"The Charlatans"; published by The Bobbs-Merrill company (1906) – Romantic fiction with illustrations by George Brehm. The novel is a love story with a layering of satire against the background of musical education, and includes dark moments of betrayal and a tragic suicide. The plot concerns a Wisconsin farm girl, named Hope Winston, who possesses natural musical genius and comes to Chicago to perfect her craft. Taylor uses select Chicago celebrities and institutions (including the "Little Room") as a backdrop, and these subjects are often the target of satire. Taylor's satire is particularly harsh as it concentrates on the bogus methods of teaching music at some of the Chicago best-known schools. Taylor invents villain Rudolph Erdmann and his prestigious "Colossus Conservatory of Music", where he dupes young, aspiring musicians, regardless of talent, solely for their money. However, it is often much more than money that is lost – destroyed hopes and dreams are the greatest casualty.