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Death in Lacquer Red [Paperback]

Jeanne M Dams (Author)
2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: May 22 2002 | Series: Hilda Johansson Mysteries
(1st in Hilda Johansson Mystery series)

The year is 1900 and Hilda Johansson is a young Swedish woman working in the South Bend, Indiana, home of the Studebaker family. She faces the typical problems of an immigrant and the demands of a job that is both exhausting and exhilarating. Her struggle to be a good servant is compounded when she discovers, on the Studebaker estate, the body of a woman just returned from missionary work in China. Everyone has a theory. Everyone wants Hilda to stay out of things that don't concern her. But is it possible that she's the only one who can see what the others refuse to even acknowledge? The first in a series that is nothing less than UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS meets MURDER SHE WROTE.

"Dams brilliantly crafts a mystery that defies the usual category." (Chicago Sun-Times)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The author of the popular and acclaimed Dorothy Martin mysteries (Malice in Miniature, etc.) begins a new series featuring a turn-of-the-century Swedish servant woman as sleuth. Hilda Johansson is a maid for the prominent Studebaker family in South Bend, Ind., in the year 1900. Coming home from an outing with her beau, an Irish fireman, Hilda discovers the body of a savagely beaten woman. The dead woman is a missionary lately returned from China and the sister of the Studebakers neighbor, a Republican judge with political ambitions. Impelled to trying to figure out who perpetrated such as brutal crime, Hilda uses South Bends network of servants and immigrants to aid her investigation, fearing that an innocent man might take the blame for the killing. The resolution of the puzzle is a bit slapdash, relying too heavily on coincidence and not enough on real detective work. Hilda is nevertheless an appealing heroine, and Damss rich depiction of South Bend will please historical mystery fans. Mystery Guild main selection.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In her new historical series, Dams (Malice in Miniature, LJ 10/1/98) endows turn-of-the-century South Bend, IN, with vibrant atmosphere and a bright young Swedish immigrant heroine. Hilda Johansson, employed as a housemaid by the wealthy Studebakers, discovers the body of a female missionary in her employer's yard. Though properly horrified and warned by the butler and others to mind her own business, Hilda feels obligated to fight against narrow-minded police and typical social/cultural prejudice as she manages to unearth crucial clues. A piquant but sometimes humorous lookAunderscored by an Upstairs, Downstairs mentalityAat a rapidly changing America, this solid beginning is highly recommended. [Mystery Guild main selection.]
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable characters but an uninteresting mystery Mar 4 2003
By audrey
Format:Paperback
This is the first of a series of mysteries involving Hilda Johannson, a young Swedish immigrant who works in the largest mansion in South Bend, Indiana. Her two sisters and a brother also work in the town and she is courted, somewhat reluctantly, by Patrick, a charming Irish fireman. Her employers are kind, though the butler Mr. Williams is a bit of a tyrant, and things are generally good until Hilda and Patrick discover a murdered woman near the mansion.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. Hilda is an intelligent young woman who manages to work successfully in an oppressive environment, but she also has character flaws, like a stubborn streak and a bad temper, and that makes her believable. Her friends and family are interesting, and Patrick is an admirable partner.

The mystery, however, was neither interesting nor explained well, though I trust other reviewers who like the author's work, and would give this series another try.

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1.0 out of 5 stars DISAPPOINTING Jan 3 2003
By Lisa Bahrami
Format:Hardcover
I'm a fan of Jeanne Dams and her Dorothy Martin mysteries. I've read all those and looked forward to starting on another of her series featuring Swedish servant Hilda Johansen. The story takes place around the turn of the century and I was execting a lot of period detail. Well, there was but unfortunately not much else. The plot is rather contrived, the characters rather wooden and unappealing and the setting of South Bend, Indiana pretty dull (no offense to South Bend intended but it's not New York or Chicago)The character of Hilda is also a big problem. She's rather stilted and uninteresting,not a good thing when the plot develops around her. This book did not even begin to compare with Dams'work in her other mystery series. I really was disappointed in this book.
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3.0 out of 5 stars A stretch July 15 2002
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Ms. Dams' Dorothy Martin series is extremely enjoyable, but this one is a stretch--wooden characters, thin plotlines...not a great read!
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Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting novel/inadequate mystery
I bought this book because I enjoy historical mysteries and I live in Indiana. I also thought that the characters sounded promising. Read more
Published on July 2 2002
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
The plot to this story was extremely boring with a very weak mystery. The characters were unbelievable and not very likable. Was difficult to even finsh the book.
Published on April 8 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed reviews.
The previous reviews have summed up the plot fairly well. They've also disagreed on the merits of the story itself, and surprisingly enough, I agree with all of them. Read more
Published on July 6 2001 by S. Lewis
3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed Beginning to New Series
This is the first entry in a new series by Dams featuring Hilda Johansson, a Swedish immigrant to 1900 South Bend, IN. Read more
Published on May 16 2001 by P. Bigelow
2.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment!
This would never have been published as a first novel. I had read and loved earlier books by Jeanne Dams and was looking forward to reading this book. Read more
Published on Feb 23 2000 by M. C. Crammer
2.0 out of 5 stars An interesting period piece but a failure as a mystery
After thoroughly enjoying Ms Dams books and finding her character Dorothy Martin a vibrant and delightful character I was very disappointed in her new series. Read more
Published on Aug 10 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars Dams' new heroine is a charmer!
Hilda Johansson, a young servant in 1900 South Bend, is gutsy, clever and determined to solve a murder so that an innocent person doesn't get blamed. Read more
Published on Jun 14 1999 by Theresa L. Krause
2.0 out of 5 stars Farfetched and disappointing
I loved Jeanne Dams' Dorothy Martin series and looked forward to reading about her new heroine Hilda Johansson. Read more
Published on May 3 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars Great historical
After living in America for three years, Swedish immigrant Hilda Johansson works as a housemaid in the Studebaker mansion in South Bend, Indiana. Read more
Published on Mar 17 1999
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