The Mysteries of Marquette

by Tyler R Tichelaar

BLACKMAIL!
THEFT!
CORRUPTION!
MURDER!
When the Marquis de Marquette chooses to spend the summer of 1908 in Marquette, Michigan, a city named for his illustrious Jesuit relative, the residents are all astir with excitement. People begin vying to rub shoulders with the marquis, but he remains very private until he hosts a masquerade ball at the Hotel Superior. Only the finest families are invited, and even they feel slighted when he has eyes for only one dance partner.
Soon, inexplicable events begin to occur, events that threaten to expose the secrets of some of Marquette’s finest families. People begin to play a dangerous game to expose others’ crimes while maintaining their own façade of respectability.
When all is over, who will have survived the marquis’ revenge? Will it
Carolina Smith, the lonely, snobbish widow of a judge?
Peter White, city father, businessman, and philanthropist?
Alice Melmotte, a young woman not above blackmail?
Lysander Blackmore, the handsome ne’er-do-well thwarted in love?
Eliza Sidney, the cross-dressing orphan and heiress?
Father Rodin, the priest who knows everyone’s secrets?
From convent to brothel, from masquerade to carnival, and from upper-class homes to prison cells, this sweeping epic of crime, passion, family secrets, and redemption introduces new characters to Tyler R. Tichelaar’s already large cast of Marquette characters. It is the darkest and richest treat yet from his prolific and phantasmagorical pen.
More at MarquetteFiction.com

828 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2024

Reviews

[Robert burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is mystery, suspense, murder, missing persons and more in The Mysteries of Marquette to keep the reader entertained. Tyler Tichelaar has written a novel that reads flawlessly between the plots to get to the final mystery. This historical suspense novel kept me reading far into the night.

[Anneliese Thalberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mysteries of Marquette is the kind of story that sweeps you away completely. Tyler combines gothic tropes masked balls, secret sins, hidden romances with the grit of real history. What I appreciated most was the emotional core: this isn’t just about crime, it’s about people wrestling with love, ambition, and survival. Every character felt like someone I could meet on the street, even in their darkest moments. It’s rare to find a book this long that never loses its momentum, but somehow Tyler makes it work.

[Markson Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler Tichelaar has written the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story it builds an entire world. Marquette in 1908 becomes a stage for scandal, betrayal, and dark secrets that feel all too human. What struck me most is how well he balances atmosphere with pacing; the masquerade ball is lush and glamorous, yet underneath the beauty lurks danger. At over a thousand pages, it could have dragged, but I never once felt bored. Every storyline paid off, every character revealed new depths. This is gothic fiction at its absolute best.

[Kristin Semelka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few novels have this level of scope. Tyler manages to take readers from convent walls to carnival tents, from gilded parlors to prison cells and none of it feels out of place. I was constantly surprised by how layered the story became. The Marquis de Marquette is fascinating: charming, mysterious, and terrifying all at once. The tension between him and the city’s elite made for some of the best reading I’ve done this year.

[Grace Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this novel felt like stepping through a portal. The ballrooms glitter, the convents brood, and even the shadows of the brothel are written with care. Every page drips with atmosphere. What I loved most is how Tyler doesn’t just describe places, he makes them breathe the Hotel Superior, for instance, is almost a character in its own right. Add to that a plot full of blackmail, betrayal, and redemption, and you’ve got a novel you can’t escape.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t a mystery you solve easily, it’s one you live through. Each character hides something, and each secret leads to another revelation. I loved how the crimes weren’t just about greed or lust, but about pride, shame, and the desperate need to be respected. The moral questions raised here made the book even more powerful.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love long, immersive novels where you get lost in an entire world, this is the one. The Mysteries of Marquette gives you everything: love, betrayal, crime, redemption, and a city teeming with life. It’s the kind of book you sink into slowly, savoring every twist, every character, every revelation. By the time it ended, I didn’t want to leave.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually commit to thousand-page books, but I’m so glad I gave this one a chance. Tyler rewards patience with a narrative that’s sweeping, gothic, and deeply human. The Hotel Superior masquerade alone was worth the journey, one of the most memorable scenes I’ve read in years.

[Alexander Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Tyler R. Tichelaar for years, and this might just be my favorite yet. The way he recreates 1908 Marquette is nothing short of magical, you can smell the lake air, hear the rustle of fancy gowns at the masquerade ball, and feel the tension as secrets unravel. The Marquis is charming, dangerous, and unforgettable. A slow-burn historical mystery that lingers in your mind long after finishing. (5 lines)

[Catherine Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scandal, secrets, and betrayal. This novel has everything, forbidden affairs, political corruption, hidden pasts. It reads like a lavish period drama, but with the pace of a crime thriller. I could easily see it as a Netflix series. If you enjoy historical fiction that entertains as much as it educates, you’ll love this.

[Alexandra Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the UP, this book feels like stepping back in time. The convent, brothel, Hotel Superior, all described with a historian’s care. Even if you’re not local, you’ll feel the history in every page.

[Klock Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many characters, but Eliza Sidney stands out. A cross-dressing orphan turned heiress, she’s brave, witty, and heartbreaking. I found myself cheering for her at every turn. Tyler gave her depth and soul.

