THE SECRET IN THE WALL (Silver Rush #8) by Ann Parker will be published on February 15th 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press.
When Inez Stannert agreed to help Moria Krause purchased the house next door to her boarding house, she had no idea that the house came with a skeleton hidden in the walls and a hidden room full of secrets that date back to the Civil War. Not long after the skeleton is discovered, the locksmith who was tasked with the upkeep by the home's original owner is found murdered on the back porch. Inez woks with private detective Wolter Roeland de Bruijn to identify the skeleton and trace the bag of gold coins found alongside him. Meanwhile, Inez's ward, Antonia, teams up with Moria Krause's daughter to do some nocturnal investigating of the mysterious house.
I have been a fan of the Silver Rush series since the beginning, but I just haven't warmed up to the last few books as much as the earlier ones. I feel like something was lost when Inez gave up her saloon in Leadville, Colorado, and moved to San Francisco. The music store is much more genteel and San Francisco, while still rough and tumble, lacks the grittiness of the mining town. Inez also lost part of her personality along the way, and I just don't care for her as much as I used to. That being said, THE SECRET IN THE WALL is an enjoyable read. Despite a slow start, there were numerous twists and turns that kept me turning the page. The dual investigations conducted Inez and Antonia allow them discover different facts. My only issue with the novel was Charlotte Krause. She was unbearable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.