Louisa and the Missing Heiress by Anna Maclean

Louisa and the Missing Heiress: The First Louisa May Alcott Mystery 
Obsidian
Published by New American Library
A Division of The Penguin Group

ISBN-10: 0451233247

ISBN-13: 978-0451233240

Also availble for Kindle

Louisa and the Missing Heiress: The First Louisa May Alcott Mystery takes place in Boston in 1854 long before Louisa gains the fame from her book Little Women.  Back then she was writing a children's book and "blood and thunder" mysteries. Her father was a philosopher and would never approve of her literary pursuits.  Her mother was a very frugal woman but very independent.  The family followed some very risky pursuits for the time.

But the life she was leading in no way prepared her for the death of her friend, Dottie, a young newlywed, barely home from a year long trip abroad.  She was clearly changed when she returned. Louisa was trying to find a way to spend time with her friend to determine what had caused this change, but she was too late.  Dottie was found dead in the Boston Harbor. Accident... suicide... no it was murder. Suddenly Louisa feels as if she has been thrust into one of her mystery writings and she needs to find out who killed her friend and why.  There are definitely many secrets and strange happenings. Louisa must sleuth out the truth before she falls victim herself.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story.  Stories behind the scenes of any famous person are always fun.  It appears to be pretty historically accurate and reads much like something written my Louisa May Alcott herself.  She was definitely one of my favorite authors while growing up.

Maclean takes us effortlessly back in time with a great mystery plot and true to the facts characters.  It is books like this the remind us of authors who wrote wonderful classics and brings them back to life for yet another generation of readers.  

The next book in this delightful series, Louisa and the Country Bachelor will be released October 4, 2011. I venture to say that after reading these stories you will probably feel like rereading some of Alcott's classics or reading them for the first time if you haven't before.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Obsidian. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

  

     

I chose this book this month to read Just For Fun because it has been shouting from my To-Be-Read stacks since it arrived and the new one is coming out next month.  Louisa May Alcott was one of my favorite authors growing up when all my reading was "just for fun" so I had to continue the tradition!!