The Gold Pawn

Scandal rocks Depression Era New York while a Mayor's aide pursues her dark past in a mystery full of "colorful characters and rich historical flavor" (Publishers Weekly).
November, 1936. Lane Sanders breaks away from her busy job at City Hall to confront childhood nightmares still lingering in Rochester, Michigan. An unknown assailant left Lane with scattered memories after viciously murdering her parents. But one memory of a solid gold pawn piece remains—and with it lies a startling connection between the midwestern tragedy and a current mystery haunting the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, panic grips Manhattan after a respected banker disappears, threatening the already crippled financial industry—not to mention the pristine reputation of Lane's boss, Mayor Fiorello "Fio" La Guardia. Fio's fight to restore order leads him into conflict with a familiar foe intent on ending his mayoral term—and his life.

Now it's up to Lane to both silence old ghosts and derail present-day schemes. But when the investigation awakens a darker side of her own nature, will she—and the city she loves—still forge ahead into a prosperous new age? Or is history doomed to repeat itself?

Agatha Award—Best Historical Novel Nominee
Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Nominee