Photo by Kathleen Maca
Mystery author Kathleen Kaska is the author of the multi-award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. She also writes mystery trivia and has published The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears the Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street anthology. She is also the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, and a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars.Learn more about Kathleen and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to her on various social media sites.
The Luther Hotel Still Stands
One morning more than twenty-five years ago, I rose early, entered the breakfast room, and poured myself a huge cup of coffee. It was in October when the finicky weather on the Texas Coast could be sultry and sticky or crisp and cold. That morning, it was somewhere in between as I stepped out of the front door of the Luther Hotel and made myself comfortable in one of the big white rocking chairs on the front porch. The briny smell from the Gulf of Mexico and the eerie call of gulls tugged at my heartstrings. I loved the Texas Coast. I closed my eyes and counted my blessings. When I opened them, I saw a roseate spoonbill glide across a crystal blue sky. I remember thinking that this is what Heaven must be like.
That was only our second trip to the historic Luther Hotel. My husband and I were there for a weekend of birding. I remember driving into town on Texas 35 South to East Bay Boulevard that hugged the coastline along the Palacios, Texas waterfront. I had my fingers crossed as we rounded the bend, hoping to spot the flock of long-billed curlews feeding on the massive green lawn in front of the hotel I’d seen on my first visit. I was not disappointed. They were there as they always seemed to be, maneuvering those spiky, eight-inch bills while probing for invertebrates in the grass.
Over the next few years, the Luther Hotel became our home on that stretch of the Texas Coast. Innkeepers Billy and Dolly Hamlin, relatives of the owner, always welcomed us with open arms. On the wall behind the front desk, the original letterbox held the room keys, and guests still used the buzzer on the wall to summon the desk clerk. A working phone booth stood next to the front desk. A gas heater warmed the lobby, and another warmed the hallway, leading to our suite on the third floor. The only signs of modern times were the current newspapers and magazines on the coffee table.
The history of the Luther Hotel dates back to 1903, when it was called the Bay View Hotel. Charles Luther purchased it and renamed it the Luther in 1936. Back then the small town of Palacios saw little activity except for the building of the railroad and the construction of oil derricks outside of town. That all changed with the onset of World War II. The government selected acreage near the town to house thousands of German prisoners of war in what became Camp Hulen. With so many military personnel living at the camp, Palacios grew quickly, attracting entertainers like Artie Shaw, Guy Lombardo, Rita Hayworth, Shirley Temple, and Carol Lombard, and making the Luther a premiere location for celebrities and politicians. Eventually, the Pleasure Pavilion and Roundhouse were built over the water in front of the hotel. The establishment became the hub of social life, where folks gathered to swim, dance, and even play basketball. One of the earlier pavilions (some were destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt) had mooring docks, a skating rink, and a restaurant.
After the war, the town slowly settled back into a small farming community. In 1987, the highway was rerouted to the outskirts of town, causing several businesses to close. The Luther, however, remained, becoming home to many snowbirds visiting the coast for several weeks in the winter. By the time we discovered the hotel, it had begun to show its age, but that was okay. Staying at the Luther felt like staying at my grandmother’s house.
Little did I know that a few years later, I’d be there for a book signing for my second Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Luther. The Hamlin’s had retired, and Jack Findley, Charles Luther’s son-in-law, moved to the hotel to take over its operation. Jack hosted a wine and cheese event for me after the book signing. I was amazed and humbled by the turn-out. It seemed that half the town attended. After that event, Jack and I became good friends.
Sadly, Jack passed away in 2022, and the old hotel sat vacant and began to deteriorate. Soon, it was destined for the wrecking ball. The story of the hotel’s possible demise and its stay of execution could easily find its way to the big screen. The save-the-farm movies of the 1990s pale in comparison to the true-life story of the locals who rallied to save the Luther Hotel.
I’m happy to report that the Luther was recently purchased by J.P. Bryan, an historian, and philanthropist who is a descendant of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas and one of the heroes of the Alamo. Bryan plans to restore the Luther to its former glory. The remodeling has begun, and I plan to be there for the reopening.
Murder at the Luther is the final book in my Sydney Lockhart series to be reissued by my new publisher, Anamcara Press. All six of my books have been rebranded and will be offered as a box set during the upcoming holidays.
The release day for the reissued Murder at the Luther is September 29, 2024.
It’s New Year’s Eve, 1952. Texas politicians are backslapping and ringing in ‘53 at the historic Luther Hotel on the Texas Coast. Reporter Sydney Lockhart is there covering the festivities. The celebration turns sour when Sydney finds herself dancing with a dead man. With her fingerprints on the murder weapon and a police chief with his own agenda, Sydney ushers in the New Year behind bars. Soon there is another body, more damning fingerprints, and a crazy Cajun who’s been paid to feed Sydney to the alligators. Things get worse when cousin Ruth comes to town with a problem even Sydney can’t solve.
Preorder (releases 9/29/24)
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