Murder on Nob Hill
3.5/5
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About this ebook
The year is 1880, the place San Francisco. Intelligent, outspoken Sarah Woolson is a young woman with a goal and the fortitude to achieve it. She has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. The trouble is, everyone believes women belong in the home---that it is not only unnatural, but against God's will for them to seek a career.
When Sarah finagles an interview with one of the city's most prestigious law firms, no one thinks she has a prayer of being hired. Except Sarah. Using her brains and a little subterfuge, she not only manages to become the firm's newest (and only female) associate attorney, she also acquires her first client---a lovely young society matron suspected of brutally stabbing to death her wealthy but abusive husband. Sarah is sure of her client's innocence, but the revelation of the woman's secret lover may make that innocence impossible to prove.
When four more victims fall prey to the killer's knife, Sarah fears she has bitten off more than she can chew. Bucking her boorish employer and the judicial system, Sarah finds herself embroiled in shady legal maneuvers, a daring Chinatown raid, and a secret and very scandalous sex club in this irresistible blend of history, romance, and murder.
Shirley Tallman
SHIRLEY TALLMAN, the author of the Sarah Woolson mysteries, moved to San Francisco at an early age. She and her husband, Bob, live in Eugene, Oregon, where she works as a novelist and screenwriter.
Related to Murder on Nob Hill
Titles in the series (5)
Murder on Nob Hill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Russian Hill Murders: A Sarah Woolson Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cliff House Strangler: A Sarah Woolson Mystery Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Scandal on Rincon Hill: A Sarah Woolson Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Death on Telegraph Hill: A Sarah Woolson Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Murder on Nob Hill
55 ratings10 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a quick, easy read. The first in a series of books featuring a female attorney struggling for the right to practice law among misogynistic male attorneys. This was an enjoyable read, but the characters felt a little flat to me. The ebook I read was poorly formatted, so that may have influenced me. An enjoyable historical mystery but I'm not sure if I will continue the remaining books.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Since I've acquired a new fascination with the city of San Francisco, I decided to seek out a mystery series set in that locale. I'm so glad that I found this one, and I'm also pleased to see that I have a few more immediately at my disposal!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Protagonist: Lawyer Sarah WoolsonSetting: San Francisco, California in 1880Series: #1First Line: Despite claims to the contrary--some, I fear, voiced by members of my own family--I pride myself on being an honest woman.When Sarah wrangles an interview with one of the city's most prestigious law firms, no one thinks she has a prayer of being hired--except Sarah. She not only manages to become the firm's newest (and only female) associate attorney, she also acquires her first client---a young society matron suspected of killing her wealthy husband. Sarah is sure of her client's innocence, but the revelation of the woman's secret lover may make that innocence impossible to prove. When four more victims fall prey to the killer's knife, Sarah fears she has bitten off more than she can chew.This book has a little bit of everything thrown in, from a big burly man from the wilds of Scotland to a raid on Chinatown. There were also a couple of inconsistencies: a fleeting mention of the Golden Gate Bridge which wasn't built until 1937 and Sarah easily recognizing a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. (By the time Van Gogh died in 1890, he'd sold only one painting. Chances are, it didn't wind up in San Francisco.) Local color was laid on with a trowel, and things got to be a tad melodramatic from time to time. Sarah's character was engaging and the pages turned quickly, but I sincerely doubt I'll be visiting with her again. I was a bit underwhelmed.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5A cozy mystery set in 1880, San Francisco — Sarah Woolson is a strong-willed and determined attorney who decides to find out who really killed her client’s husband. The author’s research was kluged in rather artlessly; the main character’s personality is so unrelentingly self-righteous as to be off-putting and; the late Anna Fields couldn’t pull off the Scottish and Chinese characters with credibility. Overall, a disappointment and an argument against continuing with the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finds often are rare, and this book belongs to that group. I've rarely, if ever, derived so much from so obscure a book. The last time was the Pizza Lovers' Mysteries. That's what I like about cozy mysteries. They contain more finds than any other genre. There's not as many obscure but delightful books in other genres, like Sci Fi, Horror, Young Adult, Chick Lit, Historical Fiction, Thrillers, etc. The cozy mystery genre has logically and unhesitatingly become my number one genre. Sarah Woolson faces a can of worm's worth of prejudice, ignorance, bigotry and stupidity in her struggles for being accepted in the labor force as a bona fide lawyer. She displays a cool demeanor whose limits, when they are tested, expand further on as the story progresses. Her environment is volatile and stressful. The vitriolic behavior from so called rational men is nauseating. Now I know what type of gutsy females it took to give the world women's suffrage(this book is placed in the 1880's, prior to that breakthrough). Amid all that there is the plot (a story with a very good pacing, involving three major murders that never sway away from this reader's attention) which is well written in the kind of language I revel in. The prose is usually the deciding point for me between liking a book and loving it. I'm also of the opinion that the scarcity of lyricism and economy of distractions heighten the value I place on this book. If J.D Robb's books are too hot and Mills and Boons books are too cold, then Shirley Tallman should be congratulated for writing a book which is just right for me.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On another librarian's recommendation, I bought this book and the Russian Hill Murders on audio. I enjoyed the stories, but my favorite part was hearing about San Francisco of the past. It was great to hear about streets with which I am familiar and try to imagine which parts may still be standing (probably none due to the fire in 1906). It was also nice to hear about what was in the neighborhoods south of Market way back when. In the first book a woman and her lover are falsely accused of murdering her husband. Secrets and intrigue follow through a web of power, money and women's liberation. The heroine is a female attorney who is hired on at law firm whose managing partner thinks he has been suckered into hiring a woman.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It took me a while to get into the story, but on the whole it was an interesting glimpse of San Francisco in the 1880s as well as of the state of women's rights at the time. Sarah Woolson is a lawyer and thanks to her family connections and her own nerve and intelligence she will be able to practice and have many opportunities to unravel mysteries for her clients.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I have never read Shirley Tallman or any of her books written under the pseudonym Erin Ross. I enjoyed this excursion into San Francisco history of the 1880's. Almost 99% of the facts presented by Tallman are actual events and individuals of California history, with the exception of the Golden Gate Bridge that was not started until 1933 and finished in 1937. As many reviewers have mentioned, all the historical data is not relevant to the plot development. Tallman almost mentions the plight of the Chinese, who were brought to California to complete the railroad, and their difficult existence. I did feel that Sarah Woolson ignores the restrictions of Society and I feel that these diversions would not be tolerated. What an exciting time for California: the Gold Rush had ended and given a few men wealth, the railroad tied the East and the West and created fortunes, plus the Otis elevator went into operation, and the street cars started their operation in San Francisco.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I don't want to be too mean with my review, but this book was bad.Sarah Woolson lives in San Francisco in 1880 and she has just passed the bar exam. Too bad no one wants to hire her, but women are too emotional and illogical to practice law, right? Well, I don't buy that one, but Sarah IS pretty silly. She is such a crusader for women's rights and she doesn't think ahead much. She has completely modern views on politics, marriage, and romance.And besides that, the book itself was too predictable. I picked out the murderer on page 10 and the love interest on page 12 or 13. It's the sort of book where the MC has a client who is completely innocent, investigates the scene of the crime and finds all kinds of clues the police missed, meets Chinese warlords, visits a brothel, an opium den, and a place where Satanic rituals involving bizarre sexual rites takes place. Seriously, what's left for the next book in the series? She's already done everything!My favorite line from the book (and one that tells you exactly what kind of book it is):"With a shock, I realized my assailant was Chinese!"You may enjoy it anyway, if you view it as pure escapist fare that doesn't have to make any sense, just be packed with adventure. But if you want more, you will be disappointed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5late 19th century woman wants to become a lawyer. all the obstacles placed in her way and despite it becomes good at solving mysteries. great writing. young lady has a lot of spirit. funny, lots of historical