Historical

A Dangerous Business

A Dangerous Business

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  • Create Date：2022-12-13 21:21:31
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Jane Smiley
  • ISBN：0525520333
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Summary

From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of A Thousand Acres: a mystery set in 1850s Gold Rush California， as two young prostitutes—best friends Eliza and Jean—follow a trail of missing girls。

Monterey， 1851。 Ever since her husband was killed in a bar fight， Eliza Ripple has been working in a brothel。 It seems like a better life， at least at first。 The madam， Mrs。 Parks， is kind， the men are （relatively） well behaved， and Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security。 But when the dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town， a darkness descends that she can’t resist confronting。 Side by side with her friend Jean， and inspired by her reading， especially by Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin， Eliza pieces together an array of clues to try to catch the killer， all the while juggling clients who begin to seem more and more suspicious。

Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive， but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West—a bewitching combination of beauty and danger—as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon。 As Mrs。 Parks says， “Everyone knows that this is a dangerous business， but between you and me， being a woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise …”

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Reviews

Paul Wilner ，

My interview with Ms。 Smiley， for Alta Journal， is linked below:https://www。altaonline。com/books/fict。。。 My interview with Ms。 Smiley， for Alta Journal， is linked below:https://www。altaonline。com/books/fict。。。 。。。more

Anne Green ，

Being a woman is a dangerous business， according to one of the characters of Jane Smiley’s latest novel。 The character， Mrs Parks， is the madam of a brothel and as such should perhaps more rightly have said being one of her girls is a dangerous business。Eliza Ripple， the protagonist， is one such girl who's come to Monterey to escape an ill-judged marriage and the aftermath of her husband’s shooting。 She takes up the most lucrative trade on offer， working for Mrs Parks。 It's a surprisingly gentee Being a woman is a dangerous business， according to one of the characters of Jane Smiley’s latest novel。 The character， Mrs Parks， is the madam of a brothel and as such should perhaps more rightly have said being one of her girls is a dangerous business。Eliza Ripple， the protagonist， is one such girl who's come to Monterey to escape an ill-judged marriage and the aftermath of her husband’s shooting。 She takes up the most lucrative trade on offer， working for Mrs Parks。 It's a surprisingly genteel establishment for the place and times， those few drunken sailors and others who get out of hand are rapidly dealt with by the madam’s bouncer。 All is not well， nevertheless， as Eliza discovers when bodies of mysteriously murdered girls begin to come to light。 In the absence of police action， she and her friend （another prostitute） take it upon themselves to investigate。Set in Monterey， California at the time of the 1851 Gold Rush， the story is light-hearted and entertaining， in some ways a picturesque mash-up of the Wild West （albeit a feminised version）， August Dupin and Irma La Douce。 Its treatment of what goes on behind the bordello's bedroom doors is whimsical， rather than salacious or lurid， with the business portrayed as a straightforward transaction - a service provided in return for money， much as those of washing， or cleaning or waitressing。 Sex is rendered as impartially as a walk in the hills。Fans of historical fiction and murder mysteries alike will enjoy this surprising but engaging new offering from one of America’s most prolific and popular novelists。Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advance review copy of the book。 。。。more

Dawn （noladawn） ，

RTC

Leah ，

A quirky story simply written but found it very engaging。

Priscilla ，

There will be some Thelma and Louise comparisons to Eliza and Jean， two prostitutes working in pre-Civil War Monterey， California， when some of their colleagues are found murdered; and the local police authorities aren't interested in finding out who did it， let alone stopping them。 So， somebody's got to do it。 Jane Smiley has returned to the form of her early work--Barn Blind， Moo， A Thousand Acres， Horse Heaven， and my absolute favorite of hers， The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie New There will be some Thelma and Louise comparisons to Eliza and Jean， two prostitutes working in pre-Civil War Monterey， California， when some of their colleagues are found murdered; and the local police authorities aren't interested in finding out who did it， let alone stopping them。 So， somebody's got to do it。 Jane Smiley has returned to the form of her early work--Barn Blind， Moo， A Thousand Acres， Horse Heaven， and my absolute favorite of hers， The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton--in this terrific work。 My recent streak of disappointing reads is over。 。。。more

