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The Sydney Lockhart Mysteries #1
Murder at the Luther
It's New Year's Eve, 1952. Texas politicians are backslapping and ringing in '53 at the historic Luther Hotel on the Texas Coast. Reporter Sydney Lockhart is there covering the festivities. The celebration turns sour when Sydney finds herself dancing with a dead man. With her fingerprints on the murder weapon and a police chief with his own agenda, Sydney ushers in the New Year behind bars. Soon there is another body, more damning fingerprints, and a crazy Cajun who's been paid to feed Sydney to the alligators. Things get worse when cousin Ruth comes to town with a problem even Sydney can't solve.
- GenresMystery
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2010
3 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Kaska
37 books77 followersGrowing up in West, Texas during the 1950s, my average-American parents and the nuns at St. Mary’s School instilled in me“good girl” values, leaving an indelible stamp on my character. For respite from this engrainment, I began writing my Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series—set in historic hotels during the fifties, of course—to say and do things I would “never try at home.”
I write the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series, which is available in bookstores, on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble online.
I also write the Classic Triviography Mystery Series. My Alfred Hitchcock and Sherlock Holmes trivia books were finalists for the 2013 EPIC Award in nonfiction.
When not writing, I spend much of my time with my “pilot,” traveling the country’s back roads and byways; bird-watching; and looking for new locales for my mysteries. It was my passion for birds that led to The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida 2012).
When too road weary, I split time between my two favorite places, the Pacific Northwest and the Texas Coast. It’s tough though, having been born with the original sin of wanderlust. Nonetheless, my laptop is nicely stowed in my bag, and a bird reference book and binoculars are always on the front seat.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in physical anthropology, I taught middle-school science for 25 years. I was a staff writer for AustinFit magazine from 1997-2002. My articles have appeared in Cape Cod Life, Marco Polo, Agatha Christie Chronicle, Texas Now, and Home Cooking Magazine. I am an occasional contributor to Texas Highways magazine.
On a different note, while working as the marketing director for Cave Art Press, my 5-Minute Writings Tips blog posts were published in book form called Do You Have a Catharsis Handy: Five-Minute Writing Tips?
I write the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series, which is available in bookstores, on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble online.
I also write the Classic Triviography Mystery Series. My Alfred Hitchcock and Sherlock Holmes trivia books were finalists for the 2013 EPIC Award in nonfiction.
When not writing, I spend much of my time with my “pilot,” traveling the country’s back roads and byways; bird-watching; and looking for new locales for my mysteries. It was my passion for birds that led to The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida 2012).
When too road weary, I split time between my two favorite places, the Pacific Northwest and the Texas Coast. It’s tough though, having been born with the original sin of wanderlust. Nonetheless, my laptop is nicely stowed in my bag, and a bird reference book and binoculars are always on the front seat.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in physical anthropology, I taught middle-school science for 25 years. I was a staff writer for AustinFit magazine from 1997-2002. My articles have appeared in Cape Cod Life, Marco Polo, Agatha Christie Chronicle, Texas Now, and Home Cooking Magazine. I am an occasional contributor to Texas Highways magazine.
On a different note, while working as the marketing director for Cave Art Press, my 5-Minute Writings Tips blog posts were published in book form called Do You Have a Catharsis Handy: Five-Minute Writing Tips?
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 19, 2025
Sydney Lockhart, reporter and magnet for trouble, is covering the New Years Ball at The Luther when a man she hit it off with at dinner collapses at her feet on the dance floor with a knife in his back. Sydney, her cousin Ruth and an interesting cast of characters must find the killer and clear Sydney's name.
Murder at the Luther is a wickedly funny mystery full of twists, turns and wonderfully written characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Sydney and her misadventures and highly recommend Murder at the Luther to mystery lovers.
Murder at the Luther is a wickedly funny mystery full of twists, turns and wonderfully written characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Sydney and her misadventures and highly recommend Murder at the Luther to mystery lovers.
