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Hanneke Bauer Mystery #3
A Most Perilous Journey: A Hanneke Bauer Mystery
Wisconsin widow Hanneke Bauer, a German immigrant, is a fervent abolitionist. After yearning to play an active role on the Underground Railroad, she agrees to help shepherd a Negro woman on her journey from slavery to freedom. Several Railroad conductors have recently been killed in southern Wisconsin, so she is acutely aware of the dangers she faces. Finding the latest victim’s body is frightening, but does not deter her. She soon learns, however, that nothing could have prepared her for the perils waiting along the journey.
Hanneke believes that future Underground Railroad trips are essential…but can she live long enough to make them?
Hanneke believes that future Underground Railroad trips are essential…but can she live long enough to make them?
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2024
8 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Ernst
57 books382 followersI grew up in Maryland, in a house full of books! Both of my parents were avid readers, thank goodness. Before we traveled to a new area, my librarian-mom used to bring home historical novels set in that place. It was a great way to get excited about history.
I began writing stories when I was maybe 10 or 11. At 15 I wrote my first novel; I sold my first novel to a publisher 20 years later! Writing was my hobby, so during those two decades I just kept practicing, reading, writing some more. What a thrill to finally hold my first book in my hand! Still, I write because I enjoy the process (at least most of the time).
For years I wrote while working at other day jobs. I spent 12 years working at a huge historic site, which was a perfect spot for someone interested in historical fiction. I also developed and scripted instructional videos for public television. Finally, though, it got to be too much to juggle. I now write full-time, and consider myself enormously fortunate to do something I love.
I began writing stories when I was maybe 10 or 11. At 15 I wrote my first novel; I sold my first novel to a publisher 20 years later! Writing was my hobby, so during those two decades I just kept practicing, reading, writing some more. What a thrill to finally hold my first book in my hand! Still, I write because I enjoy the process (at least most of the time).
For years I wrote while working at other day jobs. I spent 12 years working at a huge historic site, which was a perfect spot for someone interested in historical fiction. I also developed and scripted instructional videos for public television. Finally, though, it got to be too much to juggle. I now write full-time, and consider myself enormously fortunate to do something I love.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 4, 2025
This is the best Hanneke story yet. The action doesn't let up and I was on the edge of my bed reading until 2 AM, I couldn't put it down. Kathleen Ernst has mastered the art of seamlessly integrating history into her story. There's no info dump here, I can't easily pinpoint her sources and I've never heard any of these stories before so hooray for Ms. Ernst! Being nitpicky, I would say the only real complaint I have is the overuse of the word abolitionist. In this story we have both abolitionists (Gideon) and anti-slavery activists. MOST people who hated slavery were anti-slavery. I have learned a lot about Pomeranian culture and history and the details make everything so vivid in my mind. I can see and smell Hanneke's black kitchen and because Kathleen Ersnt used to work at Old World Wisconsin, all the domestic details are accurate enough to get a mental picture if you haven't done it. I was especially fascinated by that carding mill vs. the hand cards. Another detail I enjoyed was getting to know Hanneke's Ho-Chunk neighbors. I do know all about tapping the trees for maple syrup! It's JUST about that time of year now. I tried maple syrup on snow candy recently!
