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Professor Benjamin Bradshaw Mystery #4
The Edison Effect
Inventor Thomas Alva Edison is also a ruthless businessman, intent on furthering his patents and General Electric and beating rivals like Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse. Edison has agents in place in Seattle but he’s come himself in pursuit of a mysterious invention lost in 1901 in Elliott Bay. When Edison asks for information, few refuse. But not University of Washington Professor Benjamin Bradshaw who’s earned a reputation as a private investigator where science—electricity—is concerned. Bradshaw hopes that the lost device, one conceived in anger by an anarchist and harnessed for murder, will elude Edison’s hired divers.
Soon, one December morning, 1903, the Bon Marché’s Department Store electrician is found dead in the Men’s Wear Window clutching a festoon of Edison’s new holiday lights. Bradshaw believes Edison had set a dangerous game in motion. Motives multiply as the dead man’s secrets surface alongside rivalries at the Bon Marché. Bradshaw, his sleuthing partner Henry Pratt, and the Seattle PD’s Detective O’Brien pursue leads, but none spark Bradshaw’s intuition. His heart is not in the investigation but in a courtship that will force him to defy his Catholic faith or lose his beloved, Missouri. Then a crossroads in the case forces him to face his personal fears and his first professional failure. Whatever the outcomes, his life is about to change….
Soon, one December morning, 1903, the Bon Marché’s Department Store electrician is found dead in the Men’s Wear Window clutching a festoon of Edison’s new holiday lights. Bradshaw believes Edison had set a dangerous game in motion. Motives multiply as the dead man’s secrets surface alongside rivalries at the Bon Marché. Bradshaw, his sleuthing partner Henry Pratt, and the Seattle PD’s Detective O’Brien pursue leads, but none spark Bradshaw’s intuition. His heart is not in the investigation but in a courtship that will force him to defy his Catholic faith or lose his beloved, Missouri. Then a crossroads in the case forces him to face his personal fears and his first professional failure. Whatever the outcomes, his life is about to change….
246 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Bernadette Pajer
13 books51 followersBernadette Pajer spent her childhood in Seattle, surrounded by the beautiful Cascade and Olympic mountains and Puget Sound. She holds a degree from the University of Washington, Bothell, where she studied CLA (Cultural, Literature, and the Arts) in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Science program. Research is her favorite activity, and she happily delves into Seattle's past and the early days of electrical invention as she plots Professor Bradshaw's investigations. She's a proud member of MWA, SinC, NW Science Writers, PNWA, and the Seattle7Writers.org.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 14, 2015
Bernadette Pajer’s historical fiction is filled with known and obscure historical fiction that make reading her Professor Bradshaw series enjoyable. The famous Thomas Alva Edison makes an appearance early in the book and lends substantial tension to the story as it unfolds. I wonder how many people know that Edison “was a ruthless businessman, intent on furthering his patents and General Electric and beating rivals like Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse.” I have to admit that I did not know this about the man that we revere for bringing us the light bulb.
In this early stage of electricity - 1903 - an electrician is found dead in a Bon Marche Department Store window where he was working with the newfangled strings of Christmas lights invented by Edison. Couple his murder with an invention that has been lost in the Elliott Bay off Seattle, an invention that Edison is determined to have regardless of the shady circumstances, and Professor Bradshaw is back on the job as an amateur sleuth.
Bradshaw is determined to thwart Edison’s efforts to find the deadly lost device, which was created by an anarchist. Edison attempts to use Bradshaw for his own selfish reasons, but he is caught off guard by Bradshaw’s intelligent and illusive actions to obstruct his plans.
The device is at the bottom of the bay and all attempts to find it have been as futile as Bradshaw’s attempts to bring closure to the problems between himself and Missouri, the young woman he loves, a winning subplot. Bradshaw’s trusted partners in solving crime and uncovering mysteries, novice investigator, Henry Pratt, and police Detective O’Brien, are on the job and wondering why Bradshaw doesn’t face his personal problems with Missouri realistically.
A well-constructed mystery loaded with tension—professional and personal—multi-dimensional characters, and excellent pacing.
This review was provided by Mahala Church for her column Barefoot Reviews for the Nov 2014 edition of The Book Breeze
In this early stage of electricity - 1903 - an electrician is found dead in a Bon Marche Department Store window where he was working with the newfangled strings of Christmas lights invented by Edison. Couple his murder with an invention that has been lost in the Elliott Bay off Seattle, an invention that Edison is determined to have regardless of the shady circumstances, and Professor Bradshaw is back on the job as an amateur sleuth.
Bradshaw is determined to thwart Edison’s efforts to find the deadly lost device, which was created by an anarchist. Edison attempts to use Bradshaw for his own selfish reasons, but he is caught off guard by Bradshaw’s intelligent and illusive actions to obstruct his plans.
The device is at the bottom of the bay and all attempts to find it have been as futile as Bradshaw’s attempts to bring closure to the problems between himself and Missouri, the young woman he loves, a winning subplot. Bradshaw’s trusted partners in solving crime and uncovering mysteries, novice investigator, Henry Pratt, and police Detective O’Brien, are on the job and wondering why Bradshaw doesn’t face his personal problems with Missouri realistically.
A well-constructed mystery loaded with tension—professional and personal—multi-dimensional characters, and excellent pacing.
This review was provided by Mahala Church for her column Barefoot Reviews for the Nov 2014 edition of The Book Breeze
September 3, 2014
I enjoyed The Edison Effect, set in 1903 Seattle, from first page to last. Bradshaw is just the type of character I like: flawed, extremely intelligent, principled, and brave. I love watching how his mind works when he's tinkering with his inventions or when he's trying to deduce how electricity plays a part in murder. But Pajer's series isn't merely a gadgets and gizmos treat for the technically intrigued; there's plenty of interaction with other people like his young son, his housekeeper-- and of course the delectable and emancipated Missouri. How Bradshaw has dealt with the death of his wife and the raising of his son tells a lot about him as a person, and the fact that the death was so traumatic means that everyone close to him has had to come to terms with it, too. These relationships are one of the reasons why I keep coming back for more.
Pajer also brings the sights, the sounds, and the smells of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Seattle to life which, along with the inventions and a truly puzzling mystery, will satisfy any lover of historical mysteries. In addition, Pajer's accurate portrayal of Thomas Edison may surprise some readers if-- like me-- what they learned in school gave them the impression that Edison was some sort of god and surely couldn't do anything wrong.
If you enjoy historical mysteries with rich characterization and precursors of our own technological age, I urge you to treat yourselves to Bernadette Pajer's Benjamin Bradshaw mysteries-- even if you're a technophobe. They really are something special.
Pajer also brings the sights, the sounds, and the smells of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Seattle to life which, along with the inventions and a truly puzzling mystery, will satisfy any lover of historical mysteries. In addition, Pajer's accurate portrayal of Thomas Edison may surprise some readers if-- like me-- what they learned in school gave them the impression that Edison was some sort of god and surely couldn't do anything wrong.
If you enjoy historical mysteries with rich characterization and precursors of our own technological age, I urge you to treat yourselves to Bernadette Pajer's Benjamin Bradshaw mysteries-- even if you're a technophobe. They really are something special.
October 30, 2015
The fourth Professor Bradshaw Mystery by Bernadette Pajer, "The Edison Effect" continues to be as captivating as the rest.
