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    The Lost Girl of Astor Street
    The Lost Girl of Astor Street
    The Lost Girl of Astor Street
    Ebook375 pages7 hours

    The Lost Girl of Astor Street

    By Stephanie Morrill

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    When her best friend vanishes without so much as a good-bye, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail takes on the role of amateur sleuth in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. Given that Piper’s tendency has always been to butt heads with high-society’s expectations of her, it’s no surprise that she doesn’t give a second thought to searching for answers to Lydia’s abduction from their privileged neighborhood.

    As Piper discovers that those answers might stem from the corruption strangling 1924 Chicago—and quite possibly lead back to the doors of her affluent neighborhood—she must decide how deep she’s willing to dig, how much she should reveal, and if she’s willing to risk her life of privilege for the sake of the truth.

    Perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, Stephanie Morrill’s atmospheric jazz-age mystery will take readers from the glitzy homes of the elite to the dark underbelly of 1920s Chicago.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateFeb 7, 2017
    ISBN9780310758433
    The Lost Girl of Astor Street
    Author

    Stephanie Morrill

    Stephanie Morrill lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with her husband and three kids. She is the author of The Lost Girl of Astor Street, The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series, Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book, and the Ellie Sweet series. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers on her blog, GoTeenWriters.com. To connect with Stephanie and read samples of her books, check out StephanieMorrill.com.  

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    Reviews for The Lost Girl of Astor Street

    4/5

    27 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      What is a girl to do? It is 1924 and we are introduced to Lydia LeVine and Piper Sail who are classmates at a posh prep school in Chicago where they rap your knuckles for being less than a lady. Timeline is set. Lydia goes missing. Mystery ensues. Piper is determined to figure it all out and bring Lydia home. Agony, familial relationships, romance, corruption, all in all a quick, enjoyable read that perhaps looses its footing in some places with language that reverts to the 21st century.
    • 4/5
      Piper Sail and Lydia DeVine have been best friends since toddlerhood when they moved to the upper class neighborhood of Astor Street in 1920's Chicago. The two ladies are polar opposites, Lydia is sweet, kind and demure and Piper is inquisitive, tenacious and quick to act. Now that they are young ladies, Piper and Lydia are supposed to be looking to the future and a potential husband. However, that all changes when Lydia goes missing. Piper jumps into action to try and find her friend; Piper knows secrets about Lydia that even her parents won't divulge and her persistent nature makes her a natural detective. WIth the help of the the detective assigned to Lydia's case, Marion Cassano, Piper is determined to find out what happened to her friend. As Piper delves into Lydia's disappearance, she also must go into the underbelly of 1920's Chicago, bordellos, speakeasies, mafia connections and plenty of secrets will be unearthed during Piper's search. The Lost Girl of Astor Street is an exciting historical mystery with an awesome female lead. From the very beginning I knew that I would like Piper, she never gives up, loves with a ferocious heart and encompasses the emerging modern and independent '20's female. Her determination and grit to find out what happened to her best friend drives the story. As Piper gets deeper into Lydia's mystery, carefully layered secrets begin to reveal themselves. Another part of the story that I loved was the exploration of 1920's Chicago, with having to investigate all types of people and places, Piper gets to the heart of the time period. With a sweet romance that doesn't take away from the plot, The Lost Girl of Astor Street provides a riveting historical mystery. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      A great YA novel starring a feisty and determined young lady who breaks conventions while caring deeply for her family and friends. I certainly hope this is the first novel in a series, because I can't wait to read more of the adventures of Piper Sail. Recommended!
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars.

      I don't even know what to rate this! Or say about it . . . . Goodness!

      The setting for this story, 1920s Chicago, was a ton of fun! I haven't read a lot in this timeperiod, so it was even more interesting. I liked Morrill's writing style a lot. Simplistic, but pretty and heartfelt.

      The characters were all pretty spot-on. Piper was fantastic. (And I am seriously in love with her name! 'Piper Sail'? Really? L.O.V.E.) Her struggle and emotions throughout were very well portrayed, and I was able to emathize a lot with her character. I also loved Mariano! He was just too sweet! His character was just as fantastic! I also loved Lydia, Piper's father and brother, Emma, and even that other dude . . . I'm blanking on his name right now. And Walter too! Sweetness! THANK YOU SO MUCH to Stephanie Morrill for NOTTTTTTTTT making Walter and Piper an item! Ugh! That would have been terrible!

      So, mystery isn't my favorite genre. There are a TON of mysteries I really really enjoy, but it's not a genre I would chose to read exlucsively. So I think that fact made me like this a little less. The mystery just didn't make a ton of sense to me. And why did we know what happened to Lydia less than halfway through the story? That just ruined it for me. I basically didn't have any reason to keep reading more. Also, if felt like there were a few elements of the mystery that just didn't make sense or get wrapped up. And the middle section (shortly after it was revealed what happened to Lydia) just flopped for me. I wasn't really that interested anymore. That being said, I really enjoyed the ending! I stayed up way to late, and woke up too early just to finish it. (Seriously, I was up before 6:30 am to read it - and also cause I couldn't sleep. :P) I would say the last 5 maybe chapters were the best part of the book. I'd give those chapters alone 5 stars. I just really liked them.

      All in all, this was a bit of a let-down. I was worth a read, but I wouldn't read it again. I would recommend it for ages 16 due to elements of kidnapping, rape - very briefly mentioned - clubs, alcohol, men being unfaithful to their wives, etc.
    • 3/5
      The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill is set in Chicago, Illinois in 1924. Piper Caroline Sail is eighteen years old and best friends with Lydia. Lydia has been having seizures (epilepsy), but her parents (especially her doctor father) have been telling her they are fainting spells. Piper has been forbidden from telling Lydia the truth (by Lydia’s parents). Late one afternoon Lydia stops by to tell Piper that her parents are sending her away to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Lydia does not wish to leave because she is in love with their chauffer, Matthew. Lydia takes leave of Piper and heads down the street to the Barrow’s. The next day Piper is approached outside Presley’s School for Girls by two detectives. Lydia never returned home the previous evening and has been reported missing. Piper is very worried about her best friend and will do whatever it takes to find her. Piper finds that she has been leading a sheltered life on Astor Street. With the help of Detective Mariano Cassano and Walter Thatcher (the housekeeper’s son and friend), Piper starts asking questions and following up on leads. Piper will not stop until she finds out what happened to Lydia even if it means risking her life. The Lost Girl of Astor Street is told from Piper’s point-of-view. Despite Piper being eighteen, she is immature (for 1924). The way the novel is written, Piper comes across as a young adolescent at times (and then a mature woman who is thinking about marriage the next). The Lost Girl of Astor Street might sound like an adult novel, but it is geared towards young adults (did not discover this until I was reading it). I found the book to be nicely written and have a good pace (nice flow). I liked the characters (for the most part) and the setting (great time period). It was interesting how the author tied in criminal elements (the gangs) of Chicago into the storyline. I give The Lost Girl of Astor Street 3.5 out of 5 stars. I appreciated the mystery in the novel. It comes across as complicated, but the solution is simple. Piper could be a bit tenacious at times (determined, pushy). Piper cannot seem to think about anything except her lost friend (and Detective Cassano after spending time with him). Piper’s crying got on my nerves after the third time. She is supposed to be this modern woman (who is determined and stands up for what she believes in), but then she breaks down in tears frequently. Piper was a very contradictory character. The Lost Girl of Astor Street could use some fine tuning (it has such potential). I think tweens/teens will enjoy The Lost Girl of Astor Street.

    Book preview

    The Lost Girl of Astor Street - Stephanie Morrill

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