The Hatbox Murders: An Elliott Bay Mystery - Paperback

Seattle, 1956

Inspector Michael Riggs doesn't believe in "women's intuition," but when Margaret Baker insists that her friend, Ruby, would never willingly have jumped off a bridge to end her own life, Riggs reluctantly agrees to re-examine the closed case.

Riggs wants to give Miss Baker a sense of closure, but he quickly learns that Ruby was hated by her mousy cousin and adored by her wealthy uncle. Ruby's lifestyle was unconventional, and her shady boyfriend had both a motive and an alibi. Add to that, a tight-lipped boss facing financial ruin, a jealous wife, and a bitter landlady, and Riggs begins to wonder if Ruby wasn't murdered after all.

Riggs soon uncovers a gold watch with a cryptic inscription, a missing cocktail dress, and a curious green hatbox, but he's no closer to catching Ruby's killer. As the police chief starts to boil over, Riggs decides to call on his old friend, Victoria, to help him prove what really happened the night Ruby jumped.

Victoria is determined to stay out of the limelight, and he agrees to help Riggs only if her involvement is kept a secret. But when the murderer strikes again, Victoria realizes that she'll have to risk more than the spotlight if she's going to help Riggs catch the murderer.