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Fog City: A Fog City Noir Mystery
In 1930 San Francisco, the bridges haven't yet been built, and although Prohibition is still in effect, the speakeasies are thriving. The Moore Detective Agency is two months and several fifths of whiskey away from closing its doors. When the wife of one of the most prestigious bankers knocks on their office door asking them to look for her wayward stepson, it could be the lifeline they need to keep the agency going. Unfortunately, Detective Nick Moore’s current client is his bootlegger, and the only case he cares about is the one that contains twelve bottles of bathtub gin. Secretary Maggie Laurent takes the case and soon finds herself up to her neck in murder, arson, and the lies and double lives of San Francisco’s wealthy elite, a world where she’s seen as a nuisance at best and a threat at worst. Can she solve the murders before she becomes the next victim?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2024
9 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Claire M. Johnson
11 books38 followersClaire M. Johnson graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in history.
Armed with a whip and a knife-roll, she worked as a pastry chef for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of the food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in Ms. Johnson’s first novel Beat Until Stiff, for which she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant.
Ms. Johnson stopped cooking professionally when her children were born and is currently an editor at U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, Mark, two children, Emma and Paul, and numerous animals. Eating at restaurants is still her favorite hobby, with her most severe criticism reserved for the dessert menu.
Series:
* Mary Ryan Mystery
Armed with a whip and a knife-roll, she worked as a pastry chef for eight years in San Francisco and Oakland during the height of the food revolution. The passion and frenzied pace characterizing the food scene on the West Coast during the 1980s is well documented in Ms. Johnson’s first novel Beat Until Stiff, for which she won the 1999 Malice Domestic Writers Grant.
Ms. Johnson stopped cooking professionally when her children were born and is currently an editor at U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Lafayette, California, with her husband, Mark, two children, Emma and Paul, and numerous animals. Eating at restaurants is still her favorite hobby, with her most severe criticism reserved for the dessert menu.
Series:
* Mary Ryan Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 27, 2024
What a delightful slice of 1930s noir, with a side order of the rare non-pandering female empowerment. Get your shoes re-soled and hit the sidewalks, gumshoes!
September 27, 2024
Fog City
A Fog City Noir Mystery
by Claire M. Johnson @clairejohnson414
Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you, @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Summary:
In 1930s San Francisco, as the city’s infamous bridges are yet to be built and Prohibition laws are still in place, the Moore Detective Agency is struggling to stay afloat. When the wife of a prestigious banker hires them to find her rebellious stepson, this case could be their saving grace. However, Detective Nick Moore is more interested in his bootlegger and a stash of bathtub gin than solving crimes. As Nick spirals into a bender, his secretary, Maggie Laurent, takes over the case. She soon finds herself entangled in a web of murder, arson, and deception among San Francisco's wealthy elite. Facing hostility from all corners, Maggie must navigate a dangerous world to uncover the truth before becoming the next victim.
My thoughts:
I loved this story—it flowed like water, fast-paced and endlessly engaging. From the first page to the last, I found myself enjoying every paragraph. The twists and turns gave me an Agatha Christie-style adventure, with clever mysteries and compelling characters. Maggie Laurent’s stubborn attitude and fierce loyalty to her boss, Nick, who treats her like a sister, brought warmth and complexity to her role in the story. Her character development was superb; I adored watching her grow from a secretary into a brave, shrewd, and determined investigator who could stand on her own.
The supporting characters—especially Dickie Vance, Maggie’s brother Albert,and Ma—were equally well-crafted, bringing additional depth to the narrative. Their distinct personalities made the story even more enjoyable, and every character ,Catherine washington, Philips, Helen Charlie all are well written.
Claire M. Johnson's writing style—it’s vivid, easy to read, and exceptionally good. She has done a fantastic job crafting a vibrant, fast-paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Whether you're a fan of mysteries or noir tales, Fog City is a must-read. The Agatha Christie vibes are undeniable, and I loved every minute of it!
A Fog City Noir Mystery
by Claire M. Johnson @clairejohnson414
Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you, @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Summary:
In 1930s San Francisco, as the city’s infamous bridges are yet to be built and Prohibition laws are still in place, the Moore Detective Agency is struggling to stay afloat. When the wife of a prestigious banker hires them to find her rebellious stepson, this case could be their saving grace. However, Detective Nick Moore is more interested in his bootlegger and a stash of bathtub gin than solving crimes. As Nick spirals into a bender, his secretary, Maggie Laurent, takes over the case. She soon finds herself entangled in a web of murder, arson, and deception among San Francisco's wealthy elite. Facing hostility from all corners, Maggie must navigate a dangerous world to uncover the truth before becoming the next victim.