Gabrielle Jarrett ，

I enjoyed the short sweet mystery set in Monterey California in 1851。 The two heroes are the young women who work in brothels - one for men and one for women。 Both brothels are honorable and establishments respected in the town， as there is very little judgement in Monterey。 A very matter-of-factness about the profession。 The men "do their business with their prick" and the women are not called prostitutes， although Eliza does call Mrs。 Parks brothel a "house of prostitution" when she first real I enjoyed the short sweet mystery set in Monterey California in 1851。 The two heroes are the young women who work in brothels - one for men and one for women。 Both brothels are honorable and establishments respected in the town， as there is very little judgement in Monterey。 A very matter-of-factness about the profession。 The men "do their business with their prick" and the women are not called prostitutes， although Eliza does call Mrs。 Parks brothel a "house of prostitution" when she first realizes it。 I love the freedom of both heroines， Eliza and Jean， who have more freedom than the wives in the town。Jane Smiley is gifted in bringing the reader right into the sense of place with the muddy streets and horses， the outhouses， saloons， and eating places as well as the sense of time: the gold rush and the murmurings of the Civil War and abolitionists。 Eliza and Jane are detectives who use Edgar Allen Poe as their instruction manual。 They do discover what happened to the murdered girls， as the town sheriff and men could not care less。I was struck with the protection and demand for cleanliness by the madam， Mrs。 Parks; the kindness of most of the men; and the near-respect for the women of the night。 Some of the women married well to their clients and many became wealthy on their own。 The novel is a unique and lovely depiction of the brothel life in 1851 by a very accomplished contemporary writer。 。。。more

Mlg ，

Two young girls end up in Monterey just at the end of the Gold Rush。 One came intentionally， the other with an abusive husband who dies of a gunshot not long after they arrived。 To survive， both girls work as prostitutes and become friends。 When other girls keep turning up murdered， and no one seems to care， they undertake an investigation using pie’s Inspector Dupin as their guide。

Elisabeth ，

Rounding up from a 3。5。 I really like Smileys writing style but I feel like I've read this book before。 Don't let that stop you。 It is still a very good read and well worth the time！ Rounding up from a 3。5。 I really like Smileys writing style but I feel like I've read this book before。 Don't let that stop you。 It is still a very good read and well worth the time！ 。。。more

Pcox ，

depressing

Mary ，

It’s 1850 and the California Gold Rush is happening。 Forced into an arraigned marriage to an abusive man， Eliza moves with him to Monterey， California。 When her new husband is killed in a bar fight， she fends for her self， relishing her new found freedom as a Prostitute。 “ Being a woman is a dangerous business。 “ Eliza and her new friend Jean decide to solve the mystery of several women who have disappeared。Recommended。

James Costa ，

It's always a great day when a new novel by jane Smiley comes out and this is no exception。 It's abook that will definitely be on my top 10 of 2022。 It's an atmospheric novel that takes place during the Gold Rush in Calfifornia。 It has many characters but the main ones are Eliza and Jean。 Eliza is a women left a widow due to an unfortunate or fortunate experience of her husband's untimely death。 It is a short novel but packs enough issues for it to read like a 500 page novel。 Editors take note！！ It's always a great day when a new novel by jane Smiley comes out and this is no exception。 It's abook that will definitely be on my top 10 of 2022。 It's an atmospheric novel that takes place during the Gold Rush in Calfifornia。 It has many characters but the main ones are Eliza and Jean。 Eliza is a women left a widow due to an unfortunate or fortunate experience of her husband's untimely death。 It is a short novel but packs enough issues for it to read like a 500 page novel。 Editors take note！！ I could not put this novel down。 from it's first page it was like you entered a time machine and could feel yourself walking alongside each chartacter。 There are very few authors that can do this but Ms。 Smiley is one of them。 This novel deals with women's rights， Native American rights， religious extremism， and edgar Allen Poe！ Yes， it's that good a novel！ It's a perfect book club pick in that it's short but pack a whole lot to talk about and it's a complete page turner。 Who could ask for more。 Read it！ Thank you to #knopf and #netgalley for the read 。。。more

