DEATH ON THE PRAIRIE BOOK TOUR

Synopsis:

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.

Being a Wisconsin native, familiar both with Old World Wisconsin and the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and historical sites, I wanted to take my time and enjoy every aspect of this book.

Chloe and her sister Kari reminded me of my relationship with my sister, the two of us actually being a Laura and Mary pair. We even have some Norwegian blood.

I loved the terms used for fans of the Little House book series including Laura Lookers.
I was fascinated by the extra information about the Ingalls' family and being able to say "I knew that!"
I did not expect the murders to begin so soon or hit so close to home for Chloe.
This cozy was complicated and kept me working on clues.
I did not feel that the sisters' romantic and family issues distracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Chloe has an education and career in historical facts and preservation.
When her elderly neighbor presents her with a quilt from the 1800s allegedly made by the famous Laura Ingalls, Chloe is beside herself. She was fascinated with the Little House books as a child, even preparing a college paper on them to earn her degree. Recently she has been invited to present her findings at a scholarly gathering celebrating Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with her sister, from whom she feels she has drifted apart. Also to use her investigative nature to discover any connections this quilt may have to the beloved author.

Her investigative nature and undeveloped psychic senses get quite the workout on this trip when people around her turn up dead. She also learns things about her family and loved ones she was not expecting. She may not find exactly what she was looking for on her road trip but at the end I think we are all satisfied. The Ingalls family survived unexpected circumstances and extremely difficult times. Still, they made the best of what they had and what happened to them. Chloe tries to live up to their example, even if her life is still a work in progress.

I did receive this book in exchange for an honest review.
I will be reading the others in this series.

About The Author –

Kathleen Ernst is a former museum curator who remains passionate about history!  In addition to the Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites series, she has written many books for American Girl, including nine about the historical character she created, Caroline Abbott. Over 1.5 million copies of Kathleen’s 33 titles have been sold. The Chloe series has earned a LOVEY Award for Best Traditional Mystery, and several of her mysteries for young readers have been finalists for Edgar or Agatha awards. 

Author Links:

www.kathleenernst.com

www.sitesandstories.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathleenernst.author

Purchase Links:

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780738744704 

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Death-Prairie/Kathleen-Ernst/9780738744704

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-on-the-prairie-kathleen-ernst/1121090583

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Prairie-Chloe-Ellefson-Mystery/dp/0738744700