by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of A Golden Grave, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

Rose Gallagher is a Pinkerton agent, one of the very few women who were hired. She was a housemaid and now must learn to pass as gentry, as well as learn self-defense, etiquette, and how to interrogate suspects. It’s all a little much, especially since she has a crush on her former employer, now her partner, Thomas Wiltshire.

They are with the special branch, dedicated to investigating crimes of a paranormal nature. Rose can sense when a ghost is present. There are people with special talents, usually the rich, who are called “lucky.” One of them is Theodore Roosevelt, who is running for mayor. He has no experience, and it is quite rare for a wealthy man to take an interest in such a common job as a city employee. After six politicians who backed Roosevelt are murdered, seemingly just by the touch of a tall man, it’s clear, Roosevelt is the next target.

Rose and Thomas must protect him as much as possible. Roosevelt would rather be without bodyguards. Thomas’s friend, Tesla, is able to build a small contraption that will measure the amount of luck a person has. This is no guarantee they’ll find the assassin, but it’s a start.

Their search takes them from seedy bars to ballrooms, to a seemingly homeless woman known as the Bloodhound (she can find anyone, via smell), and even to the asylum, where once you’re in, you are never heard from again.

This is the second book in the series (Murder on Millionaires’ Row was first). At the end of the book, a casual remark hints that book three will be an even bigger adventure. I am looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Rose and Thomas progresses, if at all, and if she is able to fit into society. In the meantime, there are interesting bits of history at the back of the book and book one to read to see how Rose got to be a Pinkerton.

To enter to win a copy of A Golden Grave, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “golden,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 2, 2019. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address (so if you win we can get the book sent right out to you), and if via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. The last 3 episodes include black cats and ghosts and are perfect for Halloween listening!

Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

A Golden Grave: A Rose Gallagher Mystery

You can also use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won’t see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.