Welcome to the featured page for the four volumes in the Detective Pat O’Malley Historical Mysteries. All four of these titles have been accepted, vetted, and featured in the American Library Association’s Independent Authors Program. This means you can expect the highest quality content in fiction in the United States, as all of these books were carefully read and included in the public library system. I thank the ALA and its Library Journal for making this possible.
The following four titles are available for purchase at most major online book retailers and distributors. The provided links are for Amazon only. You may search your preferred online book retailer for copies with “Title Jim Musgrave.”
Forevermore, a Pat O'Malley Mystery, Volume 1 Jim Musgrave
First Place Winner of the 2013 Chanticleer Book Award for Best Historical Mystery. Finalist in the Best Digital Fiction Award, New Generation Book Awards, 2014.
In post Civil War New York City, Detective Pat O'Malley is living inside Poe's Cottage in the Bronx. O'Malley is haunted by Poe one night, and the detective finds a strange note. As a result, O'Malley decides to prove that Edgar Allan Poe did not die in Baltimore from an alcoholic binge but was, instead, murdered. O'Malley quickly becomes embroiled in a "cold case" that thrusts him into the lair of one of the most sinister and ruthless killers in 1865 New York City. Selected by the Library Journal for special choice in their "Self-E" indie book awards and distribution program.
Jim Musgrave's Forevermore is a quick read in four acts that will keep your mind razor sharp trying to solve the mystery of Poe's murder. Pat O'Malley must first find out how to become intimate with females before he can discover the final clue in this puzzle of wits, murder and romance.
Disappearance at Mount Sinai, a Patrick O'Malley Mystery, Volume 2 Jim Musgrave
Finalist in the 2013 CLUE Book Awards for Mysteries, Suspense and Thrillers
Second Mystery in the Best-Selling Pat O'Malley Historical Steampunk series
It’s 1866 in New York City. Civil War Vet and Detective Pat O’Malley’s biggest case returns him to the deep, dark South to search for the kidnapped wealthiest inventor and entrepreneur in America. But the widening gyre of anti-Semitism and racism pulls him down into the pit of hell itself. Disguised as an Oxford England Professor, O’Malley infiltrates the anti-Semites’ group and travels with his partners, Becky Charming and his father, Robert, down to a Collierville, Tennessee mansion.
Why 8,000+ Readers Have This Book
This is an historical mystery that pushes the envelope with a worldwide eugenics conspiracy.
It has a mystical element that includes Jewish folklore.
Pat O'Malley is an interesting and compelling sleuth.
The historical characters used are accurate and relevant.
Musgrave brings the 1860s in New York City to life in his mysteries.
˃˃˃ This was a Featured Summer Read in the Jewish Daily Forward
At the crux of this case are a Jewish father and his five-year-old son, Seth. They have developed a unique bond that relies on Jewish folklore and a belief that they are Mazikeen, half-angel and half-human, born from the loins of Adam’s strange female cohorts during the 130 years he was banished from the Garden. Will O’Malley find Dr. Mergenthaler before it’s too late? What does this world-wide eugenics group have planned for the mongrel races? Read Jim Musgrave’s Disappearance at Mount Sinai, the second mystery in the series of Pat O’Malley Mini-Mysteries.
˃˃˃ Critical Acclaim for Disappearance at Mount Sinai
"Musgrave writes with intuitive insight into the prejudice of man’s bigotry and greed, driven by ambition, and lust for power. He skillfully incorporates engaging dialogue, intriguing mystery, and fast-moving action to keep the reader in suspense right up to an intense dramatic unexpected conclusion.
Disappearance at Mount Sinai ensures author Jim Musgrave a growing fan base eagerly anticipating another sequel in the Pat O’Malley Historical Mystery Series." Richard Blake, Blog Critics
"Jim Musgrave is an award-winning author and it's easy to see why. The characters are well-developed and feel authentic; he captures the essence of America's reconstructive era perfectly and the pace of the story is steady. The mystery is complex and dramatic without being far-fetched or cliché. Musgrave even nailed the dialogue and interactions between such strongly divided cultures. The conclusion, just like the rest of the book, does not disappoint. Disappearance at Mount Sinai is absolutely a mystery worth reading." Ashley LaMar, Closed the Cover Book Reviews
Jane the Grabber, a Pat O'Malley Mystery, Volume 3 Jim Musgrave
Detective Pat O'Malley Gets Pulled into the World of Steampunk
This third mystery plunges O'Malley into the Steampunk world of Jane the Grabber. The first two mysteries have served as introductions to a mysterious new paradigm. Jim Musgrave has begun a genre of fiction called Historical Steampunk Mystery. Taken in their entirety, these three novels show the progression of Pat O'Malley from common citizen into a sleuth who must confront a time-traveling group that poses a world-wide threat.
