Time of Fog and Fire (2016)
A pedestrian mystery novel.
Molly Murphy is living in New York and her husband is dispatched on a secret mission; a few days later, she spots him in San Francisco in a news reel. After receiving a cryptic letter, she travels to meet him, only to be told that his funeral was held yesterday.
It turns out he was investigating corruption among the city officials, who had him killed to cover up their crimes – but in a predictable twist, he survives, finds his wife and child, and the three of them escape in the middle of the Great Earthquake and a fire that destroys the city.
I finished this book, but I didn’t find it memorable or interesting.
Quotes
Page 13, when introducing two of Molly’s neighbours who are totally just friends:
I should explain that Sid and Gus were nicknames for two women officially called Augusta and Elena. They had enough private money to live a Bohemian lifestyle, completely ignoring the rules of polite society. They were always trying new things, painting, writing, traveling, and enjoying themselves. They were also passionate suffragists. While I supported their cause I had to tread carefully as Daniel did not approve of women making spectacles of themselves (nor of women getting the vote, I suspect). And since he was well respected in New York society, I couldn’t do anything that might jeopardise his position.