In “The Lost Girl of Astor Street,” Stephanie Morrill combines a gusty heroine, chronic illness representation, a swoony detective, feuding mafia families, and raw emotion into a gripping YA mystery that’ll keep readers guessing till the very end.

Fans of first-person narratives will fall for Piper Sail’s vibrant voice that practically zings off the page. Determined and devoted, Piper is a compelling character sure to win readers’ hearts as they’re immersed in her dualistic world of Chicago amid the Roaring Twenties.

If you love to hunt for clues with gumshoes and amateur sleuths, join the search for The Lost Girl of Astor Street!

📚 A Piper Sail Mystery
📖 1) The Lost Girl of Astor Street

This was so much more than I was expecting! I was expecting a cute, cozy mystery set in the 1920s. It was not! It was a heartfelt and warming tale of Piper Sail. Her best friend disappears, and in the middle of the whole mess she tries to find her. She is a determined, stubborn girl. She has no skills in sleuthing, but she will get to the bottom of the mystery.
It was a good book to read about grief, love, and moral values. I loved Piper so much more than I was expecting. I found a friend in her.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Lost Girl of Astor Street
by Stephanie Morrill (Goodreads Author)
Genevieve's review Jul 31, 2025 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: would-read-again
Read 2 times. Last read July 31, 2025.

I love this book. It had a little bit of a slow start for me but it quickly picked up and kept me guessing until the end. I love the flapper vibes. I highly recommend.

published in 2017

I read this book when it first came out and loooovvved it sooooo much! Was so hopeful for a long running series but then…nothing. For years. So imagine my extreme bibliophile ecstasy when I discovered that not only did the publisher reissue the book with a swanky new cover, but they also included a new audio edition and there’s a second book now as well. Eeeeeeeepppp! I can’t even….

—

Nancy Drew meets Veronica Mars in this astounding Young Adult Mystery that can certainly be enjoyed by readers who have passed their teen years.

Love the mix of historical (roaring twenties in Chicago) and mystery. And I’m actually surprising myself by saying I also loved the first person, present tense point of view which is usually my least favourite POV. But it works here, catapulting the reader into Piper’s heart and mind as she navigates a complicated web of intrigue and secrets.

I love her spunk! And her fierce loyalty and dogged determination. She just doesn’t quit, much to the exasperation (and reluctant admiration) of a certain young police detective. But Piper’s stubbornness leads to danger as she exposes secrets and follows clues that lead her into the seedy side of town. And if the heart-stopping suspense doesn’t keep you frantically turning pages, the sweet romance certainly will. Praying this is the first of many cases for this new, intrepid female detective.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Megan Trout’s compelling narration. She did these characters justice – especially our indomitable heroine!

My thanks to HarperCollins Focus / Blink and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

⭐️: 4
🌶️: 0

Thank you for NetGalley, Harper Collins Focus, Blink and the author Stephanie Morrill for sending me an ALC & ARC of this book.

I’ve recently been on more of a historical fiction kick, mainly romance but definitely with lots of mystery and intrigue. As I was sharing my review from another book, I stumbled across the ALC listing on NG. The synopsis sounded interesting and thankfully it was listed as a “listen now” option. I was heading out on another long road trip and thought this would be the perfect companion. And it absolutely was.

Piper is a plucky, stubborn, albeit naive 18 year old growing up in a wealthy suburb of Chicago in 1924. Her best friend goes missing and she continues to buck the system by not listening to advice of staying home like a proper lady but instead investigating on her own. There were a couple times in the book I loudly sighed because of her lack of comprehension of the dire situation but then I remembered her age and the time period. Women were seen as much more fragile creatures back then and constantly kept from hearing information the men folk considered too distressing for their sensitive ears. You can just imagine my face as I say that…

I do wish we could have seen more of her brother Tim. Her brother Nick was such a douche and annoyed the crap out of me. The patronizing way so many of the men talked to Piper (even Walter which…don’t get me started on that) was infuriating. But that’s why I loved her detective MMC so much more. Mariano believes she’s more than a pretty face and while he hates when she takes unnecessary risks, he doesn’t talk down to her or diminish her fight. He helps her and educates her.

I did think the pacing was a little weird. We find out a BIG detail at like 50% which made me question where the book would go next. It did lull a little after that but picked up by 60%.

So many different things happened through this book that it feels like it was 500 pages long. I even had to sign up for the e-book ARC because I finished my drive and had to know what happened ASAP. The twists were good and even I missed a couple of things. It definitely got me out of a reading slump and I’m already excited to read the next installment!

Also, the narrator Megan Trout is an absolute favorite. She always does a fantastic job and her voices/storytelling was top notch. I’ll make sure to look out for more books narrated by her in the future!

The Lost Girl of Astor Street was a fabulous blend of historical mystery and strong female protagonist energy. The setting pulled me in, and the stakes felt real. While it wasn't a perfect read for me, the pacing felt a bit off, I'm definitely excited to explore more in this series.

Megan Trout brought the characters to life!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.

I hate to say that I didn't like this book. I found the MC to be annoying. I also did not like the performance of the narrator. While the narrator is a good actor, I did find it was overacted and became grating at times. It did not couple well with me disliking the MC. She did come off a bit snobbish at time and is just overall annoying in her not like others girls characterization. Otherwise, this is a mystery that is supposed to feel like 1920's, but doesn't feel that way at all. 1920's references felt out of place and just didn't help to build the setting at all. I don't feel like the author did a lot of research into the history of the setting, which is why it didn't feel connected to the story.

A mix of romance, mistery and friendship. Great book if you need to relax and just enjoy a story. And I did not guess who the murerer is at all.

Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

'The Lost Girl of Astor Street' is a mystery taking place in Chicago in the 1920s.

The story is pretty interesting, with the mystery being blended with the main character's coming-of-age journey, when she discovers her calling and overcomes her grief by venturing into the world.

The mystery, moreover, is quite dark and has an intense progression, as it goes deeper and deeper into the underbelly of organized crime.

In addition, the author did a great job crafting the 20s atmosphere and her characters were interesting and complex.

One thing that I didn't like, though, probably because it didn't aid the audiobook form, was the time skips. The narration was cut off awkwardly at some points, and it wasn't easy to keep up with where and when we were compared to where and when we were a second ago.

Having said that, the audiobook was well narrated and produced.

A well researched first in series set in 1924 Chicago. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and these characters, despite the tragedies that unfold. Don't let the MFC's youth discourage you. Pepper may be 18 and weeks from graduating high-school, but she is also independent with a maturity beyond her years, curiosity aplenty, and a strong sense of integrity. The plotting and pace of this book are well done and kept me engaged. I look forward to watching Piper, Mariano, Emma, and others develop as the series continues.

Megan Trout does an excellent job of voicing these characters.

4.5 – I’ll round up.

This was fun! I love the period (1924). Roaring 20’s was the perfect book period for a young female trying to carve her life different from women before her. I loved the main female, Piper, and her character background. The supporting characters were just as likeable, all holding a clear and important part in Piper’s story.

I did think the book was a little predictable, however, I was still all about it and can’t wait for the next book. I don’t know if I’d say it was a young adult book, but most definitely a great mystery/thriller, maybe even cozy.

The narrator was listed as Megan Trout. Great pick. The proper tones, rhythm and tempo that people, particularly women, of this era spoke was spot on.

It’s always fun to read a historical novel, especially one set in the Roaring ‘20s. There was plenty of crime in those days, especially in Chicago, where The Lost Girl of Astor Street is set. Piper Sail is an 18 year old girl from an affluent neighborhood, and her best friend, Lydia disappears. Piper decides it’s time to begin amateur sleuthing, to find her friend, and she gets herself into trouble along the way. Luckily, a detective helps her out, but she finds his family has ties to the Chicago Mafia, and then some of those she loves also have ties. Piper wants to do things on the up and up, and may not survive.

While this is story is cute and upbeat, there are underlying scenarios that build suspense and keep readers on the edge. Morrill does an excellent job of telling a good story. She does an excellent job of developing her characters. Piper has plenty of spunk, and is a protagonist that most readers will want to read more about and follow through subsequent novels. She is likeable and believable. The supporting characters are also well-developed and are integral to the story.

Although the original novel was released in 2017, the audio book was recently released and is highly recommended. The narrator, Megan Trout, does an excellent job of taking listeners back to the 1920s and puts us right into the culture of the time. After listing to this novel, readers will want to pick up the subsequent novel which is due to be released on August 5, 2025.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

incredibly far too juvenile for the time period. I had family alive in chicago at this time and it seems the author did little to no research,

Great for lovers of historical cozy mysteries, 1920s Chicago, plucky teen investigators and mild romance!

