September 29, 2014
Set in 1867, Maia’s lively debut, the first in a new cozy series, introduces actresses Ophelia Flax and Prudence Bright. The pair, finding themselves unemployed aboard a ship bound for Europe from New York, use their guile to persuade a fellow passenger, wealthy Mrs. Pearl Coop, to hire them as maids. Ophelia and Prue wind up working at the castle Mr. and Mrs. Coop own in Germany’s Black Forest. On the estate is a cottage that may have been the home of the original Snow White, the object of interest of two professors, Winkler and Penrose. Winkler dismisses all things fairy tale, while Penrose secretly hopes to demonstrate that such stories are rooted in fact. When Mr. Coop takes a fatal bite out of a poisoned apple, Prue is accused of murder. Determined to prove Prue innocent, Ophelia joins forces with Penrose, and each agrees to aid the other’s mission. The conclusion will whet the reader’s appetite for Ophelia and Prue’s next misadventure. Agent: Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management.
Starred review from November 1, 2014
Victorian actress Ophelia Flax quits her music hall job to protect her ward, Prudence Bright, and signs on as a lady's maid to the wife of a crass American millionaire, Homer Coop. When the entourage arrives in the Black Forest of Germany, where Coop has purchased a castle, mysterious events occur. Discovered in the woods is a tiny cottage where a dwarf corpse is found. Is this Snow White's dwelling? Then Coop is killed after eating a poisoned apple, and the cottage's artifacts are stolen. The primary suspect is Prue, but Ophelia is determined to prove her charge's innocence, with the assistance of a handsome English professor of folklore. VERDICT Offering a clever twist on the tales of the Brothers Grimm, this debut historical cozy (and series launch) introduces an attractive, spunky heroine, full of piss and vinegar, and an entertaining, well-constructed plot that will satisfy fans of folklore and fairy tales.
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