NO PITY FOR THE DEAD by Nancy Herriman

Publisher:     NAL  

Published:     August 2, 2016

ISBN:        978-0451474902

Genre:       Historical Mystery

Format:     Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FOUR HEARTS

 

In the weeks since solving her first murder nurse Celia Davies has tried her best to being about a semblance of normalcy to her life. She’s carried on with her nursing and mid-wife duties, resumed social visits with friends and has tried to forge a stronger relationship with her ward, Barbara.  She’s tried to resolve her ambivalent feelings about her husband Patrick—is he dead or alive and which does she want him to be.  And perhaps must difficult of all, she’s tried not to hope, to think about, to want, a relationship with one Detective Nicholas Greaves. Just when she thinks life is going to return to that normal place, street urchin, Owen, appears on her doorstep announcing he’s found a dead body.  As it turns out, the body isn’t just any dead body…as the mystery unwinds it begins to appear one of Celia’s closest friends just may be involved.

I was drawn to Nancy Herriman’s Mystery of Old San Francisco with the first book of the series, NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST for two reasons—I do enjoy a good historical mystery and living in the San Francisco Bay Area, how could I not want to read the books?  We have such a rich and colourful history that, if you do not know the depth of, or are willing to do the research for, you will miss significant parts.  Herriman most certainly did her homework and has brought San Francisco’s vibrant past of the 1860’s to life. More than presenting the times, her words paint the picture of the time in such vivid detail you feel you are there. 

Celia is such a great character.  Herriman depicts her as a strong, intelligent woman who struggles to live within the constraints of her time while at the same time pursuing her passion—a career that matters so much to her.  Adding to her struggle to balance the two is her ward, Barbara—a young woman who, in her own way, is incredibly wilful and self-centred.  I didn’t care much for Barbara in book 1 and like her even less in book 2—but her self-absorbed personality adds dimension to the story. I can see her contrariness leading to some wonderful threads in future books.

Detective Greaves as well is well drawn. Like Celia he struggles with his desires and the constraints of the times.  This is on top of him trying to do the right thing as a police officer amidst acknowledged corruption within the city and closer to home among some members of the police department.  Rather than confusing the story, the dilemmas faced by the two main characters add depth both in the telling of the story and the emotions evoked.

Each book is a standalone and you do not have to have read book 1 to thoroughly enjoy book 2 – but I do recommend both because the stories are just that good.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

 

NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST by Nancy Herriman

Publisher:     NAL

Published:     August 4, 2015

ISBN:       978-0451474896

Genre:      Mystery

Format:    Print

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FOUR HEARTS

Celia Davies, a nurse in San Francisco of the 1880s walks a fine line between several worlds, each controversial in its own way.  Working as a nurse is acceptable, however she has her own clinic with no male doctor to answer to.  Her husband has disappeared and while she has a private investigator looking for him, she half hopes he is not found.  And contrary to society’s dictates she treats not only the Chinese in their appointed neighbourhood—she treats prostitutes.   return to him—it is one across time.  Six years before, while on an archaeological dig with her father, Lisbeth fell into a well and found herself in ancient Carthage.  There she met, and fell in love with, Cyprian.

Detective Nicholas Greaves came west at the end of the Civil War to leave behind his own painful past.  While corruption exists within the San Francisco Police department Nicholas will not put aside his ethics and sense of justice.   That includes walking the streets of Chinatown and investigating crimes committed against all of its people, including prostitutes.  When a former prostitute is found murdered on the docks, despite his Captain’s admonitions to leave it alone, Nicholas continues to investigate.

When a young Chinese friend of Celia and her cousin, Barbara’s is murdered, Celia is determined to find the killer. Despite Nicholas’s efforts to dissuade her, Celia continues to dig to find Li Sha killer.  Even when she and her household are threatened, she continues on her path.  Despite his determination to keep Celia safe he and Nicholas form a tenuous partnership to find the killer.  Can they find him before the murder strikes again?

Nancy Herriman’s NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST caught my attention as soon as I saw the series title:  A Mystery of Old San Francisco.  Aside from living in the San Francisco Bay area and having worked in the City for a number of years, the history of the “city by the bay” has long interested me.  Herriman does not disappoint.

Each character, including the secondary characters, have multiple layers making each memorable in their own way.  Even Li Sha who readers meet after she has been killed is fully developed with her own secrets, needs and desires.  As her story unfolds you come to know her and feel the anger at her senseless killing. 

Nicholas and Celia have many layers and despite getting to know them in NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST, you can see there is still much more to them—things that will undoubtedly be revealed in the books that follow.  Addie, the Irish housekeeper with her husband hunt was a wonderful addition—hopefully she will not settle on a suitor too soon because of how fun her current “search” for a beau is going. 

I didn’t warm up to Celia’s cousin Barbara mainly because of the constant reminders of how fragile she was. She is supposed to be a teen, but her age isn’t clear and the direct mention of her being a teen doesn’t come until almost the end of the book.  The turn off on the character came not so much because she was fragile and sensitive but because of the constant reminders of it.  After the first 20 reminders I got it; after the next 20 it was old and I didn’t really care what happened to her.  Her role in the mystery, however, was nicely done.

Herriman does a wonderful job of weaving together San Francisco during its early years, the histories of the two main characters and a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end who did it.

NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST is definitely one to add to your must read list.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.