Mary Louise and Josie O'Gorman by Emma Speed Sampson is the eighth of a ten volume series of Bluebird Books for young girls featuring two young amateur female detectives. Originally started by L. Frank Baum writing as Edith Van Dyne, the series was continued by Emma Sampson after Baum's death in 1919. While Baum favored Mary Louise, Sampson continues the series focusing more on Josie,the young detective, and treats Mary Louise as a minor character. In this book, Mary Louise donates the house she inherited from her grandfather and a significant sum of money to the local orphanage. Two new orphans attract the attention of Josie O'Gorman who begins to investigate the mystery of their missing parents and the strange young woman who abandoned them. This is a novel of the post-war years written with a strong female character.