The Russian hill murders by Shirley Tallman

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The Russian hill murders by Shirley Tallman

Shirley Tallman’s, “The Russian hill murders” is centered on a young lawyer and her quest for justice in the Russian hills of San Francisco. The genre of the book is a mystery in that the murder of one of the distinguished guests becomes the talk of the town. During a dinner party, the first victim drops dead in front of the other guests. The authorities immediately rule out the possibility of murder and classify it as food poisoning. This incident is swept under the carpet due to lack of adequate evidence. As the community tries to continue with their lives, four other people face the same fate. This occurrence of events causes suspicion due to the similarity of the deaths in regard to food poisoning (Tallman, p.1-334).

One of the main factors to consider is the presence of the Chinese community in the society. Like any society in this period, the community is arranged in social classes placing Chinese people under the minority groups. The society is composed of a Victorian community who make up the elite minority. The authorities under the influence of the elite arrest two Chinese suspects and place them under custody. This is a strategic step formed to pin the murder on members of the defenseless minority. Woolson immediately takes notice of the sudden events and takes on the case.

As mentioned earlier, the book is set in the Victorian era. During this time, women are not as liberated as in the present day. One of the responsibilities of the woman is to get married and raise a family. The society as a result has little regard for career women especially an ambitious lawyer like Woolson. This situation does not dishearten her in that she intends to prove the society wro.............