The Case of the Missing Maid

Instant USA Today bestseller! The acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devil’s Chew Toy delights with the first in a new historical mystery series set in turn-of-the-20th-century Chicago, as America is entering its Progressive Era and Harriet Morrow, a bike-riding, trousers-wearing lesbian, has just begun her new job as the first female detective at the Windy City's Prescott Agency... 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.

Rob Osler is the USA Today bestselling author of award-winning mysteries, including the Harriet Morrow Investigates series, the Clive Humphrey Mysteries, and the Hayden and Friends Mysteries. An Anthony Award, Mystery Writers of America Robert L. Fish Award, and two-time Lefty Award-winner, he was shortlisted for the American Library Association’s RUSA Award and has been a finalist for the Agatha, Macavity, Edgar, Anthony, Lefty, and Lambda Literary Awards. His novels have received two starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Editor’s Choice from the Historical Novel Society, an Amazon Editor’s Pick, and landed on Best of the Year lists at Popsugar, Book Riot, Crime Reads, and more. He has a philosophy degree from the University of Puget Sound and an MBA from the University of Washington, and previously worked as a brand marketing executive for global agencies and corporations. Born and raised in Boise, he has lived in Chicago and Seattle, but now resides in San Francisco with his husband and a tall grey cat. Visit him at RobOsler.com.