An interesting start to a new series with a dynamic character in young Harriett who becomes a female operative at a detective agency less because she wants to be a detective than because she needs to support herself and her younger brother. But then she gets intrigued with the job and with the case of Agnes the proverbial missing maid. Pearl Bartlett, the older woman who employs Agnes has been seen as a pest by others from the detective agency but not Harriett. This is more than a sorta cozy though as Harriett is navigating knowing herself. This is nicely atmospheric, especially with regard to attitudes toward women. One quibble- early on Pearl serves German chocolate cake, a treat which was not invented or popularized until the 1950s. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read and I'm going to look for Harriett's next case.

*Received as a free ARC*
I have been reading a lot of historical mysteries lately, so I was delighted to find one with a lesbian protagonist. That being said, I think I would enjoy following books in the series more. I understand the need for set up, and historical realities, but the office politics! Everyone was so mean! I plan to keep an eye out for the next book in the series.

Chicago, 1898, LGBTQIA, investigators, private-investigators, missing-persons, rivalry, jealousies, secrets, lies, undercover, friction, friends, friendship, frustration, investigation, cross-dresser, ethnic, witty, historical novel, historical research, historical setting, history and culture, clothing, suffrage*****

I loved it. BUT. I think that it was too ambitious in that it shoehorned in so many historical and social issues into one episode of a storyline that could comfortably snuggle itself into three or four books. I am somewhat concerned that some critics might focus on historical language and terminology of the time. Another thing that is a distraction is the use of correctly spelled words in Polish throughout the story (my mother had Polish immigrant relatives in Chicago in that time period). It is a good historical representation of some of the issues of the day and does provide significant references and documentation of historical facts about things like the employment of women as operatives in the Pinkerton Agency and the problems specific to gender bending in that era.
About the story itself. Good character development and presentation, devious red herrings, amazing world building, and a real whiplash twist at the end!
#TheCaseoftheMissingMaid by Bob Osler #HarrietMorrowInvestigatesBk1 @KensingtonPublishing #NetGalley #LGBTQIA#CozyCrime @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk

The cover of The Case of the Missing Maid grabbed me but the story didn't mesh with me like I had hoped. The writing and era are engaging but as a mood reader my heart wasn't invested enough to finish.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity.

In 1898 Chicago, Harriet Morrow jumps at an opportunity to become an investigator with the Prescott Agency, but she has to prove herself first. Her test—find a missing maid and Mr. Prescott will take her on as a junior operative. Since Harriet is supporting herself and her brother, she needs this job. As a woman, and a lesbian, she knows she’s unlikely to ever have another chance like this, but finding the maid proves to be far more complicated and dangerous than she anticipated.
I really enjoyed this book. Historical mystery with queer primary characters in an interesting setting. Harriet is particularly engaging and determined against all odds to succeed at this assignment and win the job that she is truly suited for. I look forward to seeing how she gets on.

"The Case of the Missing Maid" is a fun, cozy read with a non-conformist, bike-riding, LGBTQIA protagonist, Harriet Marrow. The mystery of the maid is intriguing and the ending is surprising and satisfying. Highly recommended for readers who love historical fiction, cozy mysteries and great characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date: Dec 24, 2024.

#TheCaseOfTheMissingMaid

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

DNF @ 20%

I am so so sorry for DNFing, but I just could not continue. There isn't anything atrocious (from what I have read), but it is just so boring.

I didn't feel connected to the main character; I don't dislike her, but all I can say is that she's, just, fine? I guess? The mystery is not intriguing at all. I can't find it in myself to care what happens next. And the writing style is really dull. The main character does a thing, she describes something, she has a conversation. That's it.

I am typically not a mystery reader anyway, so maybe this book might appeal to someone else, but this was certainly not for me.

This first book in a new historical cozy series is set in 1898 Chicago. Harriet Morrow is starting her new job as a junior investigator with the Prescott Agency. Harriet's first case has her looking into the whereabouts of missing maid Agnes Wozniak. Harriet soon concludes that Agnes did vanish from Pearl Barlett's mansion. Despite getting little support from her male colleagues and secretarial staff, Harriet's search leads to Chicago’s Polish community. But her inexperience does put Harriet in dangerous situations until she figures out the truth.

