I am really enjoying this series and this was no exception. This time the murders are in her own neighborhood and she also gets a chance to help save a young mistress from going into a life a prostitution. I'm sorry that there is only one more book in the series. ( )

I have to say that, after listening to 11 chapters, I don't find this book to be one of Shirley Tallman's better Sarah Woolson stories. The first 10 chapters are repetitive and the "independent spirit" that Sarah has chosen comes across as stupid and insipid. She comes across as completely unaware of her own feelings. The issue may be that I don't know enough about Victorian manners and expectations to judge her feelings adequately, but that whole aspect of the book is annoying me.
Chapter 17 continues the strange behavior of Sarah and adds Robert Campbell acting strangely to the mix. It is obvious to the reader (listener) what is going on, and unless Victorian attitudes about sex and relationships are firmly in play here, the whole end of the chapter left me frustrated. [a:Shirley Tallman|125752|Shirley Tallman|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1269980001p2/125752.jpg]'s writing is not at its best in this book and Chapter 17 seems to be the worst.

The author has Sarah comment, in chapter 18, that she cant' believe a prostitute could crochet so beautifully. I was surprised at this since Sarah should be smart and well educated enough to know that women do not usually plan on becoming prostitutes and in that day and age it was quite common for women to learn needlecrafts.

I thoroughly enjoy this series set in 1880-1890's in San Francisco. Tallman weaves many tidbits of history into the story such as the rivalry between Isaac Kallock and Charles DeYoung that resulted in DeYoung shooting Kallock and Kallock surviving the gunshot. Then Kallock's son guns down DeYoung, the editor-in-chief of The San Francisco Chronicle. Again, Tallman exposes the hatred directed toward the Chinese and the distinct class levels. Other interesting topics are presented such as Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man and the use of photography for police work. The story presents a child's desire for a certain career and a parent's choice of a career for the child. In this novel, three young men are murdered in the neighborhood of the Woolsons and Sarah attempts to seek justice for a rich man's mistress. Also, 28-year-old Sarah has two men romantically pursuing her. This is a fun and entertaining series, and I eagerly await the next book. ( )