An electrical invention, lost in the first book, returns like Chekhov's gun as it's hotly pursued by Edison and other fortune seekers. At first Bradshaw refuses to assist in the search, but is dragged out of his peaceful life by the discovery of a body in the Bon Marché's window display. At the same time he is distracted by echoes of a family tragedy and the hope for a forbidden love. This is Bradshaw at his best, while facing his worst fears.
I was faced with the quandary that the books are only getting even better as the series continue, and yet having rated them also five stars I have no greater amount of stars to give. They're so impeccably researched they've been granted The Washington Academy of Sciences Seal of Approval. Fiction is so full of people either detestable but entertaining, or insipidly kind. Bradshaw himself is that rarest of protagonists - highly appealing to read about and yet you feel sure you'd be honored to know him in real life. Always human despite the inhuman acts he's investigating, I fully expect Professor Bradshaw to someday be on the lists of great literary detectives alongside Brother Cadfael and Miss Marple.
I highly recommended "The Edison Effect" to historical mystery fans, people from or living near Seattle, and anyone who appreciates sympathetic characters and a tightly-woven plot.
An electrical invention, lost in the first book, returns like Chekhov's gun as it's hotly pursued by Edison and other fortune seekers. At first Bradshaw refuses to assist in the search, but is dragged out of his peaceful life by the discovery of a body in the Bon Marché's window display. At the same time he is distracted by echoes of a family tragedy and the hope for a forbidden love. This is Bradshaw at his best, while facing his worst fears.
I was faced with the quandary that the books are only getting even better as the series continue, and yet having rated them also five stars I have no greater amount of stars to give. They're so impeccably researched they've been granted The Washington Academy of Sciences Seal of Approval. Fiction is so full of people either detestable but entertaining, or insipidly kind. Bradshaw himself is that rarest of protagonists - highly appealing to read about and yet you feel sure you'd be honored to know him in real life. Always human despite the inhuman acts he's investigating, I fully expect Professor Bradshaw to someday be on the lists of great literary detectives alongside Brother Cadfael and Miss Marple.
I highly recommended "The Edison Effect" to historical mystery fans, people from or living near Seattle, and anyone who appreciates sympathetic characters and a tightly-woven plot.
August 24, 2014
A dead man in the shop window, killed with a flick of electricity while stringing Thomas Edison's new holiday lights.
Professor Bradshaw is at it again: he is in the midst of solving a crime involving electricity. This time actually getting to meet his childhood idol, Thomas Edison. And this means he catches the attention of Edison's arch-enemy, alternating current advocate Nicholas Tesla, as well.
Professor Bradshaw takes copious notes, and uses his intuition to understand motives. He also has his emotional plate full. He is in love with Missouri, a woman that the Catholic Church (via a priest) abhors for the damage her ideas could do to Bradshaw's son.
Will love conquer all, or will the traditions and familiarity of Catholicism win both Bradshaw and his son?
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Professor Bradshaw is at it again: he is in the midst of solving a crime involving electricity. This time actually getting to meet his childhood idol, Thomas Edison. And this means he catches the attention of Edison's arch-enemy, alternating current advocate Nicholas Tesla, as well.
Professor Bradshaw takes copious notes, and uses his intuition to understand motives. He also has his emotional plate full. He is in love with Missouri, a woman that the Catholic Church (via a priest) abhors for the damage her ideas could do to Bradshaw's son.
Will love conquer all, or will the traditions and familiarity of Catholicism win both Bradshaw and his son?
http://martysreads.blogspot.com/2014/...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 12, 2014
I won this book from a good reads giveaway. It is the first book that I have read from Bernadette Pajar, and she has gained a new fan.
I love how all the characters seem like actual people, we have all read books and thought " no one is like that", this is not an issue in this book.
I also love the little snippets of history that she puts in her series.
I love how all the characters seem like actual people, we have all read books and thought " no one is like that", this is not an issue in this book.
I also love the little snippets of history that she puts in her series.
August 9, 2014
This is a significant improvement on the last book in the series with a good mystery blended in with some fascinating history of technology.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/0...
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/0...
November 30, 2014
The Edison Effect: Bernadette Pajer
When we think about electricity, the light bulb, the phonograph or anything involving electrics we immediate think Thomas Edison. Edison was a brilliant inventor and when he enters the office of electrical engineering Professor Benjamin Bradshaw the electricity that he emanates is far stronger than any of his inventions. The setting is Seattle and year 1903 as Edison wants Bradshaw to turn over what he has learned or knows about an invention created by the professor’s former student, Oscar Daulton. Here is where things get interesting, heated and the energy level raised within his office as Bradshaw and Edison faceoff. Oscar Daulton created something that dealt with direct electrical current and decided to take this invention and throw it into Elliot Bay. But, for years many divers have been trying to locate it or replicate what he did but to no avail. Just who might know more and where this invention might be is just part of what makes The Edison Effect an electrically charged and highly explosive novel. Bradshaw does not trust Edison and will not help him to find what Daulton created. A chain of events that leads to a murder at the Bon Marche where the head electrician dies in a suspicious manner with Edison’s Christmas lights in his hands.
But, this is just the beginning as Bradshaw’s help and skills are required by Detective O’Brien of the police department to help find out just who was behind the death of Vernon Doyle, dig into his life and learn the secrets that have been lying dormant for so long. But, the Professor has other things on his mind as he has been awaiting the return of his girlfriend and hope to soon be his wife, Missouri which causes him to question his faith, his belief in God and his religious values.
The primary focus is to find the invention and as Bradshaw investigates, learns more he too becomes vulnerable to attack as his home and his office are ransacked by someone known as Tycoon Tommy who finds his way into homes unseen. But, Bradshaw is not immune to Edison’s anger as he is being sued for created a microphone which Edison files a lawsuit against him for infringement of invention. Sidetracked waiting for Missouri to return he becomes distracted when he learns she is delaying her visit to watch the Wright Brothers attempt their first flight. That has to be exciting and I know that there are many today that would have loved to have seen them take off.
The time period does not allow for DNA testing but fingerprinting has now become part of their investigation and using the Bertillon Anthropometric System helps the investigators in their investigations. Hoping to find Oscar Daulton’s invention leads to many hidden secrets that come out as Chief Sullivan questions Bradshaw about his connection to Daulton and the invention. Beginning to investigate both the detective and Bradshaw start with the employees at the Bon Marche department store beginning with the store manager Ivar Olafson and then with a young window dresser named Billy whose appearance will give readers much pause of thought and wonder adding in Mr. Andrews their chief electrician and maintenance manager whose stories seem to veer in different directions. But, there are many more players that are anxious to weigh in on this invention including John Davenport Maddock who is Edison’s attorney who prides himself on creating lawsuits for his main client and really does not care if he wins hoping to destroy the person being sued. Maddock was greedy, underhanded and hoped to catch his visitors off guard. But, Bradshaw had his number right away not allowing himself to be intimidated.
