It is November of 1880, and the future looks promising for Annie and Nate Dawson. Nate’s law practice is taking off. Annie has made the transition from pretend clairvoyant to a successful financial consultant, and as a couple, they are looking forward to spending their first Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays together.For Robert Livingston, the owner San Francisco’s newest grand emporium, the … emporium, the holidays are shaping up to be a dismal failure if he can’t figure out how to stop whoever is stealing from his department store, the Silver Strike Bazaar. When he hires the Dawsons to investigate, Annie and Nate discover that behind the doors of Livingston’s “Palace of Plenty,” nothing is quite what it seems.
Pilfered Promises, by USA Today bestselling author, M. Louisa Locke, is the fifth full-length historical mystery in the cozy Victorian San Francisco mystery series featuring Annie and Nate Dawson and their friends and family in the O’Farrell Street boarding house. Locke’s shorter works, found in Victorian San Francisco Stories and Victorian San Francisco Novellas, feature minor characters from the series.
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I’m so into this series of Victorian San Francisco books. I’ve been incredibly busy lately, so much so that I’ve become behind on my reading and have 78 books just sitting in my kindle, waiting to be read.
I recently came down with an illness that made me slow down some –there’s your upside to being sick — you actually have time to read with your feet up & have a cup of tea or coffee!
This is one of the first books I grabbed to catch up on, as I was going book by hook through the series and has stopped here. The premise grabbed me right away and I loved Annie, the main character, for her own strength, common sense & an intelligence that wasn’t always appreciated by men in those days. I was thrilled when a male character was introduced as Nate Dawson, who while having some qualms about this unusual Annie, had the intelligence to see her for what she’s worth and who she is. Together they solve a mystery surrounding income losses at a sort of new enterprise in the country – Department Stores! Sounds odd, right? Don’t worry, there’s much more going on than just a bit of shoplifting.
For me, the secondary characters are just as important as the main ones, and these don’t disappoint either. Miss Minnie & Miss Millie are precious, as are Jamie & his dog Dandy….and you’ll find yourself waiting for the book when Patrick & his girl Kathleen might finally tie the knot.
Do check out the whole series. Each book is fresh and fun to read!
I enjoyed this book a lot. Truly a page-turner. I had hoped there would be a following one continuing this story, because I loved the characters so much, but I don’t think it will happen. It’s well worth your time if you’re at all interested in Jack-the-Ripper type drama.
Quick read and insight into late 1800s San Francisco and retail- strong women.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting, believable characters. Really liked the way the story line flowed, with a nice little twist. Was almost a bit sorry when I finished this book. Will definitely read more by M. Louisa Locke.
I really like these characters and am glad things are turning out well for them. Good descriptions of life at that time- I’ve learned a lot about printing presses and department stores at the turn of the century. Sometimes a little too wordy but I thoroughly enjoy these books.
Very entertaining.
love this author
I enjoy the books in this series since I’m a history buff. I also appreciate a strong heroine!
I like this series very much .
Historically interesting.
I really enjoy reading about Victorian times. Back to a time period so alien to individuals of the video generation. Proper perceptions and many interesting side steps always keep these interesting. Give me a mystery or a murder in this time frame and I can guarantee a good read.
Delightful characters and a fun read.
good portrayal of women in that era
Ongoing series. It was good spending time with my old familiar friends from previous books. Good complex story.
Another entertaining book in this series. A read eith lots of plot twists.
This was an excellent book to read, clean, great characters, so interesting, true the period and keep you wanting to read more! I can’t wait to read another novel by this author.
These Victorian San Francisco characters are rich, and the period detail is enchanting. Love having a clever woman sleuth on the job!
Heart-warming look into the lives of Victorian Californians in general and a very well-written mystery.
What a sweet little mystery set in 1880’s San Francisco! This was from the middle of a series, but I had no trouble getting a sense of all the characters and what had transpired before. The author did a great job researching what the retail business was like in the Victorian era, and the women occupied jobs such as accountant, designer, and shop owner instead of all of them just being housewives and maids. Although there was one murder part way through, the main crimes were theft and shoplifting, which was a relief from grisly murder mysteries. And the story was set at Christmas time, so it was good holiday reading.
I’ve enjoyed several volumes in this series and they have all been great!!