Geonn Cannon ，

Another quick read！ I'd feel guilty about all these shorter books， but I read a few books this year that were chonky as hell， so I figure it balances。 Another quick read！ I'd feel guilty about all these shorter books， but I read a few books this year that were chonky as hell， so I figure it balances。 。。。more

Cindy ，

I read once that Jane Smiley's goal as a writer was to never limit herself but to write in as many genres as she could。 This didn't remind me of any of her other books （and I've read most of them）， so I'd say she's succeeding。 "A Dangerous Business" a mix of a mystery， a ghost story， and a feminist drama and it was a quick， interesting read。 The protagonist is Eliza， a gold-rush era woman living in Monterrey， California。 Her husband dies， she becomes a prostitute to survive， and she's quite sati I read once that Jane Smiley's goal as a writer was to never limit herself but to write in as many genres as she could。 This didn't remind me of any of her other books （and I've read most of them）， so I'd say she's succeeding。 "A Dangerous Business" a mix of a mystery， a ghost story， and a feminist drama and it was a quick， interesting read。 The protagonist is Eliza， a gold-rush era woman living in Monterrey， California。 Her husband dies， she becomes a prostitute to survive， and she's quite satisfied with her choice。 I have to warn you that there are lots of descriptions of sexual acts in this book， but there are described in a matter-of-fact way， since Eliza is the narrator and she's simply describing her business。 Several prostitutes are murdered and it seemed that the "dangerous business" of the title is sex work but， as Eliza's employer Mrs。 Parks tells her， "Everyone knows that this is a dangerous business， but， between you and me， being a woman is a dangerous business， and don't let anyone tell you otherwise。" Eliza and her friend attempt to solve the murders because， （surprise， surprise） local law enforcement doesn't seem too interested。This wasn't my favorite Jane Smiley book， but it definitely held my interest and the writing was often lovely。 。。。more

Annarella ，

This is the first book I read by Jane Smiley and won't surely be the last because I loved the style of writing and the storytelling。It was love at first read， I loved these strong women who are on the edge， running away from abuse or finding a way to survive。There's no moral judgement towards these women， they're well rounded and realistic。 I loved the historical background and the solid mystery that kept me guessing。This is one of the best book I read in 2022， a compelling and enthralling novel This is the first book I read by Jane Smiley and won't surely be the last because I loved the style of writing and the storytelling。It was love at first read， I loved these strong women who are on the edge， running away from abuse or finding a way to survive。There's no moral judgement towards these women， they're well rounded and realistic。 I loved the historical background and the solid mystery that kept me guessing。This is one of the best book I read in 2022， a compelling and enthralling novel。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more

Annarella ，

This is the first book I read by Jane Smiley and won't surely be the last because I loved the style of writing and the storytelling。It was love at first read， I loved these strong women who are on the edge， running away from abuse or finding a way to survive。There's no moral judgement towards these women， they're well rounded and realistic。 I loved the historical background and the solid mystery that kept me guessing。This is one of the best book I read in 2022， a compelling and enthralling novel This is the first book I read by Jane Smiley and won't surely be the last because I loved the style of writing and the storytelling。It was love at first read， I loved these strong women who are on the edge， running away from abuse or finding a way to survive。There's no moral judgement towards these women， they're well rounded and realistic。 I loved the historical background and the solid mystery that kept me guessing。This is one of the best book I read in 2022， a compelling and enthralling novel。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more

