Death at Hull House

Mystery & Thrillers

By Frances McNamara

Publisher : Allium Press of Chicago

ABOUT Frances McNamara

Frances McNamara
Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and now works as a librarian at the University of Chicago. In 2008, she was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards wit More...

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Description

It’s Chicago in 1893 and Emily Cabot, an aspiring sociologist, finds work at Hull House, the famous settlement established by Jane Addams. There she quickly becomes involved in the political and social problems of the immigrant community. But when a man who works for a sweatshop owner is murdered in the Hull House parlor, Emily must determine whether one of her colleagues is responsible, or whether the real reason for the murder is revenge for a past tragedy in her own family. As a smallpox epidemic spreads through the impoverished West Side of Chicago, the very existence of the settlement is threatened and Emily finds herself in jeopardy from both the deadly disease and a killer.

Rich with historical details that bring turn-of-the-century Chicago to life, this novel will appeal equally to history buffs and mystery fans.

“Details concerning the operation and the people of Hull House, along with an overview of the deplorable living conditions faced by immigrants (and the lack of concern for the poor expressed by the city’s businessmen and politicians) give [Death at Hull House] a rich historical framework, made all the more poignant by the portrayal of the smallpox epidemic of 1893.”   Booklist