“Kitty,” my mother laments. “You’re not to be galloping around like a lamb in springtime.”
I don’t reply that I’m nothing like a lamb and if there weren’t so many maddening social requirements draining my investigative time, I wouldn’t always be in such a hurry. These thoughts would surely be wasted on my mother whose entire existence centers around my father (a famous opera tenor) and her wardrobe (a dizzying array of gowns, Chinese silks, and impossibly small leather shoes.)
I have bigger feet. And larger ambitions. I am going to be a Pinkerton Detective someday, or a “Lady Pink” as they’re called, like my hero, the late lamented Kate Werne. She foiled an assassination attempt on President Lincoln back in the day, as you likely know. Mummy and Daddy aren’t aware of my ambition because they’d have twin apoplectic fits. In 1905, an eighteen year old woman’s ambitions should lean toward matrimony, not mystery. Alas.
At San Francisco’s Grand Mallard Marquee where we currently reside in a suite on the sixth floor, my typical morning looks something like this. A struggle into the ridiculous ‘s’ bend corset meant to make me look like a swan, and the impractical pink silk day frock which is both cumbersome and itchy. Quick as I am able, I use the rat combs to wrangle my hair into the showy Gibson Girl pompadour. It’s nowhere near perfect, but Mummy isn’t an early riser, so I can escape the suite without her critical eye, ignoring the tea brought up by the maid in favor of scooting down to the lobby to listen to the goings on. Saul, the duck commandant who leads the hotel’s daily mallard parade, and Henry the elevator man are my two compatriots, and they’ve always acquired some news. I’ve got my eye on Mrs. Potter, the strange woman in Suite Six. I can smell a mystery like a cat sniffs tuna. She’s high on my list of priorities today.
Once I’m caught up, I peruse all the newspapers I can lay my hands on to lap up any true crime details. No progress on the apparent hit and run of Mr. Potter’s husband, or the rash of counterfeit notes being passed about the city. I also read over my detective manuals to refresh my skills.
Today my plan is to be there when the maid delivers luncheon to Mrs. Potter in Suite Five. I intend to catch that elusive woman and force her to accept a tea invitation so I can grill her properly. Of course, I shall have to time it around my dratted piano lesson. The Buick Daddy’s hired will be waiting to whisk me off to my musical torture. And there’s a trip to the Columbia Theater to see Babes in Toyland which will cut further into my detecting efforts.
Distractions aside, I’ve a full day of detecting ahead. The Grand Mallard Marquee may be a playground for the frivolous but it’s a hotbed of mystery and intrigue.
MURDERS IN THE MARQUEE
Series: A Murder Most Fowl Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Historical Mystery 1900s
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
In this witty historical murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths must uncover a killer before another guest checks out for good. This first book in the Murder Most Fowl Mysteries is perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building.
In 1905, the Grand Mallard Marquee is well known for its iconic style, as well as its daily duck parade. For Saul Niffler, a reformed jewel thief, working at the luxurious hotel offers a much-needed second chance. Staying out of trouble and in gainful employment is essential. Which makes seeing a body plummet from a penthouse window extra complicated.
Except…did he see it? There’s no body to be found, and Saul knows he should concentrate on his new duties as “Duck Commandant” rather than meddle. If only Kitty Rossi, a persistent young guest yearning to be a Pinkerton detective, would leave well enough alone. Kitty has already roped in Henry, the elevator man, to investigate suspicious goings-on around the hotel. And against his better judgment, Saul feels compelled to join them.
Between the mystery of Saul’s missing predecessor and a grisly discovery in a drain, all signs point to murder most fowl. And with a cold-blooded killer roaming the Marquee’s lavish corridors, keeping his job may be the least of Saul’s problems…
About the author
Dana Mentink (www.danamentink.com) a New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, Poisoned Pen Press, and other publishers. She lives in sunny California with Papa Bear and close to her two cubs, affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo.