Hilda has worked for several years at the Studebaker mansion as a maid but now her life is on the verge of change. Her beloved fireman, Patrick, has been offered a partnership in a dry goods business by his wealthy uncle, which means that now the couple has the wherewithal to marry. But complicating this step is the fact that their mothers and other members of both families are against this union, being that one is an Irish Catholic and the other is a Swedish Lutheran. And in the midst of this personal turmoil, Hilda’s youngest brother’s well-liked teacher is found bludgeoned to death in an alley. He, as well as an accused man, wants Hilda to solve the murder and find the guilty party. Set in the early twentieth century in South Bend, Indiana, this murder is loosely based in fact. The intricate plot and interesting characters come from the author vivid imagination, as well as the solution to the murder. This series just keeps getting better with each book. ( )