Seneca Falls Inheritance

Rating:
Summary: Good Blend of History and Mystery
Review: "Seneca Falls Inheritance" is both the story of the birth of the women's suffrage movement in 1848, and the murder of a woman who tried to exercise her economic rights in a world where women were viewed as inferior beings. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the 19th Century's most influential women, makes an appearance at the beginning of her long career in fighting for women's rights; she is joined by the leading fictional character, Glynis Tryon, Seneca Falls' "free thinking" librarian, who will fight her own battles to help discover the identity of a murderer. The plot raises several important issues of both the 19th Century and today: domestic abuse, discrimination, illicit relationships, and how women are judged differently than men when it comes to aggression and tenacity. There's also a hint of romance between Glynis and the town's constable, plus a connection between the librarian and her recently departed patron. This is both an entertaining and informative novel.

Rating:
Summary: A Gentle Crime Novel
Review: Miriam grace Monfredo's first novel neatly blends the culture of the time with an engaging double murder, though no one makes the connection between the murders at first. Her heroine, Glynis Tyrone, struggles with her role in life as a single working woman during an unforgiving era. Monfredo does an excellent job of weaving social issues into the fiber of the mystery. She does a less masterful job of developing the other characters, who tend to drift into stereotypes. Overall, I recommend this novel as a nice light read.

Rating:
Summary: A Gentle Crime Novel
Review: Miriam grace Monfredo's first novel neatly blends the culture of the time with an engaging double murder, though no one makes the connection between the murders at first. Her heroine, Glynis Tyrone, struggles with her role in life as a single working woman during an unforgiving era. Monfredo does an excellent job of weaving social issues into the fiber of the mystery. She does a less masterful job of developing the other characters, who tend to drift into stereotypes. Overall, I recommend this novel as a nice light read.

Rating:
Summary: A dose of history with an entertaining story.
Review: Monfredo does an excellent job of using history, particularly the women's rights issues, as an integral part of the story. She isn't preachy and you don't need to be a history major to get the point and follow the story. Her use of the same main characters and setting in Seneca Falls makes you feel at home with each book. I find these mysteries a welcome change.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Historical Mystery
Review: Seneca Falls NY was the site of the Women's Rights Convention of 1848. Against this backdrop we are introduced to Glynis Tryon, a spinister librarian, who stumbles into a murder mystery. This is a cozy mystery, with most of the mayhem taking place off the pages of the book. An entertaining read, and a very interesting heroine, who chooses to be single, at a time when that was very difficult. The mystery wasn't too difficult to solve, but I enjoyed all the history and the numerous real life people woven into the background of the story. A good first entry in what promises to be an enjoyable series.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Historical Mystery
Review: Seneca Falls NY was the site of the Women's Rights Convention of 1848. Against this backdrop we are introduced to Glynis Tryon, a spinister librarian, who stumbles into a murder mystery. This is a cozy mystery, with most of the mayhem taking place off the pages of the book. An entertaining read, and a very interesting heroine, who chooses to be single, at a time when that was very difficult. The mystery wasn't too difficult to solve, but I enjoyed all the history and the numerous real life people woven into the background of the story. A good first entry in what promises to be an enjoyable series.

Rating:
Summary: entertaining historical mystery
Review: Set in Seneca Falls, NY, at the time of the first Women's Rights Convention of 1848, author Miriam Monfredo has chosen a particularly intriguing setting for her mystery series starring librarian Glynis Tryon. Monfredo introduces a lot of information about women's rights, the area and the lifestyle of the times without awkwardness, and the book is readable for that alone. The heroine and her friends are realistic and likeable, though Glynis is definitely not a confident feminist, and I look forward to reading other books in the series to see if this changes. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the most famous resident of the town, is not a main character but she does show up occasionally and that is fun. The mystery is okay but not dazzling, so all-in-all I'd say this was a promising beginning to this series, and I intend to read more.

Rating:
Summary: Great mystery with a good dose of women's history!
Review: This book and the other four Ms. Monfredo currently has out do an extraordinary job of incorporating women's history and lesser-known history into fascinating mysteries. I encourage you to read them in order, starting with this one, because she builds the characters throughout the series.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for Young Adults
Review: This book is marketed as an adult book and that struck me as odd because it really seems more like a young adult book. This well written story features a 30 year old heroin who despite defying convention by remaining single and supporting herself, comes across as a very young women, for she is often unsure of herself and worried about appearances. The murder's identify and the motive are evident from the start and the final chapter, while not with out a surprise, explains the reasoning behind the mysteries solution in such painful detail, that it seems addressed to a younger audience. In between the beginning and end is an interesting albeit sanitized tale. The heroine has made a radical choice to be single, but we never learn what that means to her. She seems to be totally unaware that physical relations exist. She never ponders what she has sacrificed nor luxuriates in the freedoms she has gained. Instead of emotional and intellectual insight we are giving history lessons that at times are intrusive. All in all it is a light, entertaining read with a fascinating premise that could have been so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Upstate New Yorker of the 1960's Confirms Tone
Review: This book was recommended to me when I recently visited family back east for the first time in many years. I had asked directions,especially wanting to take my 18-year old daughter to the Women's Rights Museum in Seneca Falls on the drive from Seneca Lake to Syracuse. I remembered having seen the small blue sign along the rural highway and always regretting not having turned there. Being a teen in the 60's, I marveled that the consciousness-raising and role changes that were exploding then (and that now have made so many unappreciated opportunities for girls and women) began in the Finger Lakes area where my great grandparents had settled and my parents grew up! This novel recreates that era and makes the instigation of radical activities by Elizabeth Cady Stanton understandable through the description of the female and male character's lives. While an important theme, the women's rights information is peripheral to the main story. Some detail about characters is obvious but not distracting in the intention to prepare the reader for a series. As this is the first of a series written about a time of restricted public behavior for women, Glynis Tryon's cautious hesitance is understandable and realistic as she follows her instincts and intelligence to solve the murder. I have ordered more books in the series, and expect the maiden librarian's confidence to increase, just as we womenfolk each get more uppity as we proceed through life, finding that our feelings and ideas matter and that we can make a difference.
The description of life along the Erie Canal, the foods served at Thanksgiving dinner, the vegetation and weather were surprisingly familiar to me. My elderly father took me into the Post Office in PennYan, N.Y. and showed me the numbered brass mailbox where,as a boy, he used to pick up his father's mail. There is a sturdy practicality common to Upstate New Yorkers that is also captured in Monfredo's characters. She truly conveys the spirit and history of the area.
If you like the book, go visit! Seneca Falls (there really are beautiful falls there) is not far from Corning, N.Y., with a wonderful tour of the Corning Glass Works. Oneida Silver Company is located along Oneida Lake north of Syracuse. Drive west to Rochester and visit Kodak Corporation's informative exhibits. A bit furthertoward Buffalo is the beauty and power of Niagara Falls , where you can don a raincoat to ride the famous Maid of the Mist right into the whirling base of the falls. It was the American Indians in that area who told settlers that the long, clear Finger Lakes (Canadaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, and Cazenovia ) were formed by a swipe of the ancient Great Bear's paw. Although we usually think of bear as fierce, native americans saw him as a wise healer because he knew which plants to eat, and most like man, because he stood on two feet while grazing. A special area, even Joseph Smith had his spiritual experiences that began the Church of Latter Day Saints in nearby Palmyra. The majestic reenactment pageant is attended by more than Mormons each year.
There is more to New York than New York City. The lives of its people are inherent to our American Culture. Enjoy this book; be there!!