The story started out a bit too slow for my taste but ends on a satisfying note.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books. All opinions are my own.

Harriet Morrow is the newest junior detective at Prescott Agency. The year is 1898 in Chicago, Harriet recently lost her parents and is taking care of her 16 year old brother, but she dreams of more. She takes a chance and is given the opportunity to investigate Pearl Bartlett's newly missing maid, Agnes Wozniak. Thought to be just a courtesy task the case becomes bigger than any of them expect.

The books starts a little slow and the insistence that Harriet is "not like other girls" is a bit much at first. Luckily the second half of the story really pics up and we get more into the plot instead of hearing about how Harriet would rather wear pants than skirts.

The case takes surprising turns and you're never 100% sure who you can trust. There is some great character development in the story and you really begin to root for these characters. I especially love Mrs Bartlett and Harriet's instant attraction to Barbara (the missing maid sister). Once the action starts things really pick up.

Harriet is an incredibly likable and tenacious protagonist. Secondary characters are interesting and the story is full of wonderful queer characters. This story was a lot of fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The central character in The Case of the Missing Maid is Harriet Morrow—who I'm hoping will stick around to become the central character in a series. She's a twenty-one-year-old lesbian (though I'm not sure she even knows this word) living in 1898 Chicago, struggling to raise her younger brother and desperate to move on to a more interesting career than the one she's been stuck in: being a numbers cruncher (a *woman* numbers cruncher, so don't get any ideas about respect, recognition of intelligence, or a living wage).

So when Harriet sees an ad for a a junior investigator with the Pescott Investigative Agency, she decides to apply. And, she gets the position, at least for a probationary period. Aside from Mr. Prescott himself, almost no one is glad to see her arrive as the first woman to work for the agency in anything other than a secretarial position. When she arrives at her first day of work (an hour before Mr. Prescott) both the receptionist and Prescott's personal secretary refuse to believe she's been employed by Prescott and both try to give her "the bum's rush" before he can make it in to the office. Once he verifies that, yes, she is the new investigator-trainee, she's shuffled off to a desk in a corner of the room housing the secretarial pool—unlike all the male investigators who have small, unattractive, but personal, offices.

The first investigation Prescott gives her is uninspiring, to say the least. Prescott's next-door-neighbor, a well-off widow insists that her maid has disappeared without explanation. Prescott's wife is fond of the old dear, so to please the Mrs., he's sending Harriet to hear what Pearl Bartlett, the neighbor, has to say. This despite the fact that he's already assignment another investigator to investigate two "thefts" from Pearl's home, which turn out to be not thefts, but an old woman's failure to remember where she's put things. He also assigns Harriet another investigator as a mentor, a man who seems even more hostile to her than most of the male hierarchy and who's the man who investigated those two non-thefts.

Pearl first mistakes Harriet for a man, as she dresses in the expected skirt, but pairs that with a man's shirt, tie, bowler, and shoes. Pearl sees not Harriet, but Harry—and Harry (let's stick with that name since she likes it) is quickly convinced that the maid has disappeared and may be at genuine risk.

Harry's investigation takes her into Chicago's Polish immigrant community, and to one of the city's few gay bars. Harriet begins to see a world she might fit into that she hadn't realized exists. Each of these communities is hidden in its own way because their members are beneath notice to most of the city.

I'm waiting to see how Harry develops as a character. She has a great deal of potential, and I can't think of any equivalent investigators in historical mysteries set in the city in those years. If you enjoy historical mysteries and/or novels with queer central characters, track down a copy of the Case of the Missing Maid. Get to know Harry now, so you can enjoy her on future adventures without playing catch-up.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! Harriet Morrow is such a fun and refreshing character—a bicycle-riding, rule-breaking young detective trying to make her mark in a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with her. The historical setting felt alive, and I loved how the story wove in themes of feminism, LGBTQ+ identity, and immigrant culture without ever feeling heavy-handed.

The mystery itself—finding out what happened to a missing maid—kept me hooked. It had plenty of twists and turns, and I honestly didn’t see the ending coming. But what I enjoyed most was how much heart this book had. Harriet’s struggles to prove herself and balance her responsibilities really resonated with me, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.