˃˃˃ Hester "Jane the Grabber" Haskins
It is 1868, and one of the most devious and sinister madams in New York City is trying to displace Pat O’Malley’s friend and lover, Rebecca Charming. Using all the illegal tricks at her disposal, Hester Jane Haskins is everything Becky is not. She keeps her prostitutes trapped and drugged inside an old theater in the Tenderloin. She kidnaps them using well-dressed couples such as John Allen and his wife, Little Susie, who promise the girls a life on the stage, but they end up as slaves to Haskins.
˃˃˃ A Women's Civil War
Becky Charming declares a “women’s civil war” on Haskins and the Tammany Hall political bandits who support her and her style of corrupt brothel management. Not only does Charming want O’Malley to help her, but our detective also enlists the aid of Plug Uglies leader Walter McKenzie and three of his best men. In his first cooperation with New York City’s Superintendent of Police, O’Malley works with the only honest copper left in the city, John Andrew Kennedy, who agrees to help O’Malley in his attempt to find enough on Jane the Grabber to put her out of business forever.
˃˃˃ Respect for All Women
In the sub-plot, Becky also wants to gain respect for all women, and this leads to finding the key in the final mystery of how to stop Hester Jane “the Grabber” Haskins from taking over all of New York City’s brothels. Becky uses her guile and intelligence to discover just how important it is to get the public behind you when you want to stop corruption in high places.
˃˃˃ Professional Review
Jim Musgrave’s Jane the Grabber is both a mystery and a war between two of the most powerful women in New York City. Musgrave’s historical accuracy is again most revealing, as he weaves actual history into his spell-binding plot to create a powerful read. The female characters in this mystery will be remembered long afterward.
Steam City Pirates, a Pat O'Malley Mystery, Volume 4 Jim Musgrave
As Seen in USA Today Talked about on "Authors on the Air"
In this steampunk mystery, Jim Musgrave portrays late 19th century New York City with a horrifying yet comic vision of science gone awry. Detective Patrick O'Malley struggles with bizarre creatures and bawdy situations when he is pitted against steam-engineered pirates who aim to raid cargo ships and destroy lives. People breathe and release steam, fly out of windows and disappear, wield knives at lightning speed, and travel through time, but O'Malley also has a few tricks up his sleeve to help hold the dark forces back...
What Reviewers Have to Say about Steam City Pirates
"Patrick O’Malley is a reluctant hero but an eager detective. These aspects of his nature mean he’s thrust into events both technologically and spiritually beyond his scope. Yet to solve the case, he will do whatever necessary, terrified the whole time not only by the simple risks to his physical form but also the implications against his soul." Fantasy Author Maragaret McGaffey Fisk
"The character of O'Malley is a complex a character as you will meet in literature but quite entertaining in his ruthless pursuit of answers." Douglas Meeks
"Steam City Pirates allows you to not just have a good read but also listen to steampunk music and play games all at the same time! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and highly recommend. Awesome book cover, too!" Carlana Charles
"Even though the plot is a bit complicated at times, if you take the time to absorb the intricate story, even if you have to re-read certain passages, as I did-you'll realize the effort the author has made to tell a creative storyline." Jay Douglass
"Musgrave had me at 'monotechnological paradigm.' As a lifelong non-fan of steampunk, I stand corrected in Steam City Pirates’ loud wake. This book is literary, philosophical, speculative, comedic art. Its meticulous details, quirky expertise, lunatic twists and effed-up, dream-logical characters are more complex than its industrial contraptions. Time travel, half-angels, bacteria-sized stowaways, Schiller’s Don Carlos, Poe flashbacks and opposing multiversal anti-Semitism spring from what I’ll dub the Musgravean imagination." David Herrle, author of Sharon Tate and the Daughters of Joy
˃˃˃ Multimedia Extravaganza
Play both original and popular steampunk music as you read this exciting novel. Feast your eyes on the illustrations. If you get bored, play the online steampunk video games. This is fun for the entire family who wants to get into the steampunk party in a big way!
˃˃˃ Listen to the Fun-Filled Party with Author Jim Musgrave
Jim was the #1 chosen radio show (out of 15,000) the night he talked with Pam Stack about Steampunk. He's been invited back. Listen to the "Authors on the Air" interview in the Amazon preview link under Jim's photo in the "introduction."
Save $2.00 off Amazon price.
EMRE Publishing, LLC
324 pages
Major Characters in the
Pat O’Malley Mysteries
Patrick James O’Malley, 35, came with his father, Robert, and his brother, Timothy, to New York City from their home in Kilkenny, Ireland in the 1840s.Kathleen, the mother, died in the famine.O’Malley, like many of the poor Irish, served in the Union Army as a stand-in for a wealthy stock broker, so he could get an extra paycheck for his family back home.After fighting alongside General William T. Sherman, as his orderly, O’Malley saved the general’s life and was awarded with the Congressional Medal of Honor as a result.This medal was all he had when he came back to New York to live in 1865, but he was able to get lodging at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage out on Fordham Road in the Bronx.O’Malley had served as Poe’s manuscript messenger before the war, and his veteran’s status and connection to the Poe estate gave him free lodging for a year.This is where O’Malley’s life as a detective begins.He is visited by an apparition of his former employer, Poe, and O’Malley subsequently discovers a strange note affixed to the headboard in the bed where Poe’s tuberculin wife, Virginia, had died.O’Malley decides to prove that Poe did not die a drunk in Baltimore, 1849, but, instead, was murdered.O’Malley’s gifts of intelligence, valor and humor get him through a lot of difficult challenges in this series.He is infused with a new-found ability of intuition thanks to his war-time friend and confidante, Rebecca Charming Jones.
