same as the other book - a nice old lady turns out to be not nice, a young woman's boyfriend has a criminal bent, a local policeman (and love interest of the heroine) bends or breaks the law in the name of "justice'". And of course the one common to many "cozy" mysteries - the heroine goes alone, without telling anyone, and after dark to dangerous places, where she of course gets confronted by a bad guy. I gave this 3 stars but I don't feel compelled to read more of the series. I believe they are all based in different "living history" museums around the state. Oh yes, the heroine has some kind of ability to sense the aura of an old building to tell if people were happy there or something horrible happened. So there's often another mystery about the past of the location.