Frog Music by Emma Donoghue is a gripping historical crime novel set during a sweltering summer in 1876 San Francisco. Amid a smallpox outbreak and social upheaval, burlesque dancer Blanche Beunon witnesses the shocking murder of her eccentric friend Jenny Bonnet—a frog-catching, cross-dressing woman with a mysterious past. Over three suspense-filled days, Blanche dives into Jenny’s unconventional world of outsiders and secrets, determined to find her killer before he finds her.
Inspired by a real unsolved crime, Frog Music blends lyrical storytelling with gritty historical detail, exploring gender, survival, and the price of freedom in a lawless, fevered city. From the author of Room, it’s a haunting and atmospheric tale of murder, music, and friendship.
