This was a fun and quick read - good brain candy. I probably mostly enjoyed it because I know Portland - it does provide some interesting historical details about Portland's early history. Emily Stratton had some annoyingly modern attitudes, but all in all this was quite enjoyable. ( )

This was a good mystery. While I was not quite as enthusiastic about the main character as the back cover indicated I would be, she was quite likable. With a suspension of disbelief (I have doubts that such a woman would actually have existed at that time), she was realistically drawn. Good, relaxing fiction. A one or two evening read. ( )

Nice period piece & a decent cozy mystery (very minor descriptions of, erm, high speed lead poisoning and head bashing). ( )

Newman, known for her historical accuracy introduces a new character into 1860s Portland Oregon, in this departure from her Catherine LaVendeur series. Emily Stratton, the daughter of missionaries in China, is in San Francisco when her ship-captain husband dies. She accompanies his body back to the young town of Portland, and tries to make a home there. When she investigates her husband's suspect business practices, someone wants her to stop. She must find out who to save her new life and her son. Will appeal to readers of Dianne Day and Laurie R. King. ( )