Hanneke reads like a grown up American Girl character. I keep saying that because she's spunky and outspoken. When we first met her she wouldn't take no for an answer and she still doesn't. She's happiest when she's taking action and doing something. Hanneke is fiercely independent and comfortable thinking things through and making her own decisions, yet in this story we see a more vulnerable side of her. She misses Fridolin, or the idea of having a partner. She longs for a family of her own and perhaps to someday come home to a warm house. She calls on Fridolin in the stars as he guides her on her perilous journey and through difficult life choices. Hanneke was criticized by someone she barely knows and it really bothers her. Her friends are curious and ask what's wrong and only Angela is told a version of the truth. She then asks Hanneke why the opinion of someone she only just met matters so much to her? Well, because Hanneke was entrusted with this incredibly dangerous, difficult task. It was something she was longing to do and she wanted to do it right. She wanted to make a difference. She admires Gideon for his convictions but disagrees with his cold, detachment. Poor Hanneke has a huge heart and she is so compassionate. She can't bear to see anyone hurt or sick and not help. I totally understand her instinct to help along the journey but indeed it was so perilous that she really should not have thought about it so much. She never thinks of this as an adventure, she doesn't undertake it lightly and she understands the risks but she just can't stop being herself. It makes her a likable character but maybe she should retire after this. She's just too OBVIOUS. Yes the Fugitive Slave Act was a horrid thing. No, no one should have to live in fear someone is going to burst into their home and drag them off in shackles. Hanneke shouldn't have to be the law breaker in this situation when the law is clearly wrong, yet it IS the law and the penalty is six months in jail and a $1000 fine. Hanneke would say it's more ethical to break the civil law than God's law and I'm fairly certain the abolitionists and anti-slavery activists would pay her fine and fight it but she's a widow alone in a strange country and doesn't know a lot of people yet.
Gideon is enigmatic. He's dropped on her doorstep, shot through the calf and unconscious yet disappears while she's out doing morning chores so he's obviously quite fit and strong. Gideon doesn't engage in small talk, chit chat or discuss himself. He won't discuss what they're doing in too much detail or who they are meeting. It's all hush hush for a reason. He's fully well aware he's breaking the law and he doesn't da__ well care! He hates slavery so much, it drives him to madness. Gideon is an example of an abolitionist. In a few years he will join John Brown at Harper's Ferry and if he survives that, which I have no doubt he will, I suspect he'll form a guerilla unit to fight the pro-slavery activists/Confederates during the Civil War. He's off the grid so to speak so I don't think he'll end up drafted. To warm, friendly Hanneke, Gideon seems cold, even cruel but he has to harden his heart to do what he does. He risks his life every time and when he reveals his story, it's clear he's risking even more than his life.
Asa Hawkins is murdered. He was such a contradictory man. His nativist sentiment had him feared and hated by many in Hanneke's community and around Watertown. He was an awful man YET he died doing something he believed was right, was right in the eyes of anyone with a heart, a conscious or a loving God, take your pick. I do appreciate how he wasn't the stereotypical bad guy or the stereotypical good guy. He seemed to enjoy being contrary and stirring up trouble. His death is a tragedy for some but perhaps not so much for others. Asa's brother, Jerome, seems to be a cranky individual who cares only about business and money. Jerome is a staunch nativist, a Know Nothing and I'm betting pro-slavery. I'm wondering if the brothers fought and Jerome hit Asa over the head and Asa died. After all, don't the police ask "who benefits?" in this case, Jerome benefits from his brother's death.
There IS a stereotypical villain here- the slave catcher. Hiram Aubuchon arrives well-dressed with slick manners and a charming demeanor but Hanneke sees right through him. He's smarmy and a bully. She's a farm woman, a young widow living alone, is she really going to risk her farm to hide a runaway slave? PROOBBAABBLLLY most people wouldn't but this is Hanneke so she does but she actually hasn't literally SEEN the woman in question, Celia, at least not yet. This guy doesn't let up and intimidates Hanneke on purpose. If I were Hanneke, I would think there was a special place in hell reserved for men like him. I just don't know how someone could do that and live with themselves. Is money or humanity more important? Of course then we get into the complexities of racism and prejudice and whether bounty hunters even thought about or cared about the people they were chasing? Did they even see them as people? Levi Cox is another villain. He came north with Hiram to catch a runaway slave and won't allow ANYONE to stand in his way. He is a dangerous and formidable opponent.