March 12, 2019
Murder at the Luther, by Kathleen Kaska, is a very witty who done it. With tones of, I love Lucy, humor and Alfred Hitchcock eeriness, the story takes the reader on a rather captivating ride. Journalist, Sydney Lockhart, and her ragtag cast of supporting characters are more likely to dig the hole deeper than clear her name of murder. When a handsome stranger asks her to go birding and then ends up dead in her arms, Sydney is speechless. With her prints on the murder weapon and no one in Palacios, Texas to vouch for her innocence, her goose is all but cooked.
The cover of the book promises the reader a respite from modern conveniences and a stroll through past fashion magazines. Cousin Ruth’s shoe fetish and Mrs. Foghorn’s affinity for pants do not disappoint.
The 1952 New Year’s eve dance at the Luthor may be Sydney’s worst night ever, and she could sure use a hero. Her former interest in Detective Dixon may be her life raft in the turbulent storm that sweeps her away on murder charges, but the stubborn journalist exercises her feminist efforts to take care of herself. Secret messages, nosey hotel staff, an Ex-Lieutenant Governor and his illustrious wife, a Sherriff with a re-election agenda, a meddling cousin, a Cajun hit-man and more plague Sydney as she tries to find the real killer in this small coastal town.
Murder at the Luther is part of a series but reads wonderfully as a standalone. The expert author gives references to the previous experiences of the characters without dwelling on backstory.
Never a dull moment, with rollicking events that turn each page, Murder at the Luther spins an intriguing murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
The cover of the book promises the reader a respite from modern conveniences and a stroll through past fashion magazines. Cousin Ruth’s shoe fetish and Mrs. Foghorn’s affinity for pants do not disappoint.
The 1952 New Year’s eve dance at the Luthor may be Sydney’s worst night ever, and she could sure use a hero. Her former interest in Detective Dixon may be her life raft in the turbulent storm that sweeps her away on murder charges, but the stubborn journalist exercises her feminist efforts to take care of herself. Secret messages, nosey hotel staff, an Ex-Lieutenant Governor and his illustrious wife, a Sherriff with a re-election agenda, a meddling cousin, a Cajun hit-man and more plague Sydney as she tries to find the real killer in this small coastal town.
Murder at the Luther is part of a series but reads wonderfully as a standalone. The expert author gives references to the previous experiences of the characters without dwelling on backstory.
Never a dull moment, with rollicking events that turn each page, Murder at the Luther spins an intriguing murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
October 6, 2024
This is the second Kathleen Kaska book I have read. I am confused on the sequence of the books. Amazon has it listed as number two in the series and Goodreads has it listed as number one in the Sydney Lockhart Mysteries. The author has it listed as number two so, I will go with that. The series is “A Sydney Lockart Mystery” and has six books.
It is set in late 1952 and early 1953. I so enjoyed Murder At The Driskill, I was ready and willing to read more by this author. I enjoyed the “I Love Lucy” slapstick, the sassy banter, and Sydney’s desire to stand on her own two feet.
Sydney is an ex-school teacher turned journalist running from any man that gets emotionally too close to her. She is just shy of her thirtieth birthday when her assignment takes her to the Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas to cover the New Year’s Eve Ball. Palacios, Texas is approximately 90 minutes southwest of Houston. It is set on the scenic shores of Matagorda Bay and is a quiet paradise for birders, fishermen, and anyone looking for peace and quiet.
The story was well written and had just the right amount of humor. The characters are developed. There were plenty of suspects, red herrings, and mis-directions. I like the characters of Sydney Lockhart, Ralph Dixon, and Billy Ludlow and Aunt Ruth.
I was given a printed copy and these are my opinions. I am not required to leave a positive review.
I’ll looking forward to the next book. I recommend this book if you like strong characters.
It is set in late 1952 and early 1953. I so enjoyed Murder At The Driskill, I was ready and willing to read more by this author. I enjoyed the “I Love Lucy” slapstick, the sassy banter, and Sydney’s desire to stand on her own two feet.
