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The Speakeasy Murders #2
The Fate of a Flapper
The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.
A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!
After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.
Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls—she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.
Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat.
A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!
After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.
Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls—she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.
Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2020
41 people are currently reading
2201 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Calkins
22 books345 followersSUSANNA CALKINS, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion series, holds a PhD in history and teaches at the college level. Her historical mysteries have been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark and Agatha awards, among many others, and The Masque of a Murderer received a Macavity. Originally from Philadelphia, Calkins now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 4, 2021
Love reading books set in the twenties and that this was set in Chicago, the city of my youth was a bonus. So much happening here, during this time, all mentioned in the story. Al Capone and the St. Valentine massacre, prohibition and the speakeasies, protection rackets, anarchist bombings and of course the stock market crash.
The year is 1929 and Gina works at a speakeasy. When two recent customers are found dead, Gina and her cousin who is a police officer, become involved. This is a light, non graphic mystery, characters that are from all backgrounds, and framed within some wonderfully illustrated historical context. It is fast paced and the main characters are well drawn, the story one that draws the reader into this time and place. It was easy to feel that one was actually there, the atmosphere created so vividly.
The authors note denotes those characters and events that were actual real and took place. Chicago was a rip roaring, often dangerous town during this time and many people became involved in things that soon became deadly. Well done and interesting.
The year is 1929 and Gina works at a speakeasy. When two recent customers are found dead, Gina and her cousin who is a police officer, become involved. This is a light, non graphic mystery, characters that are from all backgrounds, and framed within some wonderfully illustrated historical context. It is fast paced and the main characters are well drawn, the story one that draws the reader into this time and place. It was easy to feel that one was actually there, the atmosphere created so vividly.
The authors note denotes those characters and events that were actual real and took place. Chicago was a rip roaring, often dangerous town during this time and many people became involved in things that soon became deadly. Well done and interesting.
August 30, 2020
The year is 1929 during the midst of Prohibition and on the verge of the Great Depression. The place, a Chicago Speakeasy serving backyard gin and other spirits.
Our main character Gina is naturally spirited herself and loves her job as a cigarette girl. She and her cousin investigate the death of a customer who’d been in the club a few nights prior. Was it bad alcohol, or a competitor trying to steal business away? Maybe an enforcer looking to earn protection money?
This book has nuance and is true to the period, which I loved. My grandmother was born in 1906 near Chicago and lived through this era and I couldn't get enough of her stories. This brought me closer to her and was a wonderful read for me.
Our main character Gina is naturally spirited herself and loves her job as a cigarette girl. She and her cousin investigate the death of a customer who’d been in the club a few nights prior. Was it bad alcohol, or a competitor trying to steal business away? Maybe an enforcer looking to earn protection money?
This book has nuance and is true to the period, which I loved. My grandmother was born in 1906 near Chicago and lived through this era and I couldn't get enough of her stories. This brought me closer to her and was a wonderful read for me.
May 16, 2021
Speakeasies, prohibition cocktails like the Bees Knees and the Corpse Reviver are all the rage now. Bars with hidden entrances and secret passwords sound like fun.
But in the 1920s, speakeasies were necessary but also dangerous at times. They were the bars the cops couldn’t find and patrons went to wet their whistle over a dark and stormy or a gin blossom while listening to music.
Prohibition era Chicago is the setting again for the second installment of Susanna Calkins Speakeasy Murder series.
The Fate of a Flapper, set in 1929, takes us back to the Chicago speakeasy, The Third Door, and our Gina Ricci.
Gina, still working as a cigarette girl at night, finds that her amateur sleuthing skills are needed again after two customers die after leaving The Third Door.
Their deaths will have Gina, along with her cousin policewoman Nancy Doyle, and her suitor Roark, investigating the suspicious double murders from the alcohol poisoning of a flapper and a businessman.
Author Susanna Calkins has Gina building quite the reputation as an amateur sleuth and this follow up book to Murder Knocks Twice is another great read. It is even better with a gin cocktail but maybe not from the same batch that poisoned the flapper and businessman.
Looking forward to the next installment from Susanna Calkins. Gina is definitely the bees knees of detectives.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheFateofaFlapper
But in the 1920s, speakeasies were necessary but also dangerous at times. They were the bars the cops couldn’t find and patrons went to wet their whistle over a dark and stormy or a gin blossom while listening to music.
Prohibition era Chicago is the setting again for the second installment of Susanna Calkins Speakeasy Murder series.
The Fate of a Flapper, set in 1929, takes us back to the Chicago speakeasy, The Third Door, and our Gina Ricci.
Gina, still working as a cigarette girl at night, finds that her amateur sleuthing skills are needed again after two customers die after leaving The Third Door.
Their deaths will have Gina, along with her cousin policewoman Nancy Doyle, and her suitor Roark, investigating the suspicious double murders from the alcohol poisoning of a flapper and a businessman.
Author Susanna Calkins has Gina building quite the reputation as an amateur sleuth and this follow up book to Murder Knocks Twice is another great read. It is even better with a gin cocktail but maybe not from the same batch that poisoned the flapper and businessman.
Looking forward to the next installment from Susanna Calkins. Gina is definitely the bees knees of detectives.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheFateofaFlapper
July 10, 2020
This was a fun historical mystery in a unique setting, a Chicago speakeasy during the late 1920’s. I really enjoyed reading the story of Gina and her cousin Nancy. They are both strong women trying to make their way in the seedier side of Chicago. The mystery part of the book kept me guessing and I didn’t figure out the murderer until the very end.
I really liked the glimpses into 1929 Chicago during prohibition and just before the stock market crash. I also appreciate that the author provided some of her factual research and historical backstory in her Author’s Note at the end of the book.
This is the second in a series and I hadn’t read the first book, Murder Knocks Twice, but I didn’t feel lost at all. This could easily have been a stand-alone because I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not having read the first book. However, I loved this book and the characters so much, I am going to go back and read the first in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun and entertaining read. I recommend this book to all historical/cozy mystery lovers. 4/5
This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I really liked the glimpses into 1929 Chicago during prohibition and just before the stock market crash. I also appreciate that the author provided some of her factual research and historical backstory in her Author’s Note at the end of the book.