Marles Henry ，

I discovered Jane Smiley many years go。 In fact it was her book， The Greenlanders， that captured my interest in her writing （you must read it！）。 I also read a few more of her books and equally enjoyed them。 What luck to stumble across her latest book via @netgalley。 In a nutshell， this is a murder mystery， with the investigations being carried out by Eliza， a working girl in Monterey in the 1850s。 Eliza’s abusive husband was killed in a bar fight， and based on her experiences with her husband， s I discovered Jane Smiley many years go。 In fact it was her book， The Greenlanders， that captured my interest in her writing （you must read it！）。 I also read a few more of her books and equally enjoyed them。 What luck to stumble across her latest book via @netgalley。 In a nutshell， this is a murder mystery， with the investigations being carried out by Eliza， a working girl in Monterey in the 1850s。 Eliza’s abusive husband was killed in a bar fight， and based on her experiences with her husband， she turn sot working in a local brothel to earn some money。 She connects with another girl， Jean and soon discover they both love Edgar Allen Poe， and have an insatiable appetite to solve the disappearances of several young women （also prostitutes）。There was not a lot of substance to either the characters or the mystery。 Eliza and Jean were amateur detectives however they were portrayed almost as hapless young girls。 The descriptions of her work were pallid and basic; and there was no other element to Eliza that brough her vividness or vibrancy。 The brothels did highlight places of safety for many women during this time; they were protected and earned their money。 And maybe the lacklustre descriptions of the motions of Eliza’s days were to provide that sense of going through the motions; it was a job so she could earn enough money to live alone and not have to return to her parents。 Monterey sounded like a beautiful place， but it seemed to lose its gleam as Eliza and Jean explored in order to solve the crimes。 The sheen of a gold rush town wore thin as the reality of murder and working out the murdered became all too clear。 Maybe that was the cleverness in the story – the rose coloured glasses lifted at the end for Eliza to see there was so much more to life than this。 。。。more

Gerrie ，

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley is a quaint cozy mystery set in 1850’s Monterey， California， in the midst of the Gold Rush。Eliza， the protagonist， is a young woman from Kalamazoo， Michigan， whose conniving husband drags her across the country to California， where he subsequently dies in a bar fight， leaving her destitute。 With few skills and no money， Eliza becomes a prostitute in a relatively clean and honest brothel run by kindly Mrs。 Parks。 When local young women keep turning up dead， Eli A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley is a quaint cozy mystery set in 1850’s Monterey， California， in the midst of the Gold Rush。Eliza， the protagonist， is a young woman from Kalamazoo， Michigan， whose conniving husband drags her across the country to California， where he subsequently dies in a bar fight， leaving her destitute。 With few skills and no money， Eliza becomes a prostitute in a relatively clean and honest brothel run by kindly Mrs。 Parks。 When local young women keep turning up dead， Eliza， inspired by Poe’s August Dupin， begins sleuthing to find the killer， aided by her quirky friend Jean。The setting is nicely atmospheric， with local landmarks and legends well-described， including the “ghosts” of local legend。 There are scenes of violence but also tenderness， as the reader observes Eliza maturing and forging her path as a strong woman in a rough and tumble town。The jewel in this book is Jane Smiley’s beautiful storytelling—her simple yet descriptive narrative is skillfully written and envelopes the reader with a strong sense of place and commitment to Eliza’s story， her personal growth and future。This is a beautiful simple story about the resilience of women in “a dangerous business” and a dangerous world， told with great insight and charm。 I have long admired Smiley’s writings and highly recommend this new novel to those who appreciate a story rich in historical perspective and literary skill。Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC。 This is my honest review。 。。。more

Michelle Herzing ，

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley is a murder mystery set in Monterey during the early 1850's。 Jean and Eliza are friends who are both working as prostitutes and who discover the body of a young women during a stroll。 Over the course of some weeks， they find two additional bodies of women who were apparently murdered。 Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe， the two women decide that since the no one seems concerned about these deaths， they will do some sleuthing on their own。 The book is a quick read， at A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley is a murder mystery set in Monterey during the early 1850's。 Jean and Eliza are friends who are both working as prostitutes and who discover the body of a young women during a stroll。 Over the course of some weeks， they find two additional bodies of women who were apparently murdered。 Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe， the two women decide that since the no one seems concerned about these deaths， they will do some sleuthing on their own。 The book is a quick read， at 224 pages， and the plot is not terribly complex。 The multiple sexual encounters are not written graphically， and reflect Eliza's personal disregard for the men she services。 Eliza is an interesting main character， both sympathetic and strong， and as she was originally from a town very close to me， I enjoyed reading her memories of her hometown。 I did not find the mystery compelling， however， and the final reveal was neither surprising nor terribly satisfying。 Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the advanced copy of A Dangerous Business。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more

