Review – The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

Title The Lost Girl of Astor Street

Author Stephanie Morrill

Description from Amazon

Lydia has vanished. Lydia, who’s never broken any rules, except falling in love with the wrong boy. Lydia, who’s been Piper’s best friend since they were children. Lydia, who never even said good-bye. Convinced the police are looking in all the wrong places, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail begins her own investigation to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. With the reluctant help of a handsome young detective, Piper goes searching for answers in the dark underbelly of 1924 Chicago, determined to find Lydia at any cost. When Piper discovers those answers might stem from the corruption strangling the city—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 for the truth.

Initial Thoughts

Amazon cites this book as “perfect for fans of Veronica Mars and Downton Abbey“.  I am a fan of both of those amazing series so I absolutely had to read this book.  I liked the change of pace away from fantasy/magic.  This is a pure historical fiction crime story and I loved that.

Cover Art

I have the paperback edition of this book and, in my opinion, the cover on the paperback is much better than the one chosen for the hardcover book.  I probably would have passed the book by if I had only see the hardcover edition’s cover.  The cobblestone street with the mysterious necklace really drew my eye.  I think it’s a perfect cover for the nature of this story.

Series Value

I would love this book to turn into a series.  I loved Piper as a main character and the story has so many elements that could and should be made into more stories.  1924 Chicago is a perfect setting with so much potential for more.

Something I Wasn’t Crazy About

Lydia’s storyline.  I wasn’t crazy about how her story was resolved.  I feel like there are many underdeveloped consequences of her story that we didn’t see realized in the reactions of the other characters.  It’s difficult to describe the crux of the issue I had with it without giving spoilers, but, I found that Piper’s reaction, particularly, was lacking in light of Lydia’s story’s resolution.

Final Thoughts

I loved the plot, characters, and setting of this story.  I love that I read something that did not feature any magic or fantasy elements and really enjoyed it.  I do love a crime drama but normally, there’s always a twist to the crime stories I read.  This was purely historical and it was perfect.  I also loved the backdrop of 1920s Chicago.  I think there is so much more Stephanie Morrill can do with Piper’s character and I hope to see more of her in future stories.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

• The Veronica Speedwell Series by Deanna Raybourn – if you like a good amateur detective story with a strong female lead, look no further than this series.  Stoker and Veronica’s dynamic is very similar to Piper and her detective **no spoilers**.
• Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Antsey – once again, if you like historical fiction, definitely check out anything by Cindy Anstey.  There is a Jane Austen feel to Cindy’s work that I definitely felt a bit of in The Lost Girl of Astor Street.  While it’s a much creepier and mysterious Jane Austen, I could definitely sense the same feeling.
• Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon – while this story is not a murder mystery, it is another historical fiction with a strong female lead.  Set in a similar time period in London (instead of Chicago), many core themes are shared between these two books.