A Death at the Rose Paperworks (The Libby Seale Mysteries) [Paperback]

M. J. Zellnik (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Libby Seale Mysteries | Publication Date: October 8, 2006

M. J. Zellnik takes us back to 1890s' Portland, Oregon, when horse-drawn carriages crowded the busy streets. The booming city offers refuge to Libby Seale who has fled New York and an abusive husband. As a seamstress for the prominent Rose family, she's one of the first to learn that her boss Hiram Rose has been killed - mangled to death by machinery at his own paper mill! Minutes later, the distraught family is shocked to see a healthy Mr. Rose sauntering through the front door. A suspect is locked up, but attempts on Mr. Rose's life continue mercilessly. Once again, Libby and reporter Peter Eberle team up to unmask the culprit. It takes every ounce of will power to ignore the dazzling attraction they feel for one another. Can they manage to find the killer without giving into love's sweet temptation?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Portland, Ore., in 1894, this pleasant historical mystery gives readers a window into a nearly extinct industry (rag-pulp papermaking) and a long-ago society in which a self-reliant single woman was practically unheard of. The pseudonymous Zellnik (a bicoastal, brother-sister writing team) does a credible job of creating this world, but the novel is hampered by repetitiveness and fussy, stilted language. Following the friendship formed in the first book in the series (2005's Murder at the Portland Variety), self-employed seamstress Libby Seale again teams up with newspaper reporter Peter Eberle to solve a gruesome murder at the paper mill, one of the town's largest employers. Along the way, their attraction grows, but romance seems hopeless, for Libby is legally unable to extricate herself from a loveless, abusive marriage. The final scene presents a genuine surprise, which is also an obvious segue to the next book. Readers who have come to care about Libby will be eager to learn what lies ahead for this spunky heroine.
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From Booklist

Libby Seale, the intrepid seamstress featured in Murder at the Portland Variety (2005), now has a job with the prominent Rose family in Portland, Oregon. When Hiram Rose, the not-so-beloved family patriarch, is found dead, mangled in the machinery at his paper mill, there is no shortage of suspects. He had recently fired most of his workers and hired Chinese immigrants. As the family copes with the tragedy, Hiram walks through the front door, very much alive, but subsequent attempts on his life show that the threat continues. Libby, partnering again with reporter Peter Eberle, begins to investigate. The growing attraction between the amateur sleuths complicates matters, as Libby is still married to the abusive husband she left in New York. This series effectively captures the vibrant atmosphere of a growing western city as the twentieth century dawns. The novel also raises issues that are as timely today as they were when Libby and Peter were investigating: immigration, fair labor practices, business corruption, and spousal abuse. This first-rate historical series deserves a wider audience. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK; 1ST edition (October 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738708976
• ISBN-13: 978-0738708973
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,137,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Portland's Mary Daheim, November 28, 2006

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52 weeks, 52 books (ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Death at the Rose Paperworks (The Libby Seale Mysteries) (Paperback)

Readers who've made Mary Daheim's two mystery series set in central Washington such hits may now move on to Portland for M.J. Zellnik's 'Libby Seale' mysteries. Zellnik's work is set in the past--the 1890s--with accuracy that shows a real love for the era. The details of paper-making in the 19th century and the impact of cheap labor from China add a rich background to the mystery: who died in Hiram Rose's place and who is threatening Mr. Rose's life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second Book Well worth the Wait!, September 26, 2006

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Blurb - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Death at the Rose Paperworks (The Libby Seale Mysteries) (Paperback)

I was instantly caught up in the lives of Libby Seale and her fellow investigator, Peter Eberle. I couldn't put the book down, and was surprised by a few of the plot twists. I also liked that Libby Seale is one smart cookie, perfectly capable of solving a mystery,getting her man, and keeping abreast of the latest fashions. Be sure to add this to your reading list!

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Solid Period Whodunnit, July 25, 2011

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A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Death at the Rose Paperworks (The Libby Seale Mysteries) (Paperback)

After enjoying the first "Libby Seale mystery" on a trip to Portland, I figured I'd pick up this sequel to see what happened to the seamstress heroine. The book is set in 1894, a few months after the events of Murder at the Portland Variety, and Libby has managed to find steady work at the home of a local paper magnate. Hiram Rose is the owner of one of the city's two paper mills, and when someone dies in his factory, Libby reunites with newspaperman Peter Eberle to investigate. Their relationship is a strained one due to certain revelations at the end of the previous book that put the kibosh on their budding romance, but they are able to work well as a team, with Peter running around town and Libby poking around the Rose household.

As in the previous book, there are plenty of suspects, plenty of story threads, and plenty of plots twists to keep the pages turning. Family secrets, an estranged son, and even a group of unhappy men laid off from the mill and replaced with cheaper Chinese workers. The first book gave some fun insider detail on turn of the 20th-century variety theater, and this one does the same with papermaking. The strong sense of time and place comes through vividly, and anyone familiar with Portland will get extra delight from the period details and location. It's not a great book, but it'll certainly fit the bill for anyone looking to curl up with a period mystery for a few hours. The final page of the book drops a huge revelation that will leave the reader wanting to immediately pick up the next in the series -- unfortunately, there is no next book!