Krista ，

Everyone knows this is a dangerous business， but， between you and me， being a woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise。 Oh， those men would talk about how they fight Indians and wrestle cattle and climb the masts and look for justice， and indeed they do， but they do it for themselves， if you ask me。 And what they want of women， they want for themselves， too。 The best part of A Dangerous Business is the historical setting — 1851 Monterey — and Jane Smiley masterfu Everyone knows this is a dangerous business， but， between you and me， being a woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise。 Oh， those men would talk about how they fight Indians and wrestle cattle and climb the masts and look for justice， and indeed they do， but they do it for themselves， if you ask me。 And what they want of women， they want for themselves， too。 The best part of A Dangerous Business is the historical setting — 1851 Monterey — and Jane Smiley masterfully captures the landscape and the buildings and the weather; peopling the town with all sorts of interesting carpetbaggers and fortune-seekers。 The weaker （and more dominant） part of the book is a rather uncompelling murder mystery， from the perspective of a naive （absolutely uneducated and unworldly） young woman who stumbles into sex work （which she finds acceptable and liberating） after the death of her awful husband。 The tone — for a detective story set in the lawless West of saloons， ranchos， and brothels — is weirdly sedate， and the mystery itself didn’t satisfy me， but I can appreciate that Smiley was going for something beyond genre fiction here; it just didn’t add up to much for me。 （Note: I read an ARC and passages quoted may not be in their final forms。） When the first of “the girls” disappeared， no one thought a thing of it。 Folks disappeared from Monterey all the time， mostly because there was more going on in San Francisco， or even San Jose。 Or people took their families and moved down the coast because they thought they would find better hunting there， or some land with more rain。 If they were lucky， they came back， gave up on the idea of owning their own farms or ranches， and went to work the way everyone else worked。 In fact， Eliza knew that her mother would say that she had disappeared， and that thought was a bit of a prickle to her conscience， but not enough to get her to answer those letters her mother had sent。 She thought there was a lot to be said for disappearing， and so she didn’t think much of the disappearance of that girl， except to note the day， May 14， her very own birthday。 Twenty-one now， and wasn’t that strange？ At 18， Eliza Ripple was married off to an older man by her Congregationalist parents （if only to prevent her from running off with the handsome Irish labourer she was making eyes at）， and after carrying her off to California in search of his fortune （and spending the brief months of their marriage demanding much of her in both the kitchen and the bedroom）， this Peter was shot in a barroom brawl and Eliza spent no time mourning his death。 When a local Madam offered her employment， Eliza shrugged and set to work， and as she describes it here， it was not unpleasant to spent time with one or two men each evening， knowing that the customers were vetted in advance by Mrs Parks and that Carlos the bouncer sat on a chair outside her ajar door; these men were certainly nicer， cleaner， and less demanding than Peter had been and the money that Eliza earned afforded her perfect independence。 In her free time， Eliza liked to stroll the streets of Monterey， and eventually， she made the acquaintance of another free-spirited sex worker， Jean: a cross-dressing lesbian who worked at an establishment that catered only to women （and that did kind of blow my mind: did such a place really exist in 1851 Monterey？ At any rate， I appreciated the way that Eliza wasn’t shocked to learn of it; why wouldn’t an overworked housewife want a place to go for gentle comfort and release？） What started with Jean sharing and discussing books with Eliza （and in particular， the writings of Edgar Allen Poe） led to the two friends employing the detective skills described in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" when fellow sex workers start to go missing and the local Sheriff doesn’t seem to care。 That’s pretty much the set up， which was fine， but the execution didn’t do much for me。 On the one hand， I essentially liked that the characters talked about books （if one doesn’t mind them giving away the endings to Poe’s stories）， but on the other， it irked me that once Jean corrected Eliza’s French pronunciation of the detective’s name （Dupin is pronounced DuPANN not DuPINN）， every time Eliza wonders what the detective would make of something the name she says or thinks is written “DuPANN”。 Like， beyond irked every time I saw it。 And so many threads just went nowhere: Jean can see ghosts， but they don’t affect anything; Eliza is obsessed by horses （always asking to see someone’s horse or peeking through a fence at horses or wondering whatever happened to a dead woman’s horses）， but that doesn’t have any relevance to the plot; Eliza sometimes feels bad about losing contact with her parents， but it doesn’t ultimately matter; Eliza notes this man’s unusual appearance， had an unsettling experience at that man’s house， holds a suspicion that Mrs Parks knows more than she's letting on， and none of it matters or even rises to the level of a red herring — there are simply skeins of loose threads that don’t get tied up。 And Eliza’s unworldliness （but eagerness to learn） was more annoying than charming to me: She has one of her seafaring customers explain to her what the equator is （and later makes a connection when another client is talking about degrees of latitude）; she asks a gentleman if he believes there really will be a （Civil） war， and his answer （most certainly） isn’t very edifying （to her or to me）; she agrees with her employer that women agitating for the vote are probably wasting their time — historical details felt tacked on instead of enriching。 And when the climax to the mystery came， it was neither surprising or exciting。 Brutes！ As soon as a man sees a rule， he strives to flout it， whether he sees it in the Bible or a constitution。 That prohibition runs around in his head， and he can’t stop it。 Then there he is， transgressing， and you ask him why， and he says that something was unfair or he was provoked， but what he really means is that he kept having thoughts， and then those had to turn into action， and he could not stop them。 The idea of a serial killer targeting sex workers in nineteenth century Monterey， while other sex workers try to find and stop the murderer， is an intriguing concept， and this last passage about men’s justification for brutality — whether a husband abusing his wife， a killer presumably “cleansing” the streets of immorality， or plantation owners enslaving others — captures the underlying philosophy of the book: life at the time was a dangerous business， and especially for women， but women working together could mitigate some of that danger。 There’s an interesting morsel to chew over at the heart of that， so while I did find this an often quiet， sometimes irksome， read in the details， the overall experience wasn’t entirely without merit。 Three noncommittal stars。 。。。more

