“Not They Who Soar” is the wonderfully done second book in Amanda Flower’s Katharine Wright historical cozy mystery series. She does such a great job with this series that I actually felt like Katharine Wright herself was really narrating the book. She also does a great job of blending real life people with fictional characters and I sometimes paused while reading the book to see who was real and who was fictional. The setting for this book is the 1904 World’s Fair – I felt like I was there alongside Katharine and her friend Margaret Meacham as they visited the Fair. The mystery is well plotted with plenty of twists and turns and more than a few surprises along the way – some of which caught me completely off guard! All in all a well done mystery.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

A thrilling mystery set against the backdrop of the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, Amanda Flower's "Not They Who Soar" follows Katharine and Margaret as their fun trip takes a dark turn. The discovery of a murdered woman, whose last words link her to the Wright brothers' aeronautics competition, plunges the friends into a dangerous investigation. Flower masterfully weaves together the excitement of the Exposition with a compelling mystery, creating a captivating read that blends historical fiction with suspense. The connection between a seemingly random death and the dawn of aviation adds an intriguing layer to the plot, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. While the synopsis hints at a fast-paced narrative, the full extent of the mystery and its resolution remain tantalizingly unknown. Recommended for fans of historical mysteries.

Not They Who Soar is another delightful cozy mystery from Amanda Flower, blending gentle suspense with heartfelt storytelling. The characters are authentic and relatable, making it easy to feel right at home in their world. Flower has a gift for evoking the past, and this book offers the immersive charm of stepping back in time without ever losing the intrigue of a well-plotted mystery. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) With its warm atmosphere, rich historical detail, and a satisfying whodunit at its core, this is a perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries with heart.

Not They Who Soar by Amanda Flower features Katharine Wright (sister to Orville and Wilber) and the St Louis World’s Fair held in 1904. All kinds of things were at the world’s fair, not all of them good. Many people trying to make or win money, not always honestly. People can fool you when you first meet, but eventually show their true colors. This is featured on the cover as a mystery in the first days of flight and so it turned out to be. There were lots of different ideas of how to navigate the air and lots of people wanting to try, including Camilla Ortiz, who at this point wanted nothing more than to be a mechanic. Of course, she was relegated to errands and such based on her gender. But, she had plans. And, people were out to get them as well as sabotage others who had succeeded in building a flying machine. It led to murder. Of course, Katharine had to investigate. She was staying with her very conservative friend, Margaret Meacham, who always followed the rules, like signs saying,”Do Not Enter.” So, Katharine had to mostly go it alone.

Being the sister to her famous brothers opened doors for her but she was sensible and level-headed and clever enough to investigate on her own. She made friends easily, which helped. The plot was good, and of course, it was all about money. But, she got to spend time with old friends and see the astonished things on display at the world’s fair. She followed the clues, and trusted no one except herself. Flower has done plenty of research so except for the crime solving, this is a pretty true picture of spinster, Katharine Wright. Good read.

I was invited to read Not They Who Soar by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #AmandaFlower #NotTheyWhoSoar

Katharine Wright, sister to the Wright brothers, is visiting St Louis, to join her college friend at the World’s Fair. Katharine’s friends is married to a banker who has been sent to find some new accounts. Katharine is excited to attend to visit the flying exhibits. What she didn’t expect was to find damaged air balloons and a murder.

This was an enjoyable historic mystery about an event that I had little knowledge of. The mystery was good and some of the incidents were very entertaining. I had not read the previous book in the series and don’t feel that I missed anything because of that.

I would recommend reading this book. #Netgalley.

Excellent historical mystery featuring Katharine Wright, Wright's brothers sister, a clever and strong FMC. I enjoyed the well researched setting and the likeable characters.
Amanda Flower delivers another solid and gripping mystery that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Not They Who Soar is book #2 in the A Katharine Wright Mystery series by Amanda Flower.