Sydney is an ex-school teacher turned journalist running from any man that gets emotionally too close to her. She is just shy of her thirtieth birthday when her assignment takes her to the Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas to cover the New Year’s Eve Ball. Palacios, Texas is approximately 90 minutes southwest of Houston. It is set on the scenic shores of Matagorda Bay and is a quiet paradise for birders, fishermen, and anyone looking for peace and quiet.
The story was well written and had just the right amount of humor. The characters are developed. There were plenty of suspects, red herrings, and mis-directions. I like the characters of Sydney Lockhart, Ralph Dixon, and Billy Ludlow and Aunt Ruth.
I was given a printed copy and these are my opinions. I am not required to leave a positive review.
I’ll looking forward to the next book. I recommend this book if you like strong characters.
July 7, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! Even though I've previously read other books in this series, I was thrilled to go back to the beginning and see how everything started. My favorite part was the main character, Sydney, a reporter who finds herself in the wrong place at the VERY wrong time. She has a fun attitude, smarts, a sense of humor, and a knack for finding trouble. It was a delight to go back and see her solve her first case!
One thing that made this book stand out in the cozy genre was that it's set in the early 1950s in Texas. I enjoyed reading all the period details, and felt like I learned some new things. I don't think I've ever read a cozy set in that time period before this series!
The mystery was very good. There were a lot of clues and possible suspects. I enjoyed reading as Sydney and her cousin Ruth followed the leads to figure everything out. Their sometimes crazy hijinks along the way made the book even more enjoyable. The ending was satisfying, wrapping up the mystery while teasing an interesting next book.
As an added bonus, Ruth is also hilarious! If you're new to the series, you can look forward to more of their escapades in the future.
5 stars!
One thing that made this book stand out in the cozy genre was that it's set in the early 1950s in Texas. I enjoyed reading all the period details, and felt like I learned some new things. I don't think I've ever read a cozy set in that time period before this series!
The mystery was very good. There were a lot of clues and possible suspects. I enjoyed reading as Sydney and her cousin Ruth followed the leads to figure everything out. Their sometimes crazy hijinks along the way made the book even more enjoyable. The ending was satisfying, wrapping up the mystery while teasing an interesting next book.
As an added bonus, Ruth is also hilarious! If you're new to the series, you can look forward to more of their escapades in the future.
5 stars!
June 28, 2025
This is the second book in this unique historical cozy mystery series; I’ve read and enjoyed all the books in the series, I think, although it’s been out of order. This book stands alone well, though, and it’s a quirky, well-written book set in the 1950s. Sydney taught school for a few years after college, but she’s now a journalist and is staying at The Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas, on New Year’s Eve, covering a ball. She ends up accused of murder and the evidence against her looks pretty damning; she and her cousin Ruth run their own investigation and hilarity ensues. This is such a good book and series and I really recommend digging in and getting a dose of Texas justice. I was provided an ARC, which I really appreciate, but these opinions are my own.
June 29, 2025
What fun this book is taking place in the 50s. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. With some humor and great twists, turns and red-herrings It took me on a ride to find a killer. It seems Sydney Lockhart, former teacher turned journalist was assigned to cover the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas. While she was dancing with a partner, he dropped dead at her feet with a knife in his back. Of course, she is suspect number one and must clear her name. In comes her cousin, Ruth with her own problems but she is bound to help clear Sydney. What a great cast of characters! I definitely recommend this book since once you begin, it is unputdownable. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
July 16, 2025
Although this is the second book in a mystery series, this is the first one I’ve read. I’ll be going back and reading the first one as this was a highly entertaining mystery full of some laugh out loud moments and lots of twists and turns. The author uses a bit of a noir tone, which is perfect for the 1950’s setting. Although it’s a retro setting, Sydney Lockhart is very much a modern style heroine who definitely makes her own decisions, which of course, often land her in trouble! After Sydney gets framed for murder and is the police chief’s number one suspect, it’s up to her and her cousin, Ruth, to solve the mystery and keep Sydney out of jail. The side characters, including a love interest, are fairly well fleshed out giving the story some depth. An engaging read!