This is the second in a series and I hadn’t read the first book, Murder Knocks Twice, but I didn’t feel lost at all. This could easily have been a stand-alone because I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not having read the first book. However, I loved this book and the characters so much, I am going to go back and read the first in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun and entertaining read. I recommend this book to all historical/cozy mystery lovers. 4/5
This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
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December 18, 2020I requested this book when I first joined Netgalley . I was then in the habit of skimming the synopsis which is how I ended up with way too many arcs ,many of which I found unexpected content in . Somehow I managed to miss the fact that the MC is a waitress at speakeasy ( aka an underground bar during the prohibition ) which meant that most of those we encounter are drunk which really isn't something I enjoy reading about . Secondly this was the second book . 😅🤦Lastly I didn't find the mystery to be that Earth shattering .
Thank you so much to Netgalley , the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this copy free of charge in exchange for an honest review . 😄
Thank you so much to Netgalley , the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this copy free of charge in exchange for an honest review . 😄
December 29, 2020
It is always interesting to see life from inside a speakeasy. Glamorous and dangerous. Behind the scenes, not really so glamorous. But still dangerous and interesting. A solid mystery with some very interesting facts I didn't know about the time period, i.e. all the bombings in Chicago and the minicrashes in the stock market before the main event.
July 29, 2020
The Fate Of A Flapper is the second book in The Speakeasy Mystery series.
This book takes place in 1929 and is set in Chicago, Illinois. The country is dealing with Prohibition and speakeasy’s are popular for those that would like an alcoholic drink and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the Great Stock Crash are just around the corner.
Gina Ricci is a cigarette girl/waitress at the speakeasy place, The Third Door. They are usually very busy and quite often have to turn patrons away. One evening the customers are packed in and Gina is very busy keeping up with the customer’s request for drinks and smokes. One gentleman has had far too much and has been ordered out of the establishment. Gina is also kept busy by another table that is occupied by two couples who have had a lot to drink and finally leave.
The next morning Gina gets a call from her cousin, Nancy Doyle, a police officer, asking that she bring her camera to an apartment where Nancy is investigating the death of a young girl. Gina has been able to prove her photographic skills since another cousin left his photographic equipment when he passed. Nancy is hoping that she can get a promotion if she can solve the case.
Gina is shocked when she arrives at the apartment and finds that the female is one of those from the previous evening at the speakeasy. It is thought that her death is from a drug overdose but when the body of one of the men is also found dead, they become suspicious that some “bad hooch” might have been delivered to the speakeasy. Gina wanting to help her cousin solve the murder and find out if bad gin was the reason for the death before The Third Door business becomes ruined.
This book is well-written and the time-period is well done. The characters are well-developed, interesting, and believable.
I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
This book takes place in 1929 and is set in Chicago, Illinois. The country is dealing with Prohibition and speakeasy’s are popular for those that would like an alcoholic drink and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the Great Stock Crash are just around the corner.
Gina Ricci is a cigarette girl/waitress at the speakeasy place, The Third Door. They are usually very busy and quite often have to turn patrons away. One evening the customers are packed in and Gina is very busy keeping up with the customer’s request for drinks and smokes. One gentleman has had far too much and has been ordered out of the establishment. Gina is also kept busy by another table that is occupied by two couples who have had a lot to drink and finally leave.
The next morning Gina gets a call from her cousin, Nancy Doyle, a police officer, asking that she bring her camera to an apartment where Nancy is investigating the death of a young girl. Gina has been able to prove her photographic skills since another cousin left his photographic equipment when he passed. Nancy is hoping that she can get a promotion if she can solve the case.
Gina is shocked when she arrives at the apartment and finds that the female is one of those from the previous evening at the speakeasy. It is thought that her death is from a drug overdose but when the body of one of the men is also found dead, they become suspicious that some “bad hooch” might have been delivered to the speakeasy. Gina wanting to help her cousin solve the murder and find out if bad gin was the reason for the death before The Third Door business becomes ruined.
This book is well-written and the time-period is well done. The characters are well-developed, interesting, and believable.
I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
July 23, 2020
Another great read from this series. Great characters, great setting, great story. I could not put it down. The author does a wonderful job taking the reader back to Chicago in 1929. A fantastic work of historical fiction.
April 4, 2021
Ms. Calkins takes us back about 100 years to the time of prohibition, dance hall gals, speakeasies, and bottles liquor. However, human nature remains consistent, no matter what time we are examining.
Hence, skullduggery, poisoning, and murder most foul take place, and so it is that our heroine -- the title referenced "flapper" -- comes into play
It was a fun read with the true nature of the bad guys keeping me guessing.
Which is about all that one can reasonably expect from a murder mystery.
I enjoyed it!
Hence, skullduggery, poisoning, and murder most foul take place, and so it is that our heroine -- the title referenced "flapper" -- comes into play
It was a fun read with the true nature of the bad guys keeping me guessing.
Which is about all that one can reasonably expect from a murder mystery.
I enjoyed it!
October 14, 2020
I greatly enjoyed this second in the series. Calkins gets all the details right in this historical mystery, while creating entertaining characters and a strong plot.
The Chicago setting adds lots of depth to the story. Highly recommend.
The Chicago setting adds lots of depth to the story. Highly recommend.
October 25, 2020
2nd book in this series set in Chicago in 1929. Gina Ricci works as a cigarette girl/waitress in a speakeasy. Gina is asked by her cousin Nancy, a police officer looking for a promotion, to take pictures at the scene of a murder before the detectives get there. Gina recognizes the victim, who was a customer at the speakeasy the night before.
This is an enjoyable series with an interesting background of the Prohibition era, including the 1929 stick market crash.
This is an enjoyable series with an interesting background of the Prohibition era, including the 1929 stick market crash.
September 23, 2021
Cute, madcap who done it, set in a speak easy in 1929.
June 18, 2022
1929 Chicago. Great setting; great characters - especially the "heroine" Gina; and lots of historical tidbits about Chicago. I really am enjoying this series - and look forward to future books.
May 30, 2022
Good suspense
August 1, 2020
This book was SO FABULOUS! Such a great ambience and sense of place. Everything about it was so interesting (1929) and such a good mystery as well. Loved this book!
October 15, 2020
The Fate of a Flapper, the second book in the Speakeasy Murders series by Susanna Calkins, is a historical fiction cozy mystery set in 1929 Chicago on the verge of the Depression. It features Gina Ricci, a cigarette girl who works in a Speakeasy, The Third Door, where people are suddenly turning up dead. Is it alcohol poisoning, a competitor trying to discredit them, or a drug overdose? Whatever the cause, Gina and her semi-hostile cousin on the police force, trying to prove her worth as a woman in the 30s will figure it out.
