Description:
As a smallpox epidemic spreads through the impoverished West Side of Chicago, the very existence of the settlement is threatened and Emily Caboy finds herself in jeopardy from both the deadly disease and a killer.
Brief description: Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and recently retired from the University of Chicago. She now divides her time between Boston and Cape Cod.Author of The Emily Cabot Mysteries about a social activist in Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Frances is active in Sisters in Crime New England and MWA New England.
Review Quotes:
Praise for Death at Hull House
"Details concerning the operation and the people of Hull House, along with an overview of the deplorable living conditions faced by immigrants(and the lack of concern for the poor expressed by the city's businessmen andpoliticians) give this novel a rich historical framework, made all the more poignant by the portrayal of the smallpox epidemic of 1893." --Booklist
"This fast-paced, enjoyable historical mystery does an excellent job plunging readers into the hubbub of activities at Hull House and the chaos resulting from the spread of smallpox. There's a lot going on at once, but the many plot threads are laid out cleanly...Readers should come away from Death at Hull House with newfound respect for the women social reformers of the late 19th century, and the difficulties they faced creating a bridge between the two halves of Chicago society." --readingthepast.blogspot.com
"This is a first-rate historica lmystery and a fascinating look at life in turn-of-the-century Chicago. McNamara does an excellent job depicting and incorporating into the story the immigrants' struggle to make a living amid wretched working and living conditions, the political corruption of the time, the work of social reformers like Jane Addams and Florence Kelley, and the early days of the University of Chicago." -Historical Novel Society