Unseemly Ambition — K.B. Owen

A murder...a missing boy...a secret society's bold and deadly plot... It is 1898, and Professor Concordia Wells has come to expect the hectic routine of classes, clubs, teas, and the inevitable student pranks at the women's college. If only she could avoid the cantankerous dean, Randolph Maynard, who has learned about her past experiences as a "lady sleuth." To Concordia's dismay, he scrutinizes her every move for evidence of unseemly conduct. The dean will certainly scowl over the lady professor's behavior when a disastrous turn of events affects those she loves. First, a mysterious woman claims that Concordia's young friend, the eleven-year-old Eli, is her long-lost child. Soon after, they find the woman murdered and the boy gone. Lieutenant Capshaw is given the case, only to be abruptly replaced by a junior associate. An innocuous reassignment, or something more? Concordia calls upon a former ally, Penelope Hamilton, for help. As they search for the child and untangle the mystery of his mother's death, Concordia realizes that not even her own colleagues are above suspicion. Not knowing whom at the school to trust as she attempts to side-step Dean Maynard's continual scrutiny, she must tread carefully. Far more is at risk than the loved ones she seeks to protect, and there is no turning back. Praise for the Concordia Wells Mysteries: "The exquisitely plotted mystery will keep you turning the pages well into the night, and the richness of the world will keep you thinking about the story long after you put it down." Janice Hamrick, award-winning author of Death Makes the Cut ..".finely wrought historical details that make the reader feel totally at home...truly a delight to read. I'll definitely be awaiting more adventures of the intrepid Miss Wells." Martha Powers, award-winning author of Conspiracy of Silence and Death Angel "As long as K.B. Owen keeps writing Concordia Wells mysteries, I'll keep reading them." Marcy Kennedy, editor and SFF author