My thoughts:
I loved this story—it flowed like water, fast-paced and endlessly engaging. From the first page to the last, I found myself enjoying every paragraph. The twists and turns gave me an Agatha Christie-style adventure, with clever mysteries and compelling characters. Maggie Laurent’s stubborn attitude and fierce loyalty to her boss, Nick, who treats her like a sister, brought warmth and complexity to her role in the story. Her character development was superb; I adored watching her grow from a secretary into a brave, shrewd, and determined investigator who could stand on her own.
The supporting characters—especially Dickie Vance, Maggie’s brother Albert,and Ma—were equally well-crafted, bringing additional depth to the narrative. Their distinct personalities made the story even more enjoyable, and every character ,Catherine washington, Philips, Helen Charlie all are well written.
Claire M. Johnson's writing style—it’s vivid, easy to read, and exceptionally good. She has done a fantastic job crafting a vibrant, fast-paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Whether you're a fan of mysteries or noir tales, Fog City is a must-read. The Agatha Christie vibes are undeniable, and I loved every minute of it!
July 30, 2024
Atmospheric, historically pitch perfect, thriller noir…
What an enjoyable read this is! Johnson has created a historical world that you sink into without any feeling of falsity or contrivance. There’s no nod-wink, let-me-slip-in-a-bit-of Bertie-Wooster-slang to give you a flavour of times and place. Instead, this San Francisco is marvellously real, all cold summers and foggy mornings, dark and dangerous docks and upper crust yacht harbours, speakeasys and high dining, peopled by characters who feel rounded, real and three-dimensional. The sort of people you might run into any day of the week.
And to tell her story, Johnson’s created a narrator in Maggie Laurent who not only fits right in until she’s wearing the city like a second skin, but whose crystal-clear voice never wavers, never hesitates, always shows the character behind the narration: a funny, tough, street-smart and yet oddly vulnerable young woman determined to make her way in what, back in the late 1920s, was definitely a man’s world. Especially when that world is that of the private investigator, all dark alleys and guns and goons.
Gloomy, foggy San Francisco may be the real main character of the book, tbh, but Maggie is a wonderful narrator of life in a city with such a foetid underbelly of crime and corruption. Maggie is one of those wonderful tellers of stories who has a sparse style where not one word is wasted and which reflects the clarity with which she views her world; a cynicism and honesty that seems often at war with the Catholic faith she’s followed all her life; and an essential innocence that is never untouched by the evil she sees, but which is able to rise above murder and theft, arson and drug-dealing, leaving her bruised but uncorrupted. We see all the things she does—poverty, crime, corruption, dirty cops and dirtier politics—painted for us in clever, unvarnished, unflowery prose.
Really this is noir detection at its best—a tight plot that’s unflinching about the dirt and darkness, but ending on a note of hope, in a city of characters who run the gamut from grotesque to inspiring. And through it all, Maggie Laurent slogs on, determined to solve the mystery and murder, and determined not to let herself feel even slightly less-than compared to the cops, Pinkertons and private eyes who make up her world. Maggie Laurent is a private investigator to treasure.
It will come as no surprise when I say I loved this book, can recommend it, and am sitting here hoping for more Maggie adventures in the future.
I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgallery.
What an enjoyable read this is! Johnson has created a historical world that you sink into without any feeling of falsity or contrivance. There’s no nod-wink, let-me-slip-in-a-bit-of Bertie-Wooster-slang to give you a flavour of times and place. Instead, this San Francisco is marvellously real, all cold summers and foggy mornings, dark and dangerous docks and upper crust yacht harbours, speakeasys and high dining, peopled by characters who feel rounded, real and three-dimensional. The sort of people you might run into any day of the week.
And to tell her story, Johnson’s created a narrator in Maggie Laurent who not only fits right in until she’s wearing the city like a second skin, but whose crystal-clear voice never wavers, never hesitates, always shows the character behind the narration: a funny, tough, street-smart and yet oddly vulnerable young woman determined to make her way in what, back in the late 1920s, was definitely a man’s world. Especially when that world is that of the private investigator, all dark alleys and guns and goons.
