The Body Snatchers Affair

Carpenter and Quincannon #3

by Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini

The Body Snatchers Affair: The latest in the Carpenter and Quincannon historical mystery series set in 1890's San Francisco from Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini.



Two missing bodies and two separate investigations take Carpenter and Quincannon from the heights above San Francisco Bay to the depths of Chinatown's opium dens.

For John Quincannon, this is a first: searching a Chinatown opium den for his client's husband, missing in the middle of a brewing tong war set to ignite over the stolen corpse of Bing Ah Kee.

Meanwhile, his partner, Sabina Carpenter, unsure of the dark secrets her suitor might be concealing, searches for the corpse of a millionaire, stolen from a sealed family crypt and currently being held for ransom.

With the threat of a tong war hanging over the city (a war perhaps being spurred on by corrupt officials), Carpenter and Quincannon have no time to lose in solving their cases. Is there a connection between the two body snatchers? Or is simple greed the answer to this one?

And why is the enigmatic Englishman who calls himself Sherlock Holmes watching so carefully from the shadows?

The Carpenter and Quincannon Mysteries:
#1 The Bughouse Affair
#2 The Spook Lights Affair
#3 The Body Snatchers Affair
#4 The Plague of Thieves Affair
#5 The Dangerous Ladies Affair
#6 The Bags of Tricks Affair

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

Marcia Muller is an American author of mystery and thriller novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.

Reviews

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

~~Note: This is a book reaction, not a full review.~~

Rather like Gail Carriger without all the werewolves, and with more of a Sherlock Holmes flavour. The opening scene is clearly an homage to "The Man with the Twisted Lip." Considering the characters keep uttering Emersonisms and Peabodyisms, I also suspect the book was strongly influenced by Elizabeth Peters' series. My biggest complaint--other than the way Quincannon's lecherous and possessive behaviour is treated as winsome rather than creepy as hell--is that their opinions and perspectives feel rather anachronistic. For example, the characters seem amazed that the wife of the opium fiend didn't leave her husband. While according to California law, women had recently gained the rights to any property they brought into a marriage, and simple infidelity was enough for a woman to obtain a divorce, separation and divorce were still outlandish, potentially scandalous, and exceedingly rare. (California was quite progressive--in the UK at this time, the infidelity had to be combined with cruelty, bestiality, bigamy, or incest.)
On the other hand, my skepticism over this and other scenes caused me to research and discover lovely little tidbits of history like the California divorce and property laws, so there is that.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't a terrible read, and I did finish it. I know that kind of review doesn't seem to bode well for a recommendation but I would recommend "The Body Snatchers Affair" if you are looking for an easy read that doesn't require any sort of commitment. Perfect book for when you are stuck in a waiting room and need something to occupy your mind that you don't mind putting down at a moment's notice.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery series set in San Francisco. This time each of the detectives has their own case to solve and when one case is solved that also solves the other case. The first case is for John Quincannon - he is searching for a missing husband in Chinatown. Sabrina Carpenter's case is the search for a missing body. While in Chinatown John gets involved in preventing a tong war. Both cases involve greed. The book was a quick easy read.

[EmmyT · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's a creep and she's an idiot for thinking he's OK. Not only is she fine with his badgering his way into her personal life, she admirers the boorish, grandstanding about his contributions to their business. He needs a brain and she needs a spine.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Muller's Sharon McCone -- have read a number. I like the Nameless Detective series. This is the first Carpenter and Quincannon I've read. This historical fiction seemed to skim the surface in many ways. The major connection between Quincannon and Sabina is based in her fear that he'll lust after her. I didn't see any evidence of a connection as working partners. The mysterious S. Holmes who knows everything appeared to me to be an intrusion on the story, not a furtherance of it. I'm not tempted to read the first two in the series.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is set in 1897 San Francisco, and involves the disappearance of dead bodies.
The plot is lighter in tone, with better chemistry between Carpenter and Quincannon.
I believe that both authors are regretting their inclusion of the ambiguous Sherlock Holmes. If Pronzini and Muller continue the adventures, they should just leave him out.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller and thought I might like this series, set in the late 1800s in San Francisco. I didn't. The dialogue felt artificial and the characters unrealistic and one-dimensional. The mystery itself was not very compelling nd I kept wandering off, both mentally and literally.

