A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley
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Web ID: 17333771brilliant story
This was such a brilliant story. I loved every second. It is definitely a page-turner story for me. It was so interesting. Not only do you have a murder mystery, but you also get to learn about slavery and the troubles it caused when some states were against it, but others were not. It was extremely well written for a short book at a little over 200 pages. The storyline was thrilling with plenty going on. The characters were brilliant, easy to connect with, and very interesting and realistic to the time. I just loved everything about this book. Being set in a brothel, I liked the way that it didn't go into any detail about their antics. This book was souly about this history. I definitely recommend reading this book if you love murder mystery and historical fiction. I must say how much I loved the ending. It certainly had me on the edge of my seat. Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful story. I can't wait to read more from this wonderful author.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Sleuthing is doubly dangerous for "working girls"
When Eliza’s abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, she must think of a way to make a living in 1850s Monterey. She had come by wagon train from the Midwest where her family were Covenanters and her background was not worldly. But having endured the sexual demands of her husband, Eliza thinks being a prostitute in a local brothel may be the way for her to get a life. Eliza befriends another prostitute, Jean, servicing women. They discover they have common interests in the writings of Poe. This will help them in their quest to unravel a series of disappearing young women (prostitutes) that no law enforcement cares about. The mystery of this book was somewhat thin. The two young gals reminded me of Nancy Drew crime solving if Nancy had been in a similar situation! (Not likely.) The book could have come with a map of Monterrey as the Jean and Eliza traipse around tracking down many likely leads and venues. Brothel scenes served to show Eliza’s efficiency, and the possibility of discovering the killer. Passion was not really part of her expertise, it was a business, a dangerous business involving prostitution and sleuthing. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
not what I expected
Two stars from me. I was disappointed in the historical aspect of this book. I was expecting the dangerous gold rush days and the wild, Wild West. Instead this book was about two amateur sleuths that could have been located in Any-town, USA during any period of time. Even prostitution was whitewashed—and the brothels where the two main characters worked was safe. I don’t think my expectations were too high, so be sure that this is a book you really want to read, before investing in it. I received the ARC from NetGalley and Knopf Publishing and feel privileged for that. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. The review is my own honest opinion.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Outstanding!
This guaranteed bestseller is very different from A Thousand Acres, the book that made Jane Smiley famous, but it beautifully displays her considerable gifts for setting and character. The heroine, Eliza Ripple, is still in her teens when her much older husband is shot in a bar brawl in 1851 Monterey, California, and leaves her penniless. Eliza is forced into prostitution to support herself. It's a quiet life with a dependable income, and the owner of the establishment where Eliza works makes sure her girls are protected from the worst aspects of the trade. Eliza is content -- until someone starts killing prostitutes. She and her friend Jean, who share a profession and a love of Edgar Allan Poe's writing, know the murders won't be solved in a place where there is minimal law enforcement and nobody cares about dead prostitutes. They set out to catch the killer themselves -- a dangerous business indeed, with obstacles and threats in every direction. Smiley's latest is thoroughly entertaining, with an engaging lead character whom readers will cheer on. Highly recommended.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fantastic
Between you and me, being a woman is a dangerous business, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. from A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley Eliza Ripple’s husband died and it didn’t bother her a bit. He seemed nice enough back in Kalamazoo, before he took her across the country to Monterey and exerted complete control over her. Her parents pushed her into marriage with him; he presented himself as well off, and Eliza was in love with an Irish laborer. She was eighteen to his thirty-eight but Eliza’s parents sure didn’t want her marrying a penniless Irish Catholic. Eliza’s husband forced her to have an abortion before he was shot in the saloon, so Eliza was left alone in a strange place and needed to support herself. Luckily, Mrs. Parker had a job for her. In her brothel. Still, Eliza was better off there than she ever was with Peter, for Mrs. Parker had a maternal bent and ran a clean and safe house. Eliza was freer than she ever was at home with her Covenanter family or with her husband who locked her up. Eliza made friends with Jean, who worked at a different kind of business, servicing lonely women who just wanted a moment of affection. They shared an interest in books, especially the thrilling, new stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Eliza studied the detective Dupin who used logic and observation to solve mysterious deaths. Women were disappearing from town, The police didn’t seem to care. After Eliza and Jean discover a woman’s body they commit to seeking justice for these women, observing the men who came to town, following the trails, and noting clues. When the first of “the girls” disappeared, no one thought a thing of it. from A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley I sped through this novel in a day. I loved how Smiley brought in the political and social history of a divisive time in America, split over slavery, Native Americans reduced to ghosts haunting the landscape. It was a time of religious extremism. Children leaft their homes in Michigan and New York and New England for new opportunities in the West. Eliza’s customers include sailors and men trying to build ranches and farms. The dangers of being female were multiple. Men might get themselves killed in a saloon fight, or lose their life in hazardous jobs, but women had no political power, no power in their own homes, no power over their own bodies. I also loved how the girls’ reading the literature of the time figures into the story. It’s a fast reading, entertaining story, with a mystery at it’s center. It’s revealing historical fiction and a feminist statement. Eliza’s descriptions of all her customers may, on the surface, seem extraneous, yet Eliza meets all kinds of men and gains a deep understanding of human nature. At the end, we are sure she is going to thrive. I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
highly recommended historical mystery
A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley is a highly recommended historical mystery set in 1850s California. "As Mrs. Parks says, 'Everyone knows that this is a dangerous business, but between you and me, being a woman is a dangerous business, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise...' " After Eliza Cargill Ripple’s husband is killed in a bar brawl in Monterey, California, she chooses to work in the well-run brothel of madam Mrs. Parks. Eliza is only 21, but she knows she does not want to go back to her parent's house in Kalamazoo. Work in a brothel provides financial security and allows her to stay in Monterey. Eliza also makes her first real friend, Jean MacPherson, who works in the same profession, but with women. After some working girls are missing and bodies are found outside of town, the two begin to work together investigating who could be targeting and murdering young women as law enforcement isn't interested.. Smiley, as expected, excels at providing descriptions of the setting during the specific time period and furnishing the historical details that bring the narrative to life in this incredibly well-written novel. Eliza's trade is described in a quaint manner, although perhaps too much for the page count, and interesting details about the time period are provided by her clients, many of them sailors. I also appreciate the literary references about novels during the time period included in the plot. Eliza and Jean are portrayed as realistic and sympathetic characters within the historical time period. Smiley brings them both to life in the narrative as they work together trying to piece together clues and figure out which client could be guilty of the murders. Of course, there are also horses which are all described as unique. My reticence concerning A Dangerous Business is three fold. The whole plot element involving seeing ghosts and ghosts being sighted almost constantly is suddenly dropped and nothing is done with it. The second is that, no matter how well-written, the pace of the novel is very slow. Finally, the actually denouement was a bit of a let down, as I was anticipating more, which is perhaps my failing, but there it is. Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Intriguing and delightful
A fascinating and engrossing novel of murder, independence and friendship. This relatively short book packs a lot in terms of a well developed plot, interesting and relatable characters, and a little known setting. I love the author’s casual and descriptive writing which had the story flowing and always made me want to know what’s next.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com