Though this story has a unique and atmospheric setting, and overall I like the characters, I didn’t care for the plot as much as I did the first book, Murder Knocks Twice. Several of the characters came across as rather naive and made some short-sighted choices. Gina tended to blab when she should have known better, and the plot was on the dull side, compared to the first mystery. It was fine and fairly entertaining, but not my favorite.
Though this story has a unique and atmospheric setting, and overall I like the characters, I didn’t care for the plot as much as I did the first book, Murder Knocks Twice. Several of the characters came across as rather naive and made some short-sighted choices. Gina tended to blab when she should have known better, and the plot was on the dull side, compared to the first mystery. It was fine and fairly entertaining, but not my favorite.
March 13, 2021
I really enjoy this series. I live the 1920s, speakeasies and jaz.
July 6, 2020
October, 1929, Chicago: Prohibition is in full swing and Gina Ricci is living a life of clandestine excitement. Every night she works as a waitress and cigarette girl at the Third Door, a speakeasy beneath a drugstore, making enough money to take care of her ailing father and carefully staying on the good side of the Signora who owns the neighborhood.
Gina’s a smart girl. She knows better than to get involved with the customers and how to spot Drys, the police tasked with raiding the underground bars. She also knows how dangerous it would be to get more involved with the shadowy, criminal world of Chicago. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was just months ago, and for weeks there have been a rash of deadly bombings across the city. Working as a waitress is one thing; anything more would be too dangerous.
But she’s also curious — and that curiosity could prove dangerous.
Mr. Morrish seemed amused by her reaction. He touched her arm before she could step away. “You happy here? The Signora good to you?”
“Quite happy,” she said, wary of his sudden intimacy.
“Bad things go down here, Gina. You’ve got to know that. A girl like you—” he paused.
“What? What about a girl like me?”
“Well, let’s just say it would be a real shame if something happened to a girl like you.”
Gina froze. Was that a threat or a warning?
He dropped his hand then, breaking their odd contact. Then he smiled. “I’ll be around. Don’t you worry.”
When Gina’s cousin Nancy, a policewoman desperate to move up in the ranks, asks her to come over and bring her camera, she’s in for a shock: one of the cop’s neighbors has died suddenly, and Nancy wants Gina to photograph the scene so she can get a head start on the investigation.
Even more surprising, Gina realizes she recognizes the dead woman and her roommate.
“I wish we could see under her blanket.”
“Oh, I can move it,” the woman said. Before either Nancy or Gina could stop her, she had stripped the blanket off, a look of revulsion crossing her face as she stared down at her roommate’s body, still clad in a shiny evening ensemble. Clearly, the woman had not yet readied herself for bed when she died.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Nancy said blandly as she leaned over to look more closely at the corpse.
“Well, it’s how I found her,” the woman replied, sniffling back tears. “I just thought it was more respectful to cover Fruma up a bit, you know?”
Fruma! Gina forced herself to stare down at the dead woman’s face. The face was purple and distorted. Virtually unrecognizable. Yet her curly brown hair was memorable.
Gina glanced back at the roommate, with her messy blond hair, pale cosmetics-free face, and tousled demeanor. Out of context Gina hadn’t recognized her at first, but memories from the night before came flooding back. Both these women had definitely been at the Third Door last night.
Then a second body with ties to the Third Door is discovered, and another customer becomes deathly ill. Could the speakeasy’s supply of alcohol be tainted? Is someone knocking off patrons to drive the Third Door out of business, or send a message to the Signora?
Gina can’t help but dig deeper. For Nancy’s sake, to protect her livelihood, and to satisfy her own curiosity. She uncovers peculiar secrets in the dead woman’s past — a broken engagement, a daring airplane jump that may have been a hoax — and several threads leading to the volatile stock market.
Meanwhile, her personal life is complicated by a cutthroat gambler with bad news stamped all over him; the return of the handsome ex-soldier, ex-cop, current crime scene photographer Roark; and her wealthy aunt and uncle suddenly wanting to reconnect with her for their own reasons.
Things sure are exciting in Prohibition-era Chicago…
In the follow up to Calkins’ first, Agatha Award-nominated Speakeasy Mystery, heroine Gina remains in fine form. She’s plucky, feisty, and capable, holding her own amongst rough men and dangerous mobsters.
Calkins devotes many pages to the atmosphere and details of her historical setting, particularly the Third Door. It doesn’t take long for the reader to sink into the time period when everything from the fashions to the dialogue ring with authenticity. The speakeasy itself is a character in its own right; you can practically smell the smoke and cheap gin.
Sprinkled throughout are plenty of references to big events most know from history books, such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and tension from the ever-impending threat of raids adds a wonderful frisson of danger to the story.
And it wouldn’t be a story about flappers without commentary on society’s swiftly changing attitudes toward the young women who began to buck convention:
Lulu opened up her holder to place a cigarette inside. She lit the end and took a puff, leaning against the store. Gina popped a stick of peppermint Wrigley’s into her mouth, enjoying the minty burst of flavor.
As she did so an elderly couple strolled by and regarded them with extreme contempt.
“Hussies,” the man said with a pronounced sniff.
“Tarts,” the woman said, adding in a very haughty tone, “Smoking in public! Such a sight would never have been seen, back in our day.”
“Back in your day, women couldn’t vote, either,” Gina called back before she could stop herself.
“Or have fun,” Lulu added with a wicked smile. “We’re just waiting for our dates. I don’t even know mine.”
The pair looked completely scandalized. “What do you expect from women dawdling in front of the ice cream parlor?” the woman said to her husband before rushing him along.
“Ah, the ice cream parlor,” Gina said, when the couple was out of earshot. “A den of iniquity if there ever was one. Far worse than any speakeasy.”
Ultimately, the murder mystery at the heart of The Fate of a Flapper is only a small portion of the story, and Calkins doles out the vital clues slowly and late in the game, making this a hard nut to crack even for the seasoned armchair sleuth.
But that’s not a failing in the slightest. This is a historical mystery with the emphasis placed squarely on the historical portion. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had in simply following Gina through her days, watching her work at the colorful speakeasy, dance around Roark, and react to the monumental changes sweeping through her city during this oh-so-eventful month. This is a story to sit with and savor for all of its well-crafted details.
