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Carmen Radtke
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The Case of the Missing Bride: An Alyssa Chalmers historical cozy murder mystery (A cozy Alyssa Chalmers mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Carmen Radtke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 120 ratings

Meet Alyssa Chalmers.
Victorian emigrant. Reluctant bride. Intrepid sleuth.

1862. A group of poor young Australian women set sail for matrimony in Canada.

Only headstrong, well-educated Alyssa doesn’t share her new friends’ romantic dreams of a well-off husband.

All she wants is the freedom usually denied to women, even if it means putting up with being patronised by the infuriating ship’s surgeon, Dr Bryson, and following strict rules of propriety with every movement she makes.

When one of the brides goes missing, she soon discovers that hurricanes and seasickness aren’t the only dangers they face during their perilous journey.

Everyone else believes in an accident, but Alyssa is convinced the disappearance was no accident but murder!

She convinces the doctor and the charming First Officer that she is right. With those two men as her stealthy allies, she investigates.

But meddling in murder is a dangerous business, that might well cost her life …

The Case of the Missing Bride was inspired by a true event. Buy the first Alyssa Chalmers mystery now and you’ll discover why this headstrong heroine and her clever sleuthing made her a Malice Domestic finalist.

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    A cozy Alyssa Chalmers mystery
  2. Print length
    222 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 2019
  5. File size
    703 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the best traditions of Agatha Christie, I suspected EVERYONE at some point." Fiona Leitch, author of Dead in Venice.

"A thoroughly enthralling novel, of a different kind." Reviewer

About the Author

Carmen Radtke has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side. She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter. When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life. "The Case of the Missing Bride" is a former Malice Domestic finalist, inspired by a true event. Its heroine Alyssa Chalmers will soon return in "Glittering Death". When Carmen is not writing, reading or dreaming of travel, she is busy acting as resident cat servant. She's currently working on her first contemporary crime novel. Follow Carmen on Bookbub: https: //www.bookbub.com/profile/carmen-radtke Or on Twitter: @carmenradtke1 Her website (very much a work in progress) is carmenradtke.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07ZMGNTPD
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Adamantine Books; 2nd edition (December 1, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 703 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 120 ratings

About the author

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Carmen Radtke

Carmen Radtke

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Carmen has spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.

She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter.

When she found herself crouched under her dining table, typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, she realised she was hooked for life.

The shaken but stirring novel made it to the longlist of the Mslexia competition, and her next book and first mystery, The Case Of The Missing Bride, was a finalist in the Malice Domestic competition in a year without a winner. Since then she has penned several more cozy mysteries, including the Jack and Frances series set in the 1930s.

Carmen now lives in Italy with her human and her four-legged family.

Links:

Website - www.carmenradtke.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/Carmen-Radtke-1958399947738868/

Twitter:@CarmenRadtke1

Email - Carmenradtke01@gmail.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
120 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Pinar Tarhan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A solid, fast-paced, and fun mystery with memorable characters
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    In the 19th century Australia, a group of young, orphaned women are to secretly join a ship’s crew as hidden cargo so that they can get married to nice men abroad. The women are led by their proper matron, and her right hand, strong Alyssa Chalmers who is also one of the future brides. Their existence is supposedly only known by the ship’s doctor, captain, and first officer. However, we have reason to suspect there is another man who knows, and he has sinister plans for the girls. Unlucky for him, when one of the brides go missing, Alyssa will prove to everyone just how smart, resourceful and dedicated she is.

    Alyssa is what I imagine Elizabeth Bennet would be like, had she been forced to solve a mystery. She obeys the rules of her time, but just enough for her survival. She finds opportunities to bend them, and she has no intention of marrying a stranger when she gets off the ship. She is independent, and she loves her solitude. It’s not that she detests being social; she just isn’t allowed to be completely herself around company. Her different personality and attitude infuriate the young doctor at first, but even he will have to admit he is just taken by surprise by her intelligence.

