I wouldn't usually review this mystery novel, even though I've read most of Marcia Muller's books over the last 35 years. While her books are engaging, they are also generally straightforward and there has never seemed much to discuss. But Ms. Muller is now 81 years old, and the way that she has taken care in this book to reference every era of her detective's Sharon McCone's long career, and then wrap up every loose end in sight (in the afterword) tells me that she's planning that this be her last book.
Muller was one of the luminaries of the 1980s breakout "Woman Detective" era, along with Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. They all wrote tough smart independent women, redefining what it meant to be a hard-boiled detective and revolutionizing the mystery genre. All three had long successful careers. Overall Muller was probably (at least initially) my least favourite of the three. But she's provided me (and her many other readers) hundreds of hours of entertainment over the years, so thank you Marcia Muller! May Sharon McCone and her many relatives, dependents, contacts, and friends enjoy their fictional retirements.