Preeti Mahatme ，

Eliza Ripple has been living and working in a brothel ever since her husband died。 Then girls start mysteriously turning up dead and Eliza and her friend Jean begin to investigate。 Set against the backdrop of Gold Rush California in Monterey 1851， the novel gives interesting insight into the lives and times that were。 Especially with the civil war looming in the horizon。 An easy quick read if historical mystery fiction is your cup of tea。

Vicki ，

“A Dangerous Business，” by Jane Smiley， Knopf， 224 pages， Dec。 6， 2022。It is 1851 in Monterey， California。 Ever since her husband， Peter， was killed in a bar fight， Eliza Cargill， who goes by the last name Ripple， has been working in a brothel。 Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security。 It seems like a better life。 The madam， Mrs。 Parks， is kind。 But then dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town。 The victims are all prostitutes。 Eliza and her friend， Jean MacPh “A Dangerous Business，” by Jane Smiley， Knopf， 224 pages， Dec。 6， 2022。It is 1851 in Monterey， California。 Ever since her husband， Peter， was killed in a bar fight， Eliza Cargill， who goes by the last name Ripple， has been working in a brothel。 Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security。 It seems like a better life。 The madam， Mrs。 Parks， is kind。 But then dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town。 The victims are all prostitutes。 Eliza and her friend， Jean MacPherson， try to piece together an array of clues to catch the killer。Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive， but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West。 As Mrs。 Parks says， "Everyone knows that this is a dangerous business， but between you and me， being a woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise。” Mrs。 Parks runs a tight ship and her doorman Carlos keep the girls safe。As one would expect， the historical aspect is nicely done， with her detailed descriptions， Smiley evokes the town in Gold Rush California。 As for the mystery itself， it mainly involves Eliza and Jean following their clients until the resolution。 By the middle of the book， I was tired of the descriptions of Eliza’s interactions with client。 Although it is a relatively short book， that was too drawn-out。Jane Smiley is the author of numerous novels， including “A Thousand Acres，” my favorite of her books。 It won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more

