I absolutely love the Chloe Ellefson mysteries. The main portion of the series is set in the 1980s and watching Chloe and Roelke investigate without benefit of cell phones or the internet or all of the other perks we've come to rely on is a lot of fun. Both the 1980s mystery and the one set in the past are fascinating and I was genuinely terrified for the historical characters. Lead mining in Wisconsin is something I'd never read about before and Kathleen Ernst is absolutely amazing at bringing her characters and their surroundings to life and she's thoroughly convinced me that I want to plan a trip to Wisconsin to visit the historic sites where Chloe spends her days.

Kathleen Ernst has created a cozy mystery niche writing books that take place at historical sites in the Midwest. Her latest tells the stories of Cornish miners who lived and worked in Wisconsin in the 1830s. I was drawn to these parts of the book and was interested enough to look up the Pendarvis site on line. I enjoyed spending time with the main couple, Chloe and Roelke, who feature in all of the books. At times, Chloe's judgment regarding her safety is faulty but this is in service of the plot. If you like cozies, are interested in a mix of history and contemporary story and want a tour of an interesting location, this book is for you!

As a curator for Old World Museum, Chloe Ellefson understands how ‘unstable’ funding is for historical sites. Her boss reminds her of this every time he sees her. When the opportunity arises to work for a week at the Pendarvis site, she leaps at it. Unfortunately, the paper runs a story which highlights the lack of funding to keep Pendarvis open spotlighting the major drain of funds as the Old World site. As the volunteers and some staff realize who she is, Chloe becomes the target for a lot of negative emotions. She feels it her responsibility to dampen down these emotions while working hard to help put Pendarvis back on stable ground. When a doctoral candidate, who has been voicing negative comments regarding the running of Pendarvis is found dead at the foot of the stairs in one of the houses, Chloe’s job gets one more item added to her to do list. Figure out what is really going on at the Pendarvis site.

Once again Ernst lays before us a multi-layered novel enlightening readers with historical details blending them with a contemporary mystery in the middle. She has a way to bring an unknown thread of the tapestry that makes up our country’s history to the forefront of her story. The history is thoroughly researched without becoming bogged down in details. The author’s notes and photos add to the facts she has included in her novel. Behind the scenes peeks at the trials and woes of museums and working historical sites is solid. The mystery dips its toes into the history storyline but does not overpower it. Chloe’s ability to ‘sense’ emotions is a nice touch. Though I don’t believe many teens will be enticed by the basic storylines, I do believe those who enjoy a good historical story mixed in with their mysteries will enjoy them. Also, fans of Ernst’s younger writings will eagerly pick these up as their reading preference yearns for more meaty storylines.

When I began reading this series, I didn't expect that it would become one of my favorites. It's about a Wisconsin-based outdoor museum curator in the 1980s whose boyfriend is a small town cop. It didn't seem promising, but as I read them, I found the immigrant history that is a big part of each mystery was fascinating. The mysteries always highlight everyday life for a group of immigrants to the United States, Norwegian, German, this time it was miners from Cornwall. Women always have large roles, and the details are well-researched. It's the best kind of historical fiction, where authenticity and story are equally important. The focus is on regular people, not the famous, so you end up getting a good feel for what life might have been like for some immigrants in the 19th or early 20th century. And then there's the irresistible soap opera romance of the 1980s characters. Just as Chloe and Roelke seem to be doing fine, Roelke makes a professional decision that will surely change everything. Stay tuned! (Thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for a digital review copy.)

I do enjoy these stories of curator Chloe and cop Roelke. Half mystery and half historical fiction, they pull me in every time. This installment was excellent. Interesting history of Cornish miners who immigrated to Wisconsin. The only negative was almost no Chloe\Roelke interacting at all. No need to read them in order really, other than that relationship, as they stand well in their own.

Chloe Ellesfon takes a temporary assignment at Pendarvis, a historical site that features the lives of immigrants from Cornwall to Wisconsin. Chloe is enchanted by the site, right up until cop Roelke Mckenna (and Chloe’s boyfriend), finds human remains in the cellar of one of the old cottages. The remains appear to have been buried for some time, but Chloe still has to close the site for the investigation to take place. It will soon become obvious that someone wants Pendarvis closed permanently. But why? As Chloe struggles to uncover the long-buried secrets, she becomes a target for a killer. This series is just so much fun. A little Fargo, a little Murder, She Wrote and a lot of sharp, intelligent research and writing