Death in Lacquer Red

Hilda Johansson #1

by Jeanne M. Dams

(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)

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Jeanne M. Dams lives in South Bend, Indiana. The Body in the Transept, which introduced Dorothy Martin, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Dams is also the author of Green Grow the Victims and other Hilda Johansson mysteries published by Walker & Company.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had previously tried one of the authors books from her series set in England. But someone told me about this effort which revolves around a Swedish housemaid living in the Studebaker mansion in South Bend, Indiana in the year 1900. Sounded promising. Sorry to say I was disappointed. The Swedish maid has been living here for 3 years and knows way too much for that time period and is able to improvise picked locks and legal files, along with how to break into law offices all while she is supposed to be doing something else. She and her friend (God knows this Swedish woman would never allow herself to have a boyfriend who is Irish Catholic, so he is just a friend) find a dead body in the lilac bushes by the side of the Studebaker mansion, and she decides she can solve the crime better than the prejudiced police who are sure to pin in on a person of Chinese lineage. She calls everyone prejudiced, yet she herself is so stubbornly prejudiced that her rantings ring untrue. Very easy to figure out the killer and the whole book is nothing but mediocre (-). The more I type this I think I am lowering my rating from 2** down to 1*. Bottom line is that I just do not like this authors writing, style or characters no matter which series it is!

[Patricia Gulley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting info about Studebaker, wagon makers before cars. Bits and pieces for the title, and more about the Swedes, Irish and Poles than the Chinese immigrants.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was born and raised in South Bend, and Dams did a good job of making the city in 1900 come alive. I could follow exactly the streets and most of the places the main character went. But the writing is uneven and mostly cliche - Swedish stubbornness, Irish eloquence, kind nuns, a strict butler. Most conversations devolve into spats, which doesn't create tension but instead makes you think less of the main character. She is supposedly full of Swedish caution, but does bold things on a daily basis. The way she works out the murder is based on weird suppositions, but of course she turns out to be right. But despite its farcical nature, the plot kept me mostly engaged. Or maybe that was just the South Bend references.

[Tessa in Mid-Michigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing, poor plot--pretty unlikely and unbelievable behavior. 2.5 stars

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read this author before but found
the house maid sleuth very likeable.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine my surprise to learn that there is a murder mystery series set in little old unassuming South Bend, Indiana, my hometown! Apparently Jeanne Dams is a lifelong resident of the city and has written seven novels about turn-of-the-(20th) century Swedish immigrant servant-turned-sleuth Hilda Johansson who works at the Studebaker mansion (fun fact: I have also worked there!) and helps solve murders in her spare time. I was so excited to read these but sadly found the first one pretty mediocre. The South Bend setting (the action takes place at Tippecanoe Place, the Oliver Hotel, Notre Dame, etc.) is delightful, but I can't imagine it being interesting to anyone other than a native of the city. I also enjoyed the portrayal of the Studebaker family although I couldn't say how accurate it is - I'm sure it's difficult to write plausible fiction about real people. The other thing I liked was the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter - I found them clever, apt, and well-chosen. But the story itself was only so-so. It was never clear exactly why Hilda was so terrified (of the police, of the butler, of the Catholics, etc.), the family relationships seemed a little muddled and under-explained (as did the murderer's motive), and the accents and dialects and ethnic traits (Swedish, Irish, Polish, Chinese, etc.) became caricaturish as the story went on. The overemphasis on how mean native-born Americans were (or are, whatever) to immigrants got old as well. I might eventually try reading the second volume in the series, but I am much less enthusiastic this time around.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an historical novel (mystery story) set in South Bend, Indiana, in 1900. The house is upper middle class, and our heroine is Hilda Johansson, a maid and Swedish immigrant. Enhancing the story is a lot of information about the clothes the people wear, the meals they eat, the work they do and (the little) time off they have. There is also quite a bit about prejudice, especially among the immigrants: Protestants don't trust Catholics. It is interesting then, that Hilda's beau is an Irish fireman, and not a Swedish young man (even though he's boring) from her church.

But the main story is the next door neighbor's missionary sister, who has just come home from China to escape the Boxer Rebellion, is murdered, and it is Hilda who finds the body in the hedges between the two houses. Because Hilda finds the body, she feels it is her duty to find the truth and solve the murder. If not, she suspects the police will take the easy path and accuse someone in the servant class (possibly herself, since she found the body) because it is unthinkable that anyone of the stature of the homeowners class could be responsible. Only one patrolman is shown as honest and respectable--yet another spotlight on the mores of the different 1900 societal levels.

Hilda is a little rash and volatile, and lucky to still have her job! But she does solve the mystery with help from her friends, and she does continue to be employed. This was the first novel in this series. Perhaps in later novels, Hilda's approach will become more measured, more tempered.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in South Bend, Indiana, in the early 1900s, where I grew up (not 'when'!) I was excited to start this series. Our main character, Hilda, is angry about the way Americans look down on immigrants, anxious about pleasing her employer and keeping her job, and yet nosy enough to threaten all to solve the death of a stranger. Why does Patrick put up with her? Her own prejudices won't permit her to take him seriously.

