The Case of the Murdered Muckraker

By Rob Osler

Harriet Morrow, a spunky, bike-riding, independent, lesbian P.I. in turn-of-the-20th century Chicago, is back on the case in this brilliant historical mystery inspired by a real-life Windy City detective - from the acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devil's Chew Toy. For fans of Lev AC Rosen, Ashley Weaver, and Stephen Spotswood.

Chicago, 1898. In the midst of the Progressive Era, twenty-one-year-old junior detective Harriet Morrow is determined to prove she's more than a lucky hire as the Prescott Agency's first woman operative. But her latest challenge--a murder case steeped in scandal--could become a deadly setback . . .

As the Windy City thaws from a harsh winter, Harriet Morrow finds herself doubting her investigative skills when she's assigned to solve a high-stakes murder case well above her pay grade. And there's also a catch. Harriet must somehow blend in as an "unremarkable" young woman--one who feels confident in skirts, not men's clothing--on a quest to infiltrate the immigrant community at the center of the grisly crime . . .

The mystery has more twists and turns than her morning bike commute, with a muckraker found murdered in a southside tenement building after obtaining evidence of a powerful politician's corruption. While Harriet gains the trust of the tenement's women residents to gather clues, the undercover mission reveals an innocent mother might have been framed for the crime--and exposes ties to another violent death . . .

Harriet soon realizes she has few allies as new dangers explode around her. Enlisting the help of Matthew McCabe, her only true confidante at the agency, and growing more protective of her budding relationship with the lovely Barbara Wozniak, Harriet will need to survive rising threats to assert her place in a world that's quick to dismiss her--and out a killer who's always one step ahead . . .

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1496749510
• ISBN13: 9781496749512
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Engrossing

Another well written historical tale about a young woman working as a detective in an agency at the turn of the 20th century in Chicago. She also has to be very careful with her appearance because of her preference for men's clothing and women's company. The problem is with the local laws regarding either type of cross dressing, even if it is for an undercover assignment. She has an older widowed friend who keeps her supplied with the husband's clothing and such, a younger brother disinclined to find employment or help around the house (parents died four years ago), a gay male coworker who is a good friend, and a girlfriend of her own. Harriet's boss assigns her to investigate the murder of a journalist as the police weren't interested in the truth but have rather railroaded a woman with four young children and an absent drunkard of a husband. The boss feels that Harriet will do a better job of infiltrating those living in the tenements and the orphanages where the children were taken in an effort to find the evidence that the journalist had obtained. She also uses an opportunity to infiltrate the local subversives who had been watched by the murdered journalist and learns to use a derringer. It is a good historical representation of some of the issues of the day and does provide significant references and documentation of historical facts. Excellent character development and world building, sneaky plot twists, and a real whiplash twist at the end! I requested and received a temporary uncorrected review galley from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. Pub Date Jan 27, 2026 #preorder #TheCaseoftheMurderedMuckraker @roboslerwriter #HarrietMorrowInvestigatesBk2 @Netgalley @kensingtonbooks @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial ***** Review #thestorygraph #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #bookshop_org_ca #chicago #lgbtqia #privateinvestigators #rivalry #secrets #lies #undercover #friendship #crossdressing #ethnics #witty #historicalnovel