A Dangerous Business

I have been a fan of Jane Smiley's writing since I read A Thousand Acres. This time I read A Dangerous Business which is set in Monterey, California during the gold rush of 1850. The story is told by Eliza Ripple, a young widow who grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and moved to Monterey with her abusive husband. When he died in a bar fight Eliza was relieved. In order to support herself she goes to work for Mrs. Parks in a brothel. She makes friends with another woman from a different brothel. They hear about 5 young women who were murdered in the town and no one seems to be investigating. Eliza is reading a book by Edgar Allen Poe about a detective. Together Eliza and her friend start investigating these murders. At times I thought Eliza was over reacting and thinking all men were suspicious. The story was well told. I would consider this more of a historical fiction than a murder mystery. Eliza is a very likeable character.