Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder on Oak Street (A South Shore Mystery) by I. M. Foster. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Murder on Oak Street (A South Shore Mystery)
by I. M. Foster
Murder on Oak Street (A South Shore Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher : Inez M. Foster (November 12, 2022)
Hardcover : 503 pages
New York, 1904. After two years as a coroner’s physician for the city of New York, Daniel O’Halleran is more frustrated than ever. What’s the point when the authorities consistently brush aside his findings for the sake of expediency? So when his fiancée leaves him standing at the altar on their wedding day, he takes it as a sign that it’s time to move on and eagerly accepts an offer to assist the local coroner in the small Long Island village of Patchogue.
Though the coroner advises him that life on Long Island is far more subdued than that of the city, Daniel hasn’t been there a month when the pretty librarian, Kathleen Brissedon, asks him to look into a two-year-old murder case that took place in the city. Oddly enough, the case she’s referring to was the first one he ever worked on, and the verdict never sat right with him.
Eager for the chance to investigate it anew, Daniel agrees to look into it in his spare time, but when a fresh murder occurs in his own backyard, he can’t shake his gut feeling that the two cases are connected. Can he discover the link before another life is taken, or will murder shake the peaceful South Shore village once again?
Author Guest Post: The Shift in Women’s Fashion in the Edwardian Age
I had a lot of fun researching the style of clothing my characters would wear. Gone were the hooped petticoats of the mid-nineteenth century, and though the S-silhouette of the 1880s was still prevalent, it had lost the cumbersome bustle and softened up a bit, flowing down into a more bell-shaped skirt.
During the day, the style was still high necklines and long sleeves, though the mutton sleeve had given way to the puffed shoulder, and the skirts tended to just graze the ground or perhaps have a slight train. The bodices were loose and flouncy, especially in the front, even if they did still cover a corset. Kathleen might have even worn a lightweight gown of linen for her meeting in the garden with Daniel.
For a visit to the village, however, she would likely have worn a bit more tailored gown, though the frame would be the same. Separates made an appearance at the end of the 1890s with the popularity of the Gibson Girl look. With more and more women going out to work, the need developed for outfits that were practical and yet fashionable at the same time. This style of mixing and matching skirts and blouses continued into the early twentieth century, allowing women to appear to have more outfits than they actually did.
The appearance of department stores, like Sweezey’s in Patchogue, and ready-made clothing continued into the new century. The cost was generally less than tailor-made outfits, thus allowing a young lady the purchase more and expand her wardrobe. Many skillful young women might even copy the designs for themselves and make their own outfits.
Evening wear was much the same as the day dress, though there were a few notable differences. Necklines tended to be lower and sleeves shorter. Many times long gloves would be worn to cover the arms in the absence of longer sleeves. These evening dresses tended to have a small train and were made of finer materials that sported more embellishments than the day dress.
Wherever a lady went, however, a glove, hat, and purse of some sort, were expected to be part of her ensemble. Hair would generally be piled on top of her head in an elaborate bun that puffed out in a pompadour. Many times “rats” were used to achieve the desired effect. Don’t worry, in this case, were simply matted pads or rolls of hair. Voluminous hairstyles were needed to support the hats that grew larger as the decade progressed.
Another notable aspect of the twentieth century’s first decade was the tendency to have an outfit for every activity, at least where one could afford it. Even a young woman from the middle class would strive to have an outfit for leisure activities. Bicycling had gained in popularity in the late nineteenth century, and out of necessity, bloomers had replaced skirts. By the first years of the 1900s, however, the bloomer had given way to split skirts that rose to mid-calf, and in many cases, jackets were being set aside in lieu of just wearing a blouse. Large hats, too, were laid aside for play, and either replaced by smaller hats known as boaters or an elaborate hairstyle. The Victorian standards were indeed easing.
One of the most notable changes was to be in the bathing costume. While ladies were still required to wear black stockings to cover their legs in 1904, other aspects of the suits were beginning to change. The forerunner of the one-piece bathing suit had made an entry at the end of the 19th century, consisting of a blouse and bloomers. Over these a skirt was worn for modesty. By the turn of the twentieth century, however, the skirts and bloomers lost much of their volume and began to rise to above the knee. Sleeves started to shorten as well and necklines dipped. But the wearing of the overskirt was just a breath away from being discarded altogether as bathing for pleasure, instead of simply to wash, gained in popularity. Of course, older ladies continued to wear the bathing dress for a number of years, but the younger generation embraced the new fashions. Within another ten years, the tight restrictions of the Victorian era would be a thing of the past, and it all started with the Edwardians.
About I. M. Foster
I. M. Foster is the pen name author Inez Foster uses to write her South Shore Mystery series, set on Edwardian Long Island. Inez also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Andrea Matthews, and has so far published two series in that genre: the Thunder on the Moor series, a time-travel romance set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Borders, and the Cross of Ciaran series, which follows the adventures of a fifth century Celt who finds himself in love with a twentieth-century archaeologist.
Inez is a historian and librarian, who love to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogically speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. Inez is a member of the Long Island Romance Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime.
Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMFosterMysteries
X: https://www.x.com/IMFosterMystery
Threads: https://www.threads.net/imfosterauthor
Purchase Link – Amazon
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Murder on Oak Street TOUR PARTICIPANTS
April 14 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
April 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
April 16 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 17 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 18 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
April 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 22 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
April 24 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
April 25 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
April 26 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
April 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
April 27 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
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Sounds like a fabulous book.
This sounds like a book that I will enjoy reading.
Lovely cover