The Fortune Hunter

McKinney (Gentle from the Night, 1997, etc.) has a good time evoking some old-time flimflammery in her latest historical romance, a charming work that draws on the spiritualist craze of the late 19th century, in particular the true story of the Fox sisters, two spiritualists of dubious social pedigree who catered to the wide-eyed elites. The novel's Murphy sisters, Lavinia and Hazel, successfully package and sell spiritualism in 1890s New York City. Their clientele includes Wilhelm Vanadder, wealthy father of bastard son Edward Stuyvesant-French. Edward's mother died in childbirth, disgraced by having tarnished her sterling family name for love of the roguish Wilhelm, who now insists on contacting her in seances conducted by the Murphy sisters. Having made his own fortune on the frontier, Edward assumes the role of avenger, vowing to expose the sisters as frauds and to destroy them for defiling his mother's memory. When Wilhelm dies, Edward's role evolves. He becomes the protector of Daisy Vanadder, Wilhelm's wheelchair-bound legitimate daughter, who has been neglected since birth. Discovering that Wilhelm has left his fortune to the Murphy sisters, Edward swears to recover his half-sister's fortune, bringing him head-to-head with the entrepreneurial sisters--and perhaps into reluctant love with Lavinia. Readers won't have much difficulty guessing how things will end; but, to the normal satisfactions of a well-paced romance, McKinney adds a twinkle-eyed portrait of hucksterism and gullibility. Author tour. (Apr.)