Ambrose Bierce and the Death of Kings by Oakley Hall  (4)

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Ambrose Bierce and the Ace of Shoots (Ambrose Bierce Mystery Novels) by Oakley Hall

Ambrose Bierce and the One-Eyed Jacks by Oakley Hall  (2)

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From Library Journal
Tom Redmond, printer's assistant and would-be journalist for a satirical weekly, joins editor Ambrose Bierce in investigating a series of brutal prostitute murders in 1880s San Francisco. Initial conjecture and sleuthing establish links to a nouveau riche family of dubious integrity and the unethical and sometimes violent owners of the railroad monopoly. Quips from the misogynistic Bierce, naive observations from Redmond, and snippets of information about local history and real characters should stir reader demand. Hall, the author of some 20 novels, including Separations (LJ 6/1/97), is best known for his Westerns. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Hall does more here than blend fact with fiction to tell an entertaining tale. He conducts a writing seminar as well. Hall effectively uses a young reporter who works for Ambrose Bierce to narrate the story, and he opens each chapter with an excerpt from Bierce's Devil's Dictionary. He paints word pictures of his characters and gives life to San Francisco in the late 1800s and the mining camps of even earlier days. It all begins when a Jack the Ripper type, known as the Morton Street Slasher, starts butchering young women, leaving a spade playing card with each naked or partially naked body. For reporter Tom Redmond, who fears for the safety of a particular young woman, it is a major mystery. For Bierce, it is an opportunity to continue his war on the mining and railroad monarchs along with the bought-and-paid-for politicians of the day. This is as much a historical novel as it is a mystery, and Hall's portrayal of Bierce, the woman-hating, crusading journalist, is flawless. Budd Arthur --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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First Sentence:
When Ambrose Bierce heard of the first Morton Street Slasher murder, he said, "It appears there is a fellow who dislikes women more than I do." Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
instant aristocrats, fair beard Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
San Francisco, Senator Jennings, Captain Pusey, Morton Street, Virginia City, Mammy Pleasant, Amelia Brittain, Jack of Spades, Senator Sharon, Miss Brittain, Nob Hill, Miss Hill, Taylor Street, Southern Pacific, Mussel Slough, Highgrade Carrie, Lillie Coit, Santa Cruz, Big Four, Lady Godiva, Adolphus Jackson, California Street, Mollie Bierce, Sarah Althea Hill, Elza Klosters New!
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