The Black Widow’s Prey – 4 Star Book Review

Welcome to one of the May 19th stops on the blog tour for The Black Widow’s Prey by N.S. Wikarski, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for excerpts, more reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

About the Book

The Black Widow’s Prey
Gilded Age Chicago Mystery Book Three
N.S. Wikarski

Published 24 February 2021

Genre: Historical Mystery
Page Count: 228
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Consulting detectives Evangeline LeClair and Freddie Simpson face their most challenging case yet when a priceless Egyptian artifact is stolen from a Chicago museum. To make matters worse, the museum’s richest patron is robbed of a diamond necklace shortly afterward. Suspicion immediately falls on a wealthy widow and her scheming son. Trapped in their clutches is the widow’s hapless daughter, about to be forced into a marriage of convenience against her will.

The investigation is complicated by two mysterious strangers who have also taken an interest in the missing Egyptian relic. Solving both thefts will lead Freddie and Evangeline down some strange avenues of inquiry involving secret societies, international criminal masterminds, gentlemen jewel thieves, unexpected ocean voyages, and underworld kingpins. The two sleuths must either solve their case or join the ranks of fatalities numbered among THE BLACK WIDOW’S PREY.

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Excerpt

Freddie transferred his attention back to his sandwich until he heard a loud wrapping sound. Several other patrons turned to gaze at a woman standing outside the saloon and tapping on the glass with her parasol.

“Ye gods, no!” Freddie exhaled in alarm.

Evangeline LeClair tapped again, then pointed emphatically at her friend seated at a back table. She crooked her index finger as an invitation to join her.

A murmur of alarm immediately arose among the patrons. They sounded like a bleating herd of sheep who had just spied a wolf.

Doc swung around the end of the bar. Shaking his fist, he thundered loud enough to be heard outside, “No women allowed!”

Undeterred, Evangeline smiled sweetly and waved at Freddie.

“Damn temperance advocate!” Doc cursed. “I seen her around. One of them do-gooders from Hull House. She’s out to wreck my business.”

Mason chuckled. “She’s no temperance reformer, Doc.”

Relenting only slightly, Doc growled, “Well, if you know her, tell her to go around to the alley door. She can get packaged goods there. I won’t let no damn woman set foot in this place.”

“She’s a lady,” Bill retorted. “I doubt she’d drink in an establishment of this low moral order, my friend.”

“Fine with me if she don’t! Let her go and drink champagne with her society friends while they hatch more schemes to shut down the honest liquor trade in this city!” Doc stalked off to calm his flock of agitated customers, growling about the Anti-Saloon League under his breath.

My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads.

I was granted complimentary access to The Black Widow’s Prey as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

I’d like to start out by saying that I didn’t know this book was part of a series until popping over to Goodreads to leave my review. The name of the series was not listed anywhere in the tour proposal or materials I had access to, nor was it blatantly obvious reading the book that I’ve perhaps missed some things about these characters. I guess that means it reads well as a stand-alone!

It’s the Victorian age in Chicago, and when an Egyptian artifact walks out of a local museum Evangeline LeClair and Freddie Simpson are on the case! (That was metaphorical, by the way, I promise there are no reanimated mummies.)

Evangeline is whip-smart and ages ahead of her time, and I absolutely loved getting to know her as the book progressed. She seems almost unnaturally aware of how unfairly limited she is as a woman in this time period, to the point where I wouldn’t have been surprised if this were a time-travel mystery and she was actually already familiar with modern women’s rights. I definitely felt her pain every time her female status got in her way!

All of the history lesson details woven seamlessly into the narrative were spot on and very enjoyable to this history buff, especially since Chicago in the Victorian age is not exactly a topic I’ve explored in depth before. My expertise lies in pre-confederation Canada and 19th & 20th-century wartime England. (Topics I chose because my favourite professors taught those courses.)

Historical fiction and mystery fans alike should enjoy The Black Widow’s Prey, and I expect the previous books in the series as well.

About the Author

Her seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller Series is an Amazon Bestseller. The series finale received a Best Mystery of the Month award nomination.

Titles include: The Granite Key (2011), The Mountain Mother Cipher (2011), The Dragon’s Wing Enigma (2012), Riddle of the Diamond Dove (2013), Into the Jaws of the Lion (2014), Secrets of the Serpent’s Heart (2015), and The Sage Stone Prophecy (2016).

Her Gilded Age Chicago Mystery Series, set in 1890s Chicago, has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth. Titles include: The Fall of White City (2002) and Shrouded in Thought (2005).

All titles are available in paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to historical mystery and adventure fiction writing. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society Of Midland Authors, and has served as vice president of Sisters In Crime – Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures.

Her Victorian Chicago Mystery Series, set in 1890s Chicago, has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth. Titles include THE FALL OF WHITE CITY (2002) and SHROUDED IN THOUGHT (2005).

Her seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller Series has been an Amazon Bestseller since January 2016. The series finale has received an award nomination for Best Mystery Of The Month from L.A.S. Reviews. Titles include THE GRANITE KEY (2011), THE MOUNTAIN MOTHER CIPHER (2011), THE DRAGON’S WING ENIGMA (2012), RIDDLE OF THE DIAMOND DOVE (2013), INTO THE JAWS OF THE LION (2014), SECRETS OF THE SERPENT’S HEART (2015), and THE SAGE STONE PROPHECY (2016).

Future projects include a crossover mystery featuring the amateur sleuths from the Victorian Chicago Series and an earlier generation of Arkana agents. A spinoff series of standalone mysteries entitled THE TROVE CHRONICLES will feature Arkana agents past and present. For details, visit www.mythofhistory.com.

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to historical mystery and adventure fiction writing. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society of Midland Authors, and has served as vice president of Sisters in Crime (Twin Cities) and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology, while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures.

Her seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller Series is an Amazon Bestseller. The series finale received a Best Mystery of the Month award nomination.

Her Gilded Age Chicago Mystery Series has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth.

In addition to her work as an author, she is a freelance editor currently working on a variety of fiction, nonfiction, and academic projects to help authors communicate their vision to the world.

shape authors’ words into bestselling

Her Victorian Chicago Mystery Series, set in 1890s Chicago, has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth. Titles include THE FALL OF WHITE CITY (2002) and SHROUDED IN THOUGHT (2005).

Her seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller Series has been an Amazon Bestseller since January 2016. The series finale has received an award nomination for Best Mystery Of The Month

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to historical mystery and adventure fiction writing. Her Victorian Chicago Mystery Series has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical Mystery. Her seven-book Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series is an Amazon bestseller. The series finale received a Best Mystery Of The Month award nomination from L.A.S. Reviews.

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Giveaway Alert!

N. S. Wikarski will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.