If you’re looking for a story set during a colorful time period and starring well-developed characters, but don’t feel like a giant brick of a book with ultra dense prose, The Fate of a Flapper is a good fit. Calkins manages a light and readable tone without sacrificing the historical meat, making this more substantial but still as fun as a cozy mystery, and a great choice for anyone who’s a fan of Daisy Dalrymple or Phryne Fisher.
Gina’s a smart girl. She knows better than to get involved with the customers and how to spot Drys, the police tasked with raiding the underground bars. She also knows how dangerous it would be to get more involved with the shadowy, criminal world of Chicago. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was just months ago, and for weeks there have been a rash of deadly bombings across the city. Working as a waitress is one thing; anything more would be too dangerous.
But she’s also curious — and that curiosity could prove dangerous.
Mr. Morrish seemed amused by her reaction. He touched her arm before she could step away. “You happy here? The Signora good to you?”
“Quite happy,” she said, wary of his sudden intimacy.
“Bad things go down here, Gina. You’ve got to know that. A girl like you—” he paused.
“What? What about a girl like me?”
“Well, let’s just say it would be a real shame if something happened to a girl like you.”
Gina froze. Was that a threat or a warning?
He dropped his hand then, breaking their odd contact. Then he smiled. “I’ll be around. Don’t you worry.”
When Gina’s cousin Nancy, a policewoman desperate to move up in the ranks, asks her to come over and bring her camera, she’s in for a shock: one of the cop’s neighbors has died suddenly, and Nancy wants Gina to photograph the scene so she can get a head start on the investigation.
Even more surprising, Gina realizes she recognizes the dead woman and her roommate.
“I wish we could see under her blanket.”
“Oh, I can move it,” the woman said. Before either Nancy or Gina could stop her, she had stripped the blanket off, a look of revulsion crossing her face as she stared down at her roommate’s body, still clad in a shiny evening ensemble. Clearly, the woman had not yet readied herself for bed when she died.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Nancy said blandly as she leaned over to look more closely at the corpse.
“Well, it’s how I found her,” the woman replied, sniffling back tears. “I just thought it was more respectful to cover Fruma up a bit, you know?”
Fruma! Gina forced herself to stare down at the dead woman’s face. The face was purple and distorted. Virtually unrecognizable. Yet her curly brown hair was memorable.
Gina glanced back at the roommate, with her messy blond hair, pale cosmetics-free face, and tousled demeanor. Out of context Gina hadn’t recognized her at first, but memories from the night before came flooding back. Both these women had definitely been at the Third Door last night.
Then a second body with ties to the Third Door is discovered, and another customer becomes deathly ill. Could the speakeasy’s supply of alcohol be tainted? Is someone knocking off patrons to drive the Third Door out of business, or send a message to the Signora?
Gina can’t help but dig deeper. For Nancy’s sake, to protect her livelihood, and to satisfy her own curiosity. She uncovers peculiar secrets in the dead woman’s past — a broken engagement, a daring airplane jump that may have been a hoax — and several threads leading to the volatile stock market.
Meanwhile, her personal life is complicated by a cutthroat gambler with bad news stamped all over him; the return of the handsome ex-soldier, ex-cop, current crime scene photographer Roark; and her wealthy aunt and uncle suddenly wanting to reconnect with her for their own reasons.
Things sure are exciting in Prohibition-era Chicago…
In the follow up to Calkins’ first, Agatha Award-nominated Speakeasy Mystery, heroine Gina remains in fine form. She’s plucky, feisty, and capable, holding her own amongst rough men and dangerous mobsters.
Calkins devotes many pages to the atmosphere and details of her historical setting, particularly the Third Door. It doesn’t take long for the reader to sink into the time period when everything from the fashions to the dialogue ring with authenticity. The speakeasy itself is a character in its own right; you can practically smell the smoke and cheap gin.
Sprinkled throughout are plenty of references to big events most know from history books, such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, and tension from the ever-impending threat of raids adds a wonderful frisson of danger to the story.
And it wouldn’t be a story about flappers without commentary on society’s swiftly changing attitudes toward the young women who began to buck convention:
Lulu opened up her holder to place a cigarette inside. She lit the end and took a puff, leaning against the store. Gina popped a stick of peppermint Wrigley’s into her mouth, enjoying the minty burst of flavor.
As she did so an elderly couple strolled by and regarded them with extreme contempt.
“Hussies,” the man said with a pronounced sniff.
“Tarts,” the woman said, adding in a very haughty tone, “Smoking in public! Such a sight would never have been seen, back in our day.”
“Back in your day, women couldn’t vote, either,” Gina called back before she could stop herself.
“Or have fun,” Lulu added with a wicked smile. “We’re just waiting for our dates. I don’t even know mine.”
The pair looked completely scandalized. “What do you expect from women dawdling in front of the ice cream parlor?” the woman said to her husband before rushing him along.
“Ah, the ice cream parlor,” Gina said, when the couple was out of earshot. “A den of iniquity if there ever was one. Far worse than any speakeasy.”
Ultimately, the murder mystery at the heart of The Fate of a Flapper is only a small portion of the story, and Calkins doles out the vital clues slowly and late in the game, making this a hard nut to crack even for the seasoned armchair sleuth.
But that’s not a failing in the slightest. This is a historical mystery with the emphasis placed squarely on the historical portion. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had in simply following Gina through her days, watching her work at the colorful speakeasy, dance around Roark, and react to the monumental changes sweeping through her city during this oh-so-eventful month. This is a story to sit with and savor for all of its well-crafted details.
If you’re looking for a story set during a colorful time period and starring well-developed characters, but don’t feel like a giant brick of a book with ultra dense prose, The Fate of a Flapper is a good fit. Calkins manages a light and readable tone without sacrificing the historical meat, making this more substantial but still as fun as a cozy mystery, and a great choice for anyone who’s a fan of Daisy Dalrymple or Phryne Fisher.
May 29, 2021
I love this series and hope "The Fate of the Flapper" isn't the final book. It's only the 2nd in the series by Susanna Calkins, so I'm hopeful she's got more in the works. It would be a shame to end such a great series with such wonderful characters so soon.
Gina Ricci has worked at the Third Door speakeasy for over 9 months now and is comfortable around the customers and staff, even though the most popular thing there is the bootlegged alcohol they sell. In the 1929 Chicago prohibition is the law and the Third Door is breaking that law nightly, but with shady cops and clientele no one is going to let the Feds know what's really going on. Gina is the cigarette girl there and through her work has made quite the name for herself. She won't put up with the handsy drunk men who try to cop a feel, or the glamorous women who think their better than she is, but she will do what it takes to keep her job and make sure her father is well cared for as he ages.
