The Stolen Gold Affair

Carpenter and Quincannon #8

by Bill Pronzini

The Stolen Gold Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini's detective series.

In response to a string of gold thefts in a Mother Lode mine, Quincannon goes undercover as a newly-hired miner to identify and capture the men responsible.

Meanwhile, Sabina finds herself not only making plans for her and Quincannon's wedding, but also investigating both an audacious real estate scam and an abusive young man's villainous secret.

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
#7 The Flimflam Affair
#8 The Stolen Gold Affair

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Suspense, Historical Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2020

About the author

Mystery Writers of America Awards "Grand Master" 2008
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1999) for Boobytrap
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) for A Wasteland of Strangers
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) for Sentinels
Shamus Awards "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) 1987
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1982) for Hoodwink

Married to author Marcia Muller.

Pseudonyms:
Robert Hart Davis (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Jack Foxx
William Jeffrey (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Alex Saxon

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “The Stolen Gold Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery” by Bill Pronzini
it is 1898 and the assignment is to ferret out thieving in a deep mine in California and simultaneously expose a real estate con. This volume follows 2019’s “The Flimflam Affair”

The story opens with a meeting at an exclusive San Francisco club between private detective John Quincannon and Everett Hoxley, “the head of a large corporation that owned several gold and silver mines in northern California and Nevada.” Hoxley hires Quincannon to go undercover as a miner in one of his mines in order to discover who has been stealing significant amounts of ore and gold dust.

After his recent marriage proposal to Sabina, Quincannon gets employment working as a timber-man in the mine.

At the same time, shop assistant Gretchen Kantor tells Sabina Carpenter, Quincannon’s detective partner, about a possible break-in at the home of her friend Vernon Purifoy. Soon an incensed Purifoy shows up demanding that Carpenter stay out of his affairs. “In her experience that sort of heavy-handed protest meant the individual had something to hide,” so she pursues some undercover work of her own. The story contains fascinating bits of information about shop assistant Gretchen Kantor tells Sabina Carpenter, Quincannon’s detective partner, about a possible break-in at the home of her friend Vernon Purifoy. Soon an incensed Purifoy shows up demanding that Carpenter stay out of his affairs. “In her experience that sort of heavy-handed protest meant the individual had something to hide,” so she pursues some undercover work of her own. Attractive characters, a finely tuned plot, and fascinating snippets of California history California history.
Th recent series consists of:
#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
#7 The Flimflam Affair
#8 The Stolen Gold Affair

Be aware there are older stories and novels concerning the pair, and individual entries such as 1885’s Quincannon,

1998’s Carpenter & Quincannon, Professional Detective Services,
2003’s Burgade's Crossing,
2005 ‘s Quincannon’s Game

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you are looking for something different and good, I can recommend this book. The two protagonists are a man and women back in the years before the turn of the 20th Century who are partners in a detective agency and are preparing to marry each other in less than a month. When Quinncannon receives a job offer that is too good to refuse, it means a delay in the wedding. However, the reward for the job is too enticing so he leaves Sabina behind while he journeys to a gold mine to find out who is stealing newly mined gold right out from under the ground. It is an undercover operation that forces him to go into the bowels of the earth.
He is getting close to figuring things out when he is hit on the head and accused of murdering one of his suspects. Using his skills, he is not only able to turn the tables on the bad guys and solve the crime.
While he is busy in the gold fields, Sabina is enticed by a mystery of her own. In following up on her suspicions, she is able to put not one but two separate felons away. In her off the record investigations, she also stumbles across some information and unbeknownst to each other, both Quinncannon and Sabina end up in the same place and are able to bring the mastermind of the gold con to justice.
The characters are great. She is a very modern woman in a backward time and he struggles to assist in her battles against social restrictions. Their relationship is highly entertaining, the cases on which they work are fascinating and the stories are a great way to spend several hours.
Five purrs and two paws up.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Quincannon goes undercover to find how miners are stealing from the gold mine where they work, while his business partner and fiancee, Sabina Carpenter, remains in San Francisco, planning their wedding. Sabina takes care of a few minor cases while John is gone, although since the cases are not profitable, she doesn't bother to tell him about them. Meanwhile, John is working long shifts at the mine, and finds himself framed for murder when one of the criminals is killed. Sabina joins him in Sacramento (a much longer trip in the 1890's than it is now) to track down the gang's leader, who almost escapes on a dangerous train ride. This is part of a series, which may account for some of the recurring characters seeming inadequately developed to me; regular readers can probably fill in the blanks from what they know from previous books.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stolen Gold Affair by Bill Pronzini is the eighth in the Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery series, and a wonderful entry it is. It is 1898 and San Francisco, California. John and Sabrina have been partners for years and are about to legalize their relationship as well. the wedding is just three weeks off when John Quincannon accepts a job that could keep him out of town for four weeks or more. He expects he will solve it in a week or so but breaking the news to Sabrina will not be an enjoyable task. Sabrina, being her usual level-headed self, accepts the news graciously. It is a lucrative job, after all. A man named Everett Hoxley has hired them to find out who is running a high-grading operation out of his mine, costing him dearly. High-grading is another word for ferreting gold out of the mines surreptitiously, for personal gain. Of course the man was upset.

