Greed, Uncertainty, and Death Get Tangled in the Mystery of a Rare Piece of Belgian Lace Curator Chloe Ellefson needs distraction from the unsettling family secret she’s just learned. It doesn’t help that her boyfriend, Roelke McKenna, has been troubled for weeks and won’t say why. Chloe hopes a consulting job at Green Bay’s Heritage Hill Historical Park, where an old Belgian-American farmhouse … Belgian-American farmhouse is being restored, will be a relaxing escape.
Instead she discovers a body in a century-old bake oven.
Chloe’s research suggests that a rare and valuable piece of lace made its way to nearby Door County, Wisconsin, with the earliest Belgian settlers. More importantly, someone is desperate to find it. Inspired by a courageous Belgian woman who survived cholera, famine, and the Great Fire, Chloe must untangle clues to reveal secrets old and new . . . before the killer strikes again.
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Happily for me, the issue brought up with Roelke in book #8 is addressed in this book, briefly, but sufficiently. I find him the more likable and compelling of the main couple. This book brings up adoption (hmmm, in a way the last book did too, is the author working something out personally?) which is close to home as my mother was adopted too. Chloe questions her own identity and that of her mother and thinks things that I cannot relate to despite being in a similar situation. Despite this, after reading 4 of these books in a row (to finally write the honest reviews I agreed to in exchange for copies from Netgalley, sorry for the years of delay) I am warming up to Chloe.
I liked both the 1980’s storylines which seemed to parallel each other much less than in previous books. I just briefly viewed some of the lacemaker’s story (the more historical storyline that threads through these books). While they are well done and tie into Chloe’s story line, I find they take me out of the main story and detract from my enjoyment of the central mystery.
Another positive note about these books, including the ones where I’ve read the historical story line as well as Chloe’s and Roelke’s, is that despite the tons of information the author writes them in a way that I never lose track of what’s happening and the characters, including the many secondary characters. No Dune or Lord of the Rings moments where I go “Who the heck is that???”
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This installment of this wonderful series takes Chloe Ellefson on the road to Green Bay’s Heritage Hill Historical Park. They are restoring a historic Belgian-American farmhouse and have asked her to consult on its furnishings. She recently learned some upsetting news about her family and something is definitely bothering her boyfriend. Roelke McKenna, so maybe a week away, doing the thing she loves will do them both some good. She is meeting a woman there who she has worked with in the past. The woman is a lace expert and she has been told a valuable piece of lace is part of Heritage Hill’s collection. Both women are excited to learn about the lace and its origins.
It is winter in Wisconsin and driving north Chloe encounters some slippery conditions. Just before she reaches the B&B where she will be staying she notices a summer kitchen building right off the road. She pulls over quickly to check the place out, but she makes a grisly discovery. A dead body has been stuffed into the old bake oven. This is not the way she planned to start her week. The death has nothing to do with her. Maybe she can leave everything to the police and just do what she came to Green Bay to do. But she knows that is not going to happen, she is going to find herself right in the middle of another investigation and her favorite police officer is many miles away.
I know when I pick up a book by Kathleen Ernst I am in for a delightful read. This book was no exception. I have spent my whole life in Wisconsin and every time I read a book by this wonderful author I still learn something new. I knew the basics of the historical events that take place in this story but her fictional telling of the time period resonates and makes the time, place, and people come alive.
The historical part of the story begins in Belguim in 1848 when 12-year-old Seraphine Moreau’s father dies and she and her twin sister, Octavie are taken by their uncle to a convent school in Bruges. She leaves her friend Jean-Paul Lejeune behind but he doesn’t forget her, he visits her and the convent often and they pledge their love to each other. While at the convent both Seraphine and Octavie learn to make the beautiful bobbin Belgian lace. In 1854, Jean-Paul returns to ask Seraphine to be his wife and travel with him to America where there are new opportunities for farmers. The story then follows their lives in Wisconsin and joins together with the current story which is set in the 1980’s.
Again, Ernst really shows her storytelling chops by marrying these two time periods together seamlessly. Both time periods feature strong women in Chloe and Seraphine and even Octavie who remains in Belguim. We see through the letters to her sister what is happening across the Atlantic. Seraphine and the immigrants struggle to just survive at times was both heartbreaking and inspirational, the perseverance shown throughout their lives was remarkable. Chloe shows her strength time and time again and she strives the find the truth even while putting herself in danger.
In Chloe’s timeframe, I always need to remind myself, 1980’s, no cell phones, no easy access to the internet, no text messages. I love the nightly phone calls between Chloe and Roelke, the calling collect, and reversing the charges. Something the current generation of kids and young adults will never know. For them, both parts of this story would be historical. I know Ms. Ernst’s books would be a great way for them to learn about history. She makes it personal and her stories stick with her readers. Her stories are well-researched but fictional so she does juggle the dates sometimes to fit her narrative while still giving an accurate picture of the things her characters endure.
I do love that the stories in this series take place in actual destinations near where I live. As my grandchildren get older these are places I would love to take them. According to their website, “Heritage Hill has earned a reputation as a jewel of the Midwest for guests from within the area and those visiting the community.” I really thank the author for bringing this treasure to my attention.
The Lacemaker’s Secret is a fantastic story filled with characters that are truly believable. They will draw readers deep into their lives. The theme of Belgian lace and the setting in Wisconsin really shows the author’s love of the history of our state. This was an amazing read!
The Lace Maker’s Secret is the ninth book in the Chole Effelson Mystery series.
This is a very enjoyable and interesting series, each book contains two stories. One being about Chole Effelson who works at Old World Collection as a curator of collections. The second being a historical story that the author skillfully ties into the Chole story.
In this book Chole is on her way to Green Bay, WI to visit the Heritage Hill State Historical Park, who wants to restore a Belgian-American home to how it would have been in the early 1900’s. She is also looking forward to seeing her old friend, Elise O’Rourke who is an expert on Belgian Lace. As Chole is nearing the Belgian Acres B&B, where she will be staying, she notices a summer-oven and having never seen one she stops and goes to inspect it. As she opens the door she is shocked to find a body. That body is soon identified as Hugh Lejune, a cousin of Sharon Bertrand owner of the B&B where Chole is staying. When Roy Galuska, restoration specialist, is found dead and then Elise goes missing, Chole knows she has to get busy searching for Elise and work to find the killer.
What I really enjoyed in this book(and others in this series) is the historical aspect of the book. The reader will follow Seraphine Lejune, her husband Jean-Paul, Etienne Lejune, Jean-Paul’s brother and Emelie, Etienne wife. Seraphine was very accomplished at making bobbin lace. These young folks come to America and settle near what would become Green Bay. The land that they were going to farm was virgin land and see what the two families had to go through to first provide shelter let alone being able to farm. In addition, they had to fight cholera and the great Peshtigo Fire of 1871. This gained no notoriety as it started on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire. This historical part of the book was extremely interesting and exciting to read what the early settlers had to endure begin their new lives in their new country.
A wonderful addition to this very exciting series. It is well-plotted and well written with wonderful characters.
I will be watching for the next book in this series.