NO SOLACE FOR THE WICKED by Nancy Herriman
Fiction, Historical Cozy Mystery, Mysteries of old San series
4****

Blurb: When a man’s wife disappears without a trace, Celia’s hunt for the missing woman soon becomes a search for a killer . . . Celia Davies once hounded Dennis Merrill as a suspect for a murder he didn’t commit, so she’s more than a little surprised when he shows up at her door asking for help. His wife has vanished into thin air, and even the woman she was with at the time of her disappearance has no clue where she could be. Celia still doesn’t completely trust Merrill, but she begins to search for clues that might lead to his wife—right up until the moment when the young woman’s dead body is found. While Celia shifts her focus to finding Mrs. Merrill’s murderer, Detective Nick Greaves is convinced that Merrill himself killed his wife and is determined to prove it. But neither Celia nor Nick can find a reliable witness or a solid lead, and then another young woman is found murdered. Suddenly the death of this latest victim exposes a web of relationships that had eluded Celia and Nick, with everyone involved hiding their own wicked motives . . .

THOUGHTS: I haven’t read others in this series so wasn’t up on who all the characters were, but I didn’t feel that I was in the dark about them as I read the story. The best part of the book for me was the setting. The author did an amazing job with the setting and putting me right there in the story. But the characters were very well-done as well. Celia Davies (a nurse and investigator) and Nick Greaves (police detective) are a brilliant pairing. And there are as many twists and turns to the story that keeps you reading.

In this one, an old foe, Dennis Merrill, contacts Celia to ask for her help in finding his missing wife. Celia doesn’t really want to believe him, but she decides to help him anyway, against the advice of all her friends. What she uncovers, besides bodies (yes, 2) are a lot of secrets and shadowy relationships that lead to murder and mayhem.

I found the entire premise of the story intriguing – set in the late 1800s in San Francisco, Celia isn’t some rich do-gooder with nothing better to do. She’s a nurse with a busy clinic clientele who has housemates. She’s realistic and interesting. I love how she tries to earn enough money for a wedding dress for her friend. And her relationship with Greaves builds, even though they are definitely at odds about trusting Merrill. And a satisfying ending doesn’t hurt at all.

I recommend this book/series for those who like their mysteries set in historical times.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this ARC.