Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The first installment in a new series featuring the intrepid lawyer, Sarah Woolson, "Murder on Nob Hill" was a very satisfying and engrossing read. I enjoyed the book on every novel -- the mystery was a good and intriguing one, the detective-heroine, Sarah Woolson, was engaging and likable, and the pacing and the manner in which the novel was crafted was superbly done. All in all, the Sarah Woolson mystery series has all the hallmarks of being a really good one, and I for one, am rather excited about this.
Sarah Woolson, the youngest child and only daughter of a respected judge, has always wanted to practice law (like her father); but even though she's qualified, getting a respected law firm to hire her is another matter altogether because its 1880 in San Francisco, where the common wisdom is that a woman's place is at home and not in the work place. But with the help of her brother, Sarah is able to finagle an interview at Shepherd, Shepherd, McNaughton and Hall (one of the stuffier law firms); where through sheer highhandedness (Sarah actually "steals" a very valueable client, the newly widowed Mrs. Annjennet Hannaford whose much older husband was recently murdered in a rather brutal manner, from right under Shepherd's nose) she's able to land a job as a junior associate at the firm. One would think that things would finally be looking up for Sarah, except that her client, Annjennet Hannaford, ends up getting arrested for her husband's murder! The police and district attorney think that they have an ironclad case (motive and opportunity); and the lawyers handling Annjennet's criminal defence have all but conceded defeat, going so far as to prepare a defense based on an insanity plea. But Sarah is sure that Annjennet is innocent, and fearing that she's the only one in Annjennet's corner, is bound and determined to discover who the real murderer is, no matter the danger...
Obviously I shouldn't start books just before my planned bedtime because "Murder on Nob Hill" was so engrossing a read that I just had to keep on reading until I reached the last page. The plot was a very intriguing one and Shirley Tallman did a good job of ensuring that the book unfolded swiftly and smoothly. And while it is true that the prose is a bit verbose, once I got into the flow of things, this truly was something I hardly noticed after a while. I thought that the character portrayals were very good, esp that of our plain-speaking and forceful heroine, and this, together with the historical ambiance went a long way towards making this a very enjoyable and successful novel. My favourite bits, however, were the ones in which a very calm and rational sounding Sarah would (successfully) counter the somewhat hysterical and irrational arguements of her male counterparts would claim that she didn't have it in her to be a good lawyer. All in all, a fantastic first installment in what promises to be a wonderful mystery series.
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The year is 1880, the place San Francisco. Intelligent, outspoken Sarah Woolson is a young woman with a goal and the fortitude to achieve it. She has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. The trouble is, everyone believes women belong in the home---that it is not only unnatural, but against God's will for them to seek a career.When Sarah finagles an interview with one of the city's most prestigious law firms, no one thinks she has a prayer of being hired. Except Sarah. Using her brains and a little subterfuge, she not only manages to become the firm's newest (and only female) associate attorney, she also acquires her first client---a lovely young society matron suspected of brutally stabbing to death her wealthy but abusive husband. Sarah is sure of her client's innocence, but the revelation of the woman's secret lover may make that innocence impossible to prove. When four more victims fall prey to the killer's knife, Sarah fears she has bitten off more than she can chew. Bucking her boorish employer and the judicial system, Sarah finds herself embroiled in shady legal maneuvers, a daring Chinatown raid, and a secret and very scandalous sex club in this irresistible blend of history, romance, and murder.
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