Davida Chazan ，

This was not what I expected， but that isn't necessarily a bad thing。 Take a look at my book review on my blog to find out what I thought of this new novel by Jane Smiley。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/12/0。。。 This was not what I expected， but that isn't necessarily a bad thing。 Take a look at my book review on my blog to find out what I thought of this new novel by Jane Smiley。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/12/0。。。 。。。more

Anna-Catherine Rees ，

This was a really interesting book， loved it

Denice Langley ，

In a time and place when women were possessions， without choices or voices， Eliza Ripple refuses to be a victim。 Married young to a much older man who treated her without respect or kindness， Eliza finds herself widowed and living in a land far from anyone who might help her。 She makes the decision to take care of herself， so finds work in the local brothel。 Jane Smiley has written a western where the main character lives and thrives in an era that was not kind to women of any station。 Yet this In a time and place when women were possessions， without choices or voices， Eliza Ripple refuses to be a victim。 Married young to a much older man who treated her without respect or kindness， Eliza finds herself widowed and living in a land far from anyone who might help her。 She makes the decision to take care of herself， so finds work in the local brothel。 Jane Smiley has written a western where the main character lives and thrives in an era that was not kind to women of any station。 Yet this is not a tale of how badly the world's view of a woman earning her keep as a prostitute could be。 Eliza blazes through life。 She has friends and actually reads books， especially Edgar Allen Poe。 She and a friend will use their hard earned knowledge of men and the clues from EAP's books to solve the murders of women that the sheriff can not be bothered to solve。This book was so much better than I expected。 I have several friends that will find this book in their stockings this year。 Maybe you should read it too。 。。。more

Victoria ，

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for providing this ARC。 Overall， a disappointing read for me。 It sounded perfect， historical fiction， murder mystery， centered on women。 The women were flat， the action was nonexistent （mostly wandering around town， walking and eating）， very little detecting of any kind happened， and then it ended rather abruptly with no real insight into anyone’s motivations。 Pretty boring and I’m almost sorry I pushed myself to finish it。

TC ，

RecommendedReview posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 RecommendedReview posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Gulshan B。 ，

Jane Smiley's Monterey is perpetually muddy， perhaps reflecting the many "Houses of Pleasure" it counts among its young establishments。 The city， and in fact the state of California itself are young， and as such almost everything is in a flux， growing and changing fast。 Law and order have been relegated to lower priorities， far behind the gold rush that's by now largely come-and-gone but is a clear and recent memory， and - everyone hopes - a possible recurrence in the near future as well。Amidst Jane Smiley's Monterey is perpetually muddy， perhaps reflecting the many "Houses of Pleasure" it counts among its young establishments。 The city， and in fact the state of California itself are young， and as such almost everything is in a flux， growing and changing fast。 Law and order have been relegated to lower priorities， far behind the gold rush that's by now largely come-and-gone but is a clear and recent memory， and - everyone hopes - a possible recurrence in the near future as well。Amidst all this， how much weight can murder have？Eliza and Jean are enthusiast self-proclaimed detectives in 1855-56， who believe murder does carry enough weight。 Especially， when the victims are women like themselves， shunned by and largely invisible to the Monterey society， cast out by their families and ignored by the law。The author's writing evokes a fresh and picturesque landscape， albeit with muddy roads and horse-drawn carriages， and a solitary restaurant。 It is easy to see the appeal in reading a period drama like this， and come away wishing， at least in part， that one could have been there - when so much was being discovered and figured out for the first time， and so much was up for grabs。 The flip side of course was that society itself was still being defined， and stability and safety ware largely matters of opinion。Though Eliza is the focus of the story for the most part， she is a curious mind， and by following her around， eventually we are exposed to a variety of characters， almost all of whom - as Eliza figures - could be the murderer she is chasing down！ Given the exploits we've all been used to by now， seeing the Bonds and the Bournes and the Jacks （I'm looking at you both - Ryan and Reacher）， this might seem rather tame and underwhelming， but the earnest writing does get to you， eventually。 It takes some effort to slow down enough to smell the roses while walking the mile or two down Monterey's main street， rather than whizzing around the globe six times in two days in hot pursuit， but once you do that， the book reaches an endearing and an almost enduring stature。By the end， I was wishing there would be more Eliza adventures on the way。 。。。more