With the aid of Henry Pratt his assistant and his investigative skills they uncover a mystery and web of deceit, lies and betrayals that are not only linked to Doyle and Daulton but to someone else too. Added in the author shares her knowledge of the old fashioned typewriter ribbons, how Bradshaw uncovers some vital information and how using this ribbon he learns how a dangerous man lured people out of their homes thinking they were going to receive something special from the Bon Marche. But, Filly Creasle had his own agenda that caused many in the employee of the Bon Marche to suffer, get fired or be demoted in order to foster his own agenda. Even bringing false charges and casting doubt and a huge cloud over the character of the store manager for his own self-worth and purpose did not deter this young man from trying to find his way to the top of the Bon Marche ladder. But, there are many who would defend Olarson and others who might not. Billy, the assistant window dresser worked with Troy Ruxauskas a window dresser and artist who was passed over for a promotion thanks to Billy. Trying to impress a young lady’s parents and hoping to be accept as her life partner, Troy really needed this promotion. The times were hard and the salaries were not the highest and Troy wanted to marry out of his station and not being worthy or rich enough comes into play as Bradshaw once again reminds readers as he is called in by his priest to discuss his religious beliefs, how he is bringing up his son and his future if there is one with Missouri whose religious beliefs are not quite what the priest would accept. Will he risk being excommunicated? Will Bradshaw drop Missouri or will he stand on his convictions?
Meet the wife of Vernon Doyle who presents yet another perspective of this man. Not well known or even well liked we learn just how he treated his sons and wife and wonder how they survived. Vernon Doyle’s character was suspect and he had made a deal with someone concerning the invention but who?
The chief electrician examined the lighting system and found no problems. Vernon Doyle appeared to be respected but was he liked? Edison was suing Bradshaw for his detective microphone that he had patented. Maddock was sly and did not want to speak to either the detective or Bradshaw and threats of taking him into custody to talk held no weight with him. Stating that his time or conversation with Doyle had no bearing on his death but was he telling the truth? Could someone have entered the store after hours and was hiding until it was time to strike? But, someone lured Bradshaw’s housekeeper Mrs. Prouty away from doing her duties and to Bon Marche pretending that she was to receive a special shopping experience there. As Bradshaw assesses the suspects the author in Chapter 14 sums up who might be guilty. Billy Creasle who was sly and made sure he moved up the Bon Marche ladder by lying about others and making sure they were fired or demoted. What about Ivar Olafson who might have wanted to get rid of Doyle to hide someone’s secret? What about Maggie Adkins, Doyle’s mistress and seamstress? Troy Ruzaukas the window dresser or even J.D. Maddock whose primary motive had to be greed and power were also prime suspects but what about the diver who took many others down to try and find the invention that Daulton threw overboard?
When Bradshaw decides to dive himself and wants to try and find the invention himself what happens will not only send someone else to the hospital who is close to Doyle but allows readers to see the cigar box, smell the sulfur and wonder just why Daulton killed three people for three different reasons and just how dangerous was this invention if found?
An ending that will be quite explosive and an investigator that will not give up until he finds the answers he needs as the invention in question is found but who finds it and how? Who killed Vernon Doyle and why? Where was the invention and when the crime is reenacted whose face will shine within the flame? When the culprit is caught and someone faces the inevitable truth just where will Edison’s loyalties lie and what will happen to the lawsuits against Bradshaw? With a touch of Adrian Monk, a slight pinch of Perry Mason and a definite huge helping of Poirot and his own special flare, Benjamin Bradshaw is an investigator not to be taken lightly and whose rise to fame along with his ability to investigate all things electric will definitely never be extinguished. One great novel that takes us back in time before all of the technology used to solve cases, author Bernadette Pajer allows readers inside the mind of an investigator that does it the old fashioned way and detective, like Columbo that writes it all down.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
When we think about electricity, the light bulb, the phonograph or anything involving electrics we immediate think Thomas Edison. Edison was a brilliant inventor and when he enters the office of electrical engineering Professor Benjamin Bradshaw the electricity that he emanates is far stronger than any of his inventions. The setting is Seattle and year 1903 as Edison wants Bradshaw to turn over what he has learned or knows about an invention created by the professor’s former student, Oscar Daulton. Here is where things get interesting, heated and the energy level raised within his office as Bradshaw and Edison faceoff. Oscar Daulton created something that dealt with direct electrical current and decided to take this invention and throw it into Elliot Bay. But, for years many divers have been trying to locate it or replicate what he did but to no avail. Just who might know more and where this invention might be is just part of what makes The Edison Effect an electrically charged and highly explosive novel. Bradshaw does not trust Edison and will not help him to find what Daulton created. A chain of events that leads to a murder at the Bon Marche where the head electrician dies in a suspicious manner with Edison’s Christmas lights in his hands.
But, this is just the beginning as Bradshaw’s help and skills are required by Detective O’Brien of the police department to help find out just who was behind the death of Vernon Doyle, dig into his life and learn the secrets that have been lying dormant for so long. But, the Professor has other things on his mind as he has been awaiting the return of his girlfriend and hope to soon be his wife, Missouri which causes him to question his faith, his belief in God and his religious values.
The primary focus is to find the invention and as Bradshaw investigates, learns more he too becomes vulnerable to attack as his home and his office are ransacked by someone known as Tycoon Tommy who finds his way into homes unseen. But, Bradshaw is not immune to Edison’s anger as he is being sued for created a microphone which Edison files a lawsuit against him for infringement of invention. Sidetracked waiting for Missouri to return he becomes distracted when he learns she is delaying her visit to watch the Wright Brothers attempt their first flight. That has to be exciting and I know that there are many today that would have loved to have seen them take off.
The time period does not allow for DNA testing but fingerprinting has now become part of their investigation and using the Bertillon Anthropometric System helps the investigators in their investigations. Hoping to find Oscar Daulton’s invention leads to many hidden secrets that come out as Chief Sullivan questions Bradshaw about his connection to Daulton and the invention. Beginning to investigate both the detective and Bradshaw start with the employees at the Bon Marche department store beginning with the store manager Ivar Olafson and then with a young window dresser named Billy whose appearance will give readers much pause of thought and wonder adding in Mr. Andrews their chief electrician and maintenance manager whose stories seem to veer in different directions. But, there are many more players that are anxious to weigh in on this invention including John Davenport Maddock who is Edison’s attorney who prides himself on creating lawsuits for his main client and really does not care if he wins hoping to destroy the person being sued. Maddock was greedy, underhanded and hoped to catch his visitors off guard. But, Bradshaw had his number right away not allowing himself to be intimidated.
With the aid of Henry Pratt his assistant and his investigative skills they uncover a mystery and web of deceit, lies and betrayals that are not only linked to Doyle and Daulton but to someone else too. Added in the author shares her knowledge of the old fashioned typewriter ribbons, how Bradshaw uncovers some vital information and how using this ribbon he learns how a dangerous man lured people out of their homes thinking they were going to receive something special from the Bon Marche. But, Filly Creasle had his own agenda that caused many in the employee of the Bon Marche to suffer, get fired or be demoted in order to foster his own agenda. Even bringing false charges and casting doubt and a huge cloud over the character of the store manager for his own self-worth and purpose did not deter this young man from trying to find his way to the top of the Bon Marche ladder. But, there are many who would defend Olarson and others who might not. Billy, the assistant window dresser worked with Troy Ruxauskas a window dresser and artist who was passed over for a promotion thanks to Billy. Trying to impress a young lady’s parents and hoping to be accept as her life partner, Troy really needed this promotion. The times were hard and the salaries were not the highest and Troy wanted to marry out of his station and not being worthy or rich enough comes into play as Bradshaw once again reminds readers as he is called in by his priest to discuss his religious beliefs, how he is bringing up his son and his future if there is one with Missouri whose religious beliefs are not quite what the priest would accept. Will he risk being excommunicated? Will Bradshaw drop Missouri or will he stand on his convictions?
