Allium Press revised Fall 2010 catalog

8/7/2019 Allium Press revised Fall 2010 catalog

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About Us

Allium Press of Chicago was founded in 2009 as a small,

independent press to publish books in the areas of history andhistorical fiction, especially those with a Chicago connection.

We hope to bring new voices to light, revisit neglected authors

of the past, and illuminate the rich tapestry of Chicago’s history.

We will only publish books with writing of the highest quality,

and produce them to meet exceptional design standards.

Our print books are available through Ingram, Baker &

Taylor, Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes&Noble.com.

Please recommend our books to your favorite

independent bookstore.

Our ebooks are available through Amazon, the iBookstore,

Barnes&Noble.com, Kobo, and Smashwords.

Allium Press of Chicago1530 Elgin Avenue ▪ Forest Park, IL 60130

www.alliumpress.com ▪ [email protected]

708-689-9323

Cover Images

top left: Chicago Park District

top right: from The World’s Fair in Water Colors by Charles S. Graham, 1893;

Art Institute of Chicago

bottom right: women shoppers in front of Marshall Field’s, Chicago, c1905; DN-0002553;

Chicago History Museum bottom left: City of Chicago, Currier & Ives, c1874; Library of Congress

Fall 2010/revised March 2011



A New Thriller from

Award-Winning Author Libby Fischer Hellmann

Someone is trying to kill Lila Hilliard. During

the Christmas holidays she returns from running errands to find her family home in flames, her

father and brother trapped inside. Later, she is

attacked by a mysterious man on a motorcycle. . .

and the threats don’t end there.

As Lila desperately tries to piece together who

is after her and why, she uncovers information

about her father’s past in Chicago during the

volatile days of the late 1960s . . . information

he never shared with her, but now threatens to

destroy her.

Part thriller, part historical novel, and part love

story, Set the Night on Fire paints an unforgettable

portrait of Chicago during a turbulent time:

the riots at the Democratic Convention . . . the

struggle for power between the Black Panthersand SDS . . . and a group of young idealists who

tried to change the world.

Libby Fischer Hellmann is the award-winning author of the Ellie Foreman and

Georgia Davis mystery series, and Nice Girl Does Noir , a two volume short story

collection. She also edited the highly praised crime fiction anthology, ChicagoBlues . She has lived in the Chicago area over thirty years. Set the Night on Fire is

her first stand-alone novel.

Praise for Set the Night on Fire :

“A brilliantly-paced historical thriller that spans a generation, transitioning seamlessly

from modern-day Chicago to the ‘days of rage’ in the late 1960s and even farther back . . . This is one of those stories that is best to start early in the day, as it is easy to stay up

all night reading it.” —Lawrence Kane, ForeWord Reviews

“Libby Fischer Hellmann deftly weaves the past and the present in this page-turning, yet

nuanced reflection on present-day Chicago as seen through the prism of the Sixties . . .Set the Night on Fire is a compelling story of love, truth and redemption.”

—Sheldon Siegel, New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Alibi

Set the Night on Fire by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Trade Paperback $16.99

ISBN 978-0-9840676-5-7

Hardcover $26.99

ISBN 978-0-9840676-6-4

FICTION / Thrillers

6" x 9"

360 pages



Historical FictionChicago in 1900 is bursting with

opportunity, and Kitty Coakley is determined

to make the most of it. The youngest of seven children born to Irish immigrants,she has little interest in becoming simply ahousewife. Inspired by her entrepreneurialAunt Mabel, who runs a millinery boutiqueat Marshall Field’s, Kitty aspires to becomean independent, modern woman. After her

music teacher dashes her hopes of becoming a professional singer, she refuses to give upher dreams of a career.

But when she is courted by not one, buttwo young men, her resolve is tested. Irish-Catholic Brian is familiar and has the approvalof her traditional, working-class family. Butwealthy, Protestant Henry, who is a young

architect in Daniel Burnham’s of fice, providesan entrée for Kitty into another, more exciting world. Will she sacrifice her ambitions and

choose a life with one of these men?

Beautiful Dreamer by Joan Naper

Trade Paperback $14.99ISBN 978-0-9840676-4-0

FICTION / Historical6” x 9”

314 pages

Joan Naper is a proudfi

fth-generation Chicagoan who is endlessly fascinatedby the history and possibility that can be found in her beloved hometown.After years working as a speechwriter and editor, today she is the researchcommunications director at a major university. This is her first novel.

Beautiful Dreamer was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon

Breakthrough Novel Award contest and received the following

review from Publishers Weekly :

“A delightful coming-of-age story about a young Irish womanfinding her way in Chicago in 1900. . . . Wonderfully descriptive

settings firmly place the book in turn-of-the-century Chicago andNew Orleans, where Kitty must choose between a comfortable,

pre-approved path, or what her heart really desires.”



