The Golden Gate Murders
As the story opens, Jack London meets the owner of one of the many saloons in San Francisco, someone with important matters to discuss. The man is called away before revealing anything, and his body is later found in an alleyway, the victim of an apparent mugging. Jack is contacted by a group of saloon owners and is told that a mysterious threat is hanging over the city; the saloon owners want to hire him to investigate.
It is quite an adventure as London ranges over much of the infamous Barbary Coast, then takes a side trip to gold country and finds adventure in an abandoned gold mine. He and a colleague even get marooned on Alcatraz Island. Real people of the era, such as Wyatt Earp, also make their appearance. Jack London is an engaging and likeable hero, using his wits and wisdom to achieve his aim of solving the mystery. His character and those of his friends ring true, and Mr. King presents a fascinating picture of a colorful era in the American West.