Meet the wife of Vernon Doyle who presents yet another perspective of this man. Not well known or even well liked we learn just how he treated his sons and wife and wonder how they survived. Vernon Doyle’s character was suspect and he had made a deal with someone concerning the invention but who?
The chief electrician examined the lighting system and found no problems. Vernon Doyle appeared to be respected but was he liked? Edison was suing Bradshaw for his detective microphone that he had patented. Maddock was sly and did not want to speak to either the detective or Bradshaw and threats of taking him into custody to talk held no weight with him. Stating that his time or conversation with Doyle had no bearing on his death but was he telling the truth? Could someone have entered the store after hours and was hiding until it was time to strike? But, someone lured Bradshaw’s housekeeper Mrs. Prouty away from doing her duties and to Bon Marche pretending that she was to receive a special shopping experience there. As Bradshaw assesses the suspects the author in Chapter 14 sums up who might be guilty. Billy Creasle who was sly and made sure he moved up the Bon Marche ladder by lying about others and making sure they were fired or demoted. What about Ivar Olafson who might have wanted to get rid of Doyle to hide someone’s secret? What about Maggie Adkins, Doyle’s mistress and seamstress? Troy Ruzaukas the window dresser or even J.D. Maddock whose primary motive had to be greed and power were also prime suspects but what about the diver who took many others down to try and find the invention that Daulton threw overboard?
When Bradshaw decides to dive himself and wants to try and find the invention himself what happens will not only send someone else to the hospital who is close to Doyle but allows readers to see the cigar box, smell the sulfur and wonder just why Daulton killed three people for three different reasons and just how dangerous was this invention if found?
An ending that will be quite explosive and an investigator that will not give up until he finds the answers he needs as the invention in question is found but who finds it and how? Who killed Vernon Doyle and why? Where was the invention and when the crime is reenacted whose face will shine within the flame? When the culprit is caught and someone faces the inevitable truth just where will Edison’s loyalties lie and what will happen to the lawsuits against Bradshaw? With a touch of Adrian Monk, a slight pinch of Perry Mason and a definite huge helping of Poirot and his own special flare, Benjamin Bradshaw is an investigator not to be taken lightly and whose rise to fame along with his ability to investigate all things electric will definitely never be extinguished. One great novel that takes us back in time before all of the technology used to solve cases, author Bernadette Pajer allows readers inside the mind of an investigator that does it the old fashioned way and detective, like Columbo that writes it all down.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
March 22, 2015
I received a free kindle copy of The Edison Effect, A Professor Bradshaw Mystery by Bernadette Pajer, published by Poisoned Pen Press, Discover Mystery from NetGalley in exchange for fair review. I gave it three stars, only because it was a slow starter for the first third of the book.
The Edison Effect takes place in Seattle in 1903 when he arrives to look for a lost invention. Professor Benjamin Bradshaw is touched because Edison files a lawsuit for infringement of invention. There are many events triggered by Edison's arrival. Missouri, Professor Bradshaw's love is visiting to see if the Wright brothers will succeed in flight.
There is a body discovered in the display window of the department store The Bon Marche. The man had been electrocuted clutching a strand of Edison's Christmas lights.
The tools at hand to discover the killer are new ones, the Bertillon Anthropometric System along with fingerprinting. It's odd to think of fingerprinting as new. As far as the Bertillon Anthropometric System, it's now used to enhance ergonomically designed office furniture rather than in any criminal investigation.
The invention of Oscar Daulton's was thrown overboard. Daulton was hanged two years prior. Chief Sullivan wanted to know why Professor Bradshaw was connecting this with the murder of the electrician.
"Sullivan scowled, but Bradshaw felt no need to defend himself. He might help the police, but he didn't play the games of power that at times crippled the department. His single-minded goal was to find the truth of the matter. His methods would not be swayed by police or city politics."
When Professor Bradshaw was questioning co-workers of Mr. Doyle, the murdered man, about whether he had any enemies someone explained: "He was full of himself. He was always saying, 'In the beginning, God said, 'Let there be light,' then He created the electrician to distribute it.'"
Bradshaw had heard the expression only it was linemen, not electricians to distribute light.
Edison's attorney was John Davenport Maddock. When he met Professor Bradshaw he said: "My friends call me J.D., & I hope you will, too.'
"'Thank you, Mr. Maddock.' Bradshaw trusted instant informality even less than exuberant praise."
The description of Maddock's office showed it served as double-duty as his living quarters. "A fold-up bed was secured to the wall, its rectangular undersurface inadequately disguised with a poster of the Edison film, The Great Train Robbery, on which a narrow-eyed cowbowy with a fat mustache & a handkerchief at his throat leveled a pistol directly at anyone sitting in Maddock's guest chairs.
I suppose the attorney's acerbic wit was not enough to disarm his guests, so he used a prop.
In describing the Seattle of 1903, there seemed to be perpetual motion. It was described as: "The rat-a-tat of a tapping telegraph key greeted Bradshaw as he approached the door to his own office in the Bailey Building, a couple blocks from the Globe. He wondered wnat it would be like if all the various tapping and hammering, banging and clanging sounds of the city could be brought into harmony to form a symphony, rather than unnerving discord."
Henry Pratt was Bradshaw's Assistant. As Bradshaw was walking into his office, he heard a string of cuss words.
"Taller than Bradshaw, broader, gruffer, but no less intelligent, Henry Pratt had the physique of a logger, the speech of a miner, & the education of a scholar. He could, if he disciplined himself, fit in with the highest echelons of society, but he preferred the dives of the lower regions where, it said, it was easier to spot the liars & cheats."
Officer O'Brien & Henry weere comparing notes about what they had discovered at the Bon. They both "cringed at the shoe salesman's use of 'overly fond' & 'smitten' in regards to Mr. Olafson's feelings toward the boys & Billy Creasle." I understand their cringing. Just a hint of that type of thing can destroy a man's reputation for life even if he is not guilty.
Troy Ruzauskas is a window dresser & artist who had been passed over for promotion because of Billy Creasle's unscrupulous tactics. Bradshaw went to visit him for an interview. The young man bared his soul to the Professor, especially in regard to wanting to marry a wealthy young woman. He is stuggling to make a living so her parents will accept him & she can live in a way he believes she deserves.
"I understand,' Bradshaw said. He understood more than the young man knew. He understood the fear, the desperation, the feeling of unworthiness. But in his own case, the chief obstacle between him & the woman he loved was religion, not money."
He left the Bon & wanted to get away for everything was grating against his nerves. He wasn't ready to be cheerful. He wanted to be alone in his quandry about Missouri.
He went to the observatory & in looking at the night sky felt insignificant & gained perspective.
Later he went to interview Mrs. Doyle. He asked if anyone had been angry with her husband.
"She shrugged & shook her head. 'Most people liked him well enough, I think.'
'But he could be difficult, like he was with his sons & family?'
'Oh, no. He was different outside the home.'
