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A Place of Fog and Murder
Lady Gumshoe – Flatfoot in Heels
All that lady P.I., Lou Tanner, needs is a case to cement her reputation. But the gorgeous client offering her a simple case has brought her more than his tales of woe. Ruthless gangsters, suspicious cops, and a desperate blackmailer manage to gum up the works at every turn. Gun in hand and wits at the ready, Lou is in a fight for her life.
Noir meets Dieselpunk in this twisting tale of 1935 San Francisco: from the power of its ultra-rich to the reach of its merciless underworld. Deadly secrets hide behind the thin veneer of propriety and a thick wall of fog.
All that lady P.I., Lou Tanner, needs is a case to cement her reputation. But the gorgeous client offering her a simple case has brought her more than his tales of woe. Ruthless gangsters, suspicious cops, and a desperate blackmailer manage to gum up the works at every turn. Gun in hand and wits at the ready, Lou is in a fight for her life.
Noir meets Dieselpunk in this twisting tale of 1935 San Francisco: from the power of its ultra-rich to the reach of its merciless underworld. Deadly secrets hide behind the thin veneer of propriety and a thick wall of fog.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2019
About the author
T.E. MacArthur
17 books16 followersT. E. MacArthur, author, artist, historian, amateur cat whisperer, and parapsychologist wannabe lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She wrote the standout Steampunk series, The Volcano Lady, and the classic, one-shilling serial, The Gaslight Adventures of Tom Turner.
A Place of Fog and Murder is her Noir-Punk mystery, bringing a fantasy sci-fi 1930s San Francisco to life with her tough-as-nails femme-fatale-detective, Lou Tanner P.I., through exciting car chases and Chandleresque witty repartee. She’s even written for several specialized publications, anthologies, and was an accidental sports reporter for Reuters News.
Her storytelling dramatically shifted direction recently to embrace the paranormal, her lifelong obsession, with the creation of her newest novel, The Skin Thief, set in the Four Corners region of Colorado, not too far from where she grew up.
You can find her on Facebook, Goodreads, TikTok, or at www.TEMacArthur.com.
A Place of Fog and Murder is her Noir-Punk mystery, bringing a fantasy sci-fi 1930s San Francisco to life with her tough-as-nails femme-fatale-detective, Lou Tanner P.I., through exciting car chases and Chandleresque witty repartee. She’s even written for several specialized publications, anthologies, and was an accidental sports reporter for Reuters News.
Her storytelling dramatically shifted direction recently to embrace the paranormal, her lifelong obsession, with the creation of her newest novel, The Skin Thief, set in the Four Corners region of Colorado, not too far from where she grew up.
You can find her on Facebook, Goodreads, TikTok, or at www.TEMacArthur.com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 14, 2019
Ever stay up way too late reading a book, telling yourself "Just one more chapter, and I'll turn out the light"?
Well, that was me two nights running, because this book is just that good.
Newly-licensed private investigator Lou Tanner is up to her well-dressed neck in a mess. She's being blackmailed by a government agent, trying to find a missing woman on her very first case ... and trying to be taken seriously in the man's world of 1930s San Francisco.
Author T.E. MacArthur has created an alternate history in this dieselpunk "whodunnit," with its unexpected forms of public transit, weapons straight out of sci-fi, and characters who would be right at home in a Dashiell Hammett tale. The story-telling is solid, the people are believable, and the mystery is well-managed.
This isn't quite a fair-play puzzle; you don't see all of the clues along the way, but the reveal makes sense in the end.
This book is a departure from MacArthur's previous steampunk tales of Dr. Lettie Gantry and, frankly, it's a brilliant one. Highly recommended.
Well, that was me two nights running, because this book is just that good.
Newly-licensed private investigator Lou Tanner is up to her well-dressed neck in a mess. She's being blackmailed by a government agent, trying to find a missing woman on her very first case ... and trying to be taken seriously in the man's world of 1930s San Francisco.
Author T.E. MacArthur has created an alternate history in this dieselpunk "whodunnit," with its unexpected forms of public transit, weapons straight out of sci-fi, and characters who would be right at home in a Dashiell Hammett tale. The story-telling is solid, the people are believable, and the mystery is well-managed.
This isn't quite a fair-play puzzle; you don't see all of the clues along the way, but the reveal makes sense in the end.
This book is a departure from MacArthur's previous steampunk tales of Dr. Lettie Gantry and, frankly, it's a brilliant one. Highly recommended.
February 10, 2023
MacArthur throws curves and misleading clues from the first page. These are so well placed; I was utterly taken in. I found myself astonished when the murderer was disclosed.