    The mystery novel is a page-turner from start to finish, though the pace increases as you turn more pages. It is a fun read, as long as you don’t delve too much into the fact that the conditions of the women were a reality for most not a too long time ago. It is poignant at a time when we are still fighting for women’s rights.

    That said, the book is a solid mystery from start to finish with rich and interesting characters. And I think we would all want to have friends like Alyssa or Kendrick (first officer in our lives.). The jury is still out on how likable the doctor is. Strongly recommended.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Gramma
    3.0 out of 5 stars Too drawn out for my taste. I think some ...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Too drawn out for my taste. I think some of the other characters should have been more built up. Some were mentioned once and never again and I was confused as to why.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Books Of All Kinds
    4.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction with a dash of mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2017
    THE CASE OF THE MISSING BRIDE by Carmen Radtke is a gripping and evolving story that slowly draws you into the past and holds you hostage until the very last line.

    It is the 1860's and a group of young women find themselves on board an ocean liner making its way to Canada, where the women will become brides in the hopes of having a new life. But not everyone knows of their presence on the ship, and when one of the girls disappears, they are all shocked as to what could have happened to her.
    Alyssa is set apart from the girls as she is more upper class and has no intention of becoming a bride but rather intends to travel on to England in search of a relative. But when it becomes clear that one of the women is missing, she is determined to uncover the truth, no matter how dangerous it may be...

    THE CASE OF THE MISSING BRIDE by Carmen Radtke is historical fiction with a dash of mystery and I really enjoyed this steadily paced, elegantly written story that transported me back in time. Alyssa is a complex and likeable character who is so caring and considerate, but also unafraid of speaking her mind and doing what she must to find the truth, and I loved this about her. All in all, this is a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

    *I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not a luxury voyage
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A truly different adventure. Twenty two young women with no family set out on a voyage from Melbourne Australia to Vancouver Canada. Three months at sea and hidden from the crew, they managed to adjust to their surroundings. Then a predator surfaced. One went missing, disappeared. The doctor, the first officer and Alyssa work together to find the murderer.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Rivets your attention from page one.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Ms Radtke grabs your attention on the first page and does not let it go. She keeps you guessing which "gentleman" is the murderer even after she reveals that Emma was not meeting a member of the sailing or engineering crew. Alyssa Chalmers is a detective heroine to follow.
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  • TheQuietGeordie
    3.0 out of 5 stars More of a Historical Fiction than a Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017
    At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Alyssa and her travelling companions. They are to travel from Australia to Canada to seek husbands. It is a church sponsored initiative, and the girls are travelling with a Matron. They are to stay below decks, as only a select number of crew and none of the guests know they are travelling. Of course, they can’t stay hidden forever, and then one of Alyssa’s new friends goes missing and she is determined to find out the truth – with the help of some of the crew.

    The story is told from three characters perspectives – Alyssa Chalmers, Dr Mark Bryson and a mysterious diarist.

    Alyssa is a likeable character. She’s not afraid of speaking her mind and standing up for what she believes in, but she’s equally quite happy to obey the polite society rules of the times. Alyssa tells the story for a view into life for the girls.

    Mark is also a likeable character – he is concerned for the safety of the girls, and at the same time is one of the people who stands up for them when they are discovered by accident. He is a good negotiator for the girls against the Captain. He’s also the main investigator of the story.

    This is a very slow moving but enjoyable read. The Missing Bride of the title doesn’t go missing until about halfway through, but it’s enough of a page turner to keep you wanting more.

    *Thank you to Sarah Hardy and the team at Bloodhound Books, and the Author, for providing a free copy, which I was delighted to provide an honest review of*
    One person found this helpful
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  • Prairie House
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good job.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I think this book does a very good job of depicting the social mores of the time and the difficulties of the voyage. The characters are distinct and the plot moves along well. Good historical mystery.Clues along the way are existent but not overly obvious.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • She Who Hangs Out In Cemeteries
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Murder Mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Let me start by saying I don’t usually read historical fiction, it’s not my ‘go to’ genre BUT I absolutely love Carmen Radtke’s writing and if the writing is good enough then I will partake. The characters are well drawn and the plot is clear. It’s effortless reading which takes a huge amount of skill and talent. Here is an excerpt I particularly liked: “The stars cast their icy light across the becalmed sea. Waves broke the reflection at odd angles, causing the light to dance as if to the sound of an orchestra only they could hear.”

    The 'brides to be' are hidden away on a ship, they're travelling to meet suitors who have booked passage for them from Australia to Canada. The girls all have vastly different personalities and I loved that. I was instantly sucked into the drama and actually contemplated hiding in my wardrobe away from the kids so I could finish reading in peace.

    The first half of the story is spent getting to know the characters and this works well. Dotted throughout the book are diary entries from a character with less than honourable intentions. I really liked these entries. A bit like reading snippets of Hannibal Lecter’s diary, minus the ‘people for dinner’ part. There’s tension and difficult times but the girls get through it until… Emma goes missing and the protagonist tries to find out what has happened to her.

    This book had a Downton Abbey vibe. I can absolutely see it as a TV series and I hope someone adapts it for the screen because I think it would be hugely popular. Normally, a book like this would get a 4* rating because it’s not a genre that speaks to me BUT for some strange reason I got drunk on this novel and was happy to turn the page again and again. I would recommend it to anyone, even those who don’t read historical fiction. Honestly, it’s a great read. Buy it!
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  • Linda
    5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't want this one to finish
    Reviewed in Germany on September 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed The Case of the Missing Bride. We know from the start that someone on the ship is not to be trusted around the brides - but who is it? And which bride will go missing? And will they find her? Carmen Radtke does an excellent job of building tension and pulling us into the claustrophobic life on board. Great characters, and I didn't know until the end who the bad guy was - 5 stars from me.
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  • A Coyote Most Erudite!
    4.0 out of 5 stars An original Murder Mystery to savour
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It seems to be the season for murder-mystery stories set on board an isolated transport. As the cinema enjoys another ride on the Orient Express, Carmen Radtke invites us onto an altogether different mode of transport: the Artemis’ Delight, a 19th century ship sailing from Australia with a secret cargo of women to be sold as brides in Canada. But then, midway through their journey, one of the brides goes missing...

    Unlike many similar stories, the ‘crime’ here occurs at just over the book’s halfway point. This gives us more time to get to know who’s who, not just our killer-to-be (through some well crafted confessional writing), but also to guess which bride will suffer the unfortunate fate promised by the title.

    The setting is both original and nicely realised, and the large cast of characters include some real gems. My favourites were our heroine and amateur sleuth, Alyssa Chalmers, Captain Moore, and the ship’s boy, Davies. The period too makes for a pleasant change from modern-day mysteries; the author and her characters have to get by without all our contemporary tech devices catching the culprit and uncovering the truth. And the book is so much better for it.

    An enjoyable, historical read, suffused with detail and dialogue evocative of its time, the Case of the Missing Bride is one you’ll definitely want to solve.
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  • Amazon Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read! Now!
    Reviewed in Germany on October 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I stayed up all night, wasn't able to put down this book. A thoroughly exciting and well written story with convincing characters. Loved it. Can't wait to read more books from this author.
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  • Love Reading
    3.0 out of 5 stars A nice read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The Case of the Missing Bride was a nice read, but didn't really hold any surprises for me. I did like AIyssa as a heroine, since she was feisty and independent, with a stubborn streak. The doctor, Mark, and the first mate had distinct personalities, but I found it difficult to differentiate between the four male passengers. I think because they were known by their titles and I found it confusing.
    At the end of the story, I realised it wasn't so much who committed the crime, but how and why it happened that was more important.
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