A Charm of Powerful Trouble

I must admit, I wouldn't think of giving my husband a murder as an anniversary present, but then again, I'm not Emmie Reese.  In the latest installment of Robert Bruce Stewart's amusing Harry Reese mystery series, A Charm of Powerful Trouble (#391), that's just what she sets out to do on a tourist-trap tour of  a fake Chinatown set up in a warehouse far from the real Chinatown.  Little does she know that the amusement she's planned for her small family outing will turn out to be real, and that one of Harry's relatives will be involved in the mix.

Is it any surprise that if Emmie Reese plans something, it rarely turns out as expected?  Her perpetually bemused spouse Harry has just learned to follow the clues Emmie turns up to solve the mysteries she uncovers and let her go her own way in investigating matters. After all, Harry is an insurance fraud investigator, so he knows a thing or two about criminal activity and he is perfectly capable of following up on his own angles.  In A Charm of Powerful Trouble, the vaudeville circuit, Chinese tongs, cricket farmers, white slavery, a Utopian religious commune, a policeman sleeping on their couch and a missing academic manuscript are all involved.  Plus much riding of streetcars, railroads and ferries by all parties to ferret out the clues.  Absurd?  Definitely; but somehow in Emmie's world, it all does manage to make sense.  Somewhat.  Entertaining?  Absolutely!

I started this series in the middle and read backwards, and up until this point that worked out just fine.   With A Charm of Powerful Trouble, though, I would have missed much of what was going on between the characters without having read the previous books.  For maximum enjoyment of this quirky series, I would recommend reading them in order. 

One of things that Mr. Stewart has done on his website is to provide a Glossary, maps and a series of background articles (with photos) of his source materials.  (See  Street Car Mysteries website )  It's worth a look for some interesting insights into turn-of-the century NYC.  Can't wait for the further adventures of the Reeses!