Gloomy, foggy San Francisco may be the real main character of the book, tbh, but Maggie is a wonderful narrator of life in a city with such a foetid underbelly of crime and corruption. Maggie is one of those wonderful tellers of stories who has a sparse style where not one word is wasted and which reflects the clarity with which she views her world; a cynicism and honesty that seems often at war with the Catholic faith she’s followed all her life; and an essential innocence that is never untouched by the evil she sees, but which is able to rise above murder and theft, arson and drug-dealing, leaving her bruised but uncorrupted. We see all the things she does—poverty, crime, corruption, dirty cops and dirtier politics—painted for us in clever, unvarnished, unflowery prose.
Really this is noir detection at its best—a tight plot that’s unflinching about the dirt and darkness, but ending on a note of hope, in a city of characters who run the gamut from grotesque to inspiring. And through it all, Maggie Laurent slogs on, determined to solve the mystery and murder, and determined not to let herself feel even slightly less-than compared to the cops, Pinkertons and private eyes who make up her world. Maggie Laurent is a private investigator to treasure.
It will come as no surprise when I say I loved this book, can recommend it, and am sitting here hoping for more Maggie adventures in the future.
I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgallery.
July 22, 2024
Did you think that the best character in the 'Maltese Falcon' was the secretary? Did you also think that Hildy Johnson, Rosalind Russell's character in 'His Girl Friday', should have dumped both of those idiots and started her own newspaper? First off, we should be friends. Second, this is the noir story for you! I had so much fun with this book. It is a classic '30s mystery set in foggy San Francisco, but completely from the secretary's perspective, when her boss spirals after a particularly vicious femme fatale comes into their lives. To keep the business afloat, she takes on a new case with the help of her boss Nick's connections, friends and family members, and some aid from some surprising corners. Maggie is an Irish Catholic sassy, working-girl who was a joy to follow as she learns the ropes and plunges deep into a Prohibition-era underworld.
The cast of characters is great and there are twists and turns certainly reminiscent of the best Humphrey Bogart movies have to offer. I have read Raymond Chandler and this is an excellent homage to those worlds and that writing, but from the female gaze. I will add, there is a racial slur used at the end of the book that I do not think was necessary. While it certainly was a term used often at the time, it really didn't add anything to the text or the characters and I don't think this bit of 'authenticity' was needed and I hope it isn't used in the rest of the series. But I am so excited that I got to read this story and learn about this series and I look forward to continuing it in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Claire M. Johnson for a free copy of this eARC in return for an honest review.
#FogCity #NetGalley
The cast of characters is great and there are twists and turns certainly reminiscent of the best Humphrey Bogart movies have to offer. I have read Raymond Chandler and this is an excellent homage to those worlds and that writing, but from the female gaze. I will add, there is a racial slur used at the end of the book that I do not think was necessary. While it certainly was a term used often at the time, it really didn't add anything to the text or the characters and I don't think this bit of 'authenticity' was needed and I hope it isn't used in the rest of the series. But I am so excited that I got to read this story and learn about this series and I look forward to continuing it in the future.
Thank you NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Claire M. Johnson for a free copy of this eARC in return for an honest review.
#FogCity #NetGalley
July 21, 2024
Thank you to Level Best Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 30th, 2024
I loved this first episode of a new crime noir series starring a hardboiled detective’s equally hardboiled secretary who takes over for her boss when he goes on an extended bender. 1930s San Francisco where a wealthy elite doesn’t even give a nod to Prohibition, and absolutely everyone seems to be running their own con. A banker’s (second) wife comes to the agency to ask for help in locating her errant stepson. In no time we’re whirling about in opium dens, speakeasies, fancy restaurants, and police cells trying to get to the bottom of a widely expanding set of dead bodies. I loved the supporting cast (many of whom I look forward to meeting again in the next books) — all fully fleshed out, non dull, people with distinct and intriguing personalities, and I loved that there were plenty of opportunities for philosophical discussions on evil vs “regular” sin and morality in general. The style (and environs) reminded me of Dashiell Hammett at his best — with the clever substitution of the substituting secretary. Plenty of great male characters, by the way, and full acceptance of what women were able (allowed) to do at the time. I always like stories where some group has difficulty getting things done because of social conventions but they get on and do it anyway without bothering to whine about it!
