At the dawn of the 20th century, Americans believe that science, especially the medical sciences, will soon conquer all of mankind's ills. For a brief time medical schools open their doors to women, allowing them to join the scientific crusade. Genevieve Summerford is one woman who answers the call..
A DEADLY AFFECTION (Book 1)
After a past family tragedy for which she holds herself to blame, Dr. Genevieve Summerford wants nothing more than to succeed in her new career as a psychiatrist, and win back the respect of her family and peers. That goal is thrown into jeopardy, however, when one of her patients is arrested for murder — a murder Genevieve fears she may have unwittingly provoked.
Nominated for the
Daphne Du Maurier Award
A PROMISE OF RUIN (Book 2)
As psychiatrist Dr. Genevieve Summerford watches from the docks, the body of a young Italian woman is pulled from Manhattan's East River, dampening the city's Independence Day festivities. The police suspect random violence -- but when Genevieve is asked to help find another young Italian woman who's gone missing, she soon discovers that something far more sinister is afoot.
A MEASURE OF MADNESS (Book 3)
A financial panic has just hit New York City, but well-born psychiatrist Genevieve Summerford and her unlikely beau, Tammany politician Simon Shaw, are ensconced in their own little cocoon, celebrating the sale of Simon’s colt at auction. Their blissful solitude is shattered by news that a dear friend of Genevieve’s family, Edgar Matheson, has died from a fall down his townhouse stairs. His wife, May, insists that the death was a murder, for which she is diagnosed with hysteria and sent to a sanatorium for a dubious “rest cure”.
Hoping to relieve May’s mind, and anxious to end her demoralizing treatment, Genevieve promises to look more closely into the death to see if foul play may indeed have been involved. Her search takes her deep into the booming oyster industry of Long Island Sound—an industry, she soon learns, that is rife with conflict and intrigue, where there are more reasons for killing a man than she can count on one hand. But as her questioning starts to bear fruit, she grows increasingly uneasy. Will she discover the truth, only to destroy May in the process?