"Bradshaw understood her meaning. Wasn't he the same? Weren't most people? With masks of social appropriateness & good manners worn in public, & true emotions, often the most hurtful,unleashed at home? Wasn't that why he'd chosen to work late last night, so that he wouldn't expose his son to his confused & angry mood?"
As Bradshaw is tinkering with a device in an attempt to locate the lost invention of Daulton's that had been thrown overboard off the ferry, O'Brien says: "You know, it's sometimes quite fun being friends with an inventor. You have an ingenious solution for everything."
One thing I found interesting was they used an iron to toast the bread & melt the cheese on their sandwich. I've done that myself.
Bradshaw bought a ring on the spur of the moment before he went to visit Father Mcguinness to see if a special dispensation could be made so that he could marry Missouri.
Will the missing invention be found? Will Bradshaw decide to marry Missouri without the blessing of the church? Will the murderer be found before he kills someone else? Will whoever burgled Bradshaw's house be found?
The last third of the book was interesting, but still did not bring it higher than three stars.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1464...
The Edison Effect takes place in Seattle in 1903 when he arrives to look for a lost invention. Professor Benjamin Bradshaw is touched because Edison files a lawsuit for infringement of invention. There are many events triggered by Edison's arrival. Missouri, Professor Bradshaw's love is visiting to see if the Wright brothers will succeed in flight.
There is a body discovered in the display window of the department store The Bon Marche. The man had been electrocuted clutching a strand of Edison's Christmas lights.
The tools at hand to discover the killer are new ones, the Bertillon Anthropometric System along with fingerprinting. It's odd to think of fingerprinting as new. As far as the Bertillon Anthropometric System, it's now used to enhance ergonomically designed office furniture rather than in any criminal investigation.
The invention of Oscar Daulton's was thrown overboard. Daulton was hanged two years prior. Chief Sullivan wanted to know why Professor Bradshaw was connecting this with the murder of the electrician.
"Sullivan scowled, but Bradshaw felt no need to defend himself. He might help the police, but he didn't play the games of power that at times crippled the department. His single-minded goal was to find the truth of the matter. His methods would not be swayed by police or city politics."
When Professor Bradshaw was questioning co-workers of Mr. Doyle, the murdered man, about whether he had any enemies someone explained: "He was full of himself. He was always saying, 'In the beginning, God said, 'Let there be light,' then He created the electrician to distribute it.'"
Bradshaw had heard the expression only it was linemen, not electricians to distribute light.
Edison's attorney was John Davenport Maddock. When he met Professor Bradshaw he said: "My friends call me J.D., & I hope you will, too.'
"'Thank you, Mr. Maddock.' Bradshaw trusted instant informality even less than exuberant praise."
The description of Maddock's office showed it served as double-duty as his living quarters. "A fold-up bed was secured to the wall, its rectangular undersurface inadequately disguised with a poster of the Edison film, The Great Train Robbery, on which a narrow-eyed cowbowy with a fat mustache & a handkerchief at his throat leveled a pistol directly at anyone sitting in Maddock's guest chairs.
I suppose the attorney's acerbic wit was not enough to disarm his guests, so he used a prop.
In describing the Seattle of 1903, there seemed to be perpetual motion. It was described as: "The rat-a-tat of a tapping telegraph key greeted Bradshaw as he approached the door to his own office in the Bailey Building, a couple blocks from the Globe. He wondered wnat it would be like if all the various tapping and hammering, banging and clanging sounds of the city could be brought into harmony to form a symphony, rather than unnerving discord."
Henry Pratt was Bradshaw's Assistant. As Bradshaw was walking into his office, he heard a string of cuss words.
"Taller than Bradshaw, broader, gruffer, but no less intelligent, Henry Pratt had the physique of a logger, the speech of a miner, & the education of a scholar. He could, if he disciplined himself, fit in with the highest echelons of society, but he preferred the dives of the lower regions where, it said, it was easier to spot the liars & cheats."
Officer O'Brien & Henry weere comparing notes about what they had discovered at the Bon. They both "cringed at the shoe salesman's use of 'overly fond' & 'smitten' in regards to Mr. Olafson's feelings toward the boys & Billy Creasle." I understand their cringing. Just a hint of that type of thing can destroy a man's reputation for life even if he is not guilty.
Troy Ruzauskas is a window dresser & artist who had been passed over for promotion because of Billy Creasle's unscrupulous tactics. Bradshaw went to visit him for an interview. The young man bared his soul to the Professor, especially in regard to wanting to marry a wealthy young woman. He is stuggling to make a living so her parents will accept him & she can live in a way he believes she deserves.
"I understand,' Bradshaw said. He understood more than the young man knew. He understood the fear, the desperation, the feeling of unworthiness. But in his own case, the chief obstacle between him & the woman he loved was religion, not money."
He left the Bon & wanted to get away for everything was grating against his nerves. He wasn't ready to be cheerful. He wanted to be alone in his quandry about Missouri.
He went to the observatory & in looking at the night sky felt insignificant & gained perspective.
Later he went to interview Mrs. Doyle. He asked if anyone had been angry with her husband.
"She shrugged & shook her head. 'Most people liked him well enough, I think.'
'But he could be difficult, like he was with his sons & family?'
'Oh, no. He was different outside the home.'
"Bradshaw understood her meaning. Wasn't he the same? Weren't most people? With masks of social appropriateness & good manners worn in public, & true emotions, often the most hurtful,unleashed at home? Wasn't that why he'd chosen to work late last night, so that he wouldn't expose his son to his confused & angry mood?"
As Bradshaw is tinkering with a device in an attempt to locate the lost invention of Daulton's that had been thrown overboard off the ferry, O'Brien says: "You know, it's sometimes quite fun being friends with an inventor. You have an ingenious solution for everything."
One thing I found interesting was they used an iron to toast the bread & melt the cheese on their sandwich. I've done that myself.
Bradshaw bought a ring on the spur of the moment before he went to visit Father Mcguinness to see if a special dispensation could be made so that he could marry Missouri.
Will the missing invention be found? Will Bradshaw decide to marry Missouri without the blessing of the church? Will the murderer be found before he kills someone else? Will whoever burgled Bradshaw's house be found?
The last third of the book was interesting, but still did not bring it higher than three stars.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1464...
August 19, 2018
Pajer's Professor Bradshaw stories are set in Seattle in the opening years of the 20th century. Scientist, inventor, part-time police consultant, Professor Bradshaw is asked to help investigate the death of an employee of the Bon Marche, electrocuted as he connected several strings of Edison's new Christmas 'festoons' (lights). Several suspects come to notice but none really strike Bradshaw as the murderer. His mind is divided in its attention between the case and his intentions toward Missouri Fremont, the niece of his best friend Henry Pratt. Thomas Edison makes an appearance leading Bradshaw to think the death is somehow related to the mysterious device lost in Elliot Bay in an earlier story.
The author weaves a satisfactory tale while describing a Seattle that existed over 100 years ago. The settings are done effectively though the specific period references are at times heavy handed. The characters are sufficiently complex and represent a host of human strengths and flaws. Along the way Bradshaw encounters greed, ambition, and immorality while struggling with personal crises involving his young son and his religious beliefs.
Having only read two installments at this time, volume four is distinctly better than volume two.
