Book Review: The Secret in the Wall by Ann Parker

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge ,from Poisoned PenPress,via #Netgalley for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes you can't keep your gown out of the gutter...

Synopsis:

Inez Stannert has reinvented herself—again. Fleeing the comfort and wealth of her East Coast upbringing, she became a saloon owner and card sharp in the rough silver boomtown of Leadville, Colorado, always favoring the unconventional path—a difficult road for a woman in the late 1800s.

Then the teenaged daughter of a local prostitute is orphaned by her mother's murder, and Inez steps up to raise the troubled girl as her own. Inez works hard to keep a respectable, loving home for Antonia, carefully crafting their new life in San Francisco. But risk is a seductive friend, difficult to resist. When a skeleton tumbles from the wall of her latest business investment, the police only seem interested in the bag of Civil War-era gold coins that fell out with it. With her trusty derringer tucked in the folds of her gown, Inez uses her street smarts and sheer will to unearth a secret that someone has already killed to keep buried. The more she digs, the muddier and more dangerous things become.

She enlists the help of Walter de Brujin, a local private investigator with whom she shares some history. Though she wants to trust him, she fears that his knowledge of her past, along with her growing attraction to him, may well blow her veneer of respectability to bits—that is, if her dogged pursuit of the truth doesn't kill her first

Review:

I have not read any of the previous books in the series, this is number 8, but this is a stand alone book. It's an interesting look at San Francisco in the late 1800s and how women had to not only work in a mans world, but how they were treated. And how kids were taken as just that- kids. It takes you a few chapters to get in the right frame of thought where you're understanding the idea of women owning property was rare and if they did it was a boardinghouse, or business fronted by men. Once there, then it's easy to put yourself into the story. It's part treasure hunt, part mystery, and part detective story, which adds up to an enjoyable read! If you like historial mysteries, this will be one you'll love !

About the Author:

Ann Parker is the author of the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series set in 1880s, featuring saloon owner Inez Stannert. A science writer by day, Ann lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Women Writing the WestAnn Parker is the author of the award-winning Silver Rush historical mystery series set in 1880s, featuring saloon owner Inez Stannert. A science writer by day, Ann lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Women Writing the West