Wednesday, February 16, 2022

The Secret in the Wall by Ann Parker

 
First Lines: San Francisco, California. Thursday evening, March 9, 1882. Long vacant, the house smelled of dust and decay.

Inez Stannert has always chosen the unconventional path. When fleeing her wealthy East Coast upbringing, she found herself in Leadville, Colorado, as a saloon owner and cardsharp. Now she's in San Francisco, the owner of a music store who helps other women with small business loans and tries to keep her strong-willed ward, Antonia, out of trouble. 
 
When a skeleton tumbles out of a wall in her latest business investment-- complete with a bag of Civil War-era gold coins-- Inez has to use her street smarts and determination to learn the man's identity and why he was murdered-- secrets that someone has already been willing to kill for in order to hide.
 
Little does she know that Antonia is doing a little investigating of her own...
 
~
 
I've followed Inez Stannert's path from the very first Silver Rush book, Silver Lies. It's a life that has been anything but ordinary and has had more than its share of surprises along the way. It's always a pleasure to see a favored series get stronger with each book, and I'm happy to say that The Secret in the Wall is the best Silver Rush mystery yet.  I mean, who doesn't like a mystery that has a skeleton behind the wall, a bag of gold coins, secret passages, secret staircases, and secret rooms? And I haven't even mentioned Alcatraz yet!
 
Parker always does an excellent job of weaving historical facts into her mysteries, and this time she has the American Civil War and California's part in it to work with. It may be the 1880s, but The Secret in the Wall proves that the Civil War and all its conflict is bubbling away, barely beneath the surface.
 
What put the smile on my face and raised the enjoyment factor of reading this book tenfold was Inez's ward, teenage Antonia. The daughter of a murdered prostitute, Antonia was left to her own devices until taken in by Inez. Antonia chafes under any sort of authority, and the only reason why she puts up supervision from Inez is because she does respect the older woman. Inez is finding it difficult to keep Antonia on a solid path because she doesn't want to break the girl's amazing spirit. Inez had enough of that herself growing up in a wealthy family on the East Coast. Antonia seems to go out of her way to do the opposite of what she's told, and this only proves that Inez is trying to raise a fiercely independent younger copy of herself.   
 
In The Secret in the Wall, Antonia makes a new friend, and since the new friend lives right next door to where the body in the wall was found, Antonia wants to have a lot of sleepovers at her new friend's house so they can sneak over to explore next-door's secret rooms and passageways. The young girls' investigations mirror Inez's with possibly grave consequences. It's amazing to me how Parker has created a character who exasperates me to no end yet still makes me laugh. Suffice it to say, when Antonia wasn't making me mentally rip my hair out, I was having the time of my life creeping around a derelict house with her in the wee hours of the morning.
 
And if you're in the mood for some fun in 1880s San Francisco, I strongly recommend joining Inez and Antonia in The Secret in the Wall.  

The Secret in the Wall by Ann Parker
eISBN: 9781464214950
Poisoned Pen Press © 2022
eBook, 387 pages
 
Historical Mystery, #8 Silver Rush mystery
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley

14 comments:

  1. Oh, this does sound like a fun read, Cathy! And as you know, I do like a good historical novel with a strong sense of time and place. Add in the strong female characters and I can sure see why you think was such a good read!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've enjoyed this series from the get-go, Margot, and it's always such a pleasure to see a favored series just keep getting better and better.

      Delete
  2. You do find the most fun mystery series to read. I'll have to check this one out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you might just like it, Dorothy, especially if you like strong, unconventional female characters.

      Delete
  3. Sounds like a fun series. I'm working hard to catch up on the Ann Cleeves and Peter Robinson books right now, but I'll make a quick note about this one. I get the impression, though, that these are less "complicated" than the two I've mentioned...right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you're right, but they're still very good.

      Delete
  4. Just the words "secret passages and secret staircases" makes me want to read this one!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This sounds great, and Antonia's character sounds wonderful, I was getting some Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys vibes from the description, even if they're not necessarily rebellious

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that I think about it, you're right. There is a bit of Drew/Hardy in this one. I look forward to seeing how Antonia's character develops as the series continues.

      Delete
  6. Sounds like a fun series with a unique setting and circumstances. I can see why Antonia's character appealed to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think I might have recognized a bit of myself in Antonia. (But don't tell anybody!)

      Delete
  7. Oh, sigh, another interesting book which sounds like fun.

    Reminds me of the trip when my parents took me and my sister to see the House of the Seven Gables in Massachusetts. We saw secret staircases and rooms.

    Another book on my list, although I'm way behind in my reading.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're no slacker. Those books will be waiting patiently until you're able to get to them. *HUG*

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!