Rebecca Charming Jones, 28, became a prostitute while attending college at Vassar.She realized that she could make more money servicing the men than she could with a degree, so her small “business” led to a much larger one when the Civil War broke out in 1861.Becky is the daughter of New York State Congressman, Edward Jones.She is well read and is especially fond of Whitman and has studied the Transcendentalists and their philosophy of the Over Soul.During the War Between the States, Becky gets lucrative, under-the-table contracts with generals to provide hookers to the troops, and she follows O’Malley’s Regiment through Sherman’s “March to the Sea.”When she returns from the war in 1865, Becky sets up her brothel business in the Union Square Theater District.She runs a classy business, and she provided all her women with medical care, contraceptives, and she also gives them the freedom to find their own “gentlemen callers,” as she like to refer to the johns.Becky also teaches O’Malley, in the first mystery, how to use his intuitive abilities to solve cases, and this gives him a skill he desperately needs in his professional and personal life.Charming also helps O’Malley solve the case in the Disappearance at Mount Sinai, as she is able to convince O’Malley’s father, Robert, to join with them in the infiltration of the sinister organization that leads them all down to Collierville, Tennessee.In the third mystery, Jane the Grabber, Becky get into a “women’s civil war” with the most powerful and corrupt brothel madam in New York, Hester Jane “the Grabber” Haskins.Haskins has the power of Tammany Hall behind her, and she wants to take over Charming’s business.Becky and O’Malley join forces to discover an evil in Haskin’s business dealings that will ruin her reputation permanently, and restore the respect of “women’s work” to the female populace of New York City.
Walter McKenzie, 62, is the leader of the Hoboken Irish gang, the Plug Uglies.Walter is at first a suspect in the Edgar Allan Poe murder of Forevermore, but when O’Malley finds out the corpulent leader wants to help him solve the mystery of the famous author’s demise, they become fast friends, and McKenzie becomes an associate and protector of the younger O’Malley.McKenzie respects O’Malley for his hero status during the war, and he also has the street smarts to find out clues that O’Malley can never seem to understand.Walter’s wife was murdered by a serial killer, so he overeats to compensate for his loss.However, he is an excellent leader, and he provides O’Malley with some intelligent information in his sleuthing enterprise and often gives the Civil War vet direct assistance by providing him with the expertise from his gang members and from McKenzie’s vast knowledge of New York City’s gangs and the criminal underworld in general.
Robert James O’Malley, 63, is the father of Patrick, and he owns and runs three taverns in Five Points, the mostly Irish slum of New York City.At the start of the second mystery, Disappearance at Mount Sinai, Robert is a lonely widower who is bigoted and cut-off from the rest of the world.He believes the code of “Irish first” in Five Points is the proper morality, until his son, Patrick, and Becky Charming, get him involved in a case that involves confronting his prejudices directly.This becomes the sub-plot of the novel, as the trio go together to attempt the rescue of the wealthiest man in America, Jewish inventor and philanthropist, Dr. Arthur David Mergenthaler.As a result of his experiences down south with his son, Robert becomes more community minded and is elected alderman for his Five Points neighborhood.
Bessie Mergenthaler, 28, is the wife of wealthy inventor Arthur, and she is also the administrator of the new Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.Bessie had an arranged marriage back in Germany, and her husband has ignored her sexually for years, so she becomes romantically involved with other men, including Detective O’Malley, in Disappearance at Mount Sinai.She continues to be a part of O’Malley’s sleuthing activities in the third mystery, Jane the Grabber, as Bessie is an active member of New York’s feminist community headed by Susan B. Anthony and other leading suffragists of the era.Bessie’s son, Seth, is also an important link to a mysterious supernatural group of “half-angel, half-human” figures called the Mazikeen.Bessie believes it is a psychological problem with Seth, since her husband was the one who convinced the impressionable young man that they were both supernatural beings.Bessie is an intelligent, loving and liberal woman who fights for women’s rights and assists Becky in her war against Jane the Grabber and her Tammany Hall political supporters.
In this steampunk mystery, Jim Musgrave portrays late 19th century New York City with a horrifying yet comic vision of science gone awry. Detective Patrick O'Malley struggles with bizarre creatures and bawdy situations when he is pitted against steam-engineered pirates who aim to raid cargo ships and destroy lives. People breathe and release steam, fly out of windows and disappear, wield knives at lightning speed, and travel through time, but O'Malley also has a few tricks up his sleeve to help hold the dark forces back...