While working Gina notices a table with two couples who seem to be drinking way too much, they're loud and obnoxious, but this isn't her first time dealing with unruly customers. She watches them leave the club and forgets them. Until she gets a call from her police officer cousin who wants her to come take pictures of a body she just discovered. Gina learned all about photography in the first book and has become quite good at it. When Gina arrives she realizes the body is that of one of the women who was part of the foursome who left the club last night extremely drunk. She's stunned and knowing Gina she wants answers. Not long after the discovery of this woman another body, this time a man will also show up dead, another one of the foursome from the night before. Now Gina is determined to find out what's going on!
The rumor is the Third Door is selling bad "hooch" which doesn't sit well with the club owner or Gina. There's got to be something else going on. After enlisting the help of her maybe love interest Gina begins her investigation, along with her cousin the police officer. However, she's got to be careful. She doesn't want to anger her boss or step on any toes. In this town who knows who she may offend and end up dead herself! Gina knows the game and how to play it, she's got street smarts and knows how to use them. She'll question staff and customers, she'll dig deep into the clues and she'll even go places she shouldn't go, but she won't stop searching for the answers. That's just the kind of gal she is! Between the rumored bad "hooch," the outbreak of bombings going on in Chicago and then the stock market crash of 1929 the Third Door will be challenged to keep it's doors open. Gina fearing she may lose her job and her income which helps her care for her father, she's more than willing to do what it takes to solve the murders and insure the Third Door's reputation is back on top.
I love this era in history! It's been such a fun time reading this series and like I said I'm hoping Susanna Calkins is busy writing more of them. The whole speakeasy backdrop, the cigarette girl solving crimes and the variety of clientele that shows up in each book have all come together to entertain me beyond words. I've loved every word. These are quick reads for me not because they're short or non consequential, but because they are so good I can't put them down! Of course they are cozy mysteries, so nothing earth shattering or anything I'm going to remember for years, but I thoroughly enjoy them. They make me laugh, they thrill me and there's a good mystery in each one that always leaves me guessing till the end. Cozy lover? Give this series a shot, you won't regret your decision, I promise! Happy Reading!
Gina Ricci has worked at the Third Door speakeasy for over 9 months now and is comfortable around the customers and staff, even though the most popular thing there is the bootlegged alcohol they sell. In the 1929 Chicago prohibition is the law and the Third Door is breaking that law nightly, but with shady cops and clientele no one is going to let the Feds know what's really going on. Gina is the cigarette girl there and through her work has made quite the name for herself. She won't put up with the handsy drunk men who try to cop a feel, or the glamorous women who think their better than she is, but she will do what it takes to keep her job and make sure her father is well cared for as he ages.
While working Gina notices a table with two couples who seem to be drinking way too much, they're loud and obnoxious, but this isn't her first time dealing with unruly customers. She watches them leave the club and forgets them. Until she gets a call from her police officer cousin who wants her to come take pictures of a body she just discovered. Gina learned all about photography in the first book and has become quite good at it. When Gina arrives she realizes the body is that of one of the women who was part of the foursome who left the club last night extremely drunk. She's stunned and knowing Gina she wants answers. Not long after the discovery of this woman another body, this time a man will also show up dead, another one of the foursome from the night before. Now Gina is determined to find out what's going on!
The rumor is the Third Door is selling bad "hooch" which doesn't sit well with the club owner or Gina. There's got to be something else going on. After enlisting the help of her maybe love interest Gina begins her investigation, along with her cousin the police officer. However, she's got to be careful. She doesn't want to anger her boss or step on any toes. In this town who knows who she may offend and end up dead herself! Gina knows the game and how to play it, she's got street smarts and knows how to use them. She'll question staff and customers, she'll dig deep into the clues and she'll even go places she shouldn't go, but she won't stop searching for the answers. That's just the kind of gal she is! Between the rumored bad "hooch," the outbreak of bombings going on in Chicago and then the stock market crash of 1929 the Third Door will be challenged to keep it's doors open. Gina fearing she may lose her job and her income which helps her care for her father, she's more than willing to do what it takes to solve the murders and insure the Third Door's reputation is back on top.
I love this era in history! It's been such a fun time reading this series and like I said I'm hoping Susanna Calkins is busy writing more of them. The whole speakeasy backdrop, the cigarette girl solving crimes and the variety of clientele that shows up in each book have all come together to entertain me beyond words. I've loved every word. These are quick reads for me not because they're short or non consequential, but because they are so good I can't put them down! Of course they are cozy mysteries, so nothing earth shattering or anything I'm going to remember for years, but I thoroughly enjoy them. They make me laugh, they thrill me and there's a good mystery in each one that always leaves me guessing till the end. Cozy lover? Give this series a shot, you won't regret your decision, I promise! Happy Reading!
August 8, 2020
The Fate of a Flapper is the second book in The Speakeasy Murders series by Susanna Calkins. I haven't read the first book and I wasn't confused or lost at all. I plan to get the previous book, though, because this one was hugely entertaining. I'm a fairly new historical mystery fanatic. Most of the books I've read were set in the Victorian era, so the late 1920's Prohibition setting here was a fun change of pace.
Gina Ricci works as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, a popular moonshine parlor in 1929 Chicago. Even though it's Prohibition, the club never lacks for huge crowds. One evening Gina sees two women drinking like there's no tomorrow, spending time with two men in the financial industry. The next day Gina's policewoman cousin Nancy calls her to take some photographs of a crime scene...and the deceased is one of the women from the night before! Soon there is another death of a Third Door customer. Could it be a bad batch of liquor? Or is it murder? Gina is intent on finding out!
