First published 2017
Sabina Carpenter's peaceful bicycle ride through Golden Gate Park turns deadly when her friend reveals threatening letters and gunshots ring out from a nearby mansion garden. At Carpenter and Quincannon Professional Detective Services, extortion cases mean good money, but this one proves far more complex than expected. Wealthy banker Wrixton has already paid his blackmailer once, but the demand for another $5,000 pushes him to seek help. He desperately wants his private letters returned, though he refuses to explain their contents. Partner John Quincannon takes the case, knowing San Francisco's elite rarely keep their bedroom secrets contained. The investigation turns brutal when a courier dies in an impossible locked room murder. Quincannon must navigate the city's criminal underworld and survive a treacherous riverboat journey to solve the case. The partners face mounting dangers as they uncover the truth behind the extortion scheme.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, treacherous-journey
Setting: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
256 pages · Kindle Edition · Forge Books