Who Killed Janet Smith?

The question asked by the title is never answered, but nevertheless this is an excellent read. Although judging by the cover you might think you're getting a fictional murder mystery, in fact this book documents the writer's almost incredibly detailed investigations into a true-life crime mystery--the death in suspicious circumstances of a Scottish nanny in the high society of 1920's Vancouver, B.C.--and the hack-handed but nevertheless successful high-level cover-up which followed, involving police, politicians, elite families and the courts. Sadly, after all that work, the author leaves you guessing about who really did it! I ended with a strong suspicion against one of the characters (cherchez la femme), but the writer didn't seem to be trying to lead me that way--or any way. So was he worried about lawsuits, or did he really not work it out himself?The author also explores a couple of interesting side roads--the way Chinese immigrants were treated--and is excellent at presenting Vancouver society of the period. An interesting and insightful read, and a must for anyone with an interest in Canadian history and a reasonable tolerance for ambiguity.