TRADITION OF DECEIT
CHLOE ELLEFSON MYSTERY #5

Midnight Ink Books

Chloe Ellefson was not having a good time. "So," Roelke said, sliding into his seat at the banquet table. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Chloe smiled brightly. "I am!"

Thus begins the fifth story in the award-winning Chloe Ellefson series, the thirtieth book by bestselling author Kathleen Ernst.

The Chloe novels combine history and mystery with a little romance. They are written for adults and mature teens who enjoy reading stories without explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or gore.

This page offers a rich mix of background information about the people, places, and the past that went into making Tradition of Deceit.

Story Description

The book takes place in Milwaukee, WI and Minneapolis, MN during February 1983, with an historical thread set in 1878 and the 1920s.

Curator and occasional sleuth Chloe Ellefson is off to Minneapolis to help her friend Ariel with a monumental task. They must write a proposal for a controversial and expensive restoration project to convert a huge abandoned flour mill—currently used as an unofficial shelter by homeless people—into a history museum.

When a dead body is found in the building, stuffed in a grain chute, Chloe reluctantly turns her attention from milling to murder.

Back in Milwaukee, Chloe's love interest Roelke McKenna has been slammed with the news that a fellow police officer (his best friend) has been shot and killed while on duty.

Sifting through clues from the past and present, Chloe and Roelke separately discover dangerous secrets that put their trust in each other—and their very lives—at risk.

Tradition of Deceit is readily available as a 360-page trade paperback and in ebook versions. Each contains photos and a cast of characters.

To see a partial list of vendors that offer this book, click HERE.


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What Others Are Saying

	GM Malliet Agatha Award-winning Author of the St. Just and Max Tudor mysteries "A page-turner with a clever surprise ending. I very much enjoyed this satisfying tale and look forward to more adventures with Chloe."

	Kirkus Reviews "...provides informative historical facts, two good mysteries, and the trials and tribulations of a difficult relationship."

	Jane Kirkpatrick New York Times Bestselling Author Where Lilacs Still Bloom and The Daughter's Walk "Kathleen is a master story-teller... Don't start this until you have time to read straight through because there is no good place to stop."

	Larry Meiller Host of The Larry Meiller Show Wisconsin Public Radio "...really enjoyed it. I think it's her best one yet."

	Jill Florence Lackey, Phd. Author of Milwaukee's Old South Side and American Ethnic Practices in the Twenty-first Century: The Milwaukee Study "This is more than a mystery. It is a plush journey into cultural time and place."

	Lori Caswell Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Blog "This was such a fascinating read I feel as if I devoured it. Definitely deserves more than 5 stars!"

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	WHAT'S THE WASHBURN-CROSBY MILL?
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About the Author

Bestselling author Kathleen Ernst writes award-winning mysteries as well as historical fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. Her work has earned numerous honors, including an Emmy, a LOVEY, and nominations for an Edgar and multiple Agatha mystery awards.

To date readers have purchased over 1.7M printed, ebook, and audio copies of Kathleen's thirty-five published books. more>>


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Related Blog Posts

Enjoy the author's insights about the story, characters, and settings. Note: additional blog posts will be added during the fall of 2014.

	Why The Mill City Museum? "In Tradition of Deceit, Chloe visits a friend in Minneapolis to help with a proposal to turn a long-abandoned flour mill into a museum..." more>>

	Hands-On Wycinanki "Readers have been wondering where they can try their hands at wycinanki, the art of Polish paper cutting featured in Tradition of Deceit..." more>>

	Roelke Goes to Prison "When writing Tradition of Deceit, I needed to include a set scene at a prison. Waupun Correctional Institution was the logical choice. The prison is..." more>>

	Tunnel of Fudge Cake "I had not heard of the Tunnel of Fudge Cake until I began doing research while writing Tradition of Deceit (the 5th Chloe Ellefson mystery), which celebrates Minnesota’s flour milling..." more>>

	Urban Anthropology in Milwaukee's Old South Side "I discovered the wonderful work being done by Urban Anthropology while working on Tradition of Deceit. The organization’s museum and..." more>>

	Why Milwaukee's Old South Side? "If you’ve read any of the Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites mysteries, you’ve already met Officer Roelke McKenna. Based on reader mail, he's a..." more>>
	Meet Pavel "Often in the Chloe books, a very minor character ends up being among the most memorable. I discovered this..." more>>

	Polish Heritage "In previous Chloe books I’ve featured Norwegian, Swiss, and Danish culture. When I began conceptualizing Tradition of Deceit..." more>>

	Paczki - Polish Doughnuts "In Poland—and Polish communities—Fat Thursday is observed on the Thursday before Lent. People traditionally celebrate by eating..." more>>

	Wycinanki "Folk art plays a role in most of the Chloe Ellefson mysteries. Since Tradition of Deceit features bits of Polish culture, I decided to include..." more>>

	Cooking With Betty Crocker... "When I was writing Tradition of Deceit, I marveled at the connections between the the Mill City Museum, one of the settings, and popular American..." more>>

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Author's Note

My interests and experience are generally rural, so it takes very special stories and places to lure me into the heart of a city. This book features two such settings.

Roelke is unexpectedly drawn back to his former police beat in the Old South Side of Milwaukee, a vibrant, tight-knit, and once largely Polish community.

Chloe visits Minneapolis, where a friend at the Minnesota Historical Society is trying to help transform an enormous abandoned flour mill into an industrial museum.

Bestselling author Kathleen Ernst standing in the Turn Head Distributor room at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, where a key scene takes place in Tradition of Deceit, the fifth book in her Chloe Ellefson mystery series. Photo by Kay Klubertanz of Designs by K.

Though separated by hundeds of miles, the mysteries they encouter are linked by cultural and historical events.

I had a wonderful time crafting this book; may you have just as much fun reading it!

P.S. -- Below is a free PDF guide to help book groups discuss this story. Enjoy! (Caution: contains spoilers.)

DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions to help spark
a group conversation.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

People

In Tradition of Deceit Chloe and Roelke are separated by distance and circumstances, each facing challenges that threaten their budding relationship—and their lives.

In the opening scene Chloe gets her first exposure to Roelke's world when they attend the wedding of two Milwaukee police officers. The experience highlights their differences, and subsequent events raise fundamental questions about their prospects for a happy future together.

Photo of a Milwaukee Police Officer checking a door during a snowstorm.

Rick and Lidia are two of the secondary characters at the heart of this book. Rick Alvarez is Roelke's best friend; together the two attended Milwaukee's police academy, and later walked patrol beats in the city's Old South Side neighborhood.

Lidia is a third generation Polish-American born and raised in the Bohemian Flats neighborhood of Minneapolis, and one of the very first women hired to work in the city's then vibrant flour milling industry.

Click the download link below to get the 1930's recipe for the old-time cookies that Chloe bakes to cheer up her friend Ariel.

CINNAMON JUMBLES
Cookies from the 1930's
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Places

Most of the scenes in this book are set at real places that still exist and can be visited (except for the private homes). Below is a custom interactive Google map designed to enable you to virtually visit the key locations where the story takes place.

Click on the maps to begin your tour.

Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis, MN

The Past

Historical events and objects, as well as heritage crafts and traditional foods are staples in each of my Chloe mysteries.

In Tradition of Deceit Chloe and Roelke spend much of their time apart, but Polish-American artwork, food, and history are woven into their separate adventures.

While researching Tradition I discovered a number of remarkable historical events, objects, and images. Some influenced the story, while others appear in the book.

The slideshow below contains some of my favorites. Click on any image to see larger copies of the slides, with descriptions. (Warning: Contains some spoilers.)

And More

I've been the guest of two wonderful radio hosts, who invited me to discuss the book. Thanks to their generosity, and the magic of digital media, you can listen to our conversations about Tradition of Deceit. Click the right-facing arrows to listen.

	Mitch Teich Milwaukee Public Radio 11 min. 43 sec. November 19, 2014. (Source)

	Larry Meiller Wisconsin Public Radio 38 Min. 08 sec. November 18, 2014 (Source)