The author weaves a satisfactory tale while describing a Seattle that existed over 100 years ago. The settings are done effectively though the specific period references are at times heavy handed. The characters are sufficiently complex and represent a host of human strengths and flaws. Along the way Bradshaw encounters greed, ambition, and immorality while struggling with personal crises involving his young son and his religious beliefs.
Having only read two installments at this time, volume four is distinctly better than volume two.
December 14, 2021
Sad that this is the last in the series. I didn't understand a lot of the science involved, but I enjoyed the stories.
March 5, 2015
Professor Benjamin Bradshaw is back in Pajer’s fourth book in her popular mystery series. The Edison Effect is set in Seattle Washington, during the 1903 Christmas Season. Not many of us remember Christmas trees without lights on them. I am of a certain age that used to have big lights on the tree that got so hot you could only leave them on for a short time. Now we can choose LED lights, strings of one color, twinkling, dripping and flashing lights.
In the early 1900’s Edison was just introducing them for the holiday season. Unfortunately, an electrician at one of the most popular department stores in Seattle is found dead with a strand of them in his hands. It is soon apparent that his demise was brought about by touching bare wires while the current was still on. Foul play was suspected so Professor Bradshaw, a respected investigator that helped the local police whenever electricity was involved in a case, was called in to help.
It appears that the corpse has more in common with Edison than dying by his new invention. It appears that both of them are hunting for the invention that was tossed overboard in Pajer’s first novel in the series, A Spark of Death. The search for this box has consumed many in the area, some of whom are willing to lie, cheat, steal and possibly kill to see what it holds. Certainly Edison would not stoop so low, but he really comes across as a ruthless business man, with an aggressive lawyer who is willing to sue anyone at the drop of a hat.
Bradshaw quickly finds out the dead man has more enemies than friends. It seems almost everyone close to the case could be the killer. The complexity of the case has Bradshaw going to great lengths, pushing himself past his comfort level in order to track down the truth.
While all of this is going on, Professor Bradshaw’s in the middle of a moral dilemma. Missouri, the woman he loves, is studying homeopathic medicine, is younger than him and does not agree with the doctrine of the Catholic Church. He loves her with all his heart and his young son adores her. But how can he marry a woman with beliefs so vastly different from his?
The Edison Effect is deceptively complex. It has many layers and plot lines that intersect, wrap around each other and end up perfectly tied to each other in the end. Much like the other books in this series, history, science and everyday life in the early 1900’s is beautifully added to the novel. I love books that teach me something while I am enjoying a fictional novel. Once again, Pajer’s novel has been “reviewed and approved for science” by the Washington Academy of Sciences. This is a really fun way to learn more about the science of things we take for granted in our lives today.
Capacity-for-Murder-by-Bernadette-Pajer I would really recommend reading the first three books in this series. I have only read the third and fourth books starting with Capacity for Murder (read my review here: https://lauramhartman.wordpress.com/2... ) before reading this book. The Edison Effect as well as Capacity for Murder work perfectly well as a stand-alone novels, but book four relies heavily on the story line from the first book of the series, A Spark of Death. My suggestion would be reading them in order. You don’t want to know who the killer is in book one, and you will if you read The Edison Effect first.
Copyright © 2015 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
In the early 1900’s Edison was just introducing them for the holiday season. Unfortunately, an electrician at one of the most popular department stores in Seattle is found dead with a strand of them in his hands. It is soon apparent that his demise was brought about by touching bare wires while the current was still on. Foul play was suspected so Professor Bradshaw, a respected investigator that helped the local police whenever electricity was involved in a case, was called in to help.
It appears that the corpse has more in common with Edison than dying by his new invention. It appears that both of them are hunting for the invention that was tossed overboard in Pajer’s first novel in the series, A Spark of Death. The search for this box has consumed many in the area, some of whom are willing to lie, cheat, steal and possibly kill to see what it holds. Certainly Edison would not stoop so low, but he really comes across as a ruthless business man, with an aggressive lawyer who is willing to sue anyone at the drop of a hat.
Bradshaw quickly finds out the dead man has more enemies than friends. It seems almost everyone close to the case could be the killer. The complexity of the case has Bradshaw going to great lengths, pushing himself past his comfort level in order to track down the truth.
While all of this is going on, Professor Bradshaw’s in the middle of a moral dilemma. Missouri, the woman he loves, is studying homeopathic medicine, is younger than him and does not agree with the doctrine of the Catholic Church. He loves her with all his heart and his young son adores her. But how can he marry a woman with beliefs so vastly different from his?
The Edison Effect is deceptively complex. It has many layers and plot lines that intersect, wrap around each other and end up perfectly tied to each other in the end. Much like the other books in this series, history, science and everyday life in the early 1900’s is beautifully added to the novel. I love books that teach me something while I am enjoying a fictional novel. Once again, Pajer’s novel has been “reviewed and approved for science” by the Washington Academy of Sciences. This is a really fun way to learn more about the science of things we take for granted in our lives today.
Capacity-for-Murder-by-Bernadette-Pajer I would really recommend reading the first three books in this series. I have only read the third and fourth books starting with Capacity for Murder (read my review here: https://lauramhartman.wordpress.com/2... ) before reading this book. The Edison Effect as well as Capacity for Murder work perfectly well as a stand-alone novels, but book four relies heavily on the story line from the first book of the series, A Spark of Death. My suggestion would be reading them in order. You don’t want to know who the killer is in book one, and you will if you read The Edison Effect first.
Copyright © 2015 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
September 21, 2014
Bernadette Pajer continues to charm readers with The Edison Effect, #4 in her Professor Benjamin Bradshaw mysteries set in early 1900s Seattle. The Christmas season is rapidly approaching and department stores are gearing up with the latest holiday decorations...including Thomas Edison's new stringed holiday lights. But the festive colored bulbs aren't the only evidence of Edison's presence in Seattle. Edison, a ruthless business man who seeks control of every electrical patent he can get his hands on, has sent agents to Bradshaw's city in search of the misbegotten invention of one of Bradshaw's former students (see book #1, A Spark of Death). Edison himself asks Bradshaw for information about the device, but the good professor tells him as little as possible. Before long Edison's agents have struck a deal with a local diver to try and locate the box which had been tossed from a ferry into waters of the bay. Bradshaw hopes that the device will stay lost, but realizes that someone might find it...and that if someone does maybe it should be him.
But then an electrician employed by the Bon Marché Department store is found electrocuted in a store display window. He is clutching a string of Edison's holiday lights. Bradshaw, the police department's resident expert in electricity, is called upon to investigate the death and he and Detective O'Brien must determine what connection there is to Edison and is search for the missing device--if any. For the connection to Edison isn't the only possibility, there are in-store rivalries, a wife who has been cheated on, and a mistress in the offing as well. Bradshaw's task isn't made any easier by worries at home. His courtship of Missouri Fremont has reached a critical point and he must make decisions that will affect his relationship to Missouri and his personal faith. Will he be able to resolve the murder, the mystery of the missing device, and his feelings for Missouri in time for Christmas?
