The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition provides a vibrant backdrop for this exciting new mystery. Emily Cabot is one of the first women graduate students at the University of Chicago, eager to prove herself in the new field of sociology. While she is busy exploring the Exposition with her family and friends, her colleague, Dr. Stephen Chapman, is accused of murder. Emily sets out to search for the truth behind the crime, but is thwarted by the thieves, corrupt politicians, and gamblers who are ever-present in Chicago. A lynching that occurred in the dead man's past leads Emily to seek the assistance of the black activist Ida B. Wells. Rich with historical details that bring turn-of-the-century Chicago to life, this novel will appeal equally to history buffs and mystery fans.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Death at the Fair (Emily Cabot Mystery)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
11 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!
10 Sep 2009
By D. F. Illk
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This is a great book! I don't read mystery novels, in fact I read little fiction, but this book kept my interest and made me want to read more. I have a few pages left, but I don't want it to end! The tension and pace pick up gradually, but as a fan of history, I appreciated that and savored the details about Chicago and the Fair. It's well worth reading. I look forward to more books with Emily Cabot and the other characters.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chicago, 1893
14 July 2009
By Lyn Reese
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
World fairs were immensely popular events in the19th and 20th centuries. Chicago's "World's Columbia Exposition of 1893" wowed its visitors with its dazzling technology displays and promotion of American business and products. In McNamara's story, its aim to promote Chicago is thwarted when a potential investor who would have funded the fair for another year is found murdered in one of the pavilions. Emily Cabot's friend and teacher at the University of Chicago becomes murder suspect number one, and it is up to Emily to clear his name.
Emily represents one of the first American women able to complete a college degree and do some postgraduate research. As spunky and fearless as she seems, she is constantly frustrated by the limits her society places on her, and the obstacles mounted against her by resentful male colleagues and members of the police. Emily's views supporting female suffrage are particularly suspect.
McNamara leads us on a colorful tour of the "White City," as the fair was called. Not ignored is its seamy side, the illegal traveling card games, police graft, midway toughs, and assassination of Chicago's mayor in the fair's final days. Reference is made to the Haymarket affair, the establishment's fear of "foreign anarchists," and the powerful Chicago political machine. Most interesting is the story's pivotal role given to the tireless crusader Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Wells-Barnett was at the fair to promote her pamphlet protesting the fair's exclusion of blacks. Her exposé of the lynching of blacks in the South, and the uncovering of other repressive racial attitudes, are key plot points.
Author's Note offers books, helpful websites, and works consulted.
Discussion Group questions are included.
Emily represents one of the first American women able to complete a college degree and do some postgraduate research. As spunky and fearless as she seems, she is constantly frustrated by the limits her society places on her, and the obstacles mounted against her by resentful male colleagues and members of the police. Emily's views supporting female suffrage are particularly suspect.
McNamara leads us on a colorful tour of the "White City," as the fair was called. Not ignored is its seamy side, the illegal traveling card games, police graft, midway toughs, and assassination of Chicago's mayor in the fair's final days. Reference is made to the Haymarket affair, the establishment's fear of "foreign anarchists," and the powerful Chicago political machine. Most interesting is the story's pivotal role given to the tireless crusader Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Wells-Barnett was at the fair to promote her pamphlet protesting the fair's exclusion of blacks. Her exposé of the lynching of blacks in the South, and the uncovering of other repressive racial attitudes, are key plot points.
Author's Note offers books, helpful websites, and works consulted.
Discussion Group questions are included.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful description, great research, good read
19 Jan 2009
By Ellen R. Caplan
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Two things before I begin. First, I have never commented on a book in this kind of venue. Second, I have known Frances McNamara for over 20 years. However, I do not think knowing Frances for all these years affected what I thought about this novel.
Frances definitely captured the essence of the time in her descriptions and in the language her characters used. Without this I think it would be hard to understand the plot as it unfolded. I did not find it slow going in the beginning. In fact I think the descriptions gave life and color to the time period and made it easy to understand why the characters acted as they did. I agree with one of the other reviewers about the main character, Emily Cabot. I am glad she was a 19th century character and not one from our action-packed 21st. My one criticism, albeit very minor, concerned the role Emily's mother played. I would have liked more of her in the story. There was the implication that she was fairly progressive in her views and it would have been interesting to have had her play a more active role.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and am definitely looking forward to the next one Frances writes.
Frances definitely captured the essence of the time in her descriptions and in the language her characters used. Without this I think it would be hard to understand the plot as it unfolded. I did not find it slow going in the beginning. In fact I think the descriptions gave life and color to the time period and made it easy to understand why the characters acted as they did. I agree with one of the other reviewers about the main character, Emily Cabot. I am glad she was a 19th century character and not one from our action-packed 21st. My one criticism, albeit very minor, concerned the role Emily's mother played. I would have liked more of her in the story. There was the implication that she was fairly progressive in her views and it would have been interesting to have had her play a more active role.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and am definitely looking forward to the next one Frances writes.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
