Ambrose Bierce and the Death of Kings

Hall unveils the sequel to his Ambrose Bierce and the Queen of Spades. Once again, the hero is the historical figure Ambrose Bierce, William Randolph Hearst's star journalist and San Francisco's most celebrated writer. This time Bierce is investigating the disappearance of a Hawaiian princess attached to King Kalakaua's entourage. While the aged king slowly expires in the Palace Hotel's Royal Suite, San Francisco plays host to a throng of Hawaiian royal courtiers and counselors embroiled in a swirl of political intrigue surrounding the successor to the throne. As Bierce and his protege, Tom Redmond, search for the missing princess, Hall weaves a wonderfully tangled narrative of murder and mystery. Intelligent, gripping, and often very funny, Ambrose Bierce and the Death of Kings will appeal to all readers of mysteries, adventure tales, and historical novels.