Time of fog and fire

NYPD Captain Daniel Sullivan, facing unjust criticism from his ranks in early 1906, takes a top-secret mission from the president, delivered to him by the head of the Secret Service. The job is so secret that he keeps his wife the former Molly Murphy, who headed her own detective agency before marrying in the dark and at home with their 18-month-old son, Liam. But Molly sees Daniel in a movie newsreel from San Francisco, spotlighting the pending visit of famed opera singer Enrico Caruso; then she receives a strange letter from her husband that she can interpret only as a request to join him. So, fearing that Daniel is in danger, she takes Liam and heads west, aided in her travels by a Metropolitan Opera administrator whom she chances to meet on the train. Fortunately, Molly is both plucky and resourceful, traits that serve her well when she's faced with tragic news and natural disaster, plus the occasional murder and instance of gross corruption. Molly shines once again in this sixteenth entry in an appealing series that foretells changes ahead for the Sullivan family.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2016 Booklist

Bowen puts mystery-solving Molly Murphy Sullivan through the wringer in her 16th adventure (after Away in a Manger). Molly's police captain husband, Daniel, is still out of favor with the new commissioner, so he accepts a secret service assignment to investigate a fraud case at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt, leaving Molly and their young son Liam behind in New York. It's not long, however, before Molly receives a coded letter from Daniel that seems to be asking her to come help him in San Francisco. Molly and Liam set off on the arduous train trip to California only to find upon their arrival that Daniel is missing. Her efforts to investigate are interrupted by the devastation of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which separates mother and son and leaves Molly injured and with amnesia. Not even an earthquake can stop Molly, though, and she's soon off in pursuit of her family and justice. Verdict Readers may wonder how much more Molly can withstand and still manage to solve a mystery in this series installment, but Bowen does adeptly bring turn-of-the-20th-century San Francisco to life. [See Prepub Alert, 10/4/15.]-Melissa DeWild, BookOps, NYPL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.