Murder at the Portland Variety (The Libby Seale Mysteries)

By M.J. Zellnik

Book Overview

The year is 1894 and Portland, Oregon's white slave trade is alive and flourishing thanks to the Shanghai Tunnels underneath the city. When Vera Carabella, a performer at a vaudeville theater, is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738707864
• ISBN13: 9780738707860
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Midnight Ink
• Length: 329 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

A Really Good Read

After a recent visit to Portland I was looking for more information about the slave tunnels and other Portland landmarks. This was a great follow-up to that visit. I recognized various landmarks and enjoyed a story about a geographical location and period of time of which I had little knowledge. I hope the publisher will reconsider and publish the third book in this series. Don't keep us hanging about Libby's future.

Excellent historical mystery

I'm grateful I discovered this series after the second book was published. I don't think I could have waited another year to learn more about the relationship between the main characters. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. The author does an outstanding job of creating an authentic sense of place without hitting you over the head with chunks of historical research. The details are woven into the story naturally, which many writers have not mastered. In this book, the characters are well developed with good motivation and enough tension to keep you turning the pages. If you have any interest in a good mystery and history, be sure to read both books.

New Portland series is great

I won a copy of this book, Murder at the Portland Variety, a couple of months ago. I just finished reading it. Libby Seale is an interesting character. She is a seamstress who has come to Portland to escape an unhappy marriage. Due to her employment at the Portland Variety, she is acquainted with the young woman who is found dead in the tunnels below. She determines, with the help of a young, enterprising reporter by the name of Peter Eberle, to find out who killed Vera. The book is filled with historical details, but those details do not overwhelm the reader. Libby comes across as a real person experiencing life alone, far from her New York family and friends. She questions many, including the police. The answer to the question of what has happened to Vera, and previously to another young woman, is answered in an intriguing climax. The author had done a good job with the mystery and the setting.

Great Read

I love a great mystery and it's always fun to find a new author. Since I live in Portland, I enjoyed the references to landmarks I recognized and was inspired to find out more about historical Portland and how it became the city it is today. A thoroughly delightful read. Libby Seale is a wonderful character and I look forward to many more hours finding out about her life and times in future books. Wish they could get them out a little faster!

Delightful Debut

In a strong debut, M.J. Zellnik introduces a smart and resourceful amateur detective, theatrical seamstress Libby Seale, who finds herself living and working in Portland in 1894 and investigating the death of her friend, a vaudeville performer. Along the way, Libby joins forces with a bright and charming newspaper reporter, and together they uncover the seamy underside of Portland society. With a meticulous eye for period detail, characters who are richer than first meet the eye, and pitch-perfect tone, Zellnik (a sister and brother team) crafts an engaging and suspenseful story of love, corruption, betrayal, and bravery, all set in the vibrant worlds of the vaudeville theater, the busy seaport of Portland, and the highest eschelons of turn-of-the-century society. I eagerly await the next installment of Libby's adventures.