Some of you may know Jeanne Dams as the author of the Harriet Martin series, but Hilda Johansson, the heroine of this series, is just as appealing. Hilda is a 23-year-old Swedish immigrant living in Indiana in 1904. She works as the head housemaid at the Studebaker mansion and solves mysteries on the side (of course!). She has a handsome fireman boyfriend, Patrick Callahan, and a large family that is struggling to make ends meet. One of the best things about this historical series is attention to the details of how women and relationships were treated in the Edwardian era. Hilda is a Lutheran and Patrick is an Irish Catholic, so both families are horrified at the prospect of marriage between them. Despite her intelligence and courage, Hilda is very limited in her activities by virtue of her social station and her gender. Still, she is a respected amateur sleuth. I especially enjoyed the interaction between her and Patrick's benefactors, his uncle and aunt Malloy.
Crimson Snow involves the mysterious murder of a popular young schoolteacher, whose violent end worries the young working women of the area who need to travel on foot to and from work in the dark winter mornings and evenings. When Mr. Barrett, a friend of Hilda's employer, is suspected of the crime, he hires Hilda to investigate and clear his name. A couple of sub-plots intertwined with the main mystery will add to the reader's enjoyment of this novel. I will definitely be reading more of this historical cozy series!
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