In 1944 Berkeley, California, a former presidential candidate is assassinated at the opulent Claremont Hotel. Detective Al Sullivan investigates industrialist Walter Wilkinson's murder, which soon connects to the decade-old death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford from the powerful Bainbridge family. Sullivan's pursuit of truth leads him through the family's surviving heiresses—Iris's sister Isabella and cousins Cassie and Nicole—navigating political pressures, the influence of the Bainbridge matriarch, and the interest of Chinese First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek.

Why You Should Read?

• Immerse yourself in a historical mystery set in World War II-era California.
• Follow a determined detective unraveling a complex case tied to a wealthy, influential family.
• Explore themes of power, justice, gender, race, and class during a period of significant social change.
• Experience a page-turning debut novel from a celebrated author.