This was a fun mystery with lots of great characters, including 1929 Chicago. We have Cubs baseball on the radio, Prohibition, a tottering stock market, gangs, protection rackets, bombings, music and WWI veterans. It's the perfect setting for a mystery. Gina is a great character, a young woman trying to make her way in the world while taking care of her ailing Papa. Besides working in the speakeasy, she fixes appliances and the like in her spare time. Then there's Gina's not-quite available beau Roark who helps her try to figure out the mystery. Cousin Nancy is trying to move up in the police department, desperately attempting to solve a murder to help her break through the glass ceiling. Other great supporting characters include the Signora (who is the proprietor of the Third Door), the mysterious and menacing Morrish, Nancy's creepy parents, Gooch, young Jakob, Stella and so many more. I can't wait to revisit Gina and the Third Door; there are so many stories begging to be told!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Gina Ricci works as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, a popular moonshine parlor in 1929 Chicago. Even though it's Prohibition, the club never lacks for huge crowds. One evening Gina sees two women drinking like there's no tomorrow, spending time with two men in the financial industry. The next day Gina's policewoman cousin Nancy calls her to take some photographs of a crime scene...and the deceased is one of the women from the night before! Soon there is another death of a Third Door customer. Could it be a bad batch of liquor? Or is it murder? Gina is intent on finding out!
This was a fun mystery with lots of great characters, including 1929 Chicago. We have Cubs baseball on the radio, Prohibition, a tottering stock market, gangs, protection rackets, bombings, music and WWI veterans. It's the perfect setting for a mystery. Gina is a great character, a young woman trying to make her way in the world while taking care of her ailing Papa. Besides working in the speakeasy, she fixes appliances and the like in her spare time. Then there's Gina's not-quite available beau Roark who helps her try to figure out the mystery. Cousin Nancy is trying to move up in the police department, desperately attempting to solve a murder to help her break through the glass ceiling. Other great supporting characters include the Signora (who is the proprietor of the Third Door), the mysterious and menacing Morrish, Nancy's creepy parents, Gooch, young Jakob, Stella and so many more. I can't wait to revisit Gina and the Third Door; there are so many stories begging to be told!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
March 21, 2025
Would be 3.5 stars
This is a fun breezy read where the mystery ends up not mattering as much as the mood, the characters aren't incredibly deep but they banter well together, and the stakes feel low but the momentum builds with urgency. Befitting her actual PhD level knowledge of this time period, Calkins does a great job setting the scene of Chicago right before the stock market crashes the roaring 20s into The Great Depression. Gina works as a cigarette girl in a speakeasy called The Third Floor underneath a seemingly innocent drug store where on one "fateful" night a handful of customers become gravely ill and two die. Her cop cousin Nancy ropes her into figuring out who is behind such foul play in part because she wants this case to break the glass ceiling at her precinct.
Gina's job roving the bar lets her peak into the lives of her customer, co-workers, and bosses - a smart framing device that lets us flit between different subplots while allowing a natural stage for them to intersect. Gina is plucky with a heart and a good comeback, but there's not a huge sense of who she is beyond that. Likewise, a number of the dramatis personae end up close to archetypes. On the other hand, who cares? This is a fun page turner of a historical mystery where the internal motivations of the characters matter less than their chemistry and on that front Calkins delivers. Save for the chatter around the Cubs' World Series (even sports fans don't talk with such exposition), the dialog here is great. Each character has their own way of speaking but converse in fun back and forths that shine without calling attention to the writing. It has style but also comes off as natural.
Other than the healthy but never overpowering dose of '20s slang, nothing here will have you busting out a dictionary. Again, the straightforward prose serves the story and atmosphere well as Calkins doesn't need flowery language to evoke the mood of The Third Floor, nor does she need it to halt the momentum that builds as the plot unfolds. She might not entirely need her historical knowledge of the setting but it ends up being a great boon when she integrates the actual composition of prohibition drinks into the story. Just as the plots coalesce and boil over we get to the whodunnit which lands a bit weakly, as frankly That said, the journey matters more than the destination here and the side stories add up to more than the sum of their parts to cultivate a great book to hang out in.
I should note I have not read Speakeasy Murder #1. Perhaps that book gives more depth to Gina's characterization, but it is by no means necessary to read it to understand and enjoy Fate of the Flapper.
This is a fun breezy read where the mystery ends up not mattering as much as the mood, the characters aren't incredibly deep but they banter well together, and the stakes feel low but the momentum builds with urgency. Befitting her actual PhD level knowledge of this time period, Calkins does a great job setting the scene of Chicago right before the stock market crashes the roaring 20s into The Great Depression. Gina works as a cigarette girl in a speakeasy called The Third Floor underneath a seemingly innocent drug store where on one "fateful" night a handful of customers become gravely ill and two die. Her cop cousin Nancy ropes her into figuring out who is behind such foul play in part because she wants this case to break the glass ceiling at her precinct.
Gina's job roving the bar lets her peak into the lives of her customer, co-workers, and bosses - a smart framing device that lets us flit between different subplots while allowing a natural stage for them to intersect. Gina is plucky with a heart and a good comeback, but there's not a huge sense of who she is beyond that. Likewise, a number of the dramatis personae end up close to archetypes. On the other hand, who cares? This is a fun page turner of a historical mystery where the internal motivations of the characters matter less than their chemistry and on that front Calkins delivers. Save for the chatter around the Cubs' World Series (even sports fans don't talk with such exposition), the dialog here is great. Each character has their own way of speaking but converse in fun back and forths that shine without calling attention to the writing. It has style but also comes off as natural.
Other than the healthy but never overpowering dose of '20s slang, nothing here will have you busting out a dictionary. Again, the straightforward prose serves the story and atmosphere well as Calkins doesn't need flowery language to evoke the mood of The Third Floor, nor does she need it to halt the momentum that builds as the plot unfolds. She might not entirely need her historical knowledge of the setting but it ends up being a great boon when she integrates the actual composition of prohibition drinks into the story. Just as the plots coalesce and boil over we get to the whodunnit which lands a bit weakly, as frankly That said, the journey matters more than the destination here and the side stories add up to more than the sum of their parts to cultivate a great book to hang out in.
I should note I have not read Speakeasy Murder #1. Perhaps that book gives more depth to Gina's characterization, but it is by no means necessary to read it to understand and enjoy Fate of the Flapper.
July 29, 2020
The Fate Of A Flapper is the second book in The Speakeasy Mystery series.
This book takes place in 1929 and is set in Chicago, Illinois. The country is dealing with Prohibition and speakeasy’s are popular for those that would like an alcoholic drink and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the Great Stock Crash are just around the corner.
Gina Ricci is a cigarette girl/waitress at the speakeasy, The Third Door. They are usually very busy and quite often have to turn patrons away. One evening the customers are packed in and Gina is very busy keeping up with the customer’s request for drinks and smokes. One gentleman has had far too much and has been ordered out of the establishment. Gina is also kept busy by another table that is occupied by two couples who have had a lot to drink and finally leave.
