What’s not to love about a synopsis like this?
Set in Concord, the story features Louisa May Alcott—famed author of Little Women—now farming pigs and navigating the perils of New England’s brutal winter. When Miss Emily Collier dies at her own forty-second birthday party, Concord’s refined and secretive Misses find themselves under suspicion, and Louisa becomes entangled in a web of intrigue. Faced with deceit, traps, and blackmail, Louisa finds herself an outsider in what was once her home.

The Murderous Misses of Concord did not disappoint. The setting is richly immersive, and the characters are wonderfully crafted, pulling me into the story from the very first page. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to solve the mystery alongside Louisa. This book is full of intrigue and a lot of cozy fun. It strikes a perfect balance of charm and suspense, making for a thoroughly engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good read, a great setting and some really good characters. This is a book you can get your teeth stuck into and enjoy, always trying to solve the mystery. It is cosy, historical, fun, interesting and mysterious. I love a good book like this that takes you on a journey and keeps you involved throughout.

A well written book, some great characters and it is so easy to read. I enjoyed it and was very entertained by it and would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books | for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

A mystery in Concord, Massachusetts starring Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, after the publication of said book. A complicated mystery written in a style that would fit in with writings from the late 19th century. I cannot really comment on if I think the character Miss Alcott is true to the real one because I don't know enough about her life, except to say I know she was a woman who believed she didn't need to be subservient to man and felt that she could have a career and not be married which comes out in this book too.

What also comes out in this book is the connections in a small town, particularly 100 years ago and more when villages and small towns were more isolated than they are today. Those connections can be very supportive where people really cares for others and try to help one another. They can also be claustrophobic and relationships corrosive. Amazingly, the same people can be both. It can seem that everyone knows your business but there are some secrets that people will kill to keep quiet.

Louisa was a strong characters and so where a few others but some seemed a little flat and I had a hard time distinguishing between them. Also, the middle dragged a bit. At the denouement Louisa felt tired and didn't finish exposing who the murderer was. I just didn't buy that. There were other events happening that could have been used to explain why it wasn't finished at that point. That just stays in my mind. However, it was an interesting look at a fascinating town that had many influential thinkers and writers. I thought the writer did a good job of bring that time period to life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Real Rating: 3.25* of five

I have a mystery-loving sister who dislikes the use of historical figures as amateur sleuths. "That's not accurate, doesn't help suspend disbelief" is her reasoning. I think she's correct about this, but don't share her conclusion because it, to me, does add to my apprecieation of the book's historical background. Alcott, in this use, does increase my ability to immerse my imagination into the Concord of the era.

The story is fine...nothing new...but cozy mysteries, particularly hostorical cozy mysteries, don't need to be. I like the genre, I like this execution of the basic plot, it's a good and entertaining read.There's a Kindle edition though it's not available on Kindle unlimited.

In this lighthearted historical fiction mystery novel, readers travel to nineteenth century Concord, Massachusetts, where the authoress Louisa May Alcott lives. When Emily Collier dies at her birthday party, Louisa and the other unmarried women in the town are all drawn into the mysterious circumstances of Emily Collier’s death, and even the local Justice of the Peace sees Louisa as the best candidate to uncover the truth behind the death(s) in this novel. With several hidden motivations and secrets in the mix, this murder will require Louisa to put the full strength of her intelligence and wit behind this case. With such a famous protagonist and chief detective, readers will enjoy this historical fiction spin on the life and adventures of the author of Little Women, and the setting of the novel in a famous literary town adds to the novel. In such an isolated place, anything could happen, and Dunne will keep her readers guessing on the edge of their seats over the course of this novel. A fun, enjoyable historical fiction mystery, readers of both the historical fiction and mystery genres will enjoy this, and fans of Alcott might also find this to be an interesting take on historical fiction representations of her.

Louisa May Alcott moves to Concord after the success of her book Little Women, wanting a slower life raising pigs. But when Miss Emily Collier is found dead after her birthday party, Louisa is engrossed in the investigation. Partnering with Captain Briers she must find out which of the Misses of Concord is the murderer. Louisa soon finds out that not only Misses will lie, cheat and steal to evade the truth.

I was really excited to read this book based on the premise of Louis May Alcott being a sleuth. I really enjoyed how Dunne portrayed how a small town filled with rumors and lies can spread like a disease. I truly wish we got more character development and the struggles that they might have gone through to entice their decisions. The accuracy of gossip between grown women in a small town is spot on, however I felt it was most of the book's context.

*Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Level Best Books for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

The concept alone is a fabulous idea for a novel. 👏🏻
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Concord, Mass. is a historical township that lays claim to many notable residents (Thoreau) outside the primary incidence of the revolutionary war. It is a small area that has worked exponentially hard to maintain a wilderness and natural beauty to it, even now in modern times. (I personally visited in 2010 and it felt like a step back in time).