This fourth entry in the Bradshaw mysteries series is every bit as delightful as the previous stories. The historical and scientific details are smoothly integrated into the story--just enough to solidly anchor the series and provide a realistic tale without weighing down the narrative with too much information or highly technical facts. Bradshaw is a wonderfully flawed individual--facing his fears and doubts with all-too-human responses and working his way through murders and relationship mysteries with thoughtful, soul-searching. And it is fun to watch his relationships with his friends, his son, and, of course, Missouri grow and develop. The people in Pajer's books are more than just characters, they have become friends who I greet warmly when I begin the latest installment and who I miss until the next story is available.
I highly recommend the Bradshaw books to anyone who enjoys mysteries or historical novels with great characterization and interesting mysteries. Who knew there were so many ways to polish people off using electricity?
[First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. Disclaimer: This book was offered to me as an advanced reader's copy for impartial review. I have received no compensation whatsoever and all comments are my honest opinion.]
But then an electrician employed by the Bon Marché Department store is found electrocuted in a store display window. He is clutching a string of Edison's holiday lights. Bradshaw, the police department's resident expert in electricity, is called upon to investigate the death and he and Detective O'Brien must determine what connection there is to Edison and is search for the missing device--if any. For the connection to Edison isn't the only possibility, there are in-store rivalries, a wife who has been cheated on, and a mistress in the offing as well. Bradshaw's task isn't made any easier by worries at home. His courtship of Missouri Fremont has reached a critical point and he must make decisions that will affect his relationship to Missouri and his personal faith. Will he be able to resolve the murder, the mystery of the missing device, and his feelings for Missouri in time for Christmas?
This fourth entry in the Bradshaw mysteries series is every bit as delightful as the previous stories. The historical and scientific details are smoothly integrated into the story--just enough to solidly anchor the series and provide a realistic tale without weighing down the narrative with too much information or highly technical facts. Bradshaw is a wonderfully flawed individual--facing his fears and doubts with all-too-human responses and working his way through murders and relationship mysteries with thoughtful, soul-searching. And it is fun to watch his relationships with his friends, his son, and, of course, Missouri grow and develop. The people in Pajer's books are more than just characters, they have become friends who I greet warmly when I begin the latest installment and who I miss until the next story is available.
I highly recommend the Bradshaw books to anyone who enjoys mysteries or historical novels with great characterization and interesting mysteries. Who knew there were so many ways to polish people off using electricity?
[First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. Disclaimer: This book was offered to me as an advanced reader's copy for impartial review. I have received no compensation whatsoever and all comments are my honest opinion.]
October 18, 2014
Bernadette Pajer in her new book, “The Edison Effect” Book Four in the A Professor Bradshaw Mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press gives us another adventure with Professor Bradshaw.
From the back cover: Inventor Thomas Alva Edison is also a ruthless businessman, intent on furthering his patents and General Electric and beating rivals like Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse. Edison has agents in place in Seattle but he’s come himself in pursuit of a mysterious invention lost in 1901 in Elliott Bay. When Edison asks for information, few refuse. But not University of Washington Professor Benjamin Bradshaw who’s earned a reputation as a private investigator where science—electricity—is concerned. Bradshaw hopes that the lost device, one conceived in anger by an anarchist and harnessed for murder, will elude Edison’s hired divers.
Soon, one December morning, 1903, the Bon Marché’s Department Store electrician is found dead in the Men’s Wear Window clutching a festoon of Edison’s new holiday lights. Bradshaw believes Edison had set a dangerous game in motion. Motives multiply as the dead man’s secrets surface alongside rivalries at the Bon Marché. Bradshaw, his sleuthing partner Henry Pratt, and the Seattle PD’s Detective O’Brien pursue leads, but none spark Bradshaw’s intuition. His heart is not in the investigation but in a courtship that will force him to defy his Catholic faith or lose his beloved, Missouri. Then a crossroads in the case forces him to face his personal fears and his first professional failure. Whatever the outcomes, his life is about to change…
Thomas Edison did not invent electricity. Shocked? Sorry, it is true. Edison did invent the way to get the electricity into our homes for all our electric usages. According to his bio the Spencer Tracy movie version of him is not quite true. Whatever the case adding him into the mix for this murder mystery is quite a feat. Imagine you go out for a brisk walk, it is invigorating and the world goes by quickly. That is exactly how Ms. Pajer paced this book. It is invigorating and the action keeps coming at you at a brisk clip. Professor Bradshaw has his hands full as he helps the police try to solve the murder of a window dresser in a department store window. This is quite a complex plot and I have news for you only Professor Bradshaw is going to be able to figure this one out. Danger, Mayhem, Thrills and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. There are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “The Edison Effect” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Ms. Pajer has provided us with a fairly exciting book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Inventor Thomas Alva Edison is also a ruthless businessman, intent on furthering his patents and General Electric and beating rivals like Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse. Edison has agents in place in Seattle but he’s come himself in pursuit of a mysterious invention lost in 1901 in Elliott Bay. When Edison asks for information, few refuse. But not University of Washington Professor Benjamin Bradshaw who’s earned a reputation as a private investigator where science—electricity—is concerned. Bradshaw hopes that the lost device, one conceived in anger by an anarchist and harnessed for murder, will elude Edison’s hired divers.
Soon, one December morning, 1903, the Bon Marché’s Department Store electrician is found dead in the Men’s Wear Window clutching a festoon of Edison’s new holiday lights. Bradshaw believes Edison had set a dangerous game in motion. Motives multiply as the dead man’s secrets surface alongside rivalries at the Bon Marché. Bradshaw, his sleuthing partner Henry Pratt, and the Seattle PD’s Detective O’Brien pursue leads, but none spark Bradshaw’s intuition. His heart is not in the investigation but in a courtship that will force him to defy his Catholic faith or lose his beloved, Missouri. Then a crossroads in the case forces him to face his personal fears and his first professional failure. Whatever the outcomes, his life is about to change…
Thomas Edison did not invent electricity. Shocked? Sorry, it is true. Edison did invent the way to get the electricity into our homes for all our electric usages. According to his bio the Spencer Tracy movie version of him is not quite true. Whatever the case adding him into the mix for this murder mystery is quite a feat. Imagine you go out for a brisk walk, it is invigorating and the world goes by quickly. That is exactly how Ms. Pajer paced this book. It is invigorating and the action keeps coming at you at a brisk clip. Professor Bradshaw has his hands full as he helps the police try to solve the murder of a window dresser in a department store window. This is quite a complex plot and I have news for you only Professor Bradshaw is going to be able to figure this one out. Danger, Mayhem, Thrills and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. There are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “The Edison Effect” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Ms. Pajer has provided us with a fairly exciting book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 31, 2014
Bernadette Pajer’s historical fiction is filled with known and obscure historical fiction that make reading her Professor Bradshaw series enjoyable. The famous Thomas Alva Edison makes an appearance early in the book and lends substantial tension to the story as it unfolds. I wonder how many people know that Edison “was a ruthless businessman, intent on furthering his patents and General Electric and beating rivals like Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse.” I have to admit that I did not know this about the man that we revere for bringing us the light bulb.
In this early stage of electricity - 1903 - an electrician is found dead in a Bon Marche Department Store window where he was working with the newfangled strings of Christmas lights invented by Edison. Couple his murder with an invention that has been lost in the Elliott Bay off Seattle, an invention that Edison is determined to have regardless of the shady circumstances, and Professor Bradshaw is back on the job as an amateur sleuth.