A great surprise read for me!
I loved this first episode of a new crime noir series starring a hardboiled detective’s equally hardboiled secretary who takes over for her boss when he goes on an extended bender. 1930s San Francisco where a wealthy elite doesn’t even give a nod to Prohibition, and absolutely everyone seems to be running their own con. A banker’s (second) wife comes to the agency to ask for help in locating her errant stepson. In no time we’re whirling about in opium dens, speakeasies, fancy restaurants, and police cells trying to get to the bottom of a widely expanding set of dead bodies. I loved the supporting cast (many of whom I look forward to meeting again in the next books) — all fully fleshed out, non dull, people with distinct and intriguing personalities, and I loved that there were plenty of opportunities for philosophical discussions on evil vs “regular” sin and morality in general. The style (and environs) reminded me of Dashiell Hammett at his best — with the clever substitution of the substituting secretary. Plenty of great male characters, by the way, and full acceptance of what women were able (allowed) to do at the time. I always like stories where some group has difficulty getting things done because of social conventions but they get on and do it anyway without bothering to whine about it!
A great surprise read for me!
August 26, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
I love well done historical books where you can feel yourself in the time period, and Fog City delivers on that.
Maggie is a secretary to an ex-Pinkerton, who's a private detective now, and she has to step up to save her job when his alcoholism gets out of control (it would be nice to have a bit more back story on Nick - he's pivotal to the story but kind of a non-character).
San Francisco - 1931ish - a society lady hires the agency to find her son, but it's not quite as simple as it seems. It's easy to visualize the plot playing out as a 30s noir film: there's the secret source, the untrustworthy boyfriend, the cheating black widow, crooked cops and politicians and Prohibition. There are 3 mysterious deaths and an attempted murder - are they connected?
Maggie has the help of her family (a bit grudging) and an old army buddy of Nick's - who's been sent off to dry out. There's lots of detail about daily life that keeps us anchored to Prohibition era California.
I found the ending maybe a bit too neat, but overall it was a fun read, and I hope to see Maggie in another instalment soon.
4 out of 5, recommend to fans of noir mysteries/female leads.
I love well done historical books where you can feel yourself in the time period, and Fog City delivers on that.
Maggie is a secretary to an ex-Pinkerton, who's a private detective now, and she has to step up to save her job when his alcoholism gets out of control (it would be nice to have a bit more back story on Nick - he's pivotal to the story but kind of a non-character).
San Francisco - 1931ish - a society lady hires the agency to find her son, but it's not quite as simple as it seems. It's easy to visualize the plot playing out as a 30s noir film: there's the secret source, the untrustworthy boyfriend, the cheating black widow, crooked cops and politicians and Prohibition. There are 3 mysterious deaths and an attempted murder - are they connected?
Maggie has the help of her family (a bit grudging) and an old army buddy of Nick's - who's been sent off to dry out. There's lots of detail about daily life that keeps us anchored to Prohibition era California.
I found the ending maybe a bit too neat, but overall it was a fun read, and I hope to see Maggie in another instalment soon.
4 out of 5, recommend to fans of noir mysteries/female leads.
September 2, 2024
Claire M. Johnson’s "Fog City" is a murder mystery with an extraordinary female protagonist, Maggie, that fully deserves a five-star rating. Set in the captivating backdrop of 1930s San Francisco and deep in the Prohibition era, the novel drew me in from the very first page and held my attention throughout. Johnson's vivid descriptions effortlessly transported me to the misty and fog-filled streets and the underground speakeasies of the city, making me feel like I was a part of the story.
The characters in "Fog City" are beautifully fleshed out and incredibly relatable, each with their own intriguing backstory and personal growth throughout the narrative. Their complex relationships and interactions kept me engrossed, and I found myself emotionally invested in Maggie’s journey from wanting to be more than just a secretary of a detective agency. She wants to run the agency as a detective.
Johnson's storytelling prowess is evident in the seamless blend of mystery, romance, and suspense, which kept me eagerly turning the pages, desperate to unravel the mysteries hidden within the fog. Moreover, the pacing of the book is impeccable, never leaving a dull moment, and the plot twists are expertly executed, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. And I must say, I loved the ending!
