IR VERDICT:
Mid-1800s’ San Francisco teemed with gold-diggers, opium dens, thieves, and criminals. Into that milieu sails Chinese emigrant-widow Ah Toy who, to support herself, establishes a brothel. Her success attracts bad and good elements, from a kidnapper sent by her brother-in-law to a neighborhood cop who falls in love. MADAM IN SILK features authentic historical and ethnic details and a quick engaging read that will appeal to lovers of the West – and of stories that end happily ever after.