Bradshaw is determined to thwart Edison’s efforts to find the deadly lost device, which was created by an anarchist. Edison attempts to use Bradshaw for his own selfish reasons, but he is caught off guard by Bradshaw’s intelligent and illusive actions to obstruct his plans.
The device is at the bottom of the bay and all attempts to find it have been as futile as Bradshaw’s attempts to bring closure to the problems between himself and Missouri, the young woman he loves, a winning subplot. Bradshaw’s trusted partners in solving crime and uncovering mysteries, novice investigator, Henry Pratt, and police Detective O’Brien, are on the job and wondering why Bradshaw doesn’t face his personal problems with Missouri realistically.
A well-constructed mystery loaded with tension—professional and personal—multi-dimensional characters, and excellent pacing.
In this early stage of electricity - 1903 - an electrician is found dead in a Bon Marche Department Store window where he was working with the newfangled strings of Christmas lights invented by Edison. Couple his murder with an invention that has been lost in the Elliott Bay off Seattle, an invention that Edison is determined to have regardless of the shady circumstances, and Professor Bradshaw is back on the job as an amateur sleuth.
Bradshaw is determined to thwart Edison’s efforts to find the deadly lost device, which was created by an anarchist. Edison attempts to use Bradshaw for his own selfish reasons, but he is caught off guard by Bradshaw’s intelligent and illusive actions to obstruct his plans.
The device is at the bottom of the bay and all attempts to find it have been as futile as Bradshaw’s attempts to bring closure to the problems between himself and Missouri, the young woman he loves, a winning subplot. Bradshaw’s trusted partners in solving crime and uncovering mysteries, novice investigator, Henry Pratt, and police Detective O’Brien, are on the job and wondering why Bradshaw doesn’t face his personal problems with Missouri realistically.
A well-constructed mystery loaded with tension—professional and personal—multi-dimensional characters, and excellent pacing.
February 3, 2015
The fourth book in the Professor Bradshaw series finds Bradshaw drawn in to a search for the mysterious device created by Oscar Daulton, the would be assassin from the first Bradshaw mystery. Thomas Edison is searching for the box that he hopes will become another valuable device & patent in his ruthless climb to the top in the ever emerging electric business. Initially, Bradshaw wants no part in the search for what he considers an evil device, but when an electrician is found dead clutching a string of Edison's new Christmas lights in a window display at the Bon Marche everything changes. Detective O'Brien calls upon his friend to help in the investigation & thus the professor becomes embroiled in the search. Is the search for the device involved in the death & if so who is responsible? Can Bradshaw solve the mystery & find the box before more people suffer? Will troubles in his personal life affect his sleuthing abilities? A wonderful & exciting read!
January 18, 2015
Another winning entry in the Professor Bradshaw Mystery series by Bernadette Pajer. Her curious and somewhat befuddled electrical engineer and the quaint, young city by the sea are charming companions.
In these books, early Seattle is it's own character and this book keeps it interesting and alive. We're even introduced into some of the seedier neighborhoods and their denizens, without it quite becoming turn of the 20th century noir.
This story starts with a quite simple mystery. Who electrocuted the Bon Marche electrician installing the Christmas lights? But as Bradshaw and the police start asking questions, they always seem to wind up with more questions than answers and more suspects than they need. The writing is engaging, with clear cut characters and richly drawn settings. It's not a wild ride, but it's fun and puzzling right to the end. Recommended.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.
In these books, early Seattle is it's own character and this book keeps it interesting and alive. We're even introduced into some of the seedier neighborhoods and their denizens, without it quite becoming turn of the 20th century noir.
This story starts with a quite simple mystery. Who electrocuted the Bon Marche electrician installing the Christmas lights? But as Bradshaw and the police start asking questions, they always seem to wind up with more questions than answers and more suspects than they need. The writing is engaging, with clear cut characters and richly drawn settings. It's not a wild ride, but it's fun and puzzling right to the end. Recommended.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review.
October 17, 2014
My favorite part of Bernadette Pajer's The Edison Effect was its historical setting. We are so used to electricity! It was fascinating to enter a world in which electrical power was a chancy thing, and also a marvel.
The Edison Effect is a solid mystery novel, with good characterization and plotting. I'm sure some of the plot elements that referenced previous novels would have been more meaningful had I read them, but the context explained what needed explanation, so one could definitely start here. I think I will be looking for other books in the series!
This was a well-written novel, set in an age and place that is not a cliche. I liked it a lot, and expect other mystery fans will, too.
I got this book in exchange for a fair review on Rambles.net.
The Edison Effect is a solid mystery novel, with good characterization and plotting. I'm sure some of the plot elements that referenced previous novels would have been more meaningful had I read them, but the context explained what needed explanation, so one could definitely start here. I think I will be looking for other books in the series!
This was a well-written novel, set in an age and place that is not a cliche. I liked it a lot, and expect other mystery fans will, too.
I got this book in exchange for a fair review on Rambles.net.
Read
November 2, 2014Fun to read while in Seattle in the pre-Christmas season. Like The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, I wonder what non-Seattleites think. I heard Bernadette Pajer talk about the painstaking research she does to ensure historical accuracy. If she says the streetcar stopped on Pike in December 1905, it did.
June 18, 2015
The murder of a store electrician has Professor Bradshaw helping the police solve the crime. His expertise in electricity helps lead to solving the crime. It brings up a search for a device that one of his students had invented that lots of people wanted. Does not put a good light on Thomas Edison. Lots of suspects to wade thru. The professor overcomes his fear of diving and has to do some serious thinking about his relationship with Missouri.
November 20, 2016
This is a great series, especially if you enjoy historical mysteries. Unfortunately, there are only four of them--this is the last in the short series. The books are set in Seattle in 1900, when electricity was still very much a mysterious force. Professor Bradshaw is an expert in electricity, and gets involved in cases of murder when his expertise in this new frontier of electrical technology is involved. Steampunk fans would enjoy these also, I expect.
November 29, 2016
After a very good third installment we're, unfortunately, back where we started; propelled by electricity alone and by character not at all. You're untouched by the murders and the plot... The plot... Oh, who cares?! Even though I finished the book less than 24 hours ago, I can't for my life remember who did the deeds or why.
2 measly stars on account of uninterested out of my skull-amnesia. (Being a binge buyer, it's a good thing the series was short.)
2 measly stars on account of uninterested out of my skull-amnesia. (Being a binge buyer, it's a good thing the series was short.)
July 20, 2017
I received this book from the Goodreads First Read giveaway listed by Poison Pen Press.
I have not read any of the other Professor Bradshaw books by Bernadette Pajer, but The Edison Effect has me wanting more!
It was a good read. I recommend it if you enjoy historical fictions with some added mystery!
I have not read any of the other Professor Bradshaw books by Bernadette Pajer, but The Edison Effect has me wanting more!
It was a good read. I recommend it if you enjoy historical fictions with some added mystery!
October 30, 2014
As a native of Seattle, I really enjoy the historical reconstruction of life in the city presented in this series of novels. The wealth of detail makes them very convincing.
February 20, 2015
I hate not finishing murder mysteries, but this one is horrible. I read the earlier ones. This book is a bunch of rehashing and angst.
February 10, 2015
Best one yet! The observatory at the UW is a favorite place of mine, so I especially enjoyed its connection.
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