I don’t usually read historical mysteries but one written by Amanda Flower about the actual sister of the Wright brothers drew me in. I was hooked on the first book and couldn’t wait to read this one. It didn’t disappoint! I really like how Katherine is written. The setting of the World’s Fair was very interesting and I appreciate books that entertain me and educate me too.

Not They Who Soar is a thrilling cozy mystery with the famous Wright Brother’s sister, Katherine, as the lead character. She was a real person, and I so enjoy her sleuthing fiction stories by Amanda Flower. What fun to mix real life characters within the well-written fiction story. Taking place in 1904 at the St. Louis Exposition the exciting times turn to tragedy.

Several mysterious elements in this story besides the actual murder, so Katherine and friend Margaret Goodwin Meacham must be on their toes and acutely observant of all that is going on around them. A top-notch mystery for all to enjoy.

It’s the summer of 1904 and Katharine has traveled from Ohio to Missouri to attend the St. Louis Exposition with her best friend Margaret. Katharine’s brothers Orville and Wilbur were invited to join the much-vaunted aeronautics competition, but refused the invitation. There is still considerable interest from fair attendees, including Katharine. While exploring the area, Katharine stumbles upon a young woman who has obviously been attacked, but before help can arrive, she dies in Katharine’s arms. With such a close personal connection, she can’t walk away without knowing what happened, and how the woman was involved with the competition.

This book had a lot going for it even before I started reading. I love this author’s other series; my son is a US Air Force pilot so I find all things related to flight to be fascinating; and I really like Katharine, the MC. She is sensible and logical and doesn’t lose her head when faced with the unexpected. She doesn’t flaunt her family name, but she doesn’t hesitate to use it to her advantage. Some of the other characters annoyed me, but they were probably supposed to do so.

We didn’t know much at all about the victim until Katharine started asking questions. The answers to those questions were a tangled mess and often raised more questions, leading to quite a few red herrings. I was surprised by some of the twists in the story, but had a few suspicions about a couple of the characters who turned out to be involved, just not the way I’d expected.

I hope there is at least one more book coming in this series, as I’d like to spend more time with Katharine and her family.

This is an engaging adventure to the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis. Katherine Wright journeys by train to St. Louis to see the fair and spend time with her best friend Margaret Meacham.
While there she becomes embroiled in a mystery involving aviation and an aspirational female flyer, Camilla Ortiz.
There is murder and mayhem to be found at the fair, along with wonders.
I enjoyed reading Not They Who Soar. It is a good mystery and a fun sort of time capsule look into a moment in time.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.

Katherine was meant to be having a fun time at the 1904 St Louis Exposition but as it turns out, she's going to solve the murder of a young woman. This is a fun historical cozy that uses real people as characters. notably Katherine, the younger sister of the Wright Brothers. Flowers does a good capturing the period and in bringing Katherine to life. As a veteran cozy writer, she's got the twists and turns down. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I learned something, especially after I did a bit of googling of the various people Katherine meets.

4.5 stars
The main character of this book, Katharine Wright, Latin teacher, proponent of women's rights, and sister to Orville and Wilbur Wright travels from Ohio to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair. This setting was very intriguing to me. The book is wonderfully researched, and I fell in love with the character of Katharine. I didn't know much about her before reading this book and was excited to learn more about her. I saw that she is smart, outspoken, and adventurous. I loved how she started investigating the death of a young woman when the local police ignored it.

The World's Fair is a wonderful setting for a mystery, and the vivid descriptions put you right there with Katharine and her best friend, Margaret. There are several aviation-related exhibits and events at the Fair which are important to the story. As Katharine zeroes in on the killer, there is a great plot twist and a dramatic showdown in a creepy location and an unlikely hero comes to the rescue. The author's note at the end helps clarify which characters and parts of the story actually occurred. The author really brings the Fair that I have heard so much about to life. She also brings to light some of the negative things that happened at the Fair, which was meant to celebrate culture and innovation, but in some cases showed the prejudices of the time.