Celia is barely 20 years old. She's been hit, it sounds like, since she's missing teeth and she probably fought back judging from the description of her on the runaway slave handbill. I bet I can guess what happened. Hanneke has other suspicions about Celia and that leads me to guess she fought back against her enslaver and it's not going well for her. She is very, incredibly brave and strong to make this journey without her mother, trusting in her African ancestors to guide her to safety, trusting strangers with her body, her life. In case any naysayers are wondering, the author doesn't try to get inside Celia's head. She carries a shell passed down from her great-grandmother and mentions her personal beliefs but she doesn't share her thoughts or feelings. Celia still feels believable even without her thoughts. Then there's a little boy, Daniel. A CHILD without his parents! A child whose life is measured in dollars and cents. This boy is wise and brave. Who rescues who? I think he saves Hanneke while she provides a motherly presence to reassure him even though she's terrified out of her mind. Ugh. Yes this is all very difficult to read about but it's history and it happened and it's important to read about it.
Deputy Barlow is in a tough spot. He wants to do the right thing but when the right thing in his heart is not the right thing according to the law, he is in a tough spot. He must focus on trying to find out who killed Asa Hawkins and nothing more. If he knows what Hanneke is up to, and he does seem to guess, he can't get involved to save her if there's trouble. He's a good friend. They have great chemistry. Too bad he has a wife! She's lovely and welcoming to Hanneke.
My heart goes out to Hanneke's friend Gerda Muelhauser. She seems like a sweet, compassionate lady but her husband is a lazy drunk. Gerda is happy her husband has finally found himself some work, hiring himself out for odd jobs. I'm 100% certain I know what "odd jobs" he's doing and where those coins came from! Poor Gerda! Clara Steckleberg is a bad ass! She and her husband, Charles, believe slavery to be a moral sin. They are unafraid to stand up for what they believe in. Clara can shoot a gun as well as any man and doesn't let her gender stop her. Hanneke makes some new female friends in this book. She bonds with Charlotte Stofeldt over raising sheep and is sympathetic to the other woman's reasons for fleeing Germany. Charlotte is a tough lady. She endured a lot, took a chance and found happiness in her new life in Wisconsin. She deserves it after all she's been through. Charlotte is anti-slavery and working hard to change the laws by writing to all the lawmakers she can. Charlotte's friends, Berta and Erna Pohl share her sentiments and her work. They're nice older ladies. Their brother Felix, a carpenter and cabinetmaker is secretly working on the underground railroad. He's respectful and helpful to Hanneke when she needs help.
William Bluewing, Hanneke's Ho-Chunk friend, is a smart young man. He's reliable, dependable and good in a crisis. William can walk in two different worlds but in his heart, he's Ho-Chunk. He's a good friend who helps Hanneke without question. I could do without the love story subplot. Jacobine is too young to marry! Does she fully understand what she's getting into? Some critics might wince at the White, female author writing the thoughts and actions of a Ho-Chunk man but she makes William seem realistic for the time and doesn't get too much into his thoughts. It's just what Hanneke is hearing him say.
I've said it before and will keep saying it, this one is for the girls who grew up reading History Mysteries and her American Girl historical mysteries! This series reads like a grown-up Kirsten mystery. I even recognize the deep blue dress with tan paisley design and green work dress (it should have plum stripes) ha ha!
