In her captivating novel, The Fortune Hunter, Mowatt crafted a delightful tale to enter a contest hosted by the New World newspaper, ultimately winning the $100 prize. With the stipulation that the story must unfold in New York and be completed within six months, Mowatt cleverly recycled characters from her earlier works under the pen name “Helen Berkeley.” The narrative begins with two dapper gentlemen, Brainard and Ellery, on the hunt for affluent brides, only to be shadowed by the relentless debt collector, Mr. Badger. Enter the Clinton sisters, the targets of these fortune hunters Rachel, the elder, grows weary of the manipulative game and chooses to forfeit her inheritance to escape such insincerity, while her younger sister Ester, now calling herself Estelle, revels in the pursuit, but only on her own terms. Meanwhile, the penniless orphan and the sisters loyal friend, Arria Walton, harbors a secret affection for the charming Dr. Edgar Chadwick. With unexpected twists and turns, this comic melodrama blends the wit of Jane Austen with the depth of Charles Dickens, all while establishing its own unique flavor of Victorian Americana. - Summary by Kelly S. Taylor