Literary Mysteries set in San Francisco
San Francisco became my muse the moment I moved to the city in 1999. That’s why I’ve written two literary mysteries set in San Francisco (and two literary thrillers). The fog, the hills, and the city’s rich history make it a great setting for dark, twisty tales with a literary bent. Just ask Alfred Hitchcock!
“An excellent, emotionally intelligent literary mystery.” The Daily Mail “A page-turner with a philosophical bent.” Booklist
My first literary mystery, the New York Times bestseller The Year of Fog, opens with the disappearance of a six-year-old child on Ocean Beach. If you know the beach, you know how dense the fog is in summertime, so dense you can only see a few feet in front of you. It felt like the perfect location to set a story of a missing child, and her soon-to-be-stepmother’s obsessive search. Anyone who has spent any time in San Francisco’s outer avenues, Sutro Baths, or Land’s End will recognize the settings in the book.
Next came No One You Know, in which a coffee buyer has a chance encounter with the man accused of murdering her math prodigy sister twenty years before. The man was never arrested. After her carefully structured life is upended by the meeting, Jenny sets out to discover the truth behind her sister’s death. If you know Noe Valley, you’ll feel right at home.
Richmond has established herself as mistress as the kind of literary mystery that packs the punch of a fine thriller, but with added insight and wisdom.
London Daily Mail
So, if you’re looking for a literary mystery set in San Francisco, whether you’re a native, an armchair traveler, or someone who once fell in love with the City by the Bay, I hope you’ll consider my books.
- If you like a missing child mystery, choose the The Year of Fog.
- If a story of math and murder is more your speed, you’ll love No One You Know.
Get the reading group guide for The Year of Fog on Bookreporter.
Read the story behind the book for No One You Know. It involves Graham Greene, the Russian River, and a chance meeting with an iconic rock-and-roll writer for Rolling Stone.
Need music for your literary mystery book club? Get The Year of Fog playlist.
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