The Woman in the Camphor Trunk
by Jennifer Kincheloe
Finalist, Lefty Awards for Historical Mystery
“The feisty heroine's sleuthing abilities and tricky love life make it hard to put this fast-paced historical mystery/romance down and leaves you wanting more.”
-Kirkus Reviews
Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. Her lover has fled. If news gets out that a white woman was murdered in Chinatown, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna plan to solve the crime quietly and keep the death a secret. So does good-looking Mr. Jones, a prominent Chinese leader who has mixed feelings about helping the LAPD and about Anna.
Meanwhile, the Hop Sing tong has kidnapped two slave girls from the Bing Kong tong, fuelling existing tensions. They are poised on the verge of a bloody tong war that would put all Chinatown residents in danger.
Joe orders Anna out of Chinatown to keep her safe, but to atone for her own family's sins, Anna must stay to solve the crime before news of the murder is leaked and Chinatown explodes.
Reviews for The Woman in the Camphor Trunk
“The feisty heroine's sleuthing abilities and tricky love life make it hard to put this fast-paced historical mystery/romance down and leaves you wanting more.”
--Kirkus
“[A] winning sequel…. Kincheloe skillfully juxtaposes a witty, playful voice with richly evocative details that bring L.A.’s Chinatown—and its long history of ethnic tensions—to life.”
--Publishers Weekly
“Fans of historical fiction starring feisty heroines will love this crime-solving suffragette.”
--Booklist
“Anna is…strong and determined and has an intriguing voice. Historical fiction fans who loved The Secret Life of Anna Blanc will enjoy her second investigative adventure.”
--Library Journal
"Whimsical but deadly."
--Pop Culture Nerd
"Anna remains a delightful combination of smarts and feistiness . . . While making readers chuckle, Kincheloe also makes them think."
--Shelf Awareness Starred Review
“Anna Blanc is back with another brilliant and captivating romp! The Woman in the Camphor Trunk is as fast, funny, and rich as the first excellent book in the series, with a tightly plotted mystery, compelling characters, and a vividly drawn setting. The extraordinary Anna navigates turn-of-the-century Los Angeles with a fearless and feisty charm. A fascinating read—not to be missed!”
--Cynthia Kuhn, Agatha Award–winning author of the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries
"Hold onto your ostrich-feather hat! Jennifer Kincheloe's Anna Blanc returns with a bucketful of mysteries, snappy banter -- oh, and did I mention the severed head? The Woman in the Camphor Trunk builds on the rollercoaster excitement delivered in The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, avoiding the pitfall of so many sequels that taste like reheated casserole. In Anna, Kincheloe has created that rare fictional character who's so vivid, so real, so flesh-and-blood, you forget she's fiction. If you have time to read just one mystery novel this year, read both of Anna Blanc's."
--Dean Karayanis, Host of The History Author Show