PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION

An intrepid damsel sidesteps distress to unravel a dangerous plot involving the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Newlywed Lady Diana Framji O’Trey has just settled into a Boston flat with her husband, Capt. James Agnihotri, after a long journey from Bombay when he’s called away to Chicago, the site of the upcoming Columbian Exposition, on a secret assignment for the Dupree Detective Agency. After several weeks pass with no word from Jim, a cryptic visit from professor Rolf Grimke sends Diana’s fears into overdrive. The evasiveness of the agency about Jim’s assignment only heightens them, as does the news that Baldwin, the man who preceded Jim on this case, was murdered. Diana undertakes the rugged trek to Chicago to find him, with elderly porter Tobias Brown as a companion. Aboard the train, she enlists plucky Abigail Martin as sidekick and guide. The fair itself is like a gleaming city, full of hope for a bright future. Diana’s quick thinking enables her to rescue a man clinging to an elevated train. This exploit lands her name in the papers, leading to her brief reunion with Jim, who warns her not to get involved in his dangerous case, advice she agrees to but ignores. March packs her story with so many colorful supporting characters—a veritable United Nations assembly—and offers such a lively period setting that readers may ignore the many twists and turns in the plot. No matter; it’s the picturesque journey of the sleuthing team through an anarchist cell, the mystery surrounding a mine explosion, and a reunion with Jim to assemble the pieces of the puzzle that distinguishes March’s novel.

A flashy vintage romp with a spirited heroine and nonstop surprises.