2.5
A Dangerous Business
ByPublisher Description
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of A Thousand Acres: An amazing “mash-up of a Western, a serial-killer mystery and a feminist-inflected tale of life in a bordello” (The Washington Post).
In 1850s Gold Rush California two young prostitutes, best friends Eliza and Jean, attempt to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West—a bewitching combination of beauty and danger—as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon.
“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..."
Monterey, 1851. Ever since her husband was killed in a bar fight, Eliza Ripple has been working in a brothel. It seems like a better life, at least at first. The madam, Mrs. Parks, is kind, the men are (relatively) well behaved, and Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security. But when the dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town, a darkness descends that she can't resist confronting. Side by side with her friend Jean, and inspired by her reading, especially by Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin, Eliza pieces together an array of clues to try to catch the killer, all the while juggling clients who begin to seem more and more suspicious.
Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive, but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West—a bewitching combination of beauty and danger—as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon. 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 ..."
In 1850s Gold Rush California two young prostitutes, best friends Eliza and Jean, attempt to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West—a bewitching combination of beauty and danger—as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon.
“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..."
Monterey, 1851. Ever since her husband was killed in a bar fight, Eliza Ripple has been working in a brothel. It seems like a better life, at least at first. The madam, Mrs. Parks, is kind, the men are (relatively) well behaved, and Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security. But when the dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town, a darkness descends that she can't resist confronting. Side by side with her friend Jean, and inspired by her reading, especially by Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin, Eliza pieces together an array of clues to try to catch the killer, all the while juggling clients who begin to seem more and more suspicious.
Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive, but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West—a bewitching combination of beauty and danger—as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon. 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 ..."
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesA Dangerous Business Reviews
2.5
“Read February, 2026. 3.5 stars that I bumped up to 4 stars. Historical Mystery set in 1850's Monterey, California. Read on Libby Kindle.
I chose to read this title as I could use it for a few Goodread's Challenges plus it was under 300 pages and I was in the mood for a quick read. I live in Southern California and have visited Monterey. It's a beautiful area and the author's descriptions of how it looked back in the 1850's seemed very realistic.
The main character, Eliza, marries a man much older back in Kalamazoo, Michigan and he decides he wants to experience the West. They travel to Monterey but Eliza is very unhappy as she was pressured to marry by her parents and he turns out to be very abusive. His temper gets him killed which is almost a relief for Eliza but now she has to figure out how to support herself. Like many young woman in her position she becomes a prostitute but is fortunate that the owner, Mrs Parks, is kindly.
Some of the young prostitutes go missing and are discovered dead. But no one seems to care so Eliza and her friend, Jean (an interesting, quirky character), decide to take on the task of discovering the killer.
This was a short, entertaining read even though some readers might be put off by the sexual descriptions of Eliza's encounters with her "customers". Most are sailors who mostly just want someone who will give them some comfort and companionship.
Eliza is a very sweet young lady and I very much enjoyed the conversations she had with Jean, her customers and a few of the town's residents.
In my opinion, the historical aspects of this story and the character's development were more interesting then the mystery.”
About Jane Smiley
JANE SMILEY is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Last Hundred Years Trilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. She is the author as well of several works of nonfiction and books for young adults. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.
Other books by Jane Smiley
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