Red, White, and Blue Murder

Hilda Johansson #2

by Jeanne M. Dams

The Studebaker household is in turmoil; the news that President McKinley has been assassinated is more than anyone can stand. South Bend, Indiana is not a hotbed of anarchist activity, but something is clearly going on and in spite of orders to mind her business, Hilda Johansson sets out to discover exactly what is happening, no matter what it might cost her. Jeanne M. Dams returns with the second installment, following Death in Lacquer Red, of her highly acclaimed series set in South Bend at the beginning of the 1900s. Combining the charm of "Upstairs, Downstairs" with brilliant sleuthing, the Hilda Johansson novels are everything a traditional mystery fan wants for criminous entertainment.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Audiobook

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jeanne M. Dams lives in South Bend, Indiana. The Body in the Transept, which introduced Dorothy Martin, won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Dams is also the author of Green Grow the Victims and other Hilda Johansson mysteries published by Walker & Company.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Goodreads 2018 Summer Reading Challenge, Expert Level.
Red, White, and Blue: Read a book that has the words red, white, or blue in the title

I couldn't decide which color to pick, so I picked them all. And read the book on the 4th of July. Just because.

This was a time in history about which I knew next to nothing. I'm not sure I even would have listed McKinley as an assassinated president! I know. My history-teacher father shakes his head at me, too. But I'm just not a history person. Oddly, however, I do like historical fiction. And mysteries. So this was a good match for me.

I thought that this really captured the zeitgeist of the time period, and that was something I very much enjoyed. The protagonist has a unique voice which I've never heard in a mystery, so that was a huge plus.

It's a relatively tame mystery, as well, which is nice sometimes. It was a nice, quick read, and I would read more in this series.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I'm really glad I read it and I will probably be reading the next one.

I was having a hard time finding something I wanted to read to fulfill the Read Harder Challenge 'read a book set 100 miles or less from where you live' But then I met this local author and when I found out she has a series of historical mysteries set in South Bend, I was SOLD! It is just so delightful to be reading a good story and have a setting that is very familiar. I can tell the author did a lot of research on South Bend and the Studebackers. I liked that this had a theme of people not trusting immigrants, which feels so relevant to today. Plus, it was just a good solid mystery story. I can't wait to read another one. Read Harder Challenge, you have done it again!!

[Donna Herrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In historical fiction what could be better than a story set in South Bend, Indiana in 1901, featuring he back story of the anarchists? As a child my cousins lived in South Bend and my Grandmother drove a Studebaker. I hear echoes today terrorism of my impression of anarchism in the early 20th century. I want to know what that was all about and how it ended, and how that might inform us in our fight against the terrorist movement.

On top of all of that intriguing setting, the author has penned a fabulous mystery featuring a smart, plucky female heroine.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd in the series.

Our intrepid housemaid to the Studebakers, Hilda Johansson, needs to investigate the murder of a local businessman, whose body is found draped in an American flag. At this time, when America is holding its breath after the assassination attempt of President McKinley, any hint of anti-American sentiments can get blown out of proportion.

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery set in early 1900's---interesting look at timeline, immigrants and President McKinely's death.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery series set in late 1800s South Bend Indiana

[Cindy DavisClark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did finish this book but would not recommend reading. It was a slog to get through for me. I could not feel a connection with the main character and was not drawn in by the plot.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
December 2023.
Interesting.

[Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 4th, Holiday Theme Read 2025

I enjoyed this book.
Good story, moved along at a good pace and historically interesting.

