Skip to main content

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill: A Book Review

The Lost Girl of Astor Street
Author: Stephanie Morrill
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Blink
Release Date: 2017
Pages: 352
Source: Edelweiss/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: When her best friend vanishes without so much as a good-bye, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail takes on the role of amateur sleuth in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. Given that Piper’s tendency has always been to butt heads with high-society’s expectations of her, it’s no surprise that she doesn’t give a second thought to searching for answers to Lydia’s abduction from their privileged neighborhood.

      As Piper discovers that those answers might stem from the corruption strangling 1924 Chicago—and quite possibly lead back to the doors of her affluent neighborhood—she must decide how deep she’s willing to dig, how much she should reveal, and if she’s willing to risk her life of privilege for the sake of the truth.

     Perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, Stephanie Morrill’s atmospheric jazz-age mystery will take readers from the glitzy homes of the elite to the dark underbelly of 1920s Chicago.

    My Review: Piper Sail is a high society school girl. She dreams of going on dates and hanging out with her best friend, Lydia. When Lydia disappears one night, Piper is devastated. She wonders how a rich girl could simply vanish in one night. She looks for information with the police, but she is convinced that they are looking in the wrong place. Piper decides to start her own investigation with the help of a handsome detective. Piper is surprised that her clues lead her into the heart of Chicago’s most dangerous mafia.

     I really adored Piper. She was a very fun character. I particularly loved her friendship and loyalty to Lydia. She would do anything, including putting herself in danger, in order to bring her friend back safe and sound. Piper is also very intelligent. She notices small details that others would not have noticed. This is not to say that Piper was not without flaws. There were many times that she was so emotional that she became hysterical. She also acted without thinking, which almost got her into danger. Despite these weaknesses, she was a good-hearted girl that cared about her friends and family.

     Overall, this novel is about friendship, justice, and loyalty. All the characters were well-rounded and likable. The novel is also well-written and filled with many details of the1920s Chicago mafia world. The only thing I did not like about this book was the killer revealed the identity on their own rather than letting Piper solve who the killer was. Still, The Lost Girl of Astor Street is a fast-paced mystery that has a dash of action and romance! It will leave you wanting more! I hope that there will be a sequel, for I would love to know what lies in store for Piper’s next adventure!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

    Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh     One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants.       There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) by David Potter: A Book Review

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) Author: David Potter Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: November 4, 2015 Pages: 288 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Two of the most famous mosaics from the ancient world, in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, depict the sixth-century emperor Justinian and, on the wall facing him, his wife, Theodora (497-548). This majestic portrait gives no inkling of Theodora's very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power. Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinople's Hippodrome, she abandoned a successful acting career in her late teens to follow a lover whom she was legally forbidden to marry. When he left her, she was a single mother who built a new life for herself as a secret agent, in which role she met the heir to the throne. To the shock of the ruling elite, the two were married, and when Justinian...

Blog Tour: A Daughter's Journey by Myra Lee Glass: A Book Review

  Book Details: Book Title :   A Daughter's Journey  by Myra Lee Glass Category :   YA Fiction (Ages 13-17) ,  132 pages Genre :  YA Historical Fiction / Adventure Publisher :  Coleche Press Release date:    Feb 2023 Source:  This book was given to me by iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Content Rating :  G:  Written for a high school school project :) by a highschooler Book Description:      The year is 1938 and a family in the small South Carolina town of Beaufort faces serious adversity. After the birth of her long-awaited son, Mary Banks dives into a dark postpartum period, throwing her into a deep depression. Thinking that her sister, Rose, is offering her a helping hand, Mary leaves her family and goes to Boston in search of a medical cure, not to be heard from again. ​     Where is Mary Banks? What has Rose done with the much-loved mother and wife of the Banks fami...