Rosemary Miner

The Adirondacks in 1874 is a harsh land of rugged landscape and hard-scrabble living where each spring local men seek jobs bringing logs to market on the wild white-waters of the Hudson River.

As the annual drive is ready to start, Miss Grace Wickham, herbal healer and amateur sleuth, is traveling home on the new Adirondack Railway. On the train she meets and befriends young Jenny Crane. Jenny’s brother wrote her that logging wasn’t for him. Now he’s missing and she’s on a quest to find him.

When he turns up under mysterious circumstances, Jenny’s body is found only yards from Miss Wickham’s house. Did they have a falling out? Suspects include Jenny’s angry husband and his “snake oil” partner who come to the Adirondacks looking for Jenny. But did the beautiful Jenny refuse the attentions of tannery workers at the boarding house where she looked for her brother? And how innocent is young Sam Somerville, the last person to see Jenny alive?

Once again it’s up to Gracie Wickham to reveal why Jenny had to be silenced as she confronts unexpected violence when the log drive stops overnight. This time Gracie ends up solving more than one mystery.