[Joyce Shutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read following a Swedish house maid with a temper and desire to see justice done

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This opens with the news about President McKinley being shot and then it is learned that perhaps the assassin had been in South Bend, Indiana prior to the shooting. Hilda, as usual is knee deep into her housework (as she is a Servant of the Studabacker family) and doing her own brand of sleuthing as there have been some murders in town. One person is discovered wrapped in an American flag. Despite, obstacles at that time to women and servants, Hilda manages to discover the killer and it turns out to be someone unlikely to kill.
I enjoyed this book because it gives me a sense of the early days in South Bend, Indiana and how immigrants were treated. I love the that the other sprinkles in some Sweedish into the dialog-makes it more authentic. As in the last book by this author the ending is wrapped up in almost the final chapter-reminds me of Agatha Christie. This is by no means a action type mystery but one you can read, knitting or sipping tea. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Evil that Men Do is eleventh in the Dorothy Martin series. She and her husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, are on holiday in the English village of Broadway in the Cotswolds when she is almost hit by a young man on a motorcycle. Later,on a walk, they stumble across the body of a man who appears to have fallen down a disused quarry. Dorothy can't help but get involved. This is one of the best of her mysteries where the young man turns out to be a rock star whose mother had been abused by her husband and had stayed with her son in a woman's shelter. A subplot involves Dorothy who in trying to figure out what happened to the man found in the quarry, find herself in great danger.

When she finds out that a friend of hers has gone missing, she searches until she discovers an old building where the friend had been kept. She finds a blond horsehair and is off to locate a horse that could have been used in the friend's abduction. When she in turns is taken by the rock star's stepfather, Alan is the one searching for his wife.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda Johansson is a maid in the Studebaker mansion in South Bend, Indiana in the year 1901. Of national interest, this is the year President McKinley will be assassinated. On a more personal level, Hilda will become involved in yet another murder, trying to save an innocent man from being convicted of murder and executed. Author Jeanne M. Dams does an excellent job of drawing us into the private lives of the working class as they serve their wealthy and sometimes haughty employers. In this second installment of this well-written series, Hilda must first decide who is the guilty murderer, and who is, perhaps, guilty of a lesser crime. The mix of mystery into a historical setting with its intricate plot and engaging characters is both entertaining and enjoyable.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series, and I think this is one of the better ones. Gotta sympathize with Hilda as she also gets "The Headache". Things are going wrong in South Bend on the job of building a new courthouse - materials stolen, and eventually a murder with the corpse covered in an American flag. This is all happening at the same time as the shooting and delayed death of President McKinley. Everyone is on edge and talk of local anarchists is swirling. Hilda is determined to get to the bottom of it and keep her friend Norah's brother Flynn out of jail.

[S.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our mystery reading group was split on this book. The cozy lovers were thrilled with the book. The non-cozy lovers like more blood and body parts in their books. All were fascinated with the history of South Bend and the Stubebaker family. One man counted over 150 semi-colons and felt the book was geared more toward young adult. The history of immigrants and class disparities during that era along with anarchists and the assassination of President McKinley made for a lively discussion.

[Sara Meyers]

i guess these are out of print, but i found them at the library and are rather good, short reads. she also has another series with a detective. this is one of the Hilda Johansson mysteries, she's not a detective, but a swedish maid that solves mysteries in her town in 1900...pretty awesome!

[Rebecca Fussell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually listened to it on tape from the library while traveling. The trip flew by. Great little mystery story and enjoyed the brush of history it threw in :) I fell in love with the characters and will definitely read her other works.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK story of South Bend Indiana when President McKinley is assassinated. Is there a connection to South Bend?
Are there labor conflicts? Studebaker factory.
Around turn of century.
Hilda is a maid. Lots of servants who live separate lives.
Pretty good.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda Johansson is an immigrant in America in the early 1900's. This is n historical mystery. President McKinley has been assassinated and Hilda's household is very upset. The author transports us to yesteryear and combines charm, and sleuthing to hold the reader's interest.

[Jessica Van Kley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it for a Fourth of July book... not the best.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda #2

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in the Hilda Johansson mystery series set in South Bend, Indiana in 1900. Fears of anarchists along with two mysterious deaths drive Hilda to use her position on the staff at the wealthy Studebaker household to bring out the truth.