[Lynn Kearney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like both these authors individually, but found this collaboration a bit of an effort. Am not all that fond of historical detection, though Laurie R. King and Anne Perry can sometimes forget that prejudice, but this didn't do it for me.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost didn't finish this book. It just seemed kind of boring and that included the story. I only read it because the cover mentioned Sherlock Holmes who I adore. He played a minimum part and wasn't worth picking up just because of that. I will learn.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it. The first of this series I have read. Could pretty much tell that the man wrote the Quincannon chapters and the woman wrote the Carpenter ones. I would give it another try if I had the opportunity.

[Jennifer Bolton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did this one as an audiobook. Entertaining enough for the commute to and from work but not great. Probably wouldn't waste time actually reading the book, but it was okay to listen to. A rather lacklustre series but I do like the historical bits about 19th century San Francisco.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller deliver a Nick and Nora-style mystery in which the male/female investigative team of Quincannon and Sabina is developed sequentially by the authors. An enjoyable read.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. I probably won’t read any of the other books. It just wasn’t enthralling, and the potential romance is not enough to keep me interested anymore. It’s a shame, because it was a great concept.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all like Nick and Nora. Too predictable. But still an entertaining popcorn read

[K. G. Whitehurst · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish this novel. Whilst I don't doubt the historical research behind it, the style involves far too much summary and too few scenes.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read better

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quincannon and Carpenter have separate bodysnatcher affairs to look into. Hers involves an eldery, wealthy business man, missing from the family crypt, and who's kidnappers are now demanding a ransom. His takes him into the heart of San Francisco's China Town, where the body of the leader of one of the leading tongs is also missing. Concurrent to that, John is also searching for a lawyer, on behalf of the man's wife. When he finds him and then is almost shot during the recovery, he knows there is more than just surface crimes. John and Sabina make a great team, even when pursuing their prey separately. I am rooting for their eventual union, and not just professionally.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the light, grownup and wholesome Carpenter and Quincannon mystery series, "The Body Snatchers Affair" (2015) begins when one of John Quincannon's clients is murdered sneaking out of a Chinatown Opium Den, and while John's long-sought-but-uninterested love interest and partner Sabina Carpenter is out on a dinner date with a local San Francisco gentleman.

Verdict: A good, short, and easy detective mystery set in turn-of-the-last-century San Francisco.

Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple yet fun read. I have to admit to not completely following one of the mysteries but I enjoyed the other two. As usual, there was a lot of things going on but it was enjoyable. The more of these mysteries I read the more I like them. As much as I’m sure the main characters would like to see the back of Mr. S homes, I am not one of those people. I have a feeling I will enjoy seeing him again.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

1895: John Quincannon is searching for Attorney Scarlett, who is addicted to opium and represents the Hip Sing. He is also searching for the stolen body of Bing Ah Kee to avert a tong war. Sabina Carpenter is called on a case to find the missing body of Ruben Blanchford for his widow, Harriet Blanchford, who has received a ransom demand. There is a murder, a mysterious visit to Sabina by Sherlock Holmes and a case from the past.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is set in pre-earthquake San Francisco. Suffragism is an issue, as is prejudice against Chinese immigrants. I did figure out pretty quickly how the body disappeared in the Carpenter mystery. The Quincannon story line was a little more mysterious. I'm a bit confused by the Sherlock Holmes character. But overall the book was enjoyable and I'll read another one.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually two separate stories with at best a casual connection. They both involved missing corpses. Unfortunately, I did not find either story particularly compelling. The most interesting thing was the bogus (or maybe real) Sherlock Holmes. But he only briefly appeared a couple of times, hardly enough to save the story.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

A swift moving mystery about a missing already dead body and the female detective in 1895 who searches for it. It was an interesting tale but i not sure i felt i was in 1895 other than they used a Handsome. I wanted to feel like i was in the time period and i didn't.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best of this series - I COULD NOT keep all those Chinese names straight!! This was almost a repeat of another one. I have one more to finish up with Carpenter and Quincannon. I just want to see if they ever hook up - it’s been a painful courtship!!

[Mary Nuttelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry in the series. I enjoy reading about San Francisco prior to the 1906 earthquake.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While still fun and a nice way to pass a few hours these are too predictable. I enjoy them enough but using the same formula every mystery is kind of odd to me

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! Thrilling!

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another intriguing mystery and enjoyable read, though Johnathan's attitude is starting to get on my nerves a bit.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read. Two different private investigators working on their own cases. Its like a two for one deal.