Esther and Herman Stein were the first people to move into Annie Dawson's San Francisco O'Farrell Street boardinghouse and are two of Annie biggest supporters. Yet, Esther has always disapproved of how Annie's work, first as Madam Sibyl and now as a financial advisor, has led her into criminal investigations. All this will change when Esther is confronted with a crime of her own to solve.

Chronologically, this novella comes in the summer of 1882, soon after the events in Entangled Threads, the eighth novel in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series. However, it doesn't need to be read in that order. As with the other shorter works in this series, Mrs. Stein Solves a Crime gives a minor character the chance to play a starring role.