

Have loved Jane Smiley since Moo! Pre-Civil War Monterey setting; after her husband is killed in a bar fight Eliza works at a brothel and gains financial independence. Her friend Jean works in a similar establishment catering to housewives. The exploits of a fictional detective inspire the two to try and solve a series of murders of fellow prostitutes. Eliza is an intriguing mix of naïveté and practicality; some things never change.