I received an advance review copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley and my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This was a very interesting and enjoyable cozy mystery.
It was very informative where I learned a lot about different ways they traveled at that time and the other inventions of traveling in the future . Plus adding a murder mystery with some twists, made it very entertaining. I like that there is a strong and ambitious character as Kathrine Wright. I do recommend reading this series!

The second book in the Katharine Wright series, "Not They Who Soar", is just as compelling as the first. Amanda Flower brings the 1904 St. Louis Exposition to life while also providing historical information and a solid mystery. I enjoyed it so much.
Katharine Wright is the younger sister to the Wright Brothers, and a high school teacher in Ohio. She has taken the train to St. Louis alone at the invitation of her married college friend, Margaret. The two women plan to see the Exposition together. The action begins as soon as she steps off the train and witnesses an altercation involving someone who needs help.
Katharine becomes involved in a murder when she finds a dying woman outside the aeronautical tent. Through her sleuthing skill the reader sees the light and fun side of the Exposition and the darker and meaner side ,too.
This is set in an era that was not always kind to women, Flower outlines some of the restrictions/biased opinions faced daily by women. It is in sharp contrast to present day and all the options available to females.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical mystery and cozy thriller mystery.
Thank you to #NetGalley #KnsingtonPublishing for the uncorrected e-copy to read and review at my request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


#NotTheyWhoSoar #NetGalley #AmandaFlower#KatharineWrightSeries

Katharine Wright is in St. Louis with a married college friend at the exhibition marking the hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase in lieu of her brothers Orville and Wilbur. There are deals to be made and reputations made known along with devious dealings and more. Katharine observes the young woman who becomes a murder victim several times before witnessing her final moments. There is no doubt whatsoever that she will begin investigating and see it through to the end. Great read for those of us who geek history!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
#NotTheyWhoSoar by @amandaflowerauthor #KatharineWrightMysteriesBk2 @kensingtonbooks #NetGalley #cozymystery #murder #historicalnovel #family #siblings #investigation #schoolteacher #aviationpPioneers #sabotage #rivalry #friendship

The year is 1904, and the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri marks the one hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Katharine Wright, sister to the famous Wright Brothers, has been invited to the fair to accompany her dear friend Margaret Meacham, and the two women are looking forward to discovering all the excitement the fair has to offer. Throughout the fair, Katharine crosses paths with a mysterious woman several times. When Katharine finds the woman dead after the apparent sabotage of a priceless flying machine, the fair adopts a sinister appearance, and Katharine may be the only person who can solve the mystery before even more damage is done.

This historical fiction novel places readers squarely in 1904 both in the detailed descriptions of the characters’ surroundings and through the manner in which the characters interact with one another. Katharine is ahead of her time, and because she is the primary protagonist and tells the story in the first person, readers are able to observe how she interacts with the world and how others interact with her, in turn. Historical figures move in and out of Katharine’s periphery throughout the story, further anchoring the narrative in one of the grandest events of the time. Brief chapters and an intriguing mystery keep the pages turning as Katharine works to achieve her goal. Best for mature readers due to the nature of the storytelling, this novel is a positive addition to library collections for young adult readers and up.

Katharine Wright, the younger sister of Wilber and Orville Wright, leaves her family home in Ohio to spend the summer at the St. Louis Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri with an old friend from college. Katharine is barely off the train when she runs into trouble when a young woman literally runs into her at the station. After asking Katharine for help, the woman flees the station. Katharine catches glimpses of the woman around the exposition—including around the hangers at the aeronautics area. She finally catches up to the woman, but it is too late to help her. The woman had just been stabbed and proceeds to die in Katharine’s arms. Despite her friend’s insistence that she let the police handle the murder investigation, Katharine searches the exposition for the killer.

