Mrs. O'Malley's Midnight Mystery

A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #6.3

by M. Louisa Locke

Life in 1881 San Francisco is difficult if you are a poor widow like Mrs. O’Malley, especially when you have seven children and are forced to live in one of the crowded neighborhoods South of Market. Late one night, as she sat at the window of her crowded flat, sewing and worrying, she noticed something strange going on across the street. Her decision to investigate will have unexpected consequences. Mrs. O’Malley’s Midnight Mystery is a short story in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, and it comes right after the short story, Dandy’s Discovery, and before Lethal Remedies, the seventh novel in the series.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Historical Mystery

61 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2020

About the author

After 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!

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. O'Malley, a widow with 7 children, desperately wants to move out of the neighborhood away from the increased gang violence, truant children and run down schools. To do so, she needs to save some money and she does but something always turns up to deplete her savings. This is why she's awake at midnight on a Sunday doing piecework in the window of her apartment when she notices some unusual activity. It might be nothing but she takes her suspicions to the one copper she can trust, a friend of a friend of her daughter Briddie's, a fellow Irishman who will not dismiss her because of her ethnicity. What is happening and can Patrick get to the bottom of things?

This is a nice little mystery. It's very heavy on background information and history and takes awhile for the story to start. Like Mrs. O'Malley I figured the men were up to no good but what exactly they were doing, I wasn't sure. The dramatic conclusion is told after the fact rather than shown and that's a no no. It has to be that way because of the time period and Mrs. O'Malley not being related to a police officer but it was a bit of a let down.

The characters are likable and relatable. Mrs. O'Malley worries about her children falling in with the wrong crowd, like many mothers. She worries about money and her children's education just the same as people today. I like sensible Bridie. She's fun and engaging without being too wise. Her little brothers are funny and their escapades made me smile. Of course we already know Patrick, Kathleen and Tillie from previous books. I missed Annie though and wanted her involved.

The audiobook narrator has a pleasant voice and her Irish accent may not be 100% accurate but it gives the idea and gives the reader a more authentic experience than if she had avoided trying. This was a good way to pass the time in the car.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A San Francisco historical mystery, this one highlighting a widow with 7 children. It’s 1881, and Mrs. O’Malley, who works nights as a hospital cleaner, has noticed some strange goings on at the boarding house next door. She enlists the aid of Patrick, a police officer with mutual friends, and he makes a surprising discovery. I really like the characters and the historical research in these stories, but they don’t need to be read in order. This one was an audio, obtained from the library via Hoopla.

[Susan Sarabasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful short story. Great period detail. Their living & earning conditions remind me of stories I heard as a child of relatives as immigrants living in East NY.
Love stories and books with intelligent strong women.

[Sheryl Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

All’s well that ends well

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. It was a delight to see more of Patrick and to get to know Mrs. O’Malley and Biddy. This was a nice little mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I love this series so much and part of the reason for that is the author’s gift for drawing characters in such a way that they seem like real people. The mysteries are always excellent as well.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the whole series from the beginning for full enjoyment. It has a rich picture of what life was like for ordinary people at the times. Just having food to eat and clothes to wear was big. This is a short story about a woman who sees what may be a crime and does her civic duty, despite the dangers. You cheer that something finally goes right for her.

[Michael R. Zuelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read as usual. Just love the varied characters and the historical information in a very readable format. Keep up your good work, Louisa!

[Susan Lundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading not only this one, but the rest of Mrs. O'Malley series. Fits into tea-room cozy category of mystery (think..Mrs. Marple). Got it from, and passed it on back into, my little free library.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

one star because this is literally the plot of the sherlock holmes story, the red headed league by arthur conan doyle. I didn't dislike the writing or narration (listened to the audiobook,) but I've read the original and this of course can't compare.

[Janice Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical read

I enjoy Locke's historical San Francisco novel and the characters she writes about. Good character development. Look forward to the next book.

[James D Vath · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a quick, fun read. I always enjoy her stories involving characters who are usually on the periphery of a full novel.

[Lynnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another visit to SF

Interesting peek into Birdie’s home life with a mystery that her night-shift working mother and Patrick the policeman solve together.
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[martha s. williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victorian San Francisco

I do so enjoy these vignettes of Victorian life. The details are quite well researched and I applauded the ending.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author’s usual work: clean, no cliffhanger ending, and interesting plots. Novella.

[Sally Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the gentle Victorian series. No guns a'blazing or femme fatales, just real people thinking and talking, with a great sense of place and time.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A minor character, Mrs. O'Malley, notices someone keeping unusual hours while she works late at night. Neighborhood watch at work before it had a name!

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowledge is power!

[Laurel Kristick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery and a good view into the life of a poor Irish widow in 10ths 1880s.

[Wanda Ritter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snooping Saves the Day

Mrs. O’Malley has a passel of children, including TWO sets of twins. When she isn’t working, she looks out her window while she sees... read how this snooping neighbor saves the day!