July 2, 2025
Sydney has stepped into it this time. She was going to be at the Luther for a week and write a great article for the paper. It's New Year's Eve and she will attend the annual ball at the hotel. While dancing, a man falls into her arms after he has been stabbed. Sydney had just met the man and now everyone thinks she has killed him. He left a mysterious note for her at the desk, and she knows that she will need to solve this one or spend the rest of her life in prison. When another man is found dead, she knows that she is in deep trouble. Who can she trust? There are a lot of people who want to help her, but can she trust them? The only one she knows she can trust is her cousin, Ruth. Even with Ruth's help, can Sydney stay out of jail? Will she live through this whole ordeal?
January 5, 2012
This is the story of Sydney Lockhart, an ex-teacher turned journalist who manages to find herself accused of a murder she did not commit.
The story starts at a New Year's Eve ball at the famous Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas. Sydney is here as a journalist and while dancing at the ball a dead man falls into her arms. The story then continues at a nice, brisk pace as she tries to clear her name. There are several people attempting to either help or hinder her in this pursuit. This includes the local sheriff that is up for re-election and will do anything to pin this murder on here as it will look good for him.
Well, Sydney ends up running all over the area trying to clear her name and meets many interesting characters along the way. She also tends to commit a bunch of crimes that go unpunished. Eventually, of course she does get cleared of the murder and goes on her merry way.
I found the book to be fast paced and the the characters to be nicely developed. I also thought it was fairly obvious about half-way through who the truly guilty party would be although I did not foresee the reasoning behind it.
My biggest complaint about the book is that there are numerous spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, especially in the first half.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.
The story starts at a New Year's Eve ball at the famous Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas. Sydney is here as a journalist and while dancing at the ball a dead man falls into her arms. The story then continues at a nice, brisk pace as she tries to clear her name. There are several people attempting to either help or hinder her in this pursuit. This includes the local sheriff that is up for re-election and will do anything to pin this murder on here as it will look good for him.
Well, Sydney ends up running all over the area trying to clear her name and meets many interesting characters along the way. She also tends to commit a bunch of crimes that go unpunished. Eventually, of course she does get cleared of the murder and goes on her merry way.
I found the book to be fast paced and the the characters to be nicely developed. I also thought it was fairly obvious about half-way through who the truly guilty party would be although I did not foresee the reasoning behind it.
My biggest complaint about the book is that there are numerous spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, especially in the first half.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.
December 10, 2010
This is the second in a historical hotels mystery series following Syndney, a young woman journalist in 1953 as she tours famous hotels and while attempting to write a human interest story, always finds herself involved in a murder. In this case, she is at the Luther Hotel's (Est. in Palacios, Texas in 1903) New Year's Eve ball when a man she has a bird watching date with falls dead at her feet. Her finger prints are on the weapon and an overzealous sheriff up for re election arrests her. After one day in jail, Sydney must find the real murdered in order to clear her own name.. or she is going back to the jail cell... to see full review, please click on the link below.
http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2010/...
June 3, 2012
Every bit as good as the first Sydney Lockhart murder mystery. Full of unexpected twists. Sydney gets a little more cynical about her rich cousin Ruth, but that's OK, sometimes Ruth deserves it! If you're looking for a fast-paced, fun summer read, this is it! Looking forward to the next one. I'm a Kathleen Kaska fan!
January 2, 2016
Sydney is a fun & dysfunctional character at the same time. Love her!
The storyline is interesting & keeps you guessing on who the bad guys/gals are. Just when you think you have it figured out, the story takes a turn. Very good read indeed!
The storyline is interesting & keeps you guessing on who the bad guys/gals are. Just when you think you have it figured out, the story takes a turn. Very good read indeed!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews