When I stepped off the ship in Milwaukee a few days ago, ending my long voyage across the Atlantic, I had expected that a day in my life would soon brim with everything I had dreamed of: an affectionate and intelligent husband, a farm to tend, the anticipation of a growing family.

It was not to be.

In the autumn of 1854, Fridolin and I married in Prussia’s Pomeranian region. I was living with my brother and his wife, who was fond of telling me that I “shouldn’t think so much.” Fridolin, who visited while traveling from his home in Wisconsin, disagreed. After short acquaintance, he asked for my hand in marriage. “I think we’ll get on well enough, you and I,” he said, and I agreed.

My mother was ill, so I lingered in Pomerania to care for her when Fridolin returned to Wisconsin. All that winter I read Fridolin’s letters and imagined the bucolic life waiting for me in America. You can surely imagine the horrific shock I felt upon arrival when I learned that Fridolin was dead.

Authorities claim his death was accidental. The only thing I know for certain anymore is that my husband was a man of secrets. Dangerous ones, evidently, for someone clearly feels threatened by my arrival. Nonetheless, I am determined to discover the truth.

So. Instead of passing my hours as a busy farmwife, I am homeless, friendless, and destitute in a foreign country where English-speakers often greet immigrants with antagonism. A day in my new life involves defying the deputy sheriff and trying to avoid assaults by local nativists. My only hope for survival lies in unraveling my husband’s clandestine activities. . .before a killer succeeds in silencing me as well.

Lies of Omission, A Hanneke Bauer Mystery #1
Genre: Historical
Release: November 2021
Purchase Link

When Pomeranian immigrant Hanneke Bauer reaches Wisconsin in 1855, she believes her dearest dreams are coming true. After reuniting with her husband Fridolin at his farm near Watertown, she will help create a true home. Instead, she receives the shocking news that he is dead.

Hanneke quickly learns that Wisconsin life is not as bucolic as it seems. Alone and destitute, Hanneke is determined to discover the details of his death. Her efforts prompt animosity from Fridolin’s friends, anger the deputy sheriff, and entangle her in the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment. Finding herself in danger, Hanneke races to learn the truth about her husband’s secrets and lies. . .before a killer can silence her forever.

About the author
In addition to the forthcoming Hanneke Bauer mysteries, former museum curator Kathleen Ernst is the author of The Chloe Ellefson series and many children’s mysteries. Honors for her work include Agatha and Edgar Award nominations. Visit kathleenernst.com to learn more.

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