In Kelli Stanley’s extremely capable hands, the tale told in CITY OF DRAGONS is a picture- and pitch-perfect account of a complex and gripping tale set in a San Francisco 70 years removed from modern times, one in which the city and its culture becomes not only familiar with but also reflective of how the same exists today. Such a work does not occur by happenstance; indeed, there is an intriguing afterword that describes how Stanley immersed herself in the past in order to create the magic that you will find in this story of murder and mystery. Add her considerable talent as a wordsmith --- in one passage, there is a short description of the wares of a drugstore that alone is worth the price of admission --- and you have an instant winner that earns a place of prominence and permanence on your bookshelf.