The next morning Gina gets a call from her cousin, Nancy Doyle, a police officer, asking that she bring her camera to an apartment where Nancy is investigating the death of a young girl. Gina has been able to prove her photographic skills since another cousin left his photographic equipment when he passed. Nancy is hoping that she can get a promotion if she can solve the case.
Gina is shocked when she arrives at the apartment and finds that the female is one of those from the previous evening at the speakeasy. It is thought that her death is from a drug overdose but when the body of one of the men is also found dead, they become suspicious that some “bad hooch” might have been delivered to the speakeasy. Gina wanting to help her cousin solve the murder and find out if bad gin was the reason for the death before The Third Door business becomes ruined.
This book is well-written and the time-period is well done. The characters are well-developed, interesting, and believable.
I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
This book takes place in 1929 and is set in Chicago, Illinois. The country is dealing with Prohibition and speakeasy’s are popular for those that would like an alcoholic drink and the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the Great Stock Crash are just around the corner.
Gina Ricci is a cigarette girl/waitress at the speakeasy, The Third Door. They are usually very busy and quite often have to turn patrons away. One evening the customers are packed in and Gina is very busy keeping up with the customer’s request for drinks and smokes. One gentleman has had far too much and has been ordered out of the establishment. Gina is also kept busy by another table that is occupied by two couples who have had a lot to drink and finally leave.
The next morning Gina gets a call from her cousin, Nancy Doyle, a police officer, asking that she bring her camera to an apartment where Nancy is investigating the death of a young girl. Gina has been able to prove her photographic skills since another cousin left his photographic equipment when he passed. Nancy is hoping that she can get a promotion if she can solve the case.
Gina is shocked when she arrives at the apartment and finds that the female is one of those from the previous evening at the speakeasy. It is thought that her death is from a drug overdose but when the body of one of the men is also found dead, they become suspicious that some “bad hooch” might have been delivered to the speakeasy. Gina wanting to help her cousin solve the murder and find out if bad gin was the reason for the death before The Third Door business becomes ruined.
This book is well-written and the time-period is well done. The characters are well-developed, interesting, and believable.
I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.
July 25, 2020
Historical mysteries are a favorite of mine and this series set in 1929 Chicago is a winner. Gina is a cigarette girl working in a speakeasy called the Third Door. It's located in the basement of a local drug store and the hooch is smuggled in by way of false bottoms in crates containing lotions, potions and such destined for the drug store shelves. Right under the noses of the Drys, the local nickname for the Feds who are tasked with enforcing the laws of Prohibition. Gina's boss, the Signora, is a force to be reckoned with but so is Gina. She is the major breadwinner for herself and her ailing father and she has learned how to stay on The Signora's good side. Not an easy thing considering she owns a large chunk of the neighborhood.
In the first book of the series, Murder Knocks Twice, Gina's cousin leaves her his photographic equipment and she has mastered photography well enough that she is asked by her cousin Nancy, a police woman who wants to rise in the ranks, to come to a crime scene and take pictures so she can do her own investigating. Gina is surprised when she sees the victim - a young woman she had served the night before at the Third Door. Soon another death occurs and Gina joins in the investigation. These are dangerous times in Chicago and some of the dangers might just focus on Gina.
The mystery is well plotted and satisfying but the real pleasure reading this mystery is the way it lets the reader become immersed in the time period. The sights, sounds, language, the historical events all lead the reader into Gina's world and I can't wait to read more.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Griffin and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
In the first book of the series, Murder Knocks Twice, Gina's cousin leaves her his photographic equipment and she has mastered photography well enough that she is asked by her cousin Nancy, a police woman who wants to rise in the ranks, to come to a crime scene and take pictures so she can do her own investigating. Gina is surprised when she sees the victim - a young woman she had served the night before at the Third Door. Soon another death occurs and Gina joins in the investigation. These are dangerous times in Chicago and some of the dangers might just focus on Gina.
The mystery is well plotted and satisfying but the real pleasure reading this mystery is the way it lets the reader become immersed in the time period. The sights, sounds, language, the historical events all lead the reader into Gina's world and I can't wait to read more.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Griffin and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 23, 2022
The Fate of a Flapper: Susanna Caulkins
😃
From Amazon: "The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.
A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!
After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.
Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls―she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.
Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat."
I found the book interesting and easy to read. There was enough tension & goings on that I completely missed "who done it". Just getting to know the characters a bit better, but still not enough.
😃
From Amazon: "The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.
A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!
After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.
Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls―she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.
Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat."
I found the book interesting and easy to read. There was enough tension & goings on that I completely missed "who done it". Just getting to know the characters a bit better, but still not enough.
May 16, 2020
The Fate of a Flapper is a murder mystery that takes place in 1929 during Prohibition. I seem to be drawn to books in this era!
⠀
Gina Ricci is just a cigarette girl that works in Signora Castallazzo's speakeasy when one day she receives a phone call from her counsin Officer Nancy to go over to her building and take photos of a murder. On Saturday, October 5, 1929, Fruma Landry, age 25, was found dead in the flat she rented with a roommate. Gina just happened to serve Fruma and her roomate the night before she was found dead. After Fruma, another patron was found dead and another was severly sick. It was suspected to either be bad hooch or perhaps someone poking at Signora.
⠀
Although not an officer, Gina is quite the investigator and she delves into the case slowly uncovering the truth. In the meantine, Officer Roark has his eyes on Gina after having just one date. Seeing their relationship develop and surpass some hurdles was a great pairing to the investigation.
⠀
The storyline was very entertaining and it had me hooked! It was well-written and I finished it relatively fast. I decided to play the music being performed at the speakeasy while I read! It is a great detail. I felt as though I was in the 20's when I had "Broadway Rag" and "Me and My Gin" playing in the background.
This was a fun read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and Susanna Calkins for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest reivew.
Release Date July 28, 2020
St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Historical Fiction
⠀
⠀
Gina Ricci is just a cigarette girl that works in Signora Castallazzo's speakeasy when one day she receives a phone call from her counsin Officer Nancy to go over to her building and take photos of a murder. On Saturday, October 5, 1929, Fruma Landry, age 25, was found dead in the flat she rented with a roommate. Gina just happened to serve Fruma and her roomate the night before she was found dead. After Fruma, another patron was found dead and another was severly sick. It was suspected to either be bad hooch or perhaps someone poking at Signora.
