rebdhar's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! Brazil places us in the middle of 1889 New Orleans, and we couldn't ask for a better guide. We see, hear and even smell the city, and we come to understand much about the political, social, and cultural atmosphere. Brazil peoples her story with fascinating characters, especially the three women, Fanny, Olive, and Sylvia, who run a settlement house, in which they give classes and provide medical care. On the side, they are working to solve the mystery of the death of one of their students. The host of well-developed secondary characters range from the police detective to the group of suspects, which include a priest, a seminarian, and a photographer, among others. All of this comes together in an intriguing mystery. I was guessing until the end, but once revealed, the resolution made perfect sense, the formula for any great mystery.
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