Ambrose Bierce and the One-Eyed Jacks

Ambrose Bierce #3

by Oakley Hall

Ambrose “Bitter” Bierce, San Francisco’s infamous and legendary newspaperman and sometime sleuth is hardly surprised to be hired by William Randolph Hearst when his mistress receives threats.

In steamy Sausalito, the playground of the rich and famous across the bay, Hearst’s isn’t the only case on the boil. While Ambrose and his sidekick, Tom Redmond, hunt the killer of a hard-partying yachtsman, Tom becomes entangled with the queen of the Portuguese Pentecostal feast. When Hearst’s house photographer turns up dead Ambrose faces a web of murder and mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Oakley Hall also wrote under the nom de plume of O.M. Hall and Jason Manor.

Oakley Maxwell Hall was an American novelist. He was born in San Diego, California, graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and served in the Marines during World War II. Some of his mysteries were published under the pen names "O.M. Hall" and "Jason Manor." Hall received his Master of Fine Arts in English from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.

Reviews

[Chazzi]

It is 1891 in San Francisco. The Examiner is in competition with the Chronicle for largest circulation. The Examiner is owned by William Randolph Hearst and Ambrose Bierce is one of its most well-known writers. Tom Redmond is new to the news game but determined to make a name for himself, which he is doing due to a number of the ‘stunt journalism’ stories he is involved in. The story is told by Tom.

A story had been written, earlier, about the importing of young girls from China who are then put to work as slaves and prostitutes. Tom is doing a follow-up story and is introduced to Miss Lindley, a young woman who is involved in rescuing these girls and giving them better lives. Through Miss Lindley, to gets a real look at what is happening, and he also learns of pornography that goes on among the elite of the Sausalito yachting crowd. There may be a link between the two worlds.

When it looks that there could also be a connection between the Sausalito group and a blackmailing attempt on Hearst’s mistress, things get very interesting. With Bierce’s notoriety and connections, Tom finds himself investigating the thin threads that may link the Chinese girls’ situation and the Sausalito activities to the blackmail.

The writing is good and the pace is smooth and the dialogue is crisp and entertaining. Another great read back in time.

[dead letter office]

Oakley Hall (he wrote the really pretty great western Warlock) was at the end of his life writing mysteries set in 1890s San Francisco in which the detective is the author Ambrose Bierce. HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?! There's so much promise in this setup, but the book was plodding and dull. Still, how had I never heard about these?

[Nan]

Hall's a good writer, but this book is not his best. I love the setting (San Francisco in the 1890s), the characters (Ambrose Bierce, William Hearst, Winifred Bonfils), and the plot (scandalous photographs of nearly naked ladies). BUT Hall falls into all the traps that are set for writers of historical fiction. Redmond, his first person narrator, is not that likable. He's antique, quaint at best. The Chinese are caricatures. The tongs seems to be lifted out of a Charlie Chan mystery.

[Robert]

Not one of his best, but still a fun read - particularly if you like and know Sausalito and the surrounding hills - just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. His "top sleuth," Ambrose Bierce, is in good form - but the love affair of his sidekick, Tom Redmond, is the best part of the book. Oakley Hall died in 2008 and I'm just reading his books now - a little late. But, I'm VERY glad I started with "Love and War in California" - an excellent book.

[Todd Stockslager]

Not very good attempt at period mystery starring real-life characters Ambrose Bierce, "Willie" Randolph Hearst, and others. Hall strings together a few quotes from Bierce with pseudo-historical lingo and cheesy and offensive Chinese dialect ("San Flancisco" indeed) and pegs them to a very thin plot. Hard-boiled minimalism is one thing, but failing to tell a story is not it.

At least it was short.

[Tom]

Slight but enjoyable, especially if you a) live in San Francisco, or b) have read Ambrose Bierce. The mystery isn't all that ingenious or compelling; the payoff here is the wealth of 1890s period detail, the cast of real-life characters (in addition to Bierce, William Randolph Hearst and his mother play key roles), and the thrills of Yellow Journalism in its heyday.

[Frank]

A fun read.