Hanneke reads like a grown up American Girl character. I keep saying that because she's spunky and outspoken. When we first met her she wouldn't take no for an answer and she still doesn't. She's happiest when she's taking action and doing something. Hanneke is fiercely independent and comfortable thinking things through and making her own decisions, yet in this story we see a more vulnerable side of her. She misses Fridolin, or the idea of having a partner. She longs for a family of her own and perhaps to someday come home to a warm house. She calls on Fridolin in the stars as he guides her on her perilous journey and through difficult life choices. Hanneke was criticized by someone she barely knows and it really bothers her. Her friends are curious and ask what's wrong and only Angela is told a version of the truth. She then asks Hanneke why the opinion of someone she only just met matters so much to her? Well, because Hanneke was entrusted with this incredibly dangerous, difficult task. It was something she was longing to do and she wanted to do it right. She wanted to make a difference. She admires Gideon for his convictions but disagrees with his cold, detachment. Poor Hanneke has a huge heart and she is so compassionate. She can't bear to see anyone hurt or sick and not help. I totally understand her instinct to help along the journey but indeed it was so perilous that she really should not have thought about it so much. She never thinks of this as an adventure, she doesn't undertake it lightly and she understands the risks but she just can't stop being herself. It makes her a likable character but maybe she should retire after this. She's just too OBVIOUS. Yes the Fugitive Slave Act was a horrid thing. No, no one should have to live in fear someone is going to burst into their home and drag them off in shackles. Hanneke shouldn't have to be the law breaker in this situation when the law is clearly wrong, yet it IS the law and the penalty is six months in jail and a $1000 fine. Hanneke would say it's more ethical to break the civil law than God's law and I'm fairly certain the abolitionists and anti-slavery activists would pay her fine and fight it but she's a widow alone in a strange country and doesn't know a lot of people yet.
Gideon is enigmatic. He's dropped on her doorstep, shot through the calf and unconscious yet disappears while she's out doing morning chores so he's obviously quite fit and strong. Gideon doesn't engage in small talk, chit chat or discuss himself. He won't discuss what they're doing in too much detail or who they are meeting. It's all hush hush for a reason. He's fully well aware he's breaking the law and he doesn't da__ well care! He hates slavery so much, it drives him to madness. Gideon is an example of an abolitionist. In a few years he will join John Brown at Harper's Ferry and if he survives that, which I have no doubt he will, I suspect he'll form a guerilla unit to fight the pro-slavery activists/Confederates during the Civil War. He's off the grid so to speak so I don't think he'll end up drafted. To warm, friendly Hanneke, Gideon seems cold, even cruel but he has to harden his heart to do what he does. He risks his life every time and when he reveals his story, it's clear he's risking even more than his life.
Asa Hawkins is murdered. He was such a contradictory man. His nativist sentiment had him feared and hated by many in Hanneke's community and around Watertown. He was an awful man YET he died doing something he believed was right, was right in the eyes of anyone with a heart, a conscious or a loving God, take your pick. I do appreciate how he wasn't the stereotypical bad guy or the stereotypical good guy. He seemed to enjoy being contrary and stirring up trouble. His death is a tragedy for some but perhaps not so much for others. Asa's brother, Jerome, seems to be a cranky individual who cares only about business and money. Jerome is a staunch nativist, a Know Nothing and I'm betting pro-slavery. I'm wondering if the brothers fought and Jerome hit Asa over the head and Asa died. After all, don't the police ask "who benefits?" in this case, Jerome benefits from his brother's death.
There IS a stereotypical villain here- the slave catcher. Hiram Aubuchon arrives well-dressed with slick manners and a charming demeanor but Hanneke sees right through him. He's smarmy and a bully. She's a farm woman, a young widow living alone, is she really going to risk her farm to hide a runaway slave? PROOBBAABBLLLY most people wouldn't but this is Hanneke so she does but she actually hasn't literally SEEN the woman in question, Celia, at least not yet. This guy doesn't let up and intimidates Hanneke on purpose. If I were Hanneke, I would think there was a special place in hell reserved for men like him. I just don't know how someone could do that and live with themselves. Is money or humanity more important? Of course then we get into the complexities of racism and prejudice and whether bounty hunters even thought about or cared about the people they were chasing? Did they even see them as people? Levi Cox is another villain. He came north with Hiram to catch a runaway slave and won't allow ANYONE to stand in his way. He is a dangerous and formidable opponent.