But, a renewed interest in the history of my home city (recently took my mother to brunch at Tippecanoe Place restaurant!) will have me reaching for #2 in this series.

[Donna Herrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous mystery series. Think Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie, but set in midwestern America. The major theme of this novel is that throughout history passions lead to crimes in the same way, but the scapegoats that we look for change to whomever is the newest, least wealthy person on the block. While these stories are 20 years old, the political climate of the early 1900s is the same as out political climate today.

[Doris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stubborn Swede fits Hilda, but caution is not in her character. She runs off on weird tangents, orders everyone around, and somehow manages to travel all around South Bend without many people noticing she isn't where she is supposed to be. Too cliche, too banal and too obvious. Not recommended.

I gave it a generous 2 based on historical accuracy.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent blend of a murder mystery book and a historic fiction story. 1900 South Bend Indiana, Hilda, a recent immigrant working as a servant for a very wealthy family discovers the body of the sister of a prominent judge. She starts looking for clues and becomes involved as reluctant as she is to be involved.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly enticing. Edge of your seat plot.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prominent families of South Bend, Indiana, along with their servants, are involved in a clever murder mystery at the turn of the century. An enjoyable read.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Below-the-stairs mystery at the turn of the century involving immigrants who are domestics in the big houses. A nice red herring.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in South Bend so it was fun to read a story set among many familiar places.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
July 2025.
Not as interesting as I thought it would be.
I give a 4 stars because it was written well.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The state of Indiana has pretty much been "drive-through land" for me over many years of traveling between Minnesota and Maine. Nearly always, we took the tollway. The only nice feature of the Indiana State Tollway is that the rest and refreshment areas are named for famous Hoosiers, many, if not all, writers. The Gene Stratton Porter, the Ernie Pyle, the George Ade are some I recall. Should the highway authority need to name any more of these spots, I'd say humorist Jean Shepherd should be first in line, but Jeanne M. Dams would come a close second. Her love and understanding of South Bend shines through every page of Death in Lacquer Red, her first Hilda Johansson mystery.

When I reached Indiana in my alphabetical "A Mystery for Every State" project, I had already decided to give the Hilda Johansson series a try, based on many recommendations on the DorothyL list. I'm so glad I did!

I enjoyed the setting, with its glimpses of domestic life above- and belowstairs in the turn-of-the-century Midwest. the characters, especially Hilda and her beau Patrick Cavanaugh, are both endearing and believable for the period. And the plot surprised me -- I didn't see the ending coming at all! I'll definitely be looking for the rest of the series and hoping it continues for a long time.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda Johanson in 1900 finds a woman in the garden dead and with no face and she is determined to figure out who did it. Thus, begins this mystery that takes place in South Bend, Indiana. Jeanne M Dams weaves a mystery tale with some historical facts about South Bend, Indiana that this reader enjoyed learning about. The book also focuses on how immigrants were treated and how they interacted with the locals. She mixes reality and fiction quite well. There are some red herrings in this book and the ended took me by surprised. This reader almost felt that the writer towards the end had to figure away to finish her tale in the 2nd to last chapter. Chapter are not that long, but the writer pains a picture of South Bend in 1900. Perhaps one of the most memorable moments is when Hilda is attempting to pick a lock with her hair pins. This is the first book in a series and each can be read separately, but there is reference to past stories as I discovered when I was trying to read the third book-I had to put it aside and get a hold of the first book. Happy mystery reading. Oh, what makes this a pretty good book, it was written by a former teacher. (as a retired educator maybe I can aspire to writing a book).

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel starts a new series by Jeanne M. Dams with Hilda Johansson as a maid working for Clement Studebaker in South Bend, Indiana in the early 1900s. She has emigrated from Sweden in order to make a better life for herself and her family. The story opens with Hilda filling in for Michelle the ladies' maid who is in bed with a cold. Her duty also calls on her to attend a dinner party Mrs. Studebaker is attending where she learns the Harper family is expecting their daughter home from China where she had served as a missionary. The next day Hilda, while on a walk with her friend Patrick, finds the decomposing body of the daughter. This sets up the plot with Hilda determined to find the murderer.

The description of the fine four story house in South Bend with all the varied servants reminds the reader of Downton Abbey on a lesser scale. Hilda's room is on the fourth floor and summers in South Bend get muggy and unbearable in the summer. Her duties as maid take up most of her time, but she enough left to pry into the lives of neighbors and wealthy homeowners to try and solve the mystery of who killed the girl.

Death in Lacquer Red is a fine beginning to a new series of a female sleuth.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda Johansson is a Swedish maid in the Studebaker mansion, in South Bend, Indiana, in 1900. Hoping to earn enough money, with the help of some of her siblings, to pay for passage to America for the rest of her family, she must be careful to obey the house rules, lest she lose her job. But when she and Patrick, the Irish Catholic fireman she keeps company with, discover a murdered woman’s body in the shrubs by the mansion, Hilda puts her job and her life in jeopardy. Not wanting a Chinese immigrant to be arrested for the murder simply because he is a foreigner, she enlists the help of Patrick and Norah, Hilda’s friend and coworker in the mansion. Hilda’s instincts are good – up to a point. This tale is the first in this series of historical mysteries by Jeanne M. Dams, and a good introduction to the setting and characters. Well written and entertaining, Ms. Dams gives us an excellent look of what life was like for immigrants at that time, especially for those in service to the wealthy.

[Beckiezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rating is just because I didn't enjoy this much, not because I don't think it is a quality book other people could enjoy. The writing wasn't bad (other than the over use of temper) and I appreciated the short chapters for easy stopping to get away from reading this book because I just didn't like the main character, Hilda. I found her unpleasant. I found the focus on saying immigrants had it hard but somehow not showing it unpleasant. I found the English-style servants set up unpleasant. I guess American servants would be the same, but I haven't read any other Victorian era American servant focused books and apparently the classism I can accept in England I find less acceptable in America. The mystery was kind of weak, I was suspicious of the murderer very early on, but the setting was interesting and I'd enjoy reading another book set there, just not one with Hilda.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda Johannsen is a maid in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Studebaker family in South Bend, Indiana in the summer of 1900. She is on an afternoon out with a friend, Patrick Cavanaugh, a local fireman when they stumble upon the body of a young woman in Hilda's employer's back yard. The murdered woman, the daughter of Mrs. Studebaker's next door neighbor, has very recently returned from missionary service in China. When a Chinese immigrant is focused on by the police, Hilda feels she should try and find out who did the murder so that an innocent man is not railroaded by bigoted policemen. This is a good series. I like Hilda and her character is well written. The mystery evolves very nicely and the trials of a housemaid in the early 1900's is evident in this story. Very good.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just OK. I liked that this was a period piece, set in turn of the century South Bend, Indiana. Hilda Johannsen is a Swedish immigrant, working as a maid for the Studebaker family. She is alternatingly feisty and cautious, which does not seem to work. She also seems to have a lot of leeway with her employers and supervising butler, which also seems far-fetched. Hilda and her friend Patrick discover the badly beaten body of a neighbor's sister in the garden, and set out to find the killer. They never really give the local police a chance, only one officer is deemed sympathetic, but he author just drops this character after introducing him. In fact, Dams drops all the police. The killer turns out to be someone I never suspected. Not a particularly well-constructed story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for book club. I had forgotten the plot entirely, so it was nice to go back to the beginning for the series for a refresher course. Hilda Johanssen is a housemaid at the Studebaker Mansion in South Bend, IN in 1900. The author, Jeanne Dams, is a South Bend resident (as am I) and I particularly enjoy the descriptions of South Bend streets and landmarks a hundred years ago. The plot is good, as are the historical details about immigrants, religious conflict, and corrupt politicians.

[Amber Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is NOT very good, but the story of a maid working for the Studebaker family during the time when we were transitioning from horse & carriages (which the Studebaker's built) and automobiles was interesting for me. The lifestyle was engaging, if "quaint," and the fact that I grew up in the area and the house still stands made it meaningful for me as well. I think there was a 'love' interest that was annoying. I read the follow-up, which was less satisfying. The Mystery part of the story was not memorable.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd rate this as 2.5 stars if I could. I listened to this an audio recording where several discs were so scratched up and damaged I almost did not make it to the end of the story. I found the main character, Hilda, to be a bit of a snob and did not like her much. The historical aspects were interesting though so I kept on despite HIlda's off-putting manner and the unbelievable talents that Hilda seemed to possess given the otherwise very realistic storyline. I may give book number two a try; I have not ruled it out but I am in no rush.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ...okay. Actually, if I don't think too much about the plot, I'd rate it higher. I enjoyed the author's style and the main character was appealing.

There was what seemed to be a continuity burp regarding Hilda's best friend, but it wasn't major (but obviously noticeable!).

The mystery didn't seem to be the focus of the writing. Maybe it should be considered a light historical novel that just happens to include a couple of murders.

[Almeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery wasn't that exciting but I enjoyed reading about "downstairs" life of the servants of a 1900s American rich household (The Studebakers). The heroine is a stubborn and superstitious Lutheran Swede and her love interest (which she denies) is a fiery Irishman, who is Catholic (The Saints protect us!☺) I’m interested in taking another peek at their relationship with each other and the households that they occupy.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the servant/immigrant POV. The story started out good, but then Hilda starts breaking into law offices during time off and shimmying out windows after everyone is asleep. It was hard to believe. I don't know a ton about servants in Indiana during the early 1900's but I'm pretty sure they didn't have that much free time. Walking to Notre Dame? Come on!

I am not entirely put off, however. I may try the next. Just to be sure.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Jeanne Dams' books, I prefer the Hilda Johansson series. Set in Cleveland, OH near the turn of the century, Hilda is an immigrant from Norway who is a maid on a rich man's house. It's interesting to see the restrictions placed on the "help." The US is a classless society--hah! Certainly not at the turn of the last century.