⠀
Although not an officer, Gina is quite the investigator and she delves into the case slowly uncovering the truth. In the meantine, Officer Roark has his eyes on Gina after having just one date. Seeing their relationship develop and surpass some hurdles was a great pairing to the investigation.
⠀
The storyline was very entertaining and it had me hooked! It was well-written and I finished it relatively fast. I decided to play the music being performed at the speakeasy while I read! It is a great detail. I felt as though I was in the 20's when I had "Broadway Rag" and "Me and My Gin" playing in the background.
This was a fun read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and Susanna Calkins for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest reivew.
Release Date July 28, 2020
St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Historical Fiction
⠀
April 8, 2022
Prohibition era Chicago according to Disney
The mystery here is hardly worth the name, as was the case in the first installment of the series. Whodunnit is arrived at serendipitously.
The setting is, mostly, a speakeasy in prohibition era Chicago, a time dominated, among others, by the rise of organized crime and a political, judicial and police apparatus so corrupt as to make the archetypal Oriental despot green with envy.
Everyone, down to the speakeasy's bouncers, speaks as if fresh from manners class. No one really smokes. Everything and everyone is sanitized and scrubbed to banality.
Plotting is generally thin, one story line is so contrived and unrealistic as to make one almost literally throw aside the book.
Research is shoddy and events should not really be taken as fact.
The characters, even that of Gina Ricci, the series' protagonist, are underdeveloped and remain cardboard figures without depth.
The book, published by Minotaur, is an editorial disaster, there are multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes.
A pleasant enough read, though, all in all, to while away some idle time, similar to the pleasure one gets when watching a kids' show on TV while bored in a host bed.
The mystery here is hardly worth the name, as was the case in the first installment of the series. Whodunnit is arrived at serendipitously.
The setting is, mostly, a speakeasy in prohibition era Chicago, a time dominated, among others, by the rise of organized crime and a political, judicial and police apparatus so corrupt as to make the archetypal Oriental despot green with envy.
Everyone, down to the speakeasy's bouncers, speaks as if fresh from manners class. No one really smokes. Everything and everyone is sanitized and scrubbed to banality.
Plotting is generally thin, one story line is so contrived and unrealistic as to make one almost literally throw aside the book.
Research is shoddy and events should not really be taken as fact.
The characters, even that of Gina Ricci, the series' protagonist, are underdeveloped and remain cardboard figures without depth.
The book, published by Minotaur, is an editorial disaster, there are multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes.
A pleasant enough read, though, all in all, to while away some idle time, similar to the pleasure one gets when watching a kids' show on TV while bored in a host bed.
July 30, 2020
It's 1929 Chicago on the eve of the Stock Market crash, the Cubs lost the World Series and illegal booze is flowing in the speakeasies. After a couple of the Third Door patrons die from seemingly bad alcohol, cigarette girl Gina Ricci, her cousin Nancy Doyle...a police woman...along with Roark work to learn how they were poisoned. This is a good mystery, with just a touch of romance. But when you read it take the time to immerse yourself in Gina's world! Susanna Calkins brings it alive with a colorful and diverse cast of characters that jump off the page. Along with the high flyers and excesses of the times we also get a look at poverty and desperation. I was surprised by the ending...I hadn't guessed who the killer was at all!
I also really enjoyed Murder Knocks Twice, the first book in the series. When I read these I feel like I'm in the middle of an old black and white Hollywood talkie. I heartily recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I also really enjoyed Murder Knocks Twice, the first book in the series. When I read these I feel like I'm in the middle of an old black and white Hollywood talkie. I heartily recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2020
It's 1929 Chicago on the eve of the Stock Market crash, the Cubs lost the World Series and illegal booze is flowing in the speakeasies. After a couple of the Third Door patrons die from seemingly bad alcohol, cigarette girl Gina Ricci, her cousin Nancy Doyle...a police woman...along with Roark work to learn how they were poisoned. This is a good mystery, with just a touch of romance. But when you read it take the time to immerse yourself in Gina's world! Susanna Calkins brings it alive with a colorful and diverse cast of characters that jump off the page. Along with the high flyers and excesses of the times we also get a look at poverty and desperation. I was surprised by the ending...I hadn't guessed who the killer was at all!
I also really enjoyed Murder Knocks Twice, the first book in the series. When I read these I feel like I'm in the middle of an old black and white Hollywood talkie. I heartily recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I also really enjoyed Murder Knocks Twice, the first book in the series. When I read these I feel like I'm in the middle of an old black and white Hollywood talkie. I heartily recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2020
This is a fun mystery set in the late 1920s Chicago in the Prohibition at a speakeasy. I liked the 1920s time period setting and Chicago is where I grew up, so it was fun to read about it during that time period. I liked that Gina and her cousin Nancy were such strong characters in the book, dealing with trying to make it at a time when women didn't have too many rights. The Third Door Speakeasy where Gina works is packed, the stock market is up and the Cubs might make it to the World Series, when a handful of drunk patrons leave the bar, and not all of them make it home. Were they serves bad liquor? Or is there more? If you enjoy Agatha Christie or cozy mysteries, this should do the trick. I read it in one sitting and can't wait to read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC.
July 28, 2020
Chicago Speakeasy 1929 Cozy Mystery
This is a wonderful piece of history as fictionalized in this cozy mystery. Chicago in 1929 had both the St. Valentine's Day massacre and the Great Stock Market Crash that ended the roaring twenties and opened the door to the Great Depression. It was a world of haves and have-nots with no social safety net. Besides being a great look at life in the 1920s, it has a wonderful cozy mystery that twists and turns like crazy. The final denouement was quite a surprise, but all of the loose ends were tied up by the end of the book. I have read both of the books in this series and can't wait for the next one. The books can be read in any order but would be best enjoyed if read in order. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
This is a wonderful piece of history as fictionalized in this cozy mystery. Chicago in 1929 had both the St. Valentine's Day massacre and the Great Stock Market Crash that ended the roaring twenties and opened the door to the Great Depression. It was a world of haves and have-nots with no social safety net. Besides being a great look at life in the 1920s, it has a wonderful cozy mystery that twists and turns like crazy. The final denouement was quite a surprise, but all of the loose ends were tied up by the end of the book. I have read both of the books in this series and can't wait for the next one. The books can be read in any order but would be best enjoyed if read in order. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
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