The Case of the Murdered Muckraker

Osler’s delightful follow-up to The Case of the Missing Maid again finds queer PI Harriet Morrow solving crimes for the Prescott Agency, a rival to the Pinkertons, in 1898 Chicago. When journalist Eugene Eldridge is murdered, word gets out that he’d been investigating a powerful politician for corruption. On flimsy evidence, police officers arrest Lucy Fara, an impoverished mother of four, for Eldridge’s death. As Harriet goes undercover to infiltrate tenement buildings, politicians’ offices, and swanky hotels, she slowly pieces together clues that exonerate Lucy. Harriet, a lesbian and one of the country’s very few female detectives, reflects frequently on the complexities of her situation vis-à-vis Chicago’s laws and social mores, making this as much a story of a gay woman’s desire for acceptance as it is a mystery. Osler treats both story lines with care, setting them against a vividly rendered urban backdrop of scoundrels and industrialists, private clubs and beneficent groups trying to help immigrants find their place. This historical color never slows the pace, however, and Osler’s trademark blend of humanity and wry humor is on full display. It’s a top-notch sequel. Agent: Stephany Evans, Ayesha Pande Literary. (Jan.)