Chinawoman's Chance

Name: Chinawoman's Chance
Brand: Findaway Voices
Availability: InStock
Author: James Musgrave
ISBN: 9781943457311

Author: James Musgrave

Narrator: Anne James

Unabridged: 5 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: EMRE Publishing

Published: 06/01/2018

Categories: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Historical Fiction, Women Sleuths

Synopsis

The First Woman Attorney in California Fights the Patriarchy of the Nineteenth Century

Clara Shortridge Foltz faces a patriarchal nemesis in 1884 San Francisco. When a white prostitute is murdered and flayed down to a skeleton, Clara is hired by the Six Companies of Chinatown to defend the sixteen males who are swept-up by the Chinatown Squad.

This ragtag and corrupt group of sheriffs works for the mayor, Washington Bartlett. The mayor uses the nation's anti-Chinese sentiment in his quest to win the race for Governor of California.

Foltz, the first woman admitted to the California Bar, must learn fast to become a detective in order to prove that her client, journalist George Kwong, is not the killer but was set-up by the mayor to take the fall. Along with Ah Toy, her trusted translator and best friend, she is instructed by the head of detectives, Captain Isaiah Lees.

Lees becomes enamored with Clara, who is having personal problems with sexual commitment, due to her first marriage with Jeremiah Foltz. He was a Union vet who deserted Clara and their five children for a younger woman.

Captain Lees has personal problems of his own, as he has devoted all his time fighting the corrupt politicians and the Chinatown Squad for twenty years, and has not even made time for female relations. Theirs is a very special kind of romance.

Reviews

Goodreads review by M on January 26, 2018

I found this a very interesting book, very historical. It is a fictional episode but at least some of the characters were drawn from real people who played a large part in the history of San Francisco, California, & even the whole US. Clara, the primary female character is probably little known to m......more

Goodreads review by Damien on August 14, 2018

5 Stars: Murder Rush My continue adventures in "Summer Reading" took a hiatus because I moved from Zhenjiang back to my favorite and colorful city Wuhan. But I did get the chance to read a few books and shall remain on my grind for the rest of the summer. If you are an aficionado of historical fictio......more

Goodreads review by Annarella on June 21, 2018

A well written and interesting historical mystery. The book is well written even if some editing could help. I really appreciated the plot and once you get hooked you cannot put it down even if it's a bit slow at the start. Recommended Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC......more

Goodreads review by louis on July 08, 2018

I don't know a whole lot about this era in time but I was entertained by Mr. Musgrave's story telling. The book held my attention through out and was very compelling. Wonder if this is the start of a series or if this was a one timer? Thumbs up.......more

Goodreads review by Grant on February 19, 2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman Chinawoman’s Chance (Portia of the Pacific Historical Mysteries) by Jim Musgrave takes us back to the bustling and somewhat lawless society of 1884 San Francisco. The Californian Gold Rush and the Railways have made San Francisco a place of wealth and......more