Celia is barely 20 years old. She's been hit, it sounds like, since she's missing teeth and she probably fought back judging from the description of her on the runaway slave handbill. I bet I can guess what happened. Hanneke has other suspicions about Celia and that leads me to guess she fought back against her enslaver and it's not going well for her. She is very, incredibly brave and strong to make this journey without her mother, trusting in her African ancestors to guide her to safety, trusting strangers with her body, her life. In case any naysayers are wondering, the author doesn't try to get inside Celia's head. She carries a shell passed down from her great-grandmother and mentions her personal beliefs but she doesn't share her thoughts or feelings. Celia still feels believable even without her thoughts. Then there's a little boy, Daniel. A CHILD without his parents! A child whose life is measured in dollars and cents. This boy is wise and brave. Who rescues who? I think he saves Hanneke while she provides a motherly presence to reassure him even though she's terrified out of her mind. Ugh. Yes this is all very difficult to read about but it's history and it happened and it's important to read about it.
Deputy Barlow is in a tough spot. He wants to do the right thing but when the right thing in his heart is not the right thing according to the law, he is in a tough spot. He must focus on trying to find out who killed Asa Hawkins and nothing more. If he knows what Hanneke is up to, and he does seem to guess, he can't get involved to save her if there's trouble. He's a good friend. They have great chemistry. Too bad he has a wife! She's lovely and welcoming to Hanneke.
My heart goes out to Hanneke's friend Gerda Muelhauser. She seems like a sweet, compassionate lady but her husband is a lazy drunk. Gerda is happy her husband has finally found himself some work, hiring himself out for odd jobs. I'm 100% certain I know what "odd jobs" he's doing and where those coins came from! Poor Gerda! Clara Steckleberg is a bad ass! She and her husband, Charles, believe slavery to be a moral sin. They are unafraid to stand up for what they believe in. Clara can shoot a gun as well as any man and doesn't let her gender stop her. Hanneke makes some new female friends in this book. She bonds with Charlotte Stofeldt over raising sheep and is sympathetic to the other woman's reasons for fleeing Germany. Charlotte is a tough lady. She endured a lot, took a chance and found happiness in her new life in Wisconsin. She deserves it after all she's been through. Charlotte is anti-slavery and working hard to change the laws by writing to all the lawmakers she can. Charlotte's friends, Berta and Erna Pohl share her sentiments and her work. They're nice older ladies. Their brother Felix, a carpenter and cabinetmaker is secretly working on the underground railroad. He's respectful and helpful to Hanneke when she needs help.
William Bluewing, Hanneke's Ho-Chunk friend, is a smart young man. He's reliable, dependable and good in a crisis. William can walk in two different worlds but in his heart, he's Ho-Chunk. He's a good friend who helps Hanneke without question. I could do without the love story subplot. Jacobine is too young to marry! Does she fully understand what she's getting into? Some critics might wince at the White, female author writing the thoughts and actions of a Ho-Chunk man but she makes William seem realistic for the time and doesn't get too much into his thoughts. It's just what Hanneke is hearing him say.
I've said it before and will keep saying it, this one is for the girls who grew up reading History Mysteries and her American Girl historical mysteries! This series reads like a grown-up Kirsten mystery. I even recognize the deep blue dress with tan paisley design and green work dress (it should have plum stripes) ha ha!
October 3, 2025
I love Kathleen Ernst books! When she decided to introduce a new series (Hanneke Bauer Mystery) I was skeptical, but the books in the new series are as interesting as her past one). This historical novel takes place in Watertown WI during the 1850s. Not only does it touch on abolition, but also immigration and slavery. Ernst not only spins a great murder mystery, but also a great lesson in period history. In addition, I love her character development and her description of place. Well done.
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May 2, 2025This is easily the most exciting Hanneke Bauer book so far, and that’s saying something, because she always manages to get herself into dangerous situations. But when it comes to being shot at, threatened, chased, as well as running, hiding, crawling into tight spaces, balancing on ledges, and enduring cold, wet, and darkness, this book is the thriller of historical dramas.