I really enjoyed this read, the heroine is clever, charming, and true to her teenage rebellious heart, the author really brought to life 1920s Chicago and I enjoyed the cast of characters. The mystery kept me guessing, but the ending felt a little anticlimactic after all the build up. Overall a great cozy mystery though, and the audiobook narrator brought all the characters into focus.

Thanks to #HarperCollinsFocus and #NetGalley for an ALC.

This is a fun and interesting young adult historical fiction. I am far from a young adult and found this story very engaging. It kept my attention quite well. The book seemed to be true to the times and brought the 1920's in Chicago alive for me.
There is a nice romance thread throughout the book which helped to keep my attention too.
This book would be great for a teen and up.
I listened to this book on audio and I found the narrator to be excellent and easy to listen to.
Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and Netgalley for my ARC.
One spoiler alert - there is a death of a significant character so not all readers will handle that well.

This is a vintage mystery powered by friendship-first stakes and a protagonist who isn’t content to just sit pretty while her world unravels. Piper Sail is all sharp edges and stubborn hope. Her loyalty to Lydia is the true compass guiding the story. Watching her charge through mob territory and navigating social expectations showcases the book at its best. Mariano Cassano is another highlight mixing forward-thinking charm with perfect 1920s grit. His approach makes those investigative moments fizz, even when Piper’s stubbornness threatens to slow him down.

That said, I have to admit three-quarters in, the pacing lost its snap. The search for Lydia started to circle the same set of unlikely suspects and hidden doors. Somewhere around 65%, I found myself wishing the narrative had tightened up instead of making Piper (and me) retrace so many suspects and situations. There’s so much promise in the heart of the story, but it could have reached its conclusion with a little less meandering.

Great start for a new to me series! I loved getting to know Piper Sail – she’s smart, savvy, a little bit of a rebel, and knows how to speak her mind in 1920’s Chicago, even if it gets her in trouble. It’s sad that she gets her start investigating when her best friend is kidnapped but I enjoyed following along as she works to find who is responsible for Lydia’s disappearance and death. There’s hints of the mob and organized crime families so it’s not your typical cozy but it is acceptable for the time period. Looking forward to more in this series!

This was an amazing book! I didn't enjoy the beginning a whole ton but it was still good! An amazing book, finished it really fast

I love this book! ‘The Lost Girl of Astor Street’ is a delightful blend of 1920s mystery, bold amateur sleuthing, and budding romance. Piper Sail is a clever and courageous heroine, and I enjoyed this just as much the second time around.

Megan Trout’s narration is spot-on—she brings Piper to life with warmth and wit while capturing the tone of the era beautifully. The audiobook made the story feel fresh again and reminded me why I’d been hoping for a sequel for years.

This is a clean, engaging YA historical mystery that balances emotion, intrigue, and character growth. I highly recommend both the book and audiobook!

Special thanks to Blink and NetGalley for access to both the book and audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Blink, NetGalley, and RB Media for the ALC (Advance Listening Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

“I am many things, Detective Cassano, but safe isn't one of them.”

This was such a fun and engaging 1920s cosy murder mystery with strong characters, a great setting, and just the right amount of suspense. I listened to the audiobook in one afternoon – I genuinely couldn’t stop!!

Pros
• The 1920s Chicago setting – full of roaring twenties energy, flapper dresses, and the looming presence of Irish gangs and the mafia.
• Piper was a strong, determined lead. I loved how she refused to sit back and wait on the police when her best friend Lydia disappeared. It was very relatable – feeling like you need to do something, anything in a situation where you feel helpless.
• A surprisingly heartfelt supporting cast – I got attached very quickly to characters like Walter, Mariano (the detective), Lydia, Jeremiah, and Emma.
• A purely platonic male friendship! Walter was great, and I appreciated that not every male character had to be a romantic interest.
• The mystery kept me guessing. It wasn’t overly predictable, with clever clues and red herrings scattered throughout.
• A stray dog named Sidekick. Need I say more?
• The narration was really well done – clear, expressive, and brought Piper’s character & the story to life.

Cons
• Honestly, not much! I just wish there were more books in the series. It looks like there’s only one sequel, which is a shame because the world and characters have so much potential!
• A very small thing – but as I read along to the audiobook, I kept misreading Piper’s last name (“Sail”) as “Snail” in my head! Not the book’s fault, just a funny quirk.

This story was gripping, well-written, immersive, and full of vibrant characters and emotional stakes. I had a great time listening to this one and will definitely pick up the sequel. It’s a story I could see myself coming back to again and again!