This delightful novel captures all of that.
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The “Misses” are a group of choosen spinsters that are independent in their lifestyles in Concord. At the beginning of the book one is murdered. As it unravels, the most famed actual “Miss”, Louisa May Alcott is the sole individual whom the entire Concord area can rely upon to not only help investigate the mysterious death, but help to keep the secrets that many in the town are keeping.


This story was written brilliantly. Louisa May Alcott is so well represented in both her character and in her speech. The writing didn’t try to match the classical nature of one of the most profound authors, and in doing so it aligned well. The mystery aspect was interesting and kept me hooked from the start.

Absolutely fascinating and would highly recommend.

I had a very hard time following the storyline, it was very formal and extremely detailed.
Overall the story itself has great components, it just took me a little longer to read it ( I usually read YA so maybe that played a factor).

Louisa Alcott has retired to a pig farm in Concord after her success with writing Little Women. In a turn of events Louisa is roped into a murder investigation due to the captain of the police force having secrets and not being able to be fully trusted. At first she helps investigate along side but as more secrets are discovered the less involved the captain becomes due to his dishonesty, leaving Louisa at the helms. As more secrets are discovered amongst the residents of Concord the more murders seem to be occurring. Will Louisa be able to figure out who did all the murders and why?

This book was ok. I gave it three stars. The writing style was not for me and all the women characters minus Louisa were all bland and didn’t stick out distinctly making it hard to keep track of who was who and who did what. The plot had holes in it making the ending seemingly out of nowhere. The ending seemed quite rushed while the rest of the book was very slow.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy and doing the review voluntarily.

I picked up this ARC based on the book blurb. Having read Louisa Alcott's Little Women way back, it was interesting to read about the author in a book featuring her as the star. Several authors have entered this fray including James Patterson who has got not one but three classical star investigators into one book in Holmes Margaret and Poe.
I started this story with very high expectations and at the end of it have to say that Elizabeth has got most of it perfect. The story is good, articulations of Alcott as the protagonist is also fabulous. What I loved about the book was the language, prose and dialogues used in the story so reminiscent of the classical books of a bygone era. It brings to mind the style of prose by the Bronte sisters and has an old world feel to it.
I normally do not read periodic pieces but this story really stuck with me. The Victorian ambience, the long formal dialogues, the respectful demeanor in addressing people. How far Louisa's character was true to life, I've no idea because she's a pig farmer here but for a writer whose most famous book was a coming of age story and considered as semi-autobiographical as in based on her own living areas; this was a big jump from children's novel to a murder mystery.

But Elizabeth has done full justice to the story. The story progresses from a murder of one of Louisa's friends in a party and the small closed community is shocked with gossip flying and intrigue everyday. With suspicion everywhere Louisa steps in to pursue with the Misses (old ladies spinsters) of Concord.
This seems to be a start of the series, would look forward to another one of the episodes.

Louisa May Alcott author of Little Women is investigating the death of Miss Emily Collier. Ones of the Misses of Concord. Emily does at her birthday party of poison. The Misses are a group of widowed or spinsters of Concord.
How fun was this book ? I loved it. I have no idea what the real Louisa May Alcott did but if it was to run a pig farm and investigate murders I am all for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Very good book. It was a little slow going in the beginning but it soon picked up. Was not disappointed. It was a very unique read with several misses. I found this book enjoyable. It is set in the Victorian era but unlike most Victorian ear books this was set in the US not the UK. I liked that spin on things.

It was fun to watch a renowned author as a character investigating a murder mystery in Concord, Massachusetts, although I had hoped for some sense of the 19th century intellectual climate in that town. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy small-town gossip in a historical setting and a variety of characters who keep plenty of secrets. It's a tangled web, but the writer is up to the task.

The Murderous Misses of Concord is a truly captivating read! I couldn’t put it down! The mystery remains until the very end, and through Elizabeth Dunne’s skilled writing, the reader cannot guess who the murderer(s) is! I definitely recommend this book!

First in a new series featuring Louisa May Alcott as the heroine. Filled with details of life in 19th-century America, Miss Alcott solves a series of murderous involving the people of Concord, MA. A convoluted plot but the author brings together all of the strands at the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable and well plotted historical mystery that i enjoyed. Well researched and vivid historical background, solid mystery, fleshed out characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a short read but enjoyable. Very descriptive with scenes and era..sometimes too much so. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

As a reader, I had a hard time following some areas in this book. While I do enjoy reading the classics, at times this book got long in the descriptions. I really did enjoy the outcome but it took me longer than normal to actually get into the story. I look forward to the next in the series. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

The Murderous Misses of Concord was a quick and mostly enjoyable read for me. The writing was descriptive but predictable.