Most Popular Books by Kathleen Ernst

Past and Present Collide Beyond Death''s Door Solitude at last! Museum curator Chloe Ellefson leaps at the opportunity to be a consultant for the historic lighthouse restoration project on Rock Island, a state park in Wisconsin''s scenic Door County. Hoping to leave her personal and professional problems at home, Chloe''s tranquility is suddenly spoiled when a dead woman washes ashore. Determined to find answers behind the mystery, Chloe dives into research about the island''s history and discovers the amazing, resilient women who once lived there. But will the link between the past and present turn out to be a beacon of hope or a portent of doom? Praise: Winner of the Lovey Award for Best Traditional/Amateur Sleuth Mystery "Chloe''s third combines a good mystery with some interesting historical information on a niche subject."—Kirkus Reviews "Framed by the history of lighthouses and their keepers and the story of fishery disputes through time, the multiple plots move easily across the intertwined past and present."—Booklist "A haunted island makes for fun escape reading. Ernst''s third amateur sleuth cozy is just the ticket for lighthouse fans and genealogy buffs. Deftly flipping back and forth in time in alternating chapters, the author builds up two mystery cases and cleverly weaves them back together."—Library Journal "While the mystery elements of this books are very good, what really elevates it are the historical tidbits of the real-life Pottawatomie Lighthouse and the surrounding fishing village."—Mystery Scene "Kathleen Ernst wraps history with mystery in a fresh and compelling read."—Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times bestselling author

Dark Secrets Hidden in Norwegian Traditions For curator Chloe Ellefson, a family bonding trip to Decorah, Iowa, for rosemaling classes seems like a great idea—until the drive begins. Chloe''s cop friend Roelke takes her mother''s talk of romantic customs good-naturedly, but it inflates Chloe''s emotional distress higher with each passing mile. After finally reaching Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Chloe''s resolve to remain positive is squashed when she and Roelke find Petra Lekstrom''s body in one of the antique immigrant trunks. Everyone is shaken by the instructor''s murder, and when Mom volunteers to take over the beginners'' class, Chloe is put in the hot seat of motherly criticism. As she investigates, Chloe uncovers dark family secrets that could be deadly for Mom...and even herself. Includes photos of featured artifacts from the real Norwegian-American museum! Praise: "Chloe''s fourth...provides a little mystery, a little romance and a little more information about Norwegian folk art and tales."—Kirkus Reviews

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.

Chloe Ellefson, starting fresh as curator of Old World Wisconsin, finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a woman looking for a priceless eighteenth-century Norwegian ale bowl dies in a mysterious car crash and Chloe beings to realize that someone is trying to erase all traces of the bowl''s existence.

"The eighth in the series contrasts the difficult life of Wisconsin''s Cornish miners with the heroine''s burgeoning romance, highlighting both her researching skills and her unusual feel for the past."—Kirkus Reviews Digging Up Secrets Uncovers a Legacy of Peril Chloe Ellefson is excited to be learning about Wisconsin''s Cornish immigrants and mining history while on temporary assignment at Pendarvis, a historic site in charming Mineral Point. But when her boyfriend, police officer Roelke McKenna, discovers long-buried human remains in the root cellar of an old Cornish cottage, Chloe reluctantly agrees to mine the historical record for answers. She soon finds herself in the middle of a heated and deadly controversy that threatens to close Pendarvis. While struggling to help the historic site, Chloe must unearth dark secrets, past and present, before a killer comes to bury her. Praise: "Richly imagined and compelling, Mining for Justice once again highlights Kathleen Ernst''s prowess as a storyteller...Ernst is a master of reconstructing the past."—Susanna Calkins, author of the Macavity-winning Lucy Campion Mysteries

Chloe has a devil of a time unraveling the mysteries of Norway''s fiddle and dance traditions After her mother''s unexpected death, curator Chloe Ellefson discovers hidden antiques that hint at family secrets. Determined to find answers, Chloe accepts a consultant job in Norway, her ancestors'' homeland. She''s thrilled with the opportunity to explore Hardanger fiddle and dance traditions . . . and her own heritage. Once their plane lands, however, Chloe and her fiancé, cop Roelke McKenna, encounter only disharmony. Chloe''s research reveals strong women and the importance of fiddle music in their lives. But folklore warns against "the devil''s instrument" and old evils may yet linger among the fjords and mountains. As Chloe fine-tunes her search for the truth, a killer''s desire to stop her builds to a deadly crescendo.

Book 5 in the award-winning historical Chloe Ellefson Mystery series Curator and occasional sleuth Chloe Ellefson is off to Minneapolis to help her friend Ariel with a monumental task. Ariel must write a proposal for a controversial and expensive restoration project: convert an abandoned flour mill, currently used as shelter by homeless people, into a museum. When a dead body is found stuffed into a grain chute, Chloe''s attention turns from milling to murder. Back in Milwaukee, Chloe''s love interest Roelke has been slammed with the news that a fellow officer was shot and killed while on duty. Sifting through clues from both past and present, Chloe and Roelke discover dangerous secrets that put their lives—and their trust in each other—at risk. Praise: "Ernst keeps getting better with each entry in this fascinating series."—Library Journal "Everybody has secrets in this action-filled cozy."—Publishers Weekly "All in all, a very enjoyable reading experience."—Mystery Scene "A page-turner with a clever surprise ending."—G.M. Malliet, Agatha Award-winning author of The St. Just and Max Tudor Mystery Series "[A] haunting tale of two murders...This is more than a mystery. It is a plush journey into cultural time and place."—Jill Florence Lackey, PhD, author of Milwaukee''s Old South Side and American Ethnic Practices in the Twenty-First Century

Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery: In 1732, a twelve-year-old girl of Ojibwe and French heritage must clear her father of a stealing charge—or risk being separated from him forever Suzette Choudoir always looks forward to summer, when her family leaves the Ojibwe people’s winter camp and returns to the summer gathering place on La Pointe Island. This year her papa, a French fur trader, hopes to win a trappers’ competition. If he does, he can remain with his family year-round, instead of paddling away to far-off Montreal in autumn. When someone steals a bale of valuable furs, however, suspicion falls on Papa. Determined to find the real thief, Suzette gathers clues and tries to track down the missing furs. But it will take all of her courage to clear her father’s name. If she can’t, her family will be forced to leave La Pointe Island in disgrace, and Suzette—a black-haired, blue-eyed girl of mixed cultural heritage—may never find a true home. This ebook includes a historical afterword.

"In this heartfelt tale of labor and love, Ernst produces one of her most winning combinations of historical evocation and clever mystery."—Kirkus Reviews Greed, Uncertainty, and Death Get Tangled in the Mystery of a Rare Piece of Belgian Lace Curator Chloe Ellefson needs distraction from the unsettling family secret she''s just learned. It doesn''t help that her boyfriend, Roelke McKenna, has been troubled for weeks and won''t say why. Chloe hopes a consulting job at Green Bay''s Heritage Hill Historical Park, where an old Belgian-American farmhouse is being restored, will be a relaxing escape. Instead she discovers a body in a century-old bake oven. Chloe''s research suggests that a rare and valuable piece of lace made its way to nearby Door County, Wisconsin, with the earliest Belgian settlers. More importantly, someone is desperate to find it. Inspired by a courageous Belgian woman who survived cholera, famine, and the Great Fire, Chloe must untangle clues to reveal secrets old and new...before the killer strikes again.

Chloe Ellefson, a curator for the Old World Wisconsin museum, is drawn into an investigation when a murder victim is discovered at the museum, suspecting that someone is after the historic Eagle Diamond.

Curator Chloe Ellefson is happily planning to spotlight home-front challenges and German immigrants at Old World Wisconsin''s first Civil War reenactment, but her overbearing boss scorns her ideas and proposes staging a mock battle instead. And when a reenactor is found dead at one of the historic site''s German farms, Chloe''s boyfriend, cop Roelke McKenna, suspects murder. The more Roelke learns about reenacting, the more he fears that a killer will join the ranks. Then Chloe discovers a disturbing secret about Roelke''s Civil War–era ancestors. Together they struggle to solve crimes past and present...before Chloe loses her job and another reenactor loses his life. Praise: "Veteran Ernst provides a new perspective on the Civil War woven together with a compelling mystery." —Kirkus Reviews "Extremely well-written."—Suspense Magazine "Kathleen Ernst knows how to spin a tale, weave an intricate plot, and hide clues in the embroidery. A Memory of Muskets takes two stories separated by more than a century and knits them together into one thoroughly satisfying read."—Kathy Lynn Emerson, Agatha Award-winning author of How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, Murder in the Merchant''s Hall, and other historical mysteries

"This is a book with great meaning for those of us who grew up on farms, and a book to be shared with young people eager to know more about pioneer life." --Jerry Apps, author of "Old Farm: A History" and "Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalist''s Memoir" "A Settler''s Year" provides a rare glimpse into the lives of early immigrants to the upper Midwest. Evocative photographs taken at Old World Wisconsin, the country''s largest outdoor museum of rural life, lushly illustrate stories woven by historian, novelist, and poet Kathleen Ernst and compelling firsthand accounts left by the settlers themselves. In this beautiful book, readers will discover the challenges and triumphs found in the seasonal rhythms of rural life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As they turn the pages--traveling from sprawling farm to tidy crossroads village, and from cramped and smoky cabins to gracious, well-furnished homes--they''ll experience the back-straining chores, cherished folk traditions, annual celebrations, and indomitable spirit that comprised pioneer life. At its heart "A Settler''s Year" is about people dreaming of, searching for, and creating new homes in a new land. This moving book transports us back to the pioneer era and inspires us to explore the stories found on our own family trees.

An Agatha Award nominee for Best Children’s/Young Adult Mystery and a WILLA Award finalist for Best Children’s/Young Adult Book: In 1867, a twelve-year-old girl faces danger and disaster when she moves to the Colorado Territory with her widowed mother, who is hoping to start a newspaper Emma Henderson’s mother has changed since her father died fighting in the Civil War. First, she starts wearing an embarrassing bloomer costume—trousers under a short skirt. Then, she forces Emma to move to the far-off Colorado Territory so she can be editor of a newspaper! When Emma hears someone whistling her father’s favorite tune as they prepare to leave Chicago, she knows it’s a bad omen. The hardscrabble mining town of Twin Pines is very different from Emma’s former home in the city. Instead of having a house of their own, she and her mother must live in a boarding house. Worst of all, it’s clear from the moment they step off the stagecoach that someone doesn’t want them there. A troublemaker tries hard to sabotage the newspaper, and Emma continues to hear eerie whistling in the night. Is it the ghost of her father? With the help of her new friend Jeremy, Emma sets out to solve two baffling mysteries. This ebook includes a historical afterword.

In 1775, Elspeth Monro has come to live in North Carolina from Scotland. Just beginning to enjoy her new life, the revolution threatens her new world and she is left alone to protect her grandmother.

When her father goes off to join the Yankee troops, fourteen-year-old Hannah fears her family will be torn apart by the Civil War. But nothing prepares her for her mother''s sudden death. Hannah now finds herself responsible for keeping the young family together in a world where even her best friend, Ben, sympathizes with the Confederacy. On a long and dangerous journey from Cumberland Mountain to Nashville, Tennessee, in search of their only living relative, Hannah and her brother and sisters come to realize the true meaning of family and hope. This is a beautifully crafted novel about the tragedy of war and the power of love even in the toughest of times.

Includes historical information about Appalachian Mountain culture.

Caroline and her mother make a dangerous journey across Lake Ontario to the British fort where Papa is being held prisoner. When Mama isn''t allowed to see Papa, it''s up to Caroline to pass a secret message to him - right under the nose of a British guard! She hopes desperately that Papa will understand her message and make an escape. But can she get to him in time? The illustrated "Looking Back" section explores how the War of 1812 affected women and children.

When Jamie Carswell joins the 14th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment fighting in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he finds his cousin Althea living there, trying to make peace with her past while struggling to keep her family safe during the Union''s siege.

While working as a reporter during her summer vacation in 1935, Kit uncovers a mystery at the Cincinnati Zoo involving suspected break-ins at the monkey house.

When Caroline learns that British spies may be lurking in Sackets Harbor, she is worried. Then, a long lost friend of Papa''s shows up in town. Papa is delighted to give him a job at Abbott''s Shipyard, but soon, strange things start going wrong. Caroline is sure a spy is making trouble at the yard ? but is it one of Abbott''s trusted workers, whom she has known all her life, or could it be Papa''s dear friend? An illustrated "Looking Back" section discuses the role of spies in the War of 1812.

Molly continues her patriotic duty to help America win World War Two, but in the spring of1945 she''s weary and troubled. Dad is home, but seems different. Her archrival is driving her crazy. And someone is messing with her wartime paperdrive collection. Includes an illustrated ?Looking Back? historical essay.

During the War of 1812, Caroline finds evidence that someone is smuggling precious supplies to the British and fears that the traitor may be her own uncle. Includes an "Inside Caroline''s World" essay about smuggling during the War of 1812.

Continues the story of Caroline Abbott, a young girl living during the War of 1812.

A stranger leads Josefina to believe that the old stories about buried treasure in New Mexico might be true.

When the British attack Caroline''s village, she makes a daring choice that helps to win the day.

During the Civil War, a seventeen-year-old Union soldier must adjust to army life, with the additional complications peculiar to the region where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers come together at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Continues the story of Caroline Abbott, a young girl living during the War of 1812.

When Sunny the Sunflower starts to get teased about growing taller than all of his flower friends he tries to hide away from the sun so that he won''t grow up so high. Sunny soon finds out that not being himself makes him feel really sad. When he finally allows himself to grow up big and tall he realizes just how special he is after all.

When a warship threatens American supplies, can Caroline save the day?

Continues the story of Caroline Abbott, a young girl living during the War of 1812.

Caroline knows that in order to fight the British, her village desperately needs its shipyards and supply boats and she will do whatever it takes to keep them out of enemy hands, then later, while helping on her uncle''s farm, Caroline discovers that

A modern-day girl finds herself on the shore of Lake Ontario during the War of 1812, and as she and and Caroline Abbott experience life in this turbulent time, the reader is invited to choose how the twosome might help the Americans beat the British.