Tallman, Shirley – MURDER ON NOB HILL

[LJ Roberts]

MURDER ON NOB HILL (Legal Thriller-San Francisco-1880) – VG Tallman, Shirley – 1^st
in series
St. Martin's Minotaur, 2004- Hardcover

Sarah Wollson is an intelligent, independent young woman who is determined to be a lawyer. She brazens her way to represent her first client and a job with a prestigious law firm. However, her client is arrested for the murder of her husband and Sarah is the only one who believes her client is innocent. When a partner of the first victim is murder in the same way, Sarah is even more determined to free her client and find the killer.

All the elements of a good book for which I look are here. Sarah is an excellent character; smart and gutsy, with an interesting family and a begrudging helper. The depiction of San Francisco and the issues of the time are well done without overwhelming the basic story. I learned new things and was kept in suspense at the same time. The plot is tight, the mystery expends and the story progresses. I am delighted to know I have the second in the series waiting on my shelf.