Subject: "Despite the fact that his wedding is right around the corner, John Quincannon takes on what may be his riskiest assignment: going undercover into a gold mine to ferret out a gang hijacking high-grade ore before it reaches the surface ... John discovers the clever methods by which the scheme is being worked and exposes the conspirators ... following him leads to an unexpected rendezvous with Sabina, who has uncovered vital information about the thief's true identity and whereabouts. Working together, they corner their quarry in a wild battle aboard a speeding train."--Provided by Publisher.
The Stolen Gold Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini's detective series.
In response to a string of gold thefts in a Mother Lode mine, Quincannon goes undercover as a newly-hired miner to identify and capture the men responsible.
Meanwhile, Sabina finds herself not only making plans for her and Quincannon's wedding, but also investigating both an audacious real estate scam and an abusive young man's villainous secret.
The Carpenter and Quincannon Mysteries: #1 The Bughouse Affair #2 The Spook Lights Affair #3 The Body Snatchers Affair #4 The Plague of Thieves Affair #5 The Dangerous Ladies Affair #6 The Bags of Tricks Affair #7 The Flimflam Affair #8 The Stolen Gold Affair
"Despite the fact that his wedding is right around the corner, John Quincannon takes on what may be his riskiest assignment: going undercover into a gold mine to ferret out a gang hijacking high-grade ore before it reaches the surface ... John discovers the clever methods by which the scheme is being worked and exposes the conspirators ... following him leads to an unexpected rendezvous with Sabina, who has uncovered vital information about the thief's true identity and whereabouts. Working together, they corner their quarry in a wild battle aboard a speeding train."--Provided by Publisher.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
In this eighth title in the "Carpenter & Quincannon" historical mystery series from MWA Grand Master Pronzini, set in the late 1800s, John Quincannon is working undercover as a miner to discover who's stealing gold from a Mother Lode mine. Meanwhile, fiancée Sabrina Carpenter scrutinizes a real-estate scam while planning their wedding.
Publishers Weekly Review
Set in 1898, MWA Grand Master Pronzini's delightful eighth Carpenter and Quincannon mystery (after 2019's The Flimflam Affair) opens with a meeting at an exclusive San Francisco club between private detective John Quincannon and Everett Hoxley, "the head of a large corporation that owned several gold and silver mines in northern California and Nevada." Hoxley hires Quincannon to go undercover as a miner in one of his mines in order to discover who has been stealing significant amounts of ore and gold dust. Meanwhile, shop assistant Gretchen Kantor tells Sabina Carpenter, Quincannon's detective partner, about a possible break-in at the home of her friend Vernon Purifoy. Soon an incensed Purifoy shows up demanding that Carpenter stay out of his affairs. "In her experience that sort of heavy-handed protest meant the individual had something to hide," so she pursues some undercover work of her own. Attractive characters, a finely tuned plot, and fascinating snippets of California history distinguish this outing. Who could ask for more? Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary. (Apr.)
Booklist Review
Sabina Carpenter and John Quincannon are the two most successful private investigators in San Francisco at the turn of the twentieth century. Their cases have ranged from simple shoplifting to murder. After a decade or so as professional partners, they are about to be married. The date hasn't officially been set, but both are looking forward to embarking on a personal future together. The date will have to be delayed. Quincannon accepts a job to discover the source of an elaborate scheme that is skimming a significant amount of gold from the Mother Lode mine north of San Francisco. In order to determine the identity of the thieves, he goes undercover as a timber man in the mine. It's dangerous work on its own, and when some of his coworkers turn out to be violent criminals, Quincannon is at serious risk. Meanwhile, Sabina does her best to plan the wedding, bring a real-estate scammer to justice, and save a young woman from an abusive partner. Pronzini, perhaps best known for his Nameless Detective series, nails his period mysteries just as he does his modern PI novels. The plotting is crisp, the dialogue spot-on, and the protagonists formidable in this eighth in the series.
TextSeries: Muller, Marcia. Carpenter and Quincannon mystery ; Publisher: New York : Forge, 2020Edition: First editionDescription: 224 pages ; 22 cmISBN: