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On November 4, 1872, Cathleen Kelsey's brother, George, goes missing after being tarred and feathered by a mob in their small Long Island town. Determined to find him and get justice, Cathleen reinvents herself as a detective.
Cathleen Kelsey has always been her brother, Charles's, protector. An eccentric, Bohemian poet, Charles is a bit of an oddball in their small, Long Island town. When he goes missing on Election Eve in 1872, Cathleen discovers he has been tarred and feathered after a flirtatious girl accused him of entering her bedroom and molesting her.
Cathleen is certain Charlie is innocent. She suspects the girl's fiancé, the wealthy Sam Royals, and his powerful friends are behind the tarring. Realizing the constable is inept, Cathleen reinvents herself as a smart, fearless detective whose quest is to find Charlie and obtain justice. The town divides along class lines: the "Tars" (defending Sam) vs. the "Anti-Tars." Cathleen proves to be remarkably successful in her detective work, unearthing damning evidence about what the national papers are calling the "Crime of the Century." But the closer she gets to the truth, the more her enemies are determined to stop her.
About the author
Alison Louise Hubbard's historical novel, The Kelsey Outrage, will be published by Black Rose Writing in 2024. Her short story, Wildflowers, was published in The Saturday Evening Post, 2022; Belladonna won the 2021 Slippery Elm Prize for Prose.Ms. Hubbard has had a long career as a musical theatre lyricist. Her musicals have been published and produced, and have toured across the country. Industry prizes include two Richard Rodgers Awards given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the $100,000 Kleban Award (co-winner.) She was an Artist-in-Residence at The O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference and the New Harmony Project. She is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, the Dramatists Guild, and the Authors Guild.
