Complacency can make a person careless, and Sharon McCone, who makes crime her business, should know that better than most. One minute she’s riding high with her detective agency expanding, her bank account growing, and her only “problem” a marriage proposal from her lover, Hy Ripinsky, that’s kicking up her longtime fears of commitment. The next minute, in the time it takes for a single phone call to bring bad news, she stands to lose everything. McCone is stunned to learn that a favorite employee, streetwise and savvy Julia Rafael, has been charged with credit-card fraud. She thinks there must be a mistake - until she finds the goods charged to the stolen credit card in the firm’s mailroom. As she starts to dig into the facts of the case, McCone realizes that someone is out to ruin her business, blacken her reputation, and harm those close to her... Reaching back into her past to look for answers, she must come to grips with the violent twists and turns of her career, the choices she’s faced, and the enemies she’s made. How does the formerly trustworthy Julia fit into the big picture? And how does this new crisis tie into the recent murder of a popular Mission District fund-raiser? But when someone breaks into her car, invades her home, and upsets every aspect of her life, McCone knows one thing for sure: Now it’s her turn to prove how tough she really is, and how far she’ll go to get justice...and some payback of her own.
The Dangerous Hour (Muller, Marcia)
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In Muller's 23rd page-turner about scrappy, smart PI Sharon McCone (Dead Midnight, etc.), McCone now heads her own firm, McCone Investigations, a successful, established agency with a growing staff and more work than they can keep up with. But someone from her past would like to see her fail and is willing to take out her close associates to do so. When Julia Rafael, a young investigator whom McCone decided to take on despite her checkered youth, is accused of stealing the credit card of Supervisor Alex Aguilar, the man being groomed to be San Francisco's first Hispanic mayor, the criminal investigation could have dire implications for McCone Investigations. McCone's initial doubts about her employee quickly give way to a determination to discover who's trying to sabotage her company. Muller has a knack for painting a full picture of McCone's life without getting too cutesy (even when discussing cat health care), and readers with a taste for romance will enjoy the direction her relationship with the dashing Hy Ripinsky is taking. While the plot is a bit by-the-book and the high-stakes confrontations could be more compelling, fans should be well satisfied.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
PI Sharon McCone has barely had time to appreciate the hard-won success of her firm when one of her operatives is arrested, putting the whole agency at risk. Is reserved, almost standoffish Julia Rafael, who has a juvenile record, guilty? If not, why in the world would Alex Aguilar, one of San Francisco's up-and-coming Hispanic politicians, accuse her of stealing his credit card? It doesn't take Sharon long to recognize that it's up to her to sort out the mess, and when she begins digging into Aguilar's past, she finds that he has some unpleasant secrets--one of which leads her to the realization that a vengeful killer is out there, and Julia isn't the real target. Muller's plotting isn't quite as tidy as usual (she has to stretch pretty far to bring everything in line by the end), but once again she gives us a solid slice of a San Francisco community and a protagonist with character. Fans of the sturdy, ongoing series will be especially pleased with the final scene, which opens the way for a new chapter in McCone's personal life. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
MARCIA MULLER has written many novels and short stories. Her novel "Wolf in the Shadows" won the Anthony Boucher Award. The recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award - their highest accolade - she lives in northern California with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another excellent Sharon McCone story,
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This review is from: The Dangerous Hour: A Sharon McCone Mystery (Hardcover)
The latest installment in the Sharon McCone series, The Dangerous Hours will not disappoint. Sharon's life is finally coming together-her business is thriving, her relationship with Hy, her long-term boyfriend is moving towards serious commitment, and even her extended family seems to be settling down.Suddenly, Sharon's business is at risk from the illegal actions of a new, unlicensed employee. Sharon and her entire team take on the challenge of finding out what is going on to save the agency and their jobs. At the same time, Sharon finds help from old friends such as attorney Glenn Solomon and Hy, while making new friends in the form of two new hires to the agency. The answer to Sharon's current problems lies in an old case, and once she has a suspect in mind, Sharon goes after him with the single mindedness familiar from previous installments. There is an interesting segue in this book where Sharon faces the impact of two of her cases on the people involved-this one, where the guilty party is truly criminal, and another case that affected someone who had simply fallen on bad times. Sharon takes appropriate action in both instances, and I found this juxtaposition a highlight of the story. I have been a fan of Marcia Muller for a number of years, and really enjoyed The Dangerous Hour. Muller has been able to grow and mature McCone in a manner that is consistent with Sharon's personality and history. Although this is not quite the quick tempered, adventure seeking McCone of the past, it is also wonderful that Muller has not allowed McCone to become stale or obvious. As always, the book is tightly written and flows smoothly through out, and hopefully we will not need to wait too long for a new book from Muller.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this one - Great Suspense and who done it,
By
This review is from: The Dangerous Hour: A Sharon McCone Mystery (Hardcover)
In this latest installment by Muller Private Investigator Sharon (Share, Shar) McCone is wrestling with a lot of things in her personal life. Her cat is sick, her long time boyfriend wants to marry her, and in the opening of the story her youngest investigator (Julia) is accused of stealing the credit card of a former client.Supervisor Alex Aguilar who appears to be the San Francisco's Latino communities golden boy and best chance for mayor is the one doing the accusing. In fact he has also contacted the state licensing board, who could take Sharon's license away based on the actions of her employee. Sharon and the rest of the staff don't believe that Julia, despite her checkered past, is guilty of what she is being accused of and they set out to investigate the situation. As Sharon and her crew investigate the "golden boy" they determine his is not so golden, his neighbors all hate him, he is demanding and dictatorial in his business dealings, and he appears to have a past that links him with some of the known drug pushers in the areas. As the investigation progresses Sharon determines that Alex's business partner Scott's hiking accident appears to be murder. As the story progresses, things lead the group to believe that Julia might not be the intended target but Sharon herself. The story continues until the "bag guy" is caught and all the pieces fit together. Even the solution to Sharon's sick cat and her waffling decision whether to marry Hy or not. I missed a few books in this series but have found each one stand on its own. Loved this one. Especially the twists and turns.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this one - Great Suspense and who done it,
By
This review is from: The Dangerous Hour: A Sharon McCone Mystery (Hardcover)
In this latest installment by Muller Private Investigator Sharon (Share, Shar) McCone is wrestling with a lot of things in her personal life. Her cat is sick, her long time boyfriend wants to marry her, and in the opening of the story her youngest investigator (Julia) is accused of stealing the credit card of a former client.Supervisor Alex Aguilar who appears to be the San Francisco's Latino communities golden boy and best chance for mayor is the one doing the accusing. In fact he has also contacted the state licensing board, who could take Sharon's license away based on the actions of her employee. Sharon and the rest of the staff don't believe that Julia, despite her checkered past, is guilty of what she is being accused of and they set out to investigate the situation. As Sharon and her crew investigate the "golden boy" they determine his is not so golden, his neighbors all hate him, he is demanding and dictatorial in his business dealings, and he appears to have a past that links him with some of the known drug pushers in the areas. As the investigation progresses Sharon determines that Alex's business partner Scott's hiking accident appears to be murder. As the story progresses, things lead the group to believe that Julia might not be the intended target but Sharon herself. The story continues until the "bag guy" is caught and all the pieces fit together. Even the solution to Sharon's sick cat and her waffling decision whether to marry Hy or not. I missed a few books in this series but have found each one stand on its own. Loved this one. Especially the twists and turns.
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