Quincannon was a little old and a little out of practice for the physical labor than came with going undercover for this assignment. That and the fact that he didn't drink made him somewhat of an oddity with the other miners. But her was stubborn and smart and it wasn't many days before he had pinpointed the guilty parties. Next he needed proof. Things were complicated by the fact that there was no telegraph available in Patch Creek so Sabrina could not forward research to him, nor could he send her messages assuring her of his well-being. Both of them being independent and intelligent this proved to be a minor inconvenience. They are a wonderful couple. The idea of them being private investigators at this point in history was a hard mouthful for many to swallow but they had a good reputation and a lucrative business, and well as both being personally resourceful. Now they were to marry. Both were very happy abut that fact: John, a confirmed bachelor, and Sabrina, a widow who never expected to love again. They are a wonderful couple and this is a wonderful series. I recommend it. It is one of my favorite periods in history and this series definitely hits the high points!

I received a free ARC of The Stolen Gold Affair from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thestolengoldaffair

[S. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovers of crime fiction will welcome the new historical private eye yarn by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Pronzini, writing solo this time but dedicating the novel to his frequent co-author (and spouse) Grand Master Marcia Muller. As the 19th century nears its end in San Francisco, romantic concerns compete with business obligations at the Carpenter and Quincannon agency when Sabina and John must delay their wedding after John agrees to a dangerous undercover assignment. While he attempts to capture a ring of thieves in a remote California mining operation, Sabina pursues important related background information while also thwarting a real estate con and revealing the unsavory sideline of a seemingly ordinary young man. Complications ensue on the way to a satisfactory denouement typical of this highly entertaining series. Note: The publisher supplied an advance reading copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough quick read with unique background and setting

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in 1890's California, "The Stolen Gold Affair" is a mystery that starts with private detective John Quincannon hired to go undercover and investigate the theft of gold from a mining operation. His partner/fiance Sabina stays behind in San Francisco to do some background investigating and gets pulled into another unrelated mystery.

As I made my way into the final third of "The Stolen Gold Affair" I kept telling myself I could swear I had read it before, deja vu, something very familiar, and then I looked back through my short-story collections and sure enough found it - Pronzini's "The Desert Limited" is a short mystery story included in his "Burgade's Crossing" collection (my review #209) and is copied here in "The Stolen Gold Affair." The short story has a different name for the thief and a few different narrative beats regarding the setup but the pulse-pounding and semi-humorous mysterious train escape and "manhunt" is otherwise mostly duplicated.

Verdict: A light and quick mystery investigated by 1890's San Francisco-based private eyes, "The Stolen Gold Affair" is fun but ruined for me because I had already read the ending in another of Pronzini's books. Lame.

Jeff's Rating: 2 / 5 (Okay)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of the historical mystery will enjoy this quick and entertaining read set in San Francisco and the gold fields of California at the end of the 19th Century. John Quincannon and Sabina Carpenter run an investigative agency and are planning their wedding when he's asked to look into a ring of thieves in a mining operation. He goes undercover (love the details and would have liked even more about the mining) while she stays beyond. Lest you think Sabine isn't busy, she's got her eye on a real estate scam. No spoilers but there's a lot in this relatively slim volume. Pronzini knows how to tell a story. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Most enjoyable.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an unbiased review as I really like the work of Bill Pronzini. This is one of an interrelated series but, other than the wedding plans between John Quincannon and Sabina Carpenter of their investigative agency, there is nothing to make it a problem for a reader to just hop in with any of the series. In this one it is 1898 and the assignment is to ferret out thieving in a deep mine in California and simultaneously expose a real estate con. Good background research and a fine story with all sorts of characters. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Quincannon accepts a case that will take him hundred's of miles away from home for a month, even though his wedding is in three weeks. To give him his due, he does try to contact Sabina before accepting the lucrative case, but he isn't given the choice. So it's off to the goldmines, to catch some gold thieves. Meanwhile, Sabina gets so bored at home that she makes up some pro-bona cases, just to keep busy. The two wind up in Sacramento tracking the last of the thieves, which ends in a spectacular train chase. And the wedding comes off, with a few delays. It's always nice to have a happy ending, right?

[Mich · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a rather thin plot that features a couple, John Quincannon and Sabina Carpenter who run a detective agency in California is set in in the early 1900s. Quincannon is hired to find out who is stealing gold from a mining operation while his fiancé, Carpenter, stumbles across a fraud scheme run by a con man. Aside from his knowledge of mining and California, the author brings very little to this rather straightforward non mystery, non suspense that can be read rather quickly.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Pronzini never disappointed me and this story is no exception.
A gripping and entertaining novel with a vivid historical background and a great cast of characters.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing characters: Carpenter and Quincannon; John takes an undercover job to find those stealing gold from a mining operation, which will delay his wedding to Sabina, who solves a mystery of her own before helping her fiance complete his case

[Woodstock Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, pleasant read. Set in San Francisco and the gold mining areas of California at about the beginning of the 20th century. Jack goes undercover to discover which miners are cheating the owner of the mine out of some of the proceeds of their work.

Very atmospheric!

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in California in October in the late 1890's. There are two stories. Sabina is looking into property fraud, and John is looking into gold theft. I liked that the two stories converged at the end. I also like that this story ends with a wedding.

[Will Plunkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the era and location of westerns, this mystery has chapters from each of the two detectives (a soon-to-be-married couple). I could see this as a cozy mystery TV series, maybe. Clues get strung along well (just enough to keep reading, not obvious enough to groan once they're revealed).

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick easy read mystery set in San Francisco and other areas of California in the late 1890's. The main case is the smuggling of gold dust out of a gold mine.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quincannon goes undercover to discover who is stealing from a gold mine. This was a fun entry in the series.

[Elizabeth Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable Carpenter and Quincannon mystery. I have read all of them and look forward to the next in this series.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar entry in this delightful series.

[Robin Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the murder mysteries involving Sabina and Quincannon

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mysteries and adventures continue with Carpenter and Quincannon

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Beginning to fall in a rut, but still enjoyable. This might be the last in the series now that the main characters are married to each other?

[Sharon Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was a super quick read, but still left me wondering what would happen. Onto the next one from this author.

[Weldon Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pronzini's Carpenter and Quincannon series is a superb combination of historical drama and top-notch mystery, not to mention the exquisitely developed characters. Recommended!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Library find.
Interesting characters!
Full of unnecessary cuss words!
Steady flow!
Solid plot!
Read!

[D. Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight!

[Cindy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean, entertaining read - always well-plotted and history usually represented. Terrific narration.

[Cindy B.]

Clean, entertaining read - always well-plotted and accurate history usually represented. Terrific narration.