What people are saying about the exciting new Sarah Woolson Historical Mystery Series!

Library Journal STARRED review, June 1, 2007
THE CLIFF HOUSE STRANGLER

* It is 1881, and San Francisco attorney Sarah Woolson (THE RUSSIAN HILL MURDERS) has opened her own law firm (over the wishes of her respectable family). When she and her colleague Robert Campbell attand a seance run by a new medium at the famed Cliff House, a reporter with a habit of digging up dirt on prominent people is strangled. Sarah is hired to represent the man accused of the crime, but soon there are other murders. Once again bringing Victorian San Francisco to colorful life, Tallman offers an entertaining mystery with an indomitable, independent heroine that will appeal to fans of Anne Perry and Rhys Bowen. This is a series to watch, sure to get better with each succeeding Book.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *starred review! “Credible characters, cleverly subtle clues and a highly satisfying conclusion mark these intriguing tales as superior examples of (their) subgenres. …Fans of nineteenth-century sleuths like those of Anne Perry and Miriam Grace Monfredo will be well satisfied.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Lively details of a lively time and place spice up a feisty heroine’s struggles against sexism.”

BOOKLIST: “The serenely self-assured Sarah keeps the reader on her side and turning pages ‘til the end. Readers will empathize strongly with the obstacles (Sara) faces and the triumphs she achieves.”

SEATTLE TIMES: “…a solid historical mystery. Tallman has a nice way of setting the stage and moving her plot forward.”

CONTRA COSTA TIMES: “Sarah Woolson is spunky as hell – law was a very male profession in the 1880s – and San Francisco is a great locale.”

THE OREGONIAN: “A delightful historical mystery. …well plotted with a satisfying denouncement. Sarah throws herself into (her) cases with her trademark bullheadedness, resourcefulness and clever thinking, making for a spiffy little step-back-in-time mystery.”

ROMANTIC TIME BOOKCLUB: “Engaging and unique, Tallman’s novels sparkle with wit and suspense! Readers will warm to Sarah and this series.”

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW: “…an exhilarating legal thriller. Chutzpah Sarah is a wonderful protagonist! ….a fine tale!”

RENDEZOUS: “Forthright and practical, Sarah cuts through the nonsense of sexism, racism, and frivolous society.”

NEW MYSTERY READER: "Sarah is a tenacious, gutsy woman who will do anything to prove her client's innocence and continually bucks society in her quest. Shirley Tallman does a masterful job of recreating the 19^th century setting. The plot is tight and moves smoothly .....readers will be in Sarah's corner from the first page to the last. A thoroughly enjoyable read."

HISTORICAL NOVEL REVIEWS: "Sarah Woolson is a wonderful character -- feisty, intelligent and determined to get ahead in a profession that was practically closed to women at that time. …an excellent new series."

AUTHOR’S CHOICE REVIEW: “The mystery is well-plotted and engaging, and the believable characters are very much a part of the world in which they live. The author has certainly brought 19th century San Francisco to life. I especially liked Sarah’s struggle with the ancestor of our typewriter. (Those who now struggle with computers will identify.) A very enjoyable read.”  (5-star review)

ROMANTIC TIME BOOKCLUB: “Engaging and unique, Tallman’s novel sparkles with wit and suspense.”

AMAZON.COM: “A very satisfying and engrossing read. The mystery was intriguing, the detective-heroine engaging and likable, the pace and manner in which the novel was crafted superbly done. I just had to keep on reading until I reached the last page.” (5-star review)

HARRIET KLAUSNER: “Readers will gain immense pleasure from THE RUSSIAN HILL MURDERS as the heroine struggles with a male chauvinistic network while working hard to provide the best service to her clients. “ (5-star review)

JULIA SPENSER-FLEMING Award-winning author OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY and TO DARKNESS AND TO DEATH. “A charmingly authentic historical mystery. Redolent with hansom cabs, gas lights, bustles, the Barbary Coast and the ethnic stew that was nineteenth-century San Francisco, Tallman’s lively plotting and clip narrative grips the reader and doesn’t let go until ground-breaking feminist Sarah Woolson unmasks the culprit in true Perry Masson fashion.”

MIRIAM GRACE MONFREDO “A delightful historical mystery, not only well plotted with a satisfying denouement, but also cleverly incorporating the social mores of 19^th century San Francisco.”