This was the second book by Emily Toll that I read.I enjoyed reading about the California Gold Country and learning about the horrific, no longer used practice of hydraulic mining. I liked the characters.However, the mystery wasn't very good. There were not enough viable suspects. Also, I figured out who the murderer was before it was disclosed. I can rarely do this. Although I enjoyed the first book more, I don't know if I'll bother to read a third.