Murder at Bent Elbow — Kate Bryan

In 1875, a woman had to be tough to make it on her own. But that's just what Maggie Maguire was: smart, ambitious, and stubbornly adventurous. An unmarried woman who 'd ridden with the carnival she craved excitement and experience. In fact, even working for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency wasn't challenging enough for Maggie Maguire. So she packed up her possessions, tendered her resignation--and set out for San Francisco...

M. Maguire & Co.
Discreet Inquiries

Maggie knows that even when you run your own business, sleuthing work can be deadly dull. And that's what she's thinking as she trails Miss Harriet Hogg, a former Indian captive now hopping from saloon to saloon in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. Harriet has an inheritance coming--that is, if she doesn't drink herself to death before she can claim it. And when a gunshot grazes Maggie's ear soon after she tracks 1 down the hapless heiress, she realizes this particular case isn't deadly dull--it's just plain deadly...