NOT THEY WHO SOAR is a strong follow up to the first Katharine Wright novel, TO SLIP THE BONDS OF EARTH. Katharine is a strong, likeable character. She’s a modern woman ahead of her time—an intrepid feminist who isn’t afraid to step out of the typical role of a woman in the early 1900s. The St. Louis Exposition was a unique setting. While Katharine only visits certain parts of the grounds, the reader gets glimpses of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the event and the time period. There is also plenty of information about her brothers and their flying machine woven into the story. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The mystery is compelling, and there are plenty of suspects and red herrings. I was kept guessing until the end.

Thank you for the NetGalley ARC to review this book. I really enjoyed the 2nd book in this series written from the perspective of the Wright Brothers’ sister Katharine. This story is set in St Louis during the 1904 Word’s Fair and offers a view into the dark side of such an expedition as well as the amazing size of what must have been awe-inspiring at the time. Katharine and her friend Margaret (friends from their years at Oberlin) are at the center of the story, although Margaret is more the grounding for Katharine’s adventure as she gets involved in a murder investigation. I like that the series brings in historical information (fairly accurate from my checks) as well as envisioning the other Wright sibling who most people aren’t likely even aware of.

"The equally brilliant real-life sister of the famous flying Wright Brothers, Katharine Wright, investigates an unsettling death at the 1904 World's Fair in this radiant new historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower.

Summer 1904. Katharine and her best friend from Oberlin College, Margaret Goodwin Meacham, are thrilled to attend the St. Louis Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, for the centennial celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Not only is it a grand, international event, it's also the first time the young women have seen each other in quite a while, and they are giddy with excitement - despite warnings from Katharine's old family friend, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, to be careful of the fair's less seemly side.

Undaunted, the girls have a lovely time - until the exposition turns from a girls' trip to a misadventure when Katharine stumbles upon a woman in distress. It's obvious that she has been attacked. Katharine does her best to save her, but tragically, before help can arrive, the woman dies. Yet just before her last breath, she utters the words aeronautics competition.... Katharine's brothers Wilbur and Orville were asked to enter the competition with their successful 1903 flyer but declined. Katharine wonders how this young woman could be connected to such a prestigious event.

Now, unable to get the woman's face out of her mind, Katharine convinces Margaret to join her investigation - and it's soon clear that the race to be declared the first in flight might just be the deadliest competition of them all..."

I can't turn down an exposition of a fair!

Not They Who Soar is book two of Amanda Flower’s The Katherine Wright Mysteries series. If you will remember from book one of this series Katherine was Orville and Wilber Wright’s sister. She is a high school teacher in Dayton Ohio. Katherine likes to solve murder mysteries and she’s pretty good at it. The Author takers her readers back in time to the 1904 World’s fair in St. Louis. It’s a man’s world and usually women stay home and take care of the children and do housekeeping. Not our Katherine. Single and working full time at the high school she still has time to sleuth murder mysteries. Katherine decides to take a break from taking care of her father and brothers and meet her best friend Margaret and her husband W.C. Meacham in St.Louis to take in the Worlds Fair. They are only there for a short time when Katherine finds a woman badly wounded and near death. She gets involved trying to find out more about the victim and who killed her and why. But if the victim is dead why does she keep showing up in the oddest of places at the Fair grounds? Find out when you read this historical murder mystery.
I do enjoy reading historical fiction. Life was so different in the early 1900s. This mystery kept me on my toes. I was drawn in from the first page and my interest was peaked throughout the book. It was hilarious at times and sad too. It was unpredictable and realistic. I was unable to guess who the killer was. Readers have to wait till near the end to find out whodunnit. That’s what I like when I read cozies.
I recommend this book to readers of Historical Fiction and Cozy Mystery. If you read To Slip the Bonds of Earth you will want to read Not They Who Soar. This book could be read as a Standalone but I would recommend that book one be read first because it is the introduction to the series. This book is scheduled for release on 5/27/25.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are solely my own.
#NotTheyWhoSoar #NetGalley