Shrouded In Thought: Victorian Chicago Mystery Series #2 (Leclair) - Softcover

Wikarski, N. S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1468147145 ISBN 13: 9781468147148

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

• Nominated for a Reader's Choice Award as Best Historical Mystery and for a Lovey Award as Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth (LIM, February 2005)
• For Fans of Cozy Mysteries, Amateur Sleuths, and Gilded Age Chicago History

VICTORIAN CHICAGO MYSTERY SERIES 
Chicago in the 1890s is the fastest growing metropolis in America. It rivals New York as the City of the Century and the epitome of the Gilded Age. This melting pot of thieves and corrupt politicians, robber barons and immigrants, is rife with scandal and social injustice. An eccentric heiress and a cub reporter find themselves repeatedly drawn into the hidden world of intrigue and murder that lurks within the shadows of the White City. 

Volume 2 - Shrouded in Thought 
When a factory girl crashes through a guardrail and accidentally drowns in the Chicago River, rookie journalist Freddie Simpson is convinced there's a sinister explanation for the incident. Nobody believes him, of course, so he decides to launch a solo investigation. The plot thickens once Freddie's prime suspect is also implicated in the poisoning of his friend Evangeline's neighbor. 

For the two amateur sleuths, a random drowning becomes intertwined with labor riots, a national railroad strike, a medium who speaks to the dead, a blackmailer, and a murderer intent on covering his tracks by any means necessary. In SHROUDED IN THOUGHT, a killer learns he can outrun everything except the ghosts of his own past.

About this title

About the Author:

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to mystery and historical fiction writing. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology, while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures. She has written the Gilded Age Mystery series set in 1890s Chicago. Titles include The Fall Of White City (2002) and Shrouded In Thought (2005). The series has received People's Choice Award nominations for best first novel and best historical. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served as vice president of Sisters In Crime - Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. She is currently writing the seven book Arkana Mystery series. Her work on the Arkana volumes has prompted Kindle Nation to call her one of its favorite authors.

Review:

On one hand the novel is a tale of the timeless themes of blackmail and deceit with a heavy dose of greed and stupidity. On the other hand, the work tells a tale of social conscience that should be as relevant today as the time period depicted. The result is an engrossingly detailed read that brings the time period vividly to life in a way few authors are able to do and at the same time provides an excellent mystery tale that leaves the reader thinking long after the book is finished. (Epinions)
 
Shrouded In Thought is a first-rate, top-of-the-line cozy that provides the reader with plenty of atmosphere and page turning what-ifs. Even the best armchair detectives will have a tough time trying to name the killer. (Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine)
 
The author will keep you guessing until the last word. She does a wonderful job of involving the reader in a world none of us have ever experienced first-hand.  (Uncle Edgar's Mystery Newsletter)

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1468147145
• ISBN 13: 9781468147148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 242