[Kiaramoses · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to cry, but Carolina Smith’s lonely story hit me hard. Beneath the layers of scandal and deception, this is a book about human longing. Tichelaar makes even the smallest character moment feel universal. It’s a dark book, but it also left me strangely hopeful.

[Masanneck Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even at over a thousand pages, I flew through this book. Every chapter ended with a hook that begged me to keep going. The scandals of Marquette’s elite were jaw-dropping. Tyler’s storytelling made me forget the length entirely.

[Sue Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler R. Tichelaar’s novel, THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE, begins in May 1908, with a letter from the Marquis de Marquette of France, purported relative of the famous and much revered Father Jacques Marquette (an actual historical person), explorer and priest of the 1600s. The letter was sent to Richard Blackmore (fictional character), citizen of Marquette, Michigan, who has never passed up an opportunity for his own societal advancement. Blackmore is immediately aware of the possibilities open to him if he can foster a friendship and a business relationship with a member of the French nobility. What begins with intrigue--who is the Marquis?--turns into a mystery of revenge with a complex and satisfying plot.
I’m guessing that Tichelaar’s notes and plot diagrams would serve as an education in themselves for any novelist. As I read, I stopped more than once, especially when I came upon a new clue or a previously unrevealed plot link, to ask myself “How in the heck is he doing this?” First answer, of course, is with a lot of hard work. Second answer, and I’m just guessing on this, with a brain that’s far more gifted at weaving strategy than most people’s brains, including mine.
I’ve read a number of Tichelaar books, and I’ve come to realize that each functions on multiple layers, some very apparent and others more difficult to delve out. To say the least, I have been and I am impressed. They all work so wonderfully well.
With the multiple storylines in THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE, it is the perfect novel to illustrate Tichelaar’s abilities in this regard. So here are a few of the layers I’ve figured out in this novel. Undoubtedly there are more, but I will leave those to more erudite scholars.
1. THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE functions as a well-researched historical novel that includes interactions between actual historical people and Ticheler’s fictional characters. Think of Dorothy Dunnett’s HOUSE OF NICOLO series or Ken Follett’s KINGSBRIDGE saga.
2. THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE draws from literary devises used by William Shakespeare in his plays. Some of these include: mistaken identity, disguise, and cross-dressing.
3. THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE takes its place among the best of modern Gothic novels. Think of Daphne du Maurier’s REBECCA.
4. THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE stands among novels that celebrate character and delve deeply into psychological nuances within a character’s life. Think of the 1988 novel THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris.
5. In his preface to THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE, author Tyler Tichelaar explains that he wrote this novel in the tradition of the 19th century city mysteries genre, which began in Europe. The best known of these novels is likely THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (1844) by Alexander Dumas. I’d love to say I would have figured this out by myself, but in the interest of honesty, I have to admit: Nope. I wouldn’t have.
6. THE MYSTERIES is a tongue-in-cheek comment on social mores. Think of THE GREAT GATSBY, F. Scott Fizgerald. I’m old. Back in my university days, THE GREAT GATSBY and its author had lost a little of their golden glow. Now both are coming back into favor again. Such is the sine wave of literary criticism. (Note: a sine wave denotes a single frequency, just sayin’.)
7. THE MYSTERIES of MARQUETTE also functions very well along the legitimate lines of being fun to read. I know, I know, if they truly want to impress the world with their intelligence, authors cannot possibly write for entertainment. Aw, come on. Who made up that rule? What a snob. (This is my personal opinion and not in any way that of the author Tyler Tichelaar. Nonetheless, this book is entertaining.)
I’m sure THE MYSTERIES OF MARQUETTE works on more levels than these seven, but they are beyond my abilities as a reader to figure out. I’ve written all the above to say, this novel is a masterpiece, and it works on many levels, not just scholarly and not only literary, but also as a treatise about human foibles and emotions. Read it! It may make you weep, but it will also make you smile.

[Mark Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just a mystery, it’s an exploration of society, secrets, and survival. The Marquis de Marquette arrives like a storm, quietly unsettling everyone, and then unleashing chaos that exposes the sins of even the most “respectable” citizens. What makes this novel shine is the moral complexity, no one is entirely good, no one entirely evil. The setting is painted with a historian’s brush, yet the drama unfolds with the pace of a thriller. I found myself highlighting passages just for the atmosphere. This book deserves every star.

[lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this novel so extraordinary isn’t just the plot twists, but the people who live inside them. Carolina Smith’s grief and loneliness are heart-wrenching. Alice Melmotte’s blackmail schemes are both shocking and strangely understandable. And Eliza Sidney may be one of the most unique characters I’ve encountered in historical fiction. Tyler doesn’t just use them to move the story forward, he gives them real humanity. By the end, I felt like I had lived among them. Few novels pull off that kind of intimacy in a cast this large.

[Samuel Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few authors who could attempt a novel of this length and complexity and even fewer who could succeed. Tyler Tichelaar does both. The novel blends gothic tension with historical accuracy, giving us a cast of characters both glamorous and tragic. I was constantly torn between racing ahead to find out what happens and pausing to savor the prose. It’s a rare gift when a book can do that.