Set in 1888, this is the second in a hopefully long mystery series featuring Diana Spaulding, crime reporter for the New York Independent Intelligencer. Actually, she is now a former reporter, having resigned her job in order to marry a handsome doctor. But her romantic plans have been put on hold while she travels to Denver after her estranged father has been killed and her equally-distant mother is charged with his murder. Arriving in the raucous western city, she discovers her mother has chosen a surprising profession after being divorced by her silver-baron father. Combining the occasional "thunderation" and "nefarious purpose" with a Denver society and brothel setting, this sassy story delights with historical detail and intricate plot.