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A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #0.5
Madam Sibyl's First Client
This short story, a prequel to Maids of Misfortune, the first book in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, finds the young widow, Annie Fuller, meeting her first client as the pretend clairvoyant, Madam Sibyl. If she can’t convince this client that she can make money for him with her financial advice, she doesn’t know how she will be able to hold onto her boarding house and her precious independence.
38 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2014
About the author
M. Louisa Locke
31 books483 followersAfter being a professor of history for over 30 years, I am now retired and writing full time. The books in my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series are based in part on my dissertation research on women who worked in the Far West at the end of the Nineteenth Century, and they feature Annie Fuller, a young widow who gives domestic and business advice as the clairvoyant, Madam Sibyl. She is aided in her investigations into crime by Nate Dawson, a local lawyer, and the residents in the boarding house she owns.
Maids of Misfortune, the first in the series, finds Annie investigating a murder by going undercover as a domestics servant. In Uneasy Spirits, she is asked to investigate a fraudulent trance medium, and in Bloody Lessons, she is asked to find out who is attacking local public school teachers. The fourth book, Deadly Proof is set in the printing industry in San Francisco, and in the fifth book, Pilfered Promises, Annie and Nate investigate theft and murder in a modern department store.
Book six in this collection, Scholarly Pursuits, takes Laura Dawson and her friends (introduced in Bloody Lessons) across the Bay to Berkeley to attend the university where unexpected skulduggery is afoot. In Lethal Remedies, Annie is tasked with uncovering who is trying to ruin a clinic run by and for women, and in Entangled Threads it is a woolen factory that is the site of her investigations.
Volume One of my collection of short stories about minor characters, Victorian San Francisco Stories, are free to anyone who signs up to my newsletter. (see my website for sign up at http://mlouisalocke.com)
Not content with just writing about the past, under the pen name Louisa Locke, I have now turned to the future with a new science fiction series set in the collaborative world of the Paradisi Chronicles.
As an indie author I absolutely depend on the readers who have read and liked my cozy historical mysteries and spread the word. This second career has turned out to be more fun and rewarding than i ever thought possible. So thanks to all of you!
Maids of Misfortune, the first in the series, finds Annie investigating a murder by going undercover as a domestics servant. In Uneasy Spirits, she is asked to investigate a fraudulent trance medium, and in Bloody Lessons, she is asked to find out who is attacking local public school teachers. The fourth book, Deadly Proof is set in the printing industry in San Francisco, and in the fifth book, Pilfered Promises, Annie and Nate investigate theft and murder in a modern department store.
Book six in this collection, Scholarly Pursuits, takes Laura Dawson and her friends (introduced in Bloody Lessons) across the Bay to Berkeley to attend the university where unexpected skulduggery is afoot. In Lethal Remedies, Annie is tasked with uncovering who is trying to ruin a clinic run by and for women, and in Entangled Threads it is a woolen factory that is the site of her investigations.
Volume One of my collection of short stories about minor characters, Victorian San Francisco Stories, are free to anyone who signs up to my newsletter. (see my website for sign up at http://mlouisalocke.com)
Not content with just writing about the past, under the pen name Louisa Locke, I have now turned to the future with a new science fiction series set in the collaborative world of the Paradisi Chronicles.
As an indie author I absolutely depend on the readers who have read and liked my cozy historical mysteries and spread the word. This second career has turned out to be more fun and rewarding than i ever thought possible. So thanks to all of you!
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 9, 2023
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
An interesting short story introduction to the series.
An interesting short story introduction to the series.
March 3, 2020
This prequel sets the stage for the Victorian San Francisco Mysteries. I'm currently on book #5 and have loved the whole series!! Love all the characters, especially Annie, she is such a class act. I intend to read all the short stories in between. I don't want it all to end. Please write more M. Louisa Locke!!
September 18, 2017
A fun victorian romance series with a twist.
June 15, 2019
A very pleasant short story about how Annie's alter ego 'madam Sybil' sets up business as a clairvoyant ( specialised in business and domestic affairs ) because nobody would trust a female stockbroker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2020
The fact that it is 0.5 in a series didn't register much with me - I was just getting ready for the long haul when - Page 31 - it ended :(
I liked the story, the direction it was going and, most of all, Annie Fuller - nothing for it but to head straight for 'Maids of Misfortune'.
