Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | MYSTERY ERN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Oakdale Library | MYSTERY ERN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | MYSTERY ERN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | MYSTERY ERN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | MYSTERY ERN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Chloe Ellefson and her sister, Kari, have long dreamed of visiting each historic site dedicated to Laura Ingalls Wilder. When Chloe takes custody of a quilt once owned by the beloved author, the sisters set out on the trip of a lifetime, hoping to prove that Wilder stitched it herself.
But death strikes as the journey begins, and trouble stalks their fellow travelers. Among the "Little House" devotees are academic critics, greedy collectors, and obsessive fans. Kari is distracted by family problems, and unexpected news from Chloe's boyfriend jeopardizes her own future. As the sisters travel deeper into Wilder territory, Chloe races to discover the truth about a precious artifact--and her own heart--before a killer can strike again.
Praise:
"Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder will savor the facts...Ernst does an exceptional job of sharing the kinds of character details that cozy readers relish."--Booklist
"A real treat for Little House fans, a fine mystery supplemented by fascinating information on the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder."--Kirkus Reviews
"The sixth installment of this incredible series...is a super read that sparks the imagination."--Suspense Magazine
"As superbly pieced together as a blue ribbon quilt, Death on the Prairieis deft and delightful, and you don't want to miss it!"--Molly MacRae, Lovey Award-winning author of the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries
"Kathleen Ernst spins a delightful tale of intrigue that interweaves facts about Laura's life with fan folklore, and of course, murder. I give this book an enthusiastic two thumbs up!"--Linda Halpin, author of Quilting with Laura: Patterns Inspired by the Little House on the Prairie Series
"Suspense, intrigue, trafficking in stolen artifacts, blackmail, murder: they're all here in this fast-paced mystery thriller."--John E. Miller, author of Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little Town: Where History and Literature Meet
Author Notes
Kathleen Ernst received a degree in forestry from West Virginia University. Before becoming a full time writer in 2004, she worked at an outdoor living history museum called Old World Wisconsin for 12 years and as a television writer. Her first published historical fiction novels were The Night Riders of Harpers Ferry and The Bravest Girl in Sharpsburg. She has also written numerous American Girl novels including 6 books about Caroline Abbott published in 2012. Her other works include Hearts of Stone, the Chloe Ellefson Mystery series, and the nonfiction book Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
Two sisters take a road trip that will change their lives. Chloe Ellefson, a collections curator at Old World Wisconsin, is a big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, so she's thrilled when her elderly neighbor Miss Lila brings her a quilt that may have been owned or even made by Wilder. Miss Lila wants Chloe to decide which of the many museums devoted to Wilder should get the quilt, but then she's killed in a break-in before Chloe can gather much information from her. Although Chloe's not very close to her sister, Kari, who's married to a dairy farmer and has two children, they both have happy childhood memories of the Little House books and the times they pretended to be Laura and her sister Mary. So she asks Kari to go with her to visit all the museum candidates. At their first stop, they're unable to prevent a young man from dying of anaphylaxis. Then Chloe finds herself interfering in a fight between a Wilder-obsessed wife and her controlling husband. The woman leaves her husband behind and joins the group on Alta Allerbee's Laura Land Tours bus. Chloe's dream trip keeps getting worse as she realizes Kari's hiding a secret and at least two of the people tagging along on the tour are violently anti-Wilder. Her struggles to uncover several secrets reveal some surprising things about her heroine. This sixth adventure for Chloe (Tradition of Deceit, 2014, etc.) is a real treat for Little House fans, a fine mystery supplemented by fascinating information on the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In 1983, historian Chloe Ellefson and her sister, Kari, take a road trip to visit sites dedicated to the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. They travel with a quilt said to have been owned by Wilder, and they hope to determine which site to donate it to. At their first stop, a man dies, apparently an accident, but as their trip continues, a presenter at the Looking for Laura symposium is murdered, a tour bus is sabotaged, and various Laura artifacts are defaced. Meanwhile, Kari has her own hidden agenda, and Chloe's patrolman boyfriend, back home in Wisconsin, is struggling to deal with the loss of his best friend and to decide whether to buy his family's farm. Chloe and Kari ultimately find themselves trying to solve the murders as they unravel the mystery behind the provenance of Laura's quilt. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder will savor the facts on her and her family's lives woven throughout the story, and quilters will also find much to enjoy. Ernst does an exceptional job of sharing the kinds of character details that cozy readers relish.--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2015 Booklist
Excerpts
Excerpts
Open publication Excerpted from Death on the Prairie by Kathleen Ernst All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
