by Sarah Erwin

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

The Orphan, by Sylvia Maultash Warsh, is an immersive historical mystery, unlike anything I have read before.

Set in 1844 in Washington DC around the time of the presidential election that determined whether Texas would enter the Union as a slave state, the mystery opens with 15-year-old Samuel Evans grieving the loss of his mother. Officials tell Samuel that his mother drowned herself. Not long before, Samuel’s attorney-father committed suicide supposedly because he was ashamed at being caught stealing from a local orphanage. Samuel and his mother never believed he was a thief, and Samuel’s mother had been working to uncover his innocence. Consumed with grief, Samuel becomes ill, and is saved by Dr. James Pyper and an experimental drug Dr. Pyper derived from an imported Amazonian plant.

Amazingly, the medicine not only saves Samuel’s life, but also makes him so sensitive that he can communicate with animals by envisioning their memories and sending them his own mental images. While this new skill may sound far-fetched, Sylvia weaves it into the story perfectly.

Samuel is taken in by Dr. Pyper and his wife Martha, who is such a wonderful, not-to-be-underestimated character. After Samuel recovers, he simply cannot accept the belief that both his mother and father committed such acts, and he becomes determined to uncover the truth.

What a wondrous story this is! It is a fast-paced (I read it in under two days) historical murder mystery that is full of historical details as well as aspects of speculative fiction, yet never feels overwhelming and certainly never loses the murder mystery plot.

The writing is vivid as the sights and sounds from 1844 came alive as I read. I felt myself rooting for Samuel in this coming-of-age story and for the good in the story to rule over the evil characters and deeds. I followed the hints at the villain but was never sure until the ultimate reveal and satisfying ending. Readers of historical mystery looking for a talented writer who can blend genres, need look no further––this truly is an entertaining and unique read.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of The Orphan, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “orphan” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen July 6, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.