From the Ashes (Ravenwood Mysteries #1)

Historical Afterword

THERE ARE A NUMBER of references to historical figures and places in this book, ie: Cowboy Mag, Johnny McNear, Father Caraher, The Lively Flea, Big Matilda (that was a real business card) and many others.

Historical references for these colorful figures are few and far between. While I attempted to be as accurate as possible, I wasn't always able to pinpoint exact dates. Since this is a work of fiction, I tossed my characters into a temporal anomaly and it may have resulted in alterations to the Space Time Continuum.

✥

The following is an actual ransom note:

"You wil have to pay us before you git her from us, and pay us a big cent to if you put the cops hunting for her you is only defeegin yu own end."

It was written in 1874 and was the first ransom note sent in America. The case involved the abduction of a little boy, Charley Ross.

✥

Truth is often stranger than fiction. During my research of San Francisco's Barbary Coast and the surrounding areas, I uncovered a gold mine of the truly bizarre. (Anyone who has lived in, or near San Francisco will know that the bizarre is still alive and thriving.)

Isobel's early life is based loosely off of Aimée Crocker, or sometimes known as Princess Aimée Crocker-Ashe-Gillig-Gourand-Miskinoff-Galitzine, who was an heiress to a fortune, roamed the docks as a child, was sent to a Dresden finishing school, had her chaperone ditch her, and then proceeded to roam Europe with a group of friends—unchaperoned. And yes, she did stop in the middle of an aisle to light up a cigarette as a flower girl. However, where Aimée had a passion for men, Isobel has a passion for detective work.

Regardless, there are numerous women throughout San Francisco's history who did whatever they pleased. And countless instances of women masquerading as men.

✥

For anyone interested in this time period and setting: the book 'The Barbary Coast: An informal History of the San Francisco Underworld' by Herbert Asbury is a fascinating read.