Warning, this review contains sarcasm and spoilers.

With this book, the author seemed to write the vast majority of the text without having a clue how she was actually going to wrap it all up. So you read through the book with all of these clues hinting at various things, and then at the end - hmm, how do you wrap things up now? I know!

Ninjas!

Because that totally makes sense with the NONEXISTENT TIE INS FROM THE REST OF THE BOOK. Need a slightly villanous character killed off? Ninjas! Need to explain the threats to our heroine's life that really don't make sense even in context? Ninjas! Need to kill off that minor character who'd completely changed personality between the last book and this one (continuity? What's that?)? NINJAS! Why the heck not. Because everyone knows that San Francisco was swarming with them in 1906, making them a totally valid option. I have to at least give Ms. Day credit for originality. I, for one, might have gone with a secret society that was found in California at that point, or something related to the rest of the plot, but her creativity allows her to look past those banal boundaries, and instead choose ninjas.

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This is the second book of the Fremont Jones Mystery series, and takes place in San Francisco during and after the earthquake and fire of 1906.

After the earthquake and fire leave her homeless, Fremont finds herself thrown into a plethora of unexpected situations. Her friend Michael (who she suspects is a spy) lends her his car to help the Red Cross while he leaves town on unexpected business. In the process of ferrying doctors, supplies, and personnel she encounters a disoriented and paranoid acquaintance and agrees to become her roommate. Her roommate later disappears and Fremont is left to try and figure out just what happened. In the meantime, she must deal with interested suitors, a marriage proposal, the destruction of her precious typewriter (she is a typist), ninjas, treasure, and people who are not who they seem.

Fremont Jones is an unusual woman for her time. She is independent, she owns her own business, and she does not want to get married. In these ways, the series is a tad unrealistic, but these attributes also make her an awfully interesting character. Sometimes her independent nature makes her a bit too stubborn, and keeps her from seeing the big picture (this sometimes frustrates me about this character). But other than that, I truly enjoyed the book. I am really liking the time period and location of this series a lot more than I thought I would, and I was also happy to see it did not include any love scenes (the first of the series had one short scene--love scenes weird me out a little in a mystery when I'm not expecting it). I will definitely be looking to pick up the next book in the series.

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Since I am a native and life long resident of San Francisco I enjoyed this book and others in the series.

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As good as the first one! In both books, the city of San Francisco is almost a character. With the earthquake and fire beginning on page one, the city really is more than just a backdrop. Mrs. O'Leary and mysterious Michael Archer are back. Fremont has 3 swains desirous of her affections, as well as someone trying to kill her for information about which she knows nothing.

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