The supporting characters were just as great, especially Agnes’s sister Barbara, who brought so much warmth to the story. The queer representation also felt genuine and added a layer of depth to Harriet’s character that made her feel even more relatable.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the pacing dipped in a few spots, but honestly, the humor and charm carried me through. This is such a strong start to a cozy mystery series, and I can’t wait to see what Harriet gets up to next. A truly enjoyable read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I immediately liked Harriet and wanted to know more about her. I found her funny and smart and was rooting for her every step of the way pushing into the man’s world of being a private detective. The other characters she meets are interesting and funny and the mystery keeps building and building. Being of Polish descent, I especially enjoyed the history and culture of the Polish population in Chicago. I was impressed by the research on various aspects of the book for historical accuracy of the times. It is rarer to come across an LGBTQ character in my historical mystery reading which was fascinating and I hope there is a book 2 to see where Harriet’s relationships go next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This was a great book, at 60% I decided I had to finish the book so I’m writing this at 3:23am. It makes you realise how lucky you are as a queer woman to be born in a world that’s more progressive and a little safer

Even great books have their downfalls, I wanted to know more about the black rabbit and how mattie and Johnny were connected.

I also liked how realistic it was with how the secretaries and other detectives treated Harriet because they believed she was doing a man’s job.

Overall a great book, I hope for more soon.

A really fun start to a new historical cozy mystery series featuring a lesbian, bicycle riding detective at turn of the 19th century Chicago. The characters were unique and quirky, the mystery kept me guessing and the atmosphere of the city and era were top notch. I look forward to reading more in this series by a new to me author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Recommended for fans of books like The summer before the war by Helen Simonson.

A time period accurate mystery, an interesting read. Also this is a series? Can't wait for the next.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Chicago 1898 Young Harriet Morrow has brazenly asked for and gotten a job as detective in a prestigious agency. Her first case is to find the missing maid of the agency's neighbor. Harriet is not a slim lithe woman; she prefers practical clothes, she rides a bike, and likes women. But she is an endearing heroine. Predictably, the case, into which she plunges with no training but with some support from another detective, is much more complicated than it appeared initially. Harriet is a clever and determined detective and The Case of the Missing Maid is a promising start to what I assume is a new series. Fans of historical mysteries will be pleased.

Chicago, 1898. Rough-around-the-edges Harriet Morrow has long been drawn to the idea of whizzing around the city on her bicycle as a professional detective, solving crimes for a living without having to take a husband. Just twenty-one with a younger brother to support, she seizes the chance when the prestigious Prescott Agency hires her as its first woman operative. The move sparks controversy—with skeptical male colleagues, a high-strung office secretary, and her boss, Mr. Theodore Prescott, all waiting for her to unravel under the pressure . . .

Only an hour into the job, Harriet has an assignment: Discover the whereabouts of a missing maid from one of the most extravagant mansions on Prairie Avenue. Owner Pearl Bartlett has a reputation for sending operatives on wild goose chases around her grand estate, but Harriet believes the stunningly beautiful Agnes Wozniak has indeed vanished under mysterious circumstances—possibly a victim of kidnapping, possibly a victim of something worse . . .

With Mr. Prescott pushing a hard deadline, Harriet’s burgeoning career depends on working through a labyrinth of eccentric characters and murky motives in a race to discover who made Agnes disappear. When her search leads to Chicago’s Polish community and a new friendship in Agnes’s charming older sister, Barbara, clues scattered across the city slowly reveal just how much depends on Harriet’s inexperienced investigation for answers . . . and the deep danger that awaits once she learns the truth.

Set in 1898, the main character, Harriet Morrow, defies social norms as she eagerly takes on an opportunity at the prestigious Prescott Agency to work as a junior detective. A lifelong goal of Harriet's is to be a strong, independent working woman who is not held back by others' first impressions of her. The story is quick, funny, and explores themes of queer love and friendship.

This book is unusual for its setting, Chicago in the late 19th century, and its protagonist, a lesbian detective in that time period. I enjoyed the historical detail, and the mystery.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This title drew my interest as it's set in Chicago and features a female detective in her first assignment at a private investigative firm. I enjoyed the read, but it tried to do a little too much - covering immigration, sexual preference, sexism, and corruption all in one title set at the turn of the 19th century. I would probably read more in the series, but hope the author narrows down the focus a bit.