Historical Mystery

The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

provides a vibrant backdrop for this

exciting new mystery. Emily Cabot is oneof the first women graduate students at

the University of Chicago, eager to prove

herself in the emerging field of sociology.

While she is busy exploring the Exposition

with her family and friends, her colleague,

Dr. Stephen Chapman, is accused of

murder.Emily sets out to search for the truth

behind the crime, but is thwarted by the

gamblers, thieves, and corrupt politicians

who are ever-present in Chicago. A lynching

that occurred in the dead man’s past leads

Emily to seek the assistance of the black

activist Ida B. Wells.

Rich with historical details that bring turn-of-the-century Chicago to life, this

novel will appeal equally to history buffs

and mystery fans.

Death at the Fair by Frances McNamara


ISBN 978-0-9840676-1-9

FICTION/Mystery &

Detective/Historical5.5” x 8.5”

215 pages

Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police

Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke andSimmons Colleges, and now works as a librarian at the University of Chicago.

Death at the Fair was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough

Novel Award contest.

Praise for the novel:

“McNamara has a keen eye for zeroing in on how a metropolis can fuel and depletethe human spirit.” ▪ Chicago Sun-Times

“A compelling tale of the Chicago World’s Fair, complete with history, mystery, and alikeable heroine.” ▪ Kirkus Discoveries

“As in The Devil in the White City , this yarn takes place in Chicago during the 1893World’s Fair, and like in that nonfiction bestseller, murder intrudes on the city’s cultural

uplift with surprising consequences. The novel is well written.” ▪ Publisher’s Weekly



Historical Mystery

After Emily Cabot is expelled from the

University of Chicago, she finds work at Hull House, the famous settlement

established by Jane Addams. There she

quickly becomes involved in the political

and social problems of the immigrant

community.

But when a man who works for a sweatshop

owner is murdered in the Hull Houseparlor, Emily must determine whether one

of her colleagues is responsible, or whether

the real reason for the murder is revenge

for a past tragedy in her own family.

As a smallpox epidemic spreads through

the impoverished west side of Chicago,

the very existence of the settlement is

threatened and Emily finds herself injeopardy from both the deadly disease and

a killer.

Death at Hull House by Frances McNamara


ISBN 978-0-9840676-0-2

FICTION/Mystery &

Detective/Historical

5.5” x 8.5”

264 pages


“Details concerning the operation and the people of Hull House, along

with an overview of the deplorable living conditions faced by immigrants (and the

lack of concern for the poor expressed by the city’s businessmen and politicians)

give this novel a rich historical framework, made all the more poignant by the

portrayal of the smallpox epidemic of 1893.” ▪ Booklist

“This fast-paced, enjoyable historical mystery does an excellent job

plunging readers into the hubbub of activities at Hull House and the

chaos resulting from the spread of smallpox. There’s a lot going on at once,

but the many plot threads are laid out cleanly.…Readers should come away

from Death at Hull House with newfound respect for the women social

reformers of the late 19th century, and the dif ficulties they faced creating

a bridge between the two halves of Chicago society.”

▪ www.readingthepast.blogspot.com



Historical Mystery

Death at Pullman by Frances McNamara


ISBN 978-0-9840676-9-5

FICTION/Mystery &

Detective/Historical

5.5” x 8.5”

262 pages

A model town at war with itself . . .

George Pullman created an ideal

community for his railroad car workers,

complete with every amenity they could

want or need. But when hard economic

times hit in 1894, lay-offs follow and the

workers can no longer pay their rent or

buy food at the company store. Starving

and desperate, they turn against their oncebenevolent employer.

Emily Cabot and her friend Dr. Stephen

Chapman bring much needed food and

medical supplies to the town, hoping they

can meet the immediate needs of the

workers and keep them from resorting to

violence.

But when one young worker—suspected

of being a spy—is murdered, and a bomb

plot comes to light, Emily must race to

discover the truth behind a tangled web

of family and company alliances.


In this novel a “little romance [and] a lot of labor history are artfully combined. . .

Creating a believable mix of historical and fictional characters. . . is another of the

author’s prime strengths as a writer . . . [she] clearly knows, and loves, her setting.

Perhaps most impressive is the way the young, single Miss Cabot navigates the

dangers of her terrain with a sense of belonging and purpose, steadfastly pursuing

her mission of helping to bring justice to those the system shuns.” — Julie Eakin,

ForeWord Reviews

“McNamara’s suspenseful third Emily Cabot mystery (after 2009’s Death at Hull

House ) convincingly recreates a pivotal moment in American labor history. . .

Besides plausibly depicting such historical figures as Eugene Debs and Nellie Bly,

McNamara throws in some surprising twists at the end. Laurie King and Rhys

Bowen fans will be delighted.” — Publishers Weekly



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Allium Press revised Fall 2010 catalog