Fallen Women

Sandra Dallas is an author that I know I can rely upon to provide a good story, so I was quite excited to read her first historical mystery, Fallen Women. The book is set in Denver, Colorado in 1885 as Beret Osmundsen arrives ready to look into the death of her sister, Lillie. She had been notified about Lillie by a telegram from her aunt and uncle, a prominent judge and candidate for the Senate. But the circumstances surrounding Lillie’s death are horrendous. She had taken up residence in a brothel, and had died in a brutal manner, being stabbed eight times. Beret knows that her sister had a dark side and wasn’t an angel by any means. She also has her private reasons for feeling a little guilty regarding Lillie, as she had thrown show more her sister out, after finding her in bed with her husband.

Beret works alongside of police detective, Mick McCauley who was at first a reluctant partner but soon learned to appreciate her opinions and observations. Unfortunately Beret didn’t have a lot of finesse or people smarts, she barged into places that she shouldn’t, she wasn’t shy about throwing accusations around and never seemed to think about her personal safety. When other prostitutes were murdered in a similar manner most people thought the perpetrator was a madman. Beret pressed on with her investigation feeling strongly that Lillie was murdered by someone who knew her.

While the resolution that was revealed toward the end of the book was no great surprise I enjoyed the journey. The author introduced a number of less than savoury characters that needed to be eliminated, and gave the reader an interesting look at Denver’s high and low societies. The chemistry between the main characters was intriguing so overall Fallen Women was an entertaining read. show less

FALLEN WOMEN by Sandra Dallas

You begin reading thinking you are reading one kind of novel only to discover that you are reading another – much more intriguing and with vastly more depth than you thought. With each page we are drawn more deeply into the lives of Lillie and Beret and Mick. Dallas’s rich character development is apparent in the first chapters and continues throughout as the plot line unfolds. Even minor characters have depth. The title leaves one wondering which women (and men) are fallen.
Public appearance and actual moral character become evident as Beret and Mick proceed with their investigation into Lillie’s death and personality. Moral fiber will become a rich topic for book groups who choose to discuss this show more book. Dallas gives us many other topics for discussion and one persistent question – What is the story behind Beret’s name-- a question posed but never answered.
5 of 5 stars show less

When wealthy New York socialite Beret Osmundsen learns that her estranged sister was murdered in a brothel, there is nothing for her to do but go to Denver and seek answers. The last she knew her sister Lillie was living with their aunt and uncle, Varina and Judge John Stanton. When she arrived in Denver, Beret meets Detective Mick McCauley, who is skeptical but eventually teams with Beret to solve the case.

Dallas is well-known for her historical fiction, focusing on women in the 19th and early 20th century. She’s tackled the Civil War, migration to the great plains, early settlers in Colorado, and the growth of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Some of her works include a mystery, and this is one such.

What I like about her novels is show more the clear evidence of lots of research into the time and place. And I really appreciate how she brings these everyday women and the challenges they faced; I cannot imagine enduring the loneliness, grime, and very real dangers they faced.

Here she gives a very realistic view of 1880s Denver and the brothels that flourished there, including the different “classes” of sex workers, from those who plied their trade in back alleys and doorways to those, like Lillie, who worked in the higher-class establishments. Dallas also gives us a peek inside the upper-class salons and dinner parties at nouveau riche mansions.

There are several twists and turns and efforts at misdirection, but I guessed the culprit pretty early on. The actual mystery plot isn’t all that well executed, in my humble opinion, but the historical detail and some of the characters really kept my interest up. show less

Very enjoyable tale,set in earlier times. Author did a very good job of depicting the early days of police work. Story of one sister trying to discover killer of her younger sister, the fallen woman. The sister, Beret, develops a relationship with the detective, Mick, that is a fun part of the story. I figured out the killer about 2/3 of the way thro, but uncovering the killer was well done.

I think my favorite part of this book was probably the mystery storyline and the family dynamics of the main character's family. While the way some of the clues were gathered and how some information was revealed had to be read with a grain of salt and a sigh at the stretch of plausibility, the end result of the perpetrator of the crime threw me. The main force behind the killings was a complete shock to me, and I enjoyed that immensely. The family dynamics for Beret were also fascinating. While her sister Lillie was already dead, seeing through Beret's memories how her life was with her sister before the move to Denver and seeing how it colored who the sisters became intrigued the hell out of me. Her aunt, uncle, and ex-husband all show more added spice to an already flavorful family that I enjoyed to the hilt.

I also enjoyed some of the historical details in the book. When the author described the stone mansions of the newly rich of Denver, it brought back memories of some of the mansions I've visited in Colorado and her in Montana. I could literally picture the grand rooms, stained-glass windows, and peacock bedecked yards in my head with ease. Downtown Denver, with all its young city fervor and energy along a red light district decay, came to life for me. I enjoyed such a rich background for our story and characters.

Now talking about characters, this is where the novel really fell flat. The main character Beret... What can I really say? I found her manipulative, untrustworthy, recklessly stupid, tactless, self absorbed, and at times, extremely sanctimonious. She even at times admits to herself that what she is doing is stupid, but does she stop?! Nope. Head first into situations that anybody with an ounce of brainpower would re-think and come up with another game plan. There were occasional bursts of intelligence and compassion that I enjoyed from her. I felt engaged enough to her that the few hints of a developing romance between her and Mick made me smile. But, overall, her character pretty much ruined the book for me.

I give the book a 3 out of 5 since the actual mystery engaged and surprised me. The secondary characters and Beret's family dynamics kept me enthralled. The setting was richly detailed, and I felt like I was smack dab in the middle of the mansions of Denver. If only the character of Beret was better executed, I think this book would have been an easy 4 or 5. But, it is what it is. show less

Sandra Dallas delivers a consistently good tale and this one is no exception. I liked that much of the story is ambiguous. As a reader we never really know what Lillie is like - just how she appears from everyone else's point of view. Another thing I enjoyed is watching how Beret and Mick come to appreciate each other's strengths.

Sandra Dallas is a talented historical literary novelist who makes the past come alive through authentic characters and complex plots. Her latest novel is a smart, capable-women-in-the-Old-West-themed murder mystery. It’s set in Denver, Colorado, in 1885. The victim, Lillie, is a beautiful young woman who, only a few short months earlier, started working as a prostitute in the House of Dreams, one of the Denver’s best high-class brothels. It’s a vicious crime of passion; the young woman is found in her bed stabbed eight times with a pair of scissors. The murderer had to be someone she knew well, someone totally enraged at the time…or perhaps worse, there’s a madman on the loose.

When Lillie’s wealthy older sister, Beret show more Osmundsen, hears about her Lillie’s death and the scandalous circumstances surrounding it, she is devastated. Beret feels keenly responsible for her younger sister’s fate. A year earlier, the two sisters had a significant falling out and Beret forced her sister out of their shared New York home. Lillie fled to Denver, where she took up living with her aunt and uncle, two highly respected members of Denver’s elite.

Beret is overcome with questions about her sister’s death. She travels to Denver determined to find out what happened no matter the personal and emotional cost. Why did Lillie abandon her charmed high-society socialite life to become a whore in a bordello? What could have happened to drive her from her aunt and uncle’s home? Who was Lillie’s murderer and what could possibly have been the fiend’s motive?

And, of course, we readers want to know what happened a year earlier that caused Beret to force her younger sister out of their New York home. There’s a hint of romance, too. Will the budding emotional and intellectual attraction between Beret and the chief law enforcement officer investigating Lillie’s death develop into something more significant?

These and many other secrets and mysteries are slowly unraveled during the course of this savvy and wholly satisfying story. The tale held my attention and kept me trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to solve the crime. It was a good solid mystery and in the end, when all the pieces slipped into place, I was pleased. It was a story that worked on many level, but more important, the major psychological riddles were resolved; all the characters finally made sense.

But over all, I’d still have to say that the true value of this novel is not in the story of the murder mystery; but rather, it is getting to know Beret Osmundsen, the book’s clever, altruistic, fearless, and strong-willed main character. She’s an authentic historical pistol of a woman! She’s wholly believable in this period and place, yet certainly a woman well beyond her time.

Another strong value in the book is learning more about women’s history within the tawdry and poverty-stricken underworld of the Old West. The author is a consummate period historian and this book is filled with fascinating, genuine, and quirky historical details. Dallas has studied this period and this place for most of her life and has published a many fiction and nonfiction works concerning it. In the acknowledgments, the author states that she accomplished a great deal of research about women prostitutes during this period. It shows in the authenticity of the story and I was personally in thrall with the results as it played out in this novel. Much of the time, I was lost in the story and felt like I was there.

This book should please Dallas’ fans. It should also draw considerable interest from mystery readers, especially those who crave well-developed authentic characters. I’m confident the book will also appeal to those interested in early American woman’s history or stories about women in the Old West.

For me, “Fallen Woman” was mainly another absorbing novel by an accomplished literary author stretching her character- and history-driven craft effectively into the mystery genre. I am happy I read this book and recommend it to others. show less