The friendly connection between Bennie and PI Lou Tanner seemed odd when considering another detective’s hate for the female gumshoe. MacArthur weaves this difference of opinion throughout the book. Led down a questionable path, I was taken by surprise at the climax. The antagonism directed toward Lou is more than expected, forcing me to ask why? I can only say: “Well played, T.E.”
The interaction of the characters, good and bad, added suspense, tension, and extra suspects. MacArthur has a knack for character development that impresses the reader.
The sprinkling of bots and other robotic gadgets tended to interrupt the flow. MacArthur has an excellent plot plus an incredible cast of characters set in the thirties that worked well without these things.
It was an excellent read.
The friendly connection between Bennie and PI Lou Tanner seemed odd when considering another detective’s hate for the female gumshoe. MacArthur weaves this difference of opinion throughout the book. Led down a questionable path, I was taken by surprise at the climax. The antagonism directed toward Lou is more than expected, forcing me to ask why? I can only say: “Well played, T.E.”
The interaction of the characters, good and bad, added suspense, tension, and extra suspects. MacArthur has a knack for character development that impresses the reader.
The sprinkling of bots and other robotic gadgets tended to interrupt the flow. MacArthur has an excellent plot plus an incredible cast of characters set in the thirties that worked well without these things.
It was an excellent read.
July 9, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable adventures of PI Lou Tanner set in a fusion of film noir genre and futuristic tech. The theme of a woman detective navigating the male dominated crime detective scene is handled well, with a range of expected biases and sometimes unexpected alliances. There's the system, and then those who either slavishly follow it or those who - in pursuit of real answers - are willing to consider other voices and means to the end. MacArthur's characters span that range. I found the running theme as to where the influences in her life weave in, and out, of her life and work enriched the character. I hope Lou never wholly hangs up her hat, so to speak.
May 29, 2024
A beautifully crafted book of mystery, thriller, with a just little bit of romance. Lou tanner the protagonist in this story is a new PI in town taking on her first case. Being judge for being new and a female at that, she never stops at trying to show what she does best; be a PI. She is spunky starting out and it’s hard not to like her from the beginning. Nothing is as easy as it seems when it comes to investigating and Lou weaves her way right through. No matter how big the challenge is. Dive into this amazing steampunk based in the 1930 with futuristic train cars and weapons with a mystery you don’t want to miss!
December 10, 2024
A mixed bag
The positive first - atmospheric, interesting alternate timeline world-building, smart plucky heroine making her way in a man's world, old San Francisco. This novel is a worthy entry in the noir fiction category. I enjoyed the plot and main character.
The negative - for the love of all that is holy, get a proofreader! Misplaced commas and missing pronouns and prepositions were frustrating. And look up gregarious, nonplussed, blasé, and ingratiated. All were used incorrectly. Also check the following homophones - chute/shoot, cite/site/sight. Vocabulary is expanded by reading; you are doing your less experienced readers an injustice by writing sloppily.
The positive first - atmospheric, interesting alternate timeline world-building, smart plucky heroine making her way in a man's world, old San Francisco. This novel is a worthy entry in the noir fiction category. I enjoyed the plot and main character.
The negative - for the love of all that is holy, get a proofreader! Misplaced commas and missing pronouns and prepositions were frustrating. And look up gregarious, nonplussed, blasé, and ingratiated. All were used incorrectly. Also check the following homophones - chute/shoot, cite/site/sight. Vocabulary is expanded by reading; you are doing your less experienced readers an injustice by writing sloppily.
May 14, 2025
This was a well-written and interesting tale with a great protaganist. However, my enjoyment of the book was significantly lessened by the fact that it was obvious that the author/publisher didn't bother to have the book proofread. It's full of mistakes. I am a freelance copy editor and this manuscript is in the same condition as many of the books I receive to edit.
The author is genuinely talented and it's a shame she published something this rough. Very unprofessional.
The author is genuinely talented and it's a shame she published something this rough. Very unprofessional.
October 25, 2023
I love women P.Is!
The first chapter sort of felt uncomfortable to me. Humphrey Bogart's phrases but a female voice? I got over it because the story and the science-fictionalized surrounds were fascinating and good!
The author hooked me with the addition of zeppelins and pre WW 2 hints in a very involved mystery. I hope I find more SF based crimes that Lou is hired to solve.
The first chapter sort of felt uncomfortable to me. Humphrey Bogart's phrases but a female voice? I got over it because the story and the science-fictionalized surrounds were fascinating and good!
The author hooked me with the addition of zeppelins and pre WW 2 hints in a very involved mystery. I hope I find more SF based crimes that Lou is hired to solve.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews