Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review. This is narrated by Robb Moreira, Suzanne Toren, and Tim Campbell, all of whom do an excellent job.

This historical fiction is a murder mystery set in San Francisco, interspersed with multiple points of view, deposition transcripts, and alternates between the dual timelines of 1930 and 1944. There are 2 primary focuses in the story: one on the settlement of California and the cultural and class prejudices that were predominant during this period; and the murder of a presidential candidate in a luxury hotel. While I felt the author did an excellent job capturing the authenticity of the eras, the story incorporated too many themes of politics, communism, unions, inequality and social status. It read as though 2 books had merged with the murder investigation and the cultural/class issues not well blended.

I really struggled to listen to this one and rate it at 3 stars.

Taking place in the 1940s, the story has all the hallmarks of the hard boiled detective mysteries that were so popular during that time. This is an enjoyable read for someone who is looking for some thing, other than a domestic thriller, or one of the many serial killer thrillers being published today.