I read several books and recounts of the San Francisco earthquake: San Francisco is Burning by Dennis Smith, The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire by Charles Morris and Denial of Disaster by Gladys Hansen and Emmet Condon, to name a few. Gladys Hansen, a local historian, challenged the original death toll of the earthquake, arguing that many of the undocumented immigrants who perished were not counted. Also, the fires that sprung up after the quake may have destroyed a lot of the physical evidence. The number of casualties has been long speculated on—at the time it was written down as 478—it seems there were far more people never heard of again, after the event. A high number of victims was bad publicity, and likely would have affected the rebuilding of San Francisco in a negative way. Mrs. Hansen’s research came up with a death toll of at least 3,000 people.
As far as our victim in this book is concerned; I do not know if the family would have been successful in obtaining a death certificate for her, which I assume would have been necessary for her name to be placed upon the family headstone in Washington, D.C. My cynical side just assumed that William would have had the contacts to make it happen.
Addiction to narcotics was a big problem in America the early 1900’s. For decades prior, unregulated syrups, tinctures and the like—containing morphine or opium—had been flooding the markets, often sold by unregulated sellers. Women apparently, made up a significant portion (if not the majority) of users—opiate concoctions were often prescribed for problems of the “female kind.” Laudanum contained 10% opium, as well as alcohol. But there were other products on the market with a higher opiate content without disclosing such. Towards the end of the 19th century, the society seems to be aware of the opiate addiction problem; just browsing through the San Francisco Call I found quite a few reports pertaining to suicide or accidental death by laudanum ingestion. I also came across a number of ads hailing Opacura, which would “cure any morphine, opium or laudanum habit without any suffering or inconvenience.” I could find very few references to Opacura, but those I did find claimed it actually contained opium. In 1906, under The Pure Food and Drug Act, companies finally had to disclose the ingredients of their products. After that, more regulations were passed, but going into those would fall far outside the scope of this story.
The history of syphilis is fascinating; aside from many medical papers, I read In the Land of Pain by Alphonse Daudet, in which he describes his struggle with tabes dorsalis, a form of neurosyphilis which causes excruciating nerve pains. In the book Pox by Deborah Hayden, the author carefully details the history of syphilis, its treatments and all the various famous persons who may have suffered from the affliction.
The first documentation of syphilis starts around 1495. Before it was treatable, syphilis was a much-dreaded condition, that could rob one of one’s health, good looks and sanity. It is an infectious disease cause by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. Throughout history, doctors have used many compounds to treat it, and mercury, which was also very toxic, was used for a long time. “One night with Venus, a lifetime with mercury” was a famous saying. Mercury was used to treat other conditions as well, but its main historic association—as far as I can tell—was as treatment of syphilis. It was not until the discovery of penicillin, in the 1940’s, that syphilis could finally be treated safely and effectively.
The symptomatology of syphilis is very broad—it has been dubbed frequently as “the great imitator” for its mimicry of other diseases. Since it is now a treatable infection, the late stage of syphilis is quite rare. In utero transmission of syphilis can cause miscarriages or seriously affect the baby’s health, even though the mother may not yet be aware of being infected. According to the CDC’s website many of the states (but not all) in the USA have laws in place that require screening pregnant women on their first prenatal visit. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends testing of all women on their first prenatal visit of each pregnancy.
Acknowledgment
When I wrote this book in 2017, I was a little hesitant at first, since it had more historical fiction elements in it and I wasn’t certain that was my thing. Although I had done my share of research for the book, my doubts remained. At the time though, I decided there was too much of a gap in the storyline between book 2, The Charm of Lost Chances, and this one, which prompted me to focus on writing and publishing book 3, The Secrets of Sinclair Lodge. During all this time, A Dose of Deadly Intentions waited patiently on my computer, collecting virtual dust. But people kept asking about the next book, and towards the end of 2019, I picked it up again. To all those people, thank you for your encouragement!
I have had a lot of help from many people while writing this book. I am especially grateful to my husband and children, for letting me write and giving me the time and space to get it done. We have been homeschooling due to the covid-19 school closure, and finding time and space is a challenge for everyone in our house. Everyone except for our dog that is—she has never been this happy.