I liked the story, the direction it was going and, most of all, Annie Fuller - nothing for it but to head straight for 'Maids of Misfortune'.
May 27, 2022
Nice little intro to the series. I loved all of the historical references to well known San Francisco locations and famous past residents. There wasn’t any mystery involved in this short story, but it was a good set up for some of the main characters.
March 7, 2018
Short story
I enjoyed this story about Annie as Miss Sibyl. A fun side story when you need a quick read about a favorite character!
I enjoyed this story about Annie as Miss Sibyl. A fun side story when you need a quick read about a favorite character!
November 19, 2018
Very short cozy. Author’s usual of well researched history, well defined characters, and a good plot. Hardly beat that combo with a thick stick! 🤗
👍Recommended.👍
👍Recommended.👍
December 14, 2018
Enjoyed the prequel to the Victorian San Francisco mysteries. It was a quick read and really sets the stage for Book #1 which I started immediately.
December 29, 2019
A glorious short story
It follows what we knew about Annie and Madame Sybil and filled out the details we didn’t know. A superb piece.
It follows what we knew about Annie and Madame Sybil and filled out the details we didn’t know. A superb piece.
April 16, 2020
I loved this into - such a shame it wasn’t a full book! Or at least double the length.
May 6, 2020
I loved this first little start to the series. Such a fun short story and really rounds out the start to the series.
July 3, 2020
This novella/short story deserves more than three stars but just as I was getting into it, it ended!
July 1, 2023
Sweet little story about Madame Sibyl's first paying client.
March 19, 2025
I absolutely loved it! A great beginning to the series! All the short stories are a must read!
May 6, 2015
MADAM SIBLY’S FIRST CLIENT introduces readers to life in San Francisco around the 1870’s. Locke shares background on the key characters in her VICTORIAN SAN FRANCISCO STORIES. Readers meet Annie Fuller, a young widow arriving in San Francisco to make her home in a Victorian house full of determination to be independent. Annie converts the house her aunt left her into an upscale boarding house. With the help of the support characters her cook Beatrice, her maid Kathleen, and a great group of boarders, Locke shares with her readers Annie’s need to make more money.
The author details Annie’s history explaining how her father taught her how to take care of finances, make investments, and understand the stock market. In this Victorian era, women were not hired as stock brokers. It was unthinkable for a man to take advice from a young woman. With the help of her boarders, Annie creates a way to hold onto her boarding house and keep her independence. Pretending to be Madam Sibyl, a clairvoyant Annie would be able to provide financial advice to those in need of some direction.
Annie and her boarding house staff had everything ready for Madam Sibyl’s first client, thanks to one of her boarders referring a businessman in need of financial guidance. Locke weaves this story around the questions the client asks and how Madam Sibyl wins his confidence. Readers will enjoy getting to know the key characters of Locke’s MADAM SYBIL’S FIRST CLIENT. A fun read earning a 5 star ranking.
The author details Annie’s history explaining how her father taught her how to take care of finances, make investments, and understand the stock market. In this Victorian era, women were not hired as stock brokers. It was unthinkable for a man to take advice from a young woman. With the help of her boarders, Annie creates a way to hold onto her boarding house and keep her independence. Pretending to be Madam Sibyl, a clairvoyant Annie would be able to provide financial advice to those in need of some direction.
Annie and her boarding house staff had everything ready for Madam Sibyl’s first client, thanks to one of her boarders referring a businessman in need of financial guidance. Locke weaves this story around the questions the client asks and how Madam Sibyl wins his confidence. Readers will enjoy getting to know the key characters of Locke’s MADAM SYBIL’S FIRST CLIENT. A fun read earning a 5 star ranking.
July 5, 2015
A young widow struggles to maintain her boarding house. She is very good with numbers and enjoys watching the financial market. Upon advice from one of her boarders, she takes on the persona of a fortune teller to give financial advice to her clients.
I like the story.
I like the story.
April 6, 2015
Loved the whole series! Will follow this author to the bookshelves in the sky!
November 30, 2015
Too short!
June 9, 2016
One of my favorite things about this author and this series is that she releases these little short stories between her full books. Read everything in this series.
May 4, 2015
Was good to know who her first client was and why she was so close to him in the first book!
March 4, 2019
I don’t know what I was expecting when I read this but it wasn’t want I did read and I wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did. But, I did enjoy it; short as it was.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews