Barely mended and mobile Fremont and her lover, friend, and partner, Michael Kossoff set off to find out why her father was so mysterious in his visit in the spring. When his friend and fellow banker sends her a disturbing letter she leaves for the East Coast. Shortly after she arrives her father dies, then the evil Augusta... and Fremont is on the trail.

This tale is better written than the former but still leaves something to be desired. Its subplots and minor characters are much more interesting than Fremont’s stepmother, Augusta, and her son who are caricatures of evil. Michael is dispatched to New York to investigate their background only to arrive after the denouement and provide an unsatisfactory epilogue.

I like Fremont and Michael, she’s frank, he’s tactful; she wants to be “free”, he wants her to marry him. This twist on traditional gender roles is delightful and makes me hope they will have more adventures but maybe they should stay in the San Francisco. When they stray too far they lose some of their appeal.

--Jane Davis