Beacon Street Mourning by Dianne Day

In Beacon Street Mourning, Fremont Jones, suspicious her ailing father is being neglected by his wife Augusta, returns to Boston to see him. Her father begins to improve, then suddenly dies. Fremont must solve what she believes to be murder by poison, while others, including his doctor, contend that her father died of natural causes. She suspects her father’s wife, until Augusta is shot to death. Fremont’s partner Michael goes out of town to investigate Augusta’s past for possible connections, while Fremont stays in her father’s (now her) house, possibly within the killer’s reach. Still hampered by her injuries from a previous adventure, she is unsure of how she’ll defend herself if the need arises. She looks out a window late at night and sees someone attempting to break into the house! By day she questions those who had the opportunity to kill her father, or may know who did. Did an old friend betray Fremont and her father? Did Augusta kill him thinking she would inherit? But then who killed Augusta? Will the police think Fremont shot her? I like Fremont’s independent spirit. She’s true to those special, courageous women of her time who proved to the world that women could be more than decorations. The characterization is superb, and though I’m no historian I believe Ms. Day kept this story true to the era. This is fine writing, in a well-crafted book, that I wanted to read slowly and savor. It’s the first I’ve read of Dianne Day’s work, and I fully intend to read more.