Thank you #NetGalley, #ClaireMJohnson, and #LevelBestBooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The characters in "Fog City" are beautifully fleshed out and incredibly relatable, each with their own intriguing backstory and personal growth throughout the narrative. Their complex relationships and interactions kept me engrossed, and I found myself emotionally invested in Maggie’s journey from wanting to be more than just a secretary of a detective agency. She wants to run the agency as a detective.
Johnson's storytelling prowess is evident in the seamless blend of mystery, romance, and suspense, which kept me eagerly turning the pages, desperate to unravel the mysteries hidden within the fog. Moreover, the pacing of the book is impeccable, never leaving a dull moment, and the plot twists are expertly executed, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. And I must say, I loved the ending!
Thank you #NetGalley, #ClaireMJohnson, and #LevelBestBooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 7, 2024
This is a witty, gritty old-school detective story that luxuriates in the film noir spirit with one brilliant exception: the hard-boiled detective is a woman. When her private eye boss goes on a long-term bender, secretary Maggie Laurent has to step away from her typewriter and into a seamy missing person investigation that entangles her in a murder. To get to the truth, she has to confront hot-headed cops, arrogant socialites and a headline-hungry D.A. We follow Maggie through a lively recreation of depression-era San Francisco, navigating foggy dockside warehouses, speakeasies and swanky yacht clubs.
The characters are engaging. Maggie is a charming combination of a naive Catholic school girl and street-wise cynic who takes guff from no one. She needs all her spunk, wit, and determination to overcome the rampant sexism of the era and become an investigator.
The author has done her history homework: from the 1930s dialog to the old school neighborhoods and the long-gone department stores, I felt like I was spending a foggy summer in old San Francisco. The language is vivid and the dialog is lively. The plot twists and turns kept me guessing. I can’t wait to read the next one!
The characters are engaging. Maggie is a charming combination of a naive Catholic school girl and street-wise cynic who takes guff from no one. She needs all her spunk, wit, and determination to overcome the rampant sexism of the era and become an investigator.
The author has done her history homework: from the 1930s dialog to the old school neighborhoods and the long-gone department stores, I felt like I was spending a foggy summer in old San Francisco. The language is vivid and the dialog is lively. The plot twists and turns kept me guessing. I can’t wait to read the next one!
August 3, 2024
Fog City by Claire M Johnson takes you back to the 1930's, It reminds you of all the great detectives like Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe but with the female secretary taking over as the private eye. Maggie Laurent has the smarts, the looks, and the sass to take on her first case. She uses her spunky personality and Irish persistence to overcome the obstacles in her way as she investigates the murder of a prominent banker. Maggie finds her self digging deeper into not only the truth but into danger for herself and the ones she cares about.
Fog City takes place in gritty San Francisco during Prohibition. Here the criminals and police are both a little dirty. High society life style and bootlegging make for a volatile mix.
If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown or The Big Sleep, this book will surely win you over. Maggie's plucky spirit and friendly, yet efficient demeanor makes for a perfect character. I would love to read more stories about Maggie.
Thanks to NetGalley, Level Best Books, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.
Fog City takes place in gritty San Francisco during Prohibition. Here the criminals and police are both a little dirty. High society life style and bootlegging make for a volatile mix.
If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown or The Big Sleep, this book will surely win you over. Maggie's plucky spirit and friendly, yet efficient demeanor makes for a perfect character. I would love to read more stories about Maggie.
Thanks to NetGalley, Level Best Books, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.
August 15, 2024
While a 1930s San Francisco detective is drowning in cheap alcohol, despite prohibition, his secretary, Maggie Laurent, sets out to cover for her boss and help their newest client. The wife of a banker asks the agency to find her wayward stepson and Maggie sets out to do so, though she is sure her client is not completely telling the truth. The case takes her into some dangerous places, including a speakeasy that she learns is owned by the stepson. Unraveling the mystery puts Maggie in the path of danger, including arson and murder.
As the title implies, this story has a cynical slant to it, which is reasonable considering the historical time period in which it is set. Even though this is not my preferred type of mystery to read, it is well done, and I enjoyed trying to figure out the motives of all the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
As the title implies, this story has a cynical slant to it, which is reasonable considering the historical time period in which it is set. Even though this is not my preferred type of mystery to read, it is well done, and I enjoyed trying to figure out the motives of all the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
January 14, 2026
Loved this book! Maggie Laurent is a secretary to a PI in 1920’s San Francisco. Her boss, Nick, has been on a bender ever since a client, that he fell for, turned out to be evil incarnate and was hung for her transcretions. Maggie, who may be all of 20, decides to try to keep the business afloat by taking on a case by herself (although the client is unaware that Nick is not involved). The client is the shady wife of a wealthy banker who is searching for her adult stepson who has turned up missing ever since daddy fired him from the bank. Maggie’s search for the stepson has her dealing with his disgruntled twin sister, an even more disgruntled cop, an untrustworthy journalist who makes overtures as a suitor, and speakeasy’s, alcohol and drugs. Maggie is a force and you can’t help rooting for her to solve the case and make her way in the world. The time period and place add a nice evocative feel to the story.
July 16, 2024
**Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**
Wow, what a fantastic start to a historical mystery-thriller series! Set in 1930s San Francisco, Fog City is a fast-paced read with a setting you can see, hear, and smell through the viewpoint of our plucky MC, Maggie Laurent. This book picks up steam quickly, and as the bodies begin to pile up, it becomes harder to set it down. Fog City has a colorful cast of characters (suspects?) and a strong-voiced narrator, and I really, really enjoyed it. While I anticipated some of the twists, others caught me completely (pleasantly! I love a good mystery surprise) off-guard. The ending makes it clear that this is only the first we'll see of Ms. Laurent, but hopefully there is more to come. If historical fiction or mystery/thrillers are your speed, this book hits all the right notes.
Wow, what a fantastic start to a historical mystery-thriller series! Set in 1930s San Francisco, Fog City is a fast-paced read with a setting you can see, hear, and smell through the viewpoint of our plucky MC, Maggie Laurent. This book picks up steam quickly, and as the bodies begin to pile up, it becomes harder to set it down. Fog City has a colorful cast of characters (suspects?) and a strong-voiced narrator, and I really, really enjoyed it. While I anticipated some of the twists, others caught me completely (pleasantly! I love a good mystery surprise) off-guard. The ending makes it clear that this is only the first we'll see of Ms. Laurent, but hopefully there is more to come. If historical fiction or mystery/thrillers are your speed, this book hits all the right notes.
July 18, 2024
This is one of the few mysteries I've read recently where I found myself really enjoying the memorable characters. Carefully selected elements brought the foggy 1930s San Francisco mood to life without feeling overdone, seamlessly integrating the setting into the fast-paced plot.
While I enjoyed the unique characters and setting, some aspects of the book seemed out of place. The beginning was a bit rushed and I'm not sure it was convincing enough to explain how Nick, the detective, behaves for the rest of the book. I also found the use of a racial slur to be quite jarring. While it may have been intended to contribute to the 1930s San Francisco perspective, it wasn't addressed enough in the book to feel fitting.
This was a solid 3.4 star book for me, and I'm looking forward to the second in the series!
This book was provided by NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
While I enjoyed the unique characters and setting, some aspects of the book seemed out of place. The beginning was a bit rushed and I'm not sure it was convincing enough to explain how Nick, the detective, behaves for the rest of the book. I also found the use of a racial slur to be quite jarring. While it may have been intended to contribute to the 1930s San Francisco perspective, it wasn't addressed enough in the book to feel fitting.
This was a solid 3.4 star book for me, and I'm looking forward to the second in the series!
This book was provided by NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
Read
September 17, 2024Fog City is delightful. Even though Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller were big influences on my Carol Sabala series, I've been away from reading the P.I. genre. Johnson's main character, Margaret "Mags" Laurent, is secretary to famous San Francisco P.I. Nick Moore, but like Della Street, she's so much more than a secretary. In Fog City, while Nick Moore succumbs to an extended bender, Mags steps into his shoes, knowing all his moves and connections. The 1929-1930 backdrop also conjures comparisons to Della Street, but unlike the character from Gardner's books, Mags occupies the streets of San Francisco. As a past resident of The City, I love returning to various haunts and can relate to donning long underwear in the summertime to guard against the bone-chilling fog. A fun read with a spunky heroine.
July 8, 2025
I stumbled on Fog City when I saw it listed as an award-nominee on the Sisters in Crime writer's organization social media outlet. I'm a history buff, and have enjoyed historic mysteries such as Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy series and M. Ruth Myers Maggie Sullivan series, so I gave it a shot.
I'm happy I did.
Claire M. Johnson does a wonderful job of creating a cast fascinating characters and setting them down in 1930 Prohibition Era San Francisco, making the City by the Bay yet another character.
Maggie Laurent is a young and fiery secretary for Detective Nick Moore. But when Nick's life falls apart and he goes on the bender of all benders, Maggie has to pick up the pieces and keep the agency afloat to keep her job. A wealthy young wife of one of the city's leading bankers hires Nick to find her stepson, and Maggie takes on the task while Nick is wallowing in alcohol. But what she finds pulls her into a world of speakeasies, drugs, smuggling and murder.
This is a well-written mystery with twists and turns at every corner right to the final page. It moves along at a fast pace to a satisfying conclusion. It is entertaining and well worth reading. In fact, I'm going to be looking for the next installment in the series.
I'm happy I did.
Claire M. Johnson does a wonderful job of creating a cast fascinating characters and setting them down in 1930 Prohibition Era San Francisco, making the City by the Bay yet another character.
Maggie Laurent is a young and fiery secretary for Detective Nick Moore. But when Nick's life falls apart and he goes on the bender of all benders, Maggie has to pick up the pieces and keep the agency afloat to keep her job. A wealthy young wife of one of the city's leading bankers hires Nick to find her stepson, and Maggie takes on the task while Nick is wallowing in alcohol. But what she finds pulls her into a world of speakeasies, drugs, smuggling and murder.
This is a well-written mystery with twists and turns at every corner right to the final page. It moves along at a fast pace to a satisfying conclusion. It is entertaining and well worth reading. In fact, I'm going to be looking for the next installment in the series.
August 19, 2024
The author has created a great character the reader will want to spend more time with in San Francisco 1930 era. Maggie is brave, likable and vulnerable enough to get herself in some challenging circumstances where the going is rough. Speakeasies, fires and rum characters can't stop her determination in succeeding as a PI. Not even her disapproving mother can stop the "Maggie will" to succeed. This is a very enjoyable book.
Advanced Reader Copy
Advanced Reader Copy
September 3, 2024
Mystery, murder and San Francisco is a cool formula for some fun noir! I really liked this classic style of noir mystery and especially liked that the protagonist was a young woman in the city in the late 1930s who is realizing that the traditional housewife scenario is no match to her natural skills as a private investigator. Maggie Laurent is the reluctant secretary of one of San Francisco's most respected and loathed private dick Nick Moore, of the Moore Detective Agency. When Nick goes on a wildly long booze bender, Maggie decides to try to save the Agency and Nick's reputation, by taking the lead in a seemingly easy missing persons case. She also hopes if she can solve it, Nick will give her a promotion from secretary to detective at the agency. What she didn't anticipate was the body count adding up around her and the double, triple, quadroople crosses she will need to navigate to safe herself, Nick, and her family. This is a page-turner and easy read for any mystery lovers.
March 21, 2025
Not really a noir mystery but there were quite a few murders in the book! I liked the setting (San Francisco in early ‘30s) and the strong female protagonist (a detective-wannabe secretary). I would like to read the next book in the series when it comes out.
December 26, 2025
1930 and time are tough. It is even worse for Maggie Laurent, who has a boss go AWOL from his private detective business in San Francisco. Maggie is juggling which bills will get paid, the most desperate is the rent.
When a client comes calling, she accepts the challenge and does the leg work herself, insuring that the lights stay on a bit longer.
This involves a missing person, who is ultimately found alive but everyone else keeps dying.
I thoroughly enjoyed this first in a new series and am on the lookout for book two.
I purchased a copy since my public library system did not order it.
When a client comes calling, she accepts the challenge and does the leg work herself, insuring that the lights stay on a bit longer.
This involves a missing person, who is ultimately found alive but everyone else keeps dying.
I thoroughly enjoyed this first in a new series and am on the lookout for book two.
I purchased a copy since my public library system did not order it.
September 2, 2024
Fun Read
I loved Maggie and her grit. The feeling of Fog City was right on. I can not wait for more of Maggie’s adventures.
I loved Maggie and her grit. The feeling of Fog City was right on. I can not wait for more of Maggie’s adventures.
October 13, 2024
Reminds me of Ross MacDonald.
June 26, 2025
I look forward to the publication of the second book in the series.
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