Murder Most Civil

Murder Most Civil is a Victorian mystery by Karen Frisch that contains all the ingredients of a great literary novel. Its original storyline and historical setting of Boston, Massachusetts and the impending civil war set the tone for this intriguing mystery. Cameo appearances by some of the most prolific and influential writers of our time make this book a treasure. Frisch narrates her story through the eyes of her heroine, Henrietta Newell Cobb, a middle-aged, upper class abolitionist trying desperately to save her brother from a crime he didn't commit, or did he?

It is 1860 and a well-known abolitionist, Angus McLaren, is murdered; the murder weapon, a bust of Caesar. Henrietta's brother, Harvard Professor Frederick Newell, is the prime suspect as he has the motive and is romantically involved with Myrth McLaren, the wife of the murdered abolitionist. Myrth has gone into hiding somewhere within the confines of Boston; surfacing only when she deems it necessary. She is convinced that she was the intended target and claims she knows who the real murderer is. As Henrietta chases Myrth around historic Boston in a desperate attempt to save her brother from being hanged, the real murderer is closing in.

Frisch's primary characters are amazingly true to life and the addition of some of her well-known secondary characters, such as Henry David Thoreau as the botanical expert who gives Henrietta the clue she needs to help break the case; Oliver Wendell Holmes as Freddy's confidante and Harvard colleague; Ralph Waldo Emerson who sometimes attends Henrietta's weekly salons; and Louisa May Alcott , Henrietta's good friend from Concord; are a fresh take on a truly original idea!

Murder Most Civil is published by Mainly Murder Press and was released in mid-June 2010. You can purchase it at Mainly Murder Press, Amazon , Barnes and Noble , Books-A-Million and at local bookstores across the country. Frisch is currently working on a sequel to Murder Most Civil. Her historical romance What's in a Name will be released by Avalon in December 2011. You can read her latest novel, Lady Delphinia's Deception , scheduled for release in early 2011 from ImaJinn

Karen Frisch lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two adopted daughters from China . She has written and illustrated stories since she was seven years old, and her love for historical mysteries comes from her fascination with genealogy brought on by an old Scottish photograph her grandmother gave her, dating back to 1903. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America , and is the First Place winner of the 2007 Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards' Mystery/Crime Category for her short story "Three of a Kind."

Visit Karen's website at http://karenfrisch.webs.com.