July-August 1900. In this, the first book of the series, Harry is sent to Buffalo, New York, to investigate a fire that destroyed a grain elevator. But when Harry uncovers a smuggling operation, the case morphs into something more serious. Trains and steamships feature prominently as he crosses into Canada and back, accompanied by a curious young woman who seems to be conducting an investigation of her own. But Harry can never be sure of anyone's loyalties, least of all those who've hired him.
A Crib Sheet is available which includes a short glossary, a list of the characters, and three maps. (also available as DOC or PDF)
Online map: The Library of Congress has a perspective map of Buffalo created in 1902 and they've provided a zoomable version on the Web. The level of detail is simply incredible. It's sort of a Google Street View from 110 years ago.
Several posts on my blog touch on subjects mentioned in this story. And there's a glossary, a chronology, and a list of characters for the books.