I am also very grateful to my parents and my sister, who are always willing to read anything I give them and provide me with (very honest) feedback. Many thanks to my other beta-readers for their support and suggestions, which have undoubtedly made the book better. My editor, Leah, is fantastic and seems unfazed by any document I submit to her.
And last but not least, I’d like to thank my readers. I am very grateful for your support and I hope you enjoyed A Dose of Deadly Intentions. As always, any reviews on Amazon, Goodreads or Bookbub are greatly appreciated!
I can be found on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads. I also have a website where I blog (ir)regularly about traveling, story-telling and whatever comes up.
I do not know if Sara will have more adventures. She seems in a good place right now. It would perhaps be cruel to have her suffer through any more nightmare-filled mysteries. But then again, you can never tell when a ghost decides it’s time to stir up some trouble…
Thanks again,
Lucia (June, 2020)
About The Author
Lucia N. Davis
lives in Michigan with her husband and three children.
She loves traveling and has visited many countries over the years, exploring different cultures. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking and practicing yoga. In the winter, she tries to embrace living in cold Michigan by going skiing and being a hockey-mom. But she really prefers palm trees.
Books By This Author
The Baby on the Back Porch
Dunnhill Mystery #1
An old cabin, hidden in the forests of the Northern Cascades, has been a silent witness to mysterious events long forgotten. But sometimes the past has a way of resurfacing…
In search of solace after a personal tragedy, Sara Eriksson exchanges vibrant San Francisco for a small mountain village. Initially, everything at the cabin is just as she imagined: Her new surroundings are breathtaking, and her landlord, David, is kind and helpful. As soon as she’s left alone, however, Sara finds her new home is not quite as peaceful as she’d thought. First she has an unwanted visitor. Then, an unsettling dream…
Sara pursues the leads presented to her, but she can’t solve the mystery on her own. It takes both Sara and David to uncover the truth about the past—and discover a connection they never expected.
The Charm of Lost Chances
Dunnhill Mystery #2
In Dunnhill, a quiet mountain village in the Northern Cascades, unresolved secrets from the past have a way of making themselves heard. In this sequel to The Baby on the Back Porch, Sara Eriksson returns to Dunnhill hoping for a second chance—not only at a scenic getaway, but with David, the landlord of the cabin, whom Sara had only just started getting to know.
Sara’s cabin in the woods is just as beautiful as she left it—but so is David’s new client, Taylor. Just as Sara is starting to come to terms with the fact that David may not share her feelings, her dreams return, setting a series of events into motion and leading Sara down a winding path
to a new mystery that only she can unravel.
As Sara struggles to keep her wits—and her sanity—about her, she must decide which chances she’ll take, and which she’ll allow to be lost to time.
The Secrets of Sinclair Lodge
Dunnhill Mystery #3
In Sinclair Lodge, you are never alone…
Sara Eriksson has moved to Dunnhill, a charming, small mountain village tucked in the Northern Cascades, to be closer to her boyfriend David. The start of the winter season has transformed the town into a snow-lover’s paradise—but perhaps not the paradise Sara had in mind.
Sara’s bank account is a disaster. Work is hard to come by. David, who is mourning the loss of his grandfather, has withdrawn into an obsession for skiing—an obsession he desperately wants to share with Sara. She doesn’t know how to ski, but David is determined to teach her. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, she stumbles upon a dead body.
When an unexpected job offer comes her way—tutoring a young girl in the famed Sinclair Lodge—her problems seem to be solved. However, she quickly finds out they are only getting started. As she mingles with the rich, powerful and disturbing members of the Sinclair household, she becomes entangled in a web of secrets, lies and intrigue. Before long, her haunting dreams and visions return, slowly exposing the terrifying truth.
But what is the truth? Whom can she trust? And who might be coming for her? The journey ahead is a treacherous one. She soon realizes she has to watch her step, for there is danger hiding in every corner…
A Dose of Deadly Intentions Page 17