Publisher's Weekly
A sprightly pace and attractive heroine enliven the pages of this first mystery set in San Francisco. Ingrid Hunter is a photographer who supplements her income with temporary office work, but an assignment at the law firm of Bramwell, Stinson and Flint leads to more than a paycheck. Bramwell's director of personnel, Miranda Falk, an old school friend, takes Ingrid out to lunch and suggests it will be in Ingrid's best interests to deliver a package for her. But that afternoon Miranda falls to her death from her office window and Ingrid is left holding a mysterious key. In rapid succession, Ingrid's apartment is burned, she is mugged, her camera bag is stolen and her darkroom broken into. Discovering that Miranda had run an extensive blackmailing and drug-dealing operation, Ingrid finds herself the focus of Miranda's cohorts and victims. An overloaded cast of characters and unnecessarily complicated plot slow the action somewhat, but Ingrid's agreeability and the lovingly evoked San Francisco setting help make this a promising debut.