rose ✨ ，

“between you and me， being woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise。” i expected more mystery from a book marketed as a murder mystery。 two prostitutes， inspired by edgar allan poe’s dupin， investigate the murders of a series of women… but not really。 very little time was spent on exploring suspects and clues， so the mystery was underdeveloped， and ultimately the conclusion was abrupt and anticlimactic。 i just didn’t particularly care。where a dangerous business s “between you and me， being woman is a dangerous business， and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise。” i expected more mystery from a book marketed as a murder mystery。 two prostitutes， inspired by edgar allan poe’s dupin， investigate the murders of a series of women… but not really。 very little time was spent on exploring suspects and clues， so the mystery was underdeveloped， and ultimately the conclusion was abrupt and anticlimactic。 i just didn’t particularly care。where a dangerous business succeeds is as a historical fiction novel centered on an overlooked demographic of women。 the setting， 1850s gold rush california， was absolutely fascinating （though the book would have benefited from a map to follow along with eliza and jean’s wanderings）， and i loved the exploration of both the benefits and dangers of living in a new， still lawless town。thank you to netgalley for the arc！rating: 3。5/5。0 stars 。。。more

Nicoletta ，

I love Jane Smiley writing style and this novel didn't disappoint me。 The story is interesting， both main characters work in a brothel and this gives an interesting point of view of the California Gold Rush。 It was fascinating also how the mystery was “resolved” and how Eliza got her detective skills from Poe’s novels。 Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC， I really love to read Jane Smiley new novel。 I love Jane Smiley writing style and this novel didn't disappoint me。 The story is interesting， both main characters work in a brothel and this gives an interesting point of view of the California Gold Rush。 It was fascinating also how the mystery was “resolved” and how Eliza got her detective skills from Poe’s novels。 Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC， I really love to read Jane Smiley new novel。 。。。more

Jonann loves book talk❤♥️❤ ，

A Dangerous Business by Jane SmileyNarrated by Therese Plummer （14 hrs 15 min）Women's Fiction， Historical FictionAudiobook available December 6th。"From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of A Thousand Acres: a mystery set in 1850s Gold Rush California， as two young prostitutes—best friends Eliza and Jean—follow a trail of missing girls。"Murder， independence， and friendship are the themes of A Dangerous Business。 The plot of this historical fiction is well developed。 There A Dangerous Business by Jane SmileyNarrated by Therese Plummer （14 hrs 15 min）Women's Fiction， Historical FictionAudiobook available December 6th。"From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of A Thousand Acres: a mystery set in 1850s Gold Rush California， as two young prostitutes—best friends Eliza and Jean—follow a trail of missing girls。"Murder， independence， and friendship are the themes of A Dangerous Business。 The plot of this historical fiction is well developed。 There is an interesting western setting with easy-to-follow characters。 For sensitive readers， Eliza's character is very open about her customers' needs。 While it is never extremely graphic， sexual acts are mentioned。Synopsis:After her husband was killed in a bar shortly after they arrived in California， Eliza has been working in Mrs。 Parks' brothel in Monterey， 1851。 Jean， a woman who works in a different brothel for women， becomes a friend of hers。Young women suddenly disappear。 A body is discovered by Jean and Eliza， sending them on a quest to find the killer。 Their investigation is based on popular editions of Edgar Allan Poe's writings。 Are the women going to be able to solve the crimes or will they lose their lives？Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for sharing this audiobook with me。 Your kindness is appreciated。#ADangerousBusiness #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audiobook #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Dangerous Business

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Dangerous Business&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Dangerous Business&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0