This is also the most emotionally complex. Hanneke has always been a woman of some contradictions. Her dream was to be a traditional hausfrau, supporting her husband on the farm with the womanly arts, and with birthing babies. But when her husband died she had to become more independent. And she has also been feisty, free thinking and outspoken. We are told, “she did take quiet satisfaction from being industrious, solving problems, and meeting challenges.”
In this book Hanneke will meet challenges greater than any before, challenges that will test the limits of her problem solving skills, and threaten to destroy her emotionally.
Hanneke Bauer will help escaped enslaved people. She already has been providing a hiding place in a corner of her barn, which she stocks with food. This is risky enough, but also a degree impersonal, since she doesn’t see the shadowy figures that come and go in the night.
But then the slave catchers show up. They are men who are angry, entitled, overbearing, and not afraid to be violent.
The fugitive slave law meant that even though Wisconsin was a free state, every Wisconsin citizen was required by law to help find and return runaways, and to harbor them was a federal crime punishable by jail. This created a dilemma for those who believed all people should live free, and who also believed in being law abiding citizens.
Hanneke gets asked to ride along on the wagon of a man who is taken a runaway to a safe house. She is happy to help. She knows it will be dangerous. But it is a lot harder and more dangerous than she had imagined.
This is also the most emotionally complex. Hanneke has always been a woman of some contradictions. Her dream was to be a traditional hausfrau, supporting her husband on the farm with the womanly arts, and with birthing babies. But when her husband died she had to become more independent. And she has also been feisty, free thinking and outspoken. We are told, “she did take quiet satisfaction from being industrious, solving problems, and meeting challenges.”
In this book Hanneke will meet challenges greater than any before, challenges that will test the limits of her problem solving skills, and threaten to destroy her emotionally.
Hanneke Bauer will help escaped enslaved people. She already has been providing a hiding place in a corner of her barn, which she stocks with food. This is risky enough, but also a degree impersonal, since she doesn’t see the shadowy figures that come and go in the night.
But then the slave catchers show up. They are men who are angry, entitled, overbearing, and not afraid to be violent.
The fugitive slave law meant that even though Wisconsin was a free state, every Wisconsin citizen was required by law to help find and return runaways, and to harbor them was a federal crime punishable by jail. This created a dilemma for those who believed all people should live free, and who also believed in being law abiding citizens.
Hanneke gets asked to ride along on the wagon of a man who is taken a runaway to a safe house. She is happy to help. She knows it will be dangerous. But it is a lot harder and more dangerous than she had imagined.
December 16, 2024
A Most Perilous Journey, by Kathleen Ernst
Deep characterization, plenty of gritty action and suspense, and the evolving character of Hanneke Bauer make for a mesmerizing historical novel and a different type of mystery. A thoroughly enjoyable novel this reader couldn’t put down. It’s 1850s southern Wisconsin. The influx of immigrants as well as the Underground Railroad cross paths and challenge Hanneke as she ekes out a living as a young widow on a 40-acre farm. How does she survive alone this first year in a new country and state? That challenge as well as her involvement in saving a woman and boy on the run force Hanneke to test her values and life’s purpose, especially as she learns people who seem nice on the surface may have shocking secrets. Excellent historical details. A highly recommended novel. Book 3 in a series but can be read alone just fine. ~ Christine DeSmet
Deep characterization, plenty of gritty action and suspense, and the evolving character of Hanneke Bauer make for a mesmerizing historical novel and a different type of mystery. A thoroughly enjoyable novel this reader couldn’t put down. It’s 1850s southern Wisconsin. The influx of immigrants as well as the Underground Railroad cross paths and challenge Hanneke as she ekes out a living as a young widow on a 40-acre farm. How does she survive alone this first year in a new country and state? That challenge as well as her involvement in saving a woman and boy on the run force Hanneke to test her values and life’s purpose, especially as she learns people who seem nice on the surface may have shocking secrets. Excellent historical details. A highly recommended novel. Book 3 in a series but can be read alone just fine. ~ Christine DeSmet
September 2, 2024
This a book Kathleen Ernst can be very proud of! Historically fascinating, it sets out a compelling narrative that makes it hard to put down. At the same time, the reader falls in love a bit with Hanneke - such a brave, intelligent and sensitive woman. One would love to be like her! With the Chloe and now Hanneke books, Kathleen Ernst has managed to book-end the European origins of three of my own grandparents and their immigrant struggles in Canada. That of course ensures that her writing is that much more interesting to me. I will continue to look forward to each new publication!
March 10, 2025
Would you have the courage of your convictions? In 1856 Wisconsin Hanneke Bauer, a recent immigrant from Pomerania, is aghast to learn that slave catchers are in the area, searching for runaways. She meets and joins a group of women who write letters to government officials to try to have the law changed. But when the time comes to take action, Hanneke is willing to help, only to discover how heartbreaking it can be not to know the rest of the story. This is a very powerful and moving story that I found extremely hard to put down.
April 19, 2025
Walk alongside of Hanneke as she's feeding her livestock, riding down the country roads of Watertown, running and hiding from slave catchers. The writing is so vivid that the reader can just about feel her heart beating. Ernst has taken a simple character and given her strength and community. This novel is filled with empathy, intrigue and of course - death and murder. I found it difficult to put down as Hanneke grows into her purpose.
December 29, 2024
Kathleen Ernst has done it again. She’s made me care deeply for her characters while creating an accurate, fascinating historical setting. This Hanneke Bauer Mystery stars Hanneke and abolitionist Gideon. They risk their lives while helping runaways through the Underground Railroad. Tense scenes abound when slave catchers track their efforts and hunt them down.
October 22, 2025
I . I am going to really enjoyed this third novel in the Hanneke Bauer story. It really made you feel as though you were with Hanneke on her journey. I plan on contacting the author to see if there will be a 4th book in this series. I hope so. If you like historic fiction, try this author, she makes it so real.
March 5, 2025
Interesting due to the fact this story could have taken place not far from my home in Northern IL.
I enjoyed how Hanneke matured during this story. She endured situations she was not familiar with and has a caring and open heart.
I enjoyed how Hanneke matured during this story. She endured situations she was not familiar with and has a caring and open heart.
July 27, 2024
Loved it! Kathleen Ernst has two wonderful series set in Wisconsin(mostly). I highly recommend them.
August 16, 2024
I enjoyed this fictional book with factual historical information about the underground railroad in Wisconsin.
September 22, 2024
Kathleen Ernst has a strong historical background. Her newest book with knowledge of the Wisconsin landmarks is awesome.
March 11, 2025
I wasn’t impressed with this Hanneke Bauer mystery. Too much attention was given to details such as combing a horse with a curry comb in circles.
October 9, 2024
Imagine yourself near Watertown, Wisconsin in 1856. Tension simmers between the immigrants and some powerful people of the Know-Nothing political party.
In this episode, the young, immigrant widow, Hanneke treads a narrow path between abiding by her conscience or the law. Sympathetic to the slave, Hanneke is drawn into the realities of the underground railroad. Will others who speak fine words turn them into action? Who dare she trust?
Ms. Ernst does an excellent job of building Hanneke Bauer’s character and depth from one book to the next. Already, I’m looking forward to the widow Bauer’s next adventure.
In this episode, the young, immigrant widow, Hanneke treads a narrow path between abiding by her conscience or the law. Sympathetic to the slave, Hanneke is drawn into the realities of the underground railroad. Will others who speak fine words turn them into action? Who dare she trust?
Ms. Ernst does an excellent job of building Hanneke Bauer’s character and depth from one book to the next. Already, I’m looking forward to the widow Bauer’s next adventure.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews