Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.
THE GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY (A Front Page Mystery Book #1) by Elizabeth McKenna is the start of a new cozy mystery series featuring two best friends who are reporters on the Chicago Tribune. This story has an easy to read writing style, amusing new main characters, and some surprises along the way.
Emma and Grace have very different life experiences but have been best friends since college and both now write for the Chicago times. Emma writes for the sports page and Grace writes for the society page. When Grace is assigned to cover a charity auction and ball and her date drops out, Emma becomes her plus one for the weekend. When the disappearance of the main jewelry collection for the auction is discovered, Grace sees this as her chance to get off the society page and become an investigative reporter, while Emma agrees to help, she keeps having run ins with handsome local detective.
This is a fast-paced cozy mystery with plenty of suspects and red herrings. Emma and Grace are very likable protagonists, and I enjoyed the differences in their backgrounds did not matter to their friendship. The pace was consistent throughout and the conclusion tied up all the loose threads.
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About the Author
Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).
Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband and Sidney, the rescue dog from Tennessee. When she isn’t writing, reading, editing, or walking the dog that never tires, she’s sleeping.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE WHISPERINGWOMEN (Delafield & Mallory Investigations Book #1) by Trish MacEnulty on this Black Coffee Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Born into a once-wealthy Manhattan family, Louisa Delafield survives by doing the one thing she’s suited for: writing a society column. But in January 1913, the death of a police matron in a bombed brownstone convinces Louisa to write about darker subjects. “Muckraking” goes against her upbringing, but once her blinders are off, she can’t continue to protect the privileged.
Ellen Malloy came to America to escape the priests who told her she would go to hell for loving women. However, her job as a debutante’s personal maid affords her no opportunity for a life, much less for finding love. After witnessing the death of a fellow servant during an illegal abortion, she flees her comfortable position in fear for her life.
When the two women are brought together by New York’s top bomb squad cop, Louisa and Ellen dive into a dangerous world of gangsters, bordellos, and back-alley abortions to find the connection between Ellen’s friend and the dead police matron. Their investigation makes them the target of powerful forces who will stop at nothing, even murder, to bury the truth.
This book is a timely reminder of an era when the legal system and social norms prevented women from enjoying the freedom to control their own destinies.
THE WHISPERING WOMEN (A Delafield & Mallory Investigation Book #1) by Trish MacEnulty is the first book in an exciting historical mystery series featuring two very different young women in early 20th century New York who come together to fight against injustice. This is a story set over a hundred years ago and is yet eerily relevant to the present.
Louisa Delafield was born into a Manhattan society family. Due to her father’s murder and her family’s financial downfall, she now earns her living and is supporting her mother by writing a society column for The Ledger. Ellen Mallory came to America from Ireland and is a lady’s maid to a young debutante. When Ellen witnesses the death of a fellow servant during an illegal abortion, she finds she must flee her position in fear of her life.
Louisa and Ellen stories converge as Louisa looks to discover why a police matron was blown up while investigating an abortionist and Ellen is running from those Louisa is investigating and wants to seek revenge for her friend. The two must learn to navigate the social class system to discover a way to combine their strengths and find the power to bring powerful evil into the light.
I loved this story and both Louisa and Ellen are great protagonists. Louisa and Ellen are well developed, and their differences make them a good pair that you want to succeed. You can tell the research into early 1900’s New York life and society is extensive and the descriptions pull you right into the story. The plot is well paced, and the investigation is believable. So many of the topics in this plot, such as illegal abortion, women’s rights, and LGBTQ issues are as discussion worthy then as they are today.
I highly recommend this wonderful start to a new series with memorable strong main characters, and I am looking forward to seeing where this author takes them next.
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About the Author
The Whispering Women is Trish MacEnulty’s debut as a historical fiction novelist. She has previously published four novels, a short story collection, and a memoir. A former Professor of English at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC, she currently lives in Florida with her husband, two dogs, and one cat and teaches journalism.
“Retired” detective and police captain’s wife Molly Murphy Sullivan tangles with Tammany Hall in the next in Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles’s New York Times bestselling historical mystery series.
New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things.
So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue—and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York—Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out.
In this next installment in this beloved series All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Molly always thought that she and her husband Daniel had a good marriage, which was a true partnership. But things seem to unravel when he comes home to tell her they are moving from their modest home in Patchin Place to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue. He has decided to run for sheriff of New York on the Tammany Hall ticket. She cannot understand this change in Daniel since he has had a long opposition to the Tammany record of corruption. Now she must deal with bodyguards, servants, and her bills paid for by Tammany boss, William “Big Bill” McCormick.
As with most of the books there is a glimpse into the society of the times. Their ward, Bridie, has been attending a wealthy private school, paid for by Molly’s friends Sid and Gus. She is being picked on for being poor and smart. That is until she helps to rescue Blanche McCormick, Big Bill’s daughter, from a fire aboard a tour boat. Afterward Bridie and Blanche become BBFs.
The mystery also involves the killing of Big Bill, found dead in a locked room. Everyone is wondering if the real-life William Randolph Hearst had something to do with it since his investigative reporter of Tammany Hall has disappeared. Now Molly and Daniel must go undercover to investigate and find the killer.
The characters added to the intriguing story. It alerts readers to the ever-changing times and the realism makes for an insightful plot.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: What was it like working as a mother/daughter team?
Rhys Bowen: I had put the Molly Murphy series on hiatus because I simply did not have the time to write three books a year. I knew Clare was a very good writer and since she wanted to give it a go, I said ‘let’s give it a try.’ She read through the whole series, seventeen books, and was able to find Molly’s voice perfectly. It has been seamless. At the end no one could tell who wrote what. In the third book, Clare wrote the end of the book by herself.
Clare Broyles: Writing with my mom is fun. We spark each other as we come up with ideas. As a mystery writer I had to consider how Molly could solve the crime in a clever way. I get to write a scene and have this amazing author, my mom, read the scene.
RB: We chat with each other every evening, making writing not a solitary profession. We can create together more and exciting scenes.
EC: How did you get the idea for the story?
CB: We wanted to do something with a wealthy Fifth Avenue story. Every single day the book takes place I read the New York Times for that day. One story had a mail bag ripped open and the mail flew everywhere. I thought, what if a letter contained important information that someone else got a hold of. I also read how a pleasure cruise caught fire on the Hudson. Finally, there were some stories of how Tammany Hall sparred with William Randolph Hearst who joined with the Republicans in attempting to win the Mayorship of New York. From there we decided to make a wealthy school friend of Bridie, the soon-to-be adopted daughter of Molly, a daughter of a Tammany Hall official.
EC: You set up the characters before the mystery comes into play?
RB: In the Rhys Bowen books a body is not usually found before page 100. I tend to bring my characters together, allow the readers to watch them interact, and then someone is killed. We very rarely have a body early in the book. There is a mystery in the beginning since Molly cannot believe that her husband Daniel accepted a job with Tammany Hall without consulting her. Molly always will have a personal life.
EC: Molly is not thrilled with Daniel over his unilateral decisions?
CB: Molly likes to do things herself. She is proud of keeping her house and raising her child. She never looked for an easier life. She feels out of place having to move to Fifth Avenue in a house Tammany Hall has given Daniel. It is her Irish background where she feels out of place with the gentry. She is not very good at giving orders to servants. She enjoys raising her child and being with him.
RB: As a husband of the time, he is remarkably understanding. A husband of the time could say he does not want Molly doing detective work, beat her, and a woman had no claim on the property or the children. A wife was really another possession. He is scared for her because she does take risks. In the beginning, he asks Molly to trust him. There is a lot of Feminism in the Molly books.
EC: What role does the Tammany Hall official ‘Big Bill ‘play in the book?
CB: He represents several different bosses in New York and New Jersey. They wanted to control the docks. I read of an official who had a two-sided desk, sliding it out so a person could put their bribe in it. The book is really about the relationship between him and his family with Molly, Daniel, and Bridie. Big Bill is overwhelming, charming, someone who likes to have his way, evil, corrupt, yet helps the downtrodden.
EC: What was the role of the Fifth Avenue house versus the house on Patchin Place?
CB: Having to move destabilized Molly and threw her off balance. She did not know how she was going to pay the servants.
RB: Molly could not wait to get back to Patchin Place especially since her neighbors and friends were across the street and her support group. She knows the rules there. She is much more comfortable in her own home.
EC: What about Big Bill’s wife, Lucy McCormick?
RB: She is a complete antithesis to her husband. He is the rough Irishman without refined manners who has learned how to manipulate, a classic mob boss. He married her for her money and position in society. She is a very loving mother, kind, and caring. She is not a snob and wanted to be friends with Molly.
CB: She is a kindred spirit with Molly. She also feels a bit trapped in her life, not really wanting to be involved in politics.
EC: Bridie’s friend, Blanche transformed?
RB: She transformed from a mean girl to a good friend. She represented a typical teenage girl. After being rescued by Molly and Bridie she realized they were good caring people. But she is obviously very spoiled. Girls at that age are a prowling pack and enjoy picking on someone different. Bridie is not like them since she is poorer than them and very bright. She made a judgement and saw how Bridie is supported by her family.
EC: What about the forensics?
CB: Before I came into the series Daniel was a big proponent of fingerprints. It is a new science at the time the book takes place. It is not admissible in court yet, but still can be useful to find the preparator.
RB: Autopsies had been done for a while. We are getting into the very beginnings of blood types and blood spatter, just around the corner. They are starting to get the scientific evidence to back up the “who done it.” This is one of the reasons I like writing these times, because the detective still must use their smarts.
EC: Next books?
RB: The secondary characters in this book will have a break in the next Molly book. It is summertime in New York, where school is not in session.
CB: Bridie is devasted that Blanche has gone to France for the summer. The family visits Daniel’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan. Molly is being driven crazy, so she gladly accepts an invitation to go to the Catskills with Sid and Gus. Three different communities are brought together: Sid and Gus are part of an artist’s colony, there is a new ranger there since the Catskills are now a state park, and in the bungalows are a fledgling Jewish colony. The murder has to do with a matchmaker.
RB: My historical novel is titled The Paris Assignment, published in August, even though the main action takes place outside Paris, ending up in Australia in the 1940s. There are two parallel stories going on in the book. The heroine acts as a courier for the allies. It was not an easy one to write because it tugs on readers’ heartstrings.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
After spending twenty years behind bars, Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, is out on parole and focused on just one thing: revenge. The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago—they all have targets on their backs.
For Ali Reynolds, the first Christmas without her father is riddled with grief and uncertainty. And with her husband and founding partner of High Noon Enterprises, B. Simpson, preoccupied by an upcoming New Year’s trip to London, she is ready for a break. But when Stu Ramey barges into her home with grave news about a serious—and suspicious—accident on the highway to Phoenix involving B.’s car, things reach a breaking point.
At the hospital, a groggy, post-op B. insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London, as troubles brimming around High Noon come to light. But questions remain: Who would go to such lengths to cut the tech company from the picture? And what if Ali and the rest of the team are also in danger?
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Elise’s Thoughts
Collateral Damage by J. A. Jance blends a very twisted story involving security, battered women, organized crime, murders, corruption, and revenge. It is told from different points of view between High Noon characters, several police forces, and investigators trying to piece together a puzzle that spans many different jurisdictions.
Readers soon learn about Frank Muñoz, a disgraced former cop, out on parole after twenty years. He is focused on revenge for those who helped to put him behind bars: The wife who abandoned him after his arrest, the mistress who ratted him out for abetting a money-laundering scheme, and the detectives who presided over his case all those years ago.
Ali and her husband B. Simpson are drawn into the situation when B’s airport shuttle is run off the road, with he and the driver hospitalized. Was B. the target or just collateral damage since the driver was a retired detective?
The added twist is that B. suspects someone might have tried to prevent him from attending a London Conference on cyber security. He insists that Ali take his place at a ransomware conference in London. But she knows she would be an inadequate substitute, so she convinces Cami, an assistant, to make the presentation with Ali as the face of the company.
Jance has an uncanny way of bringing the plots together. Ali and company unravel this complex plot that allows readers some thrilling scenes.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Rumor has it you had a hard time writing this story?
J. A. Jance: This book took a whole year to write. In 2022 I was working on it. After writing nine chapters I handed the draft over to my husband, Bill. He handed it back to me and said, ‘I cannot read this. It is a mess.’ He is a very brave man. I reread what I had written, and he was correct, it was a mess. What was wrong, is that the bad guy had not appeared in the first quarter of the book. There was no foundation in the first draft. I did a complete rewrite. Bill, my agent, and my new editor all liked the new story.
EC: In this book Ali Reynolds is not endangered?
JAJ: Yes. This is unusual. I wanted to show how it takes a village of law enforcement officers to solve a crime.
EC: You made the police officers come to life?
JAJ: These days the press has the police as bad, uncaring, and evil. A scene in the story really underscores how much the police characters in the books cared. I had goosebumps when I wrote it. The bad guy from the Arizona Highway Patrol is arrogant and an a-hole. But all the others are good and are lined up against evil. The vast majority are not bad. Part of the purpose of this book is to give their stories, such as Hal.
EC: How would you describe,Frank Muñoz, the bad guy?
JAJ: He is resentful and has a motivation of revenge, to kill those who have wronged him. He is angry, dangerous, arrogant, an abuser, and corrupt.
EC: This book includes domestic violence?
JAJ: It was the whole point of the book. The Dahlke House was made up but based on my knowledge of domestic violence and the counselors. Often the people involved also have been abused. Domestic violence workers are heroes and are at risk. The guys who perpetrate domestic violence think it’s my way or the highway and anyone who gets in their way will be run over. The initial murder of Danielle had her husband as a suspect. The police cleared him and was able to give him his whole life back, totally exonerated. This is important because in solving long cold cases justice is served but also clears the names of those thought to be perpetrators but were not, getting rid of the suspicions hanging over their head.
EC: You have different types of characters in your books?
JAJ: What makes a painting, the contrast. In my books, there are little pieces of lightness, such as Cami taking down that attorney in London. B. is somewhat MIA because he is in the hospital getting a shoulder replacement. Instead of using the saying, ‘follow the evidence,’ I follow the story.
EC: What about the next book?
JAJ: The Brady family shows up in the next Walker Family book due out next fall. In September it will number six, titled Blessing of the Lost Girls. It is set on a reservation. The stories and legends I learned as a storyteller on the reservation are weaved into the background. There will be missing and murdered indigenous girls, which I knew about since the early 90s. Readers might want to look at my blog on my website.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
UNDER PRESSURE (An FBI K-9 Novel Book #6) by Sara Driscoll is another exciting fast paced crime thriller/FBI procedural featuring FBI canine handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 Labrador partner, Hawk. These books can easily be read as standalone books due to the unique crime case plots, but the core characters and their relationships continue to evolve in each book, so I feel they are best read in order of their release.
FBI canine handlers Meg Jennings and Brian Foster are paired together to help with an FBI Organized Crime case investigating the smuggling of conflict “blood” diamonds by the mob in Philadelphia. The FBI has an agent embedded in the syndicate, but he would be killed if he was caught with a wire or tracking device. Meg and Brian will use their dogs, Hawk and Lacy to track the agent to criminal locations while keeping the agent’s identity a secret.
As the investigation heats up, Meg is identified as law enforcement and she barely escapes an attempt on her life with the help of Hawk. At the same time, McCord is using his journalistic skills on the same investigation and it becomes a race for the entire team to find him when he does not check in on time.
I really enjoyed this addition to the series and catching up with all the recurring main characters. The information on conflict diamonds was well researched and interesting. The use of Hawk and Lacy when a wire or tracking device could not be used was unique and I wonder if that was pulled from an actual case. The action is continually fast paced and the tension high throughout with the dog tracking the FBI embedded agent and the race to rescue McCord at the climax. It is always great to check back in on the lives of Meg and Webb and Cara and McCord and of course all the dogs. I was also very glad that Brian was able to return with a healed Lacy.
I highly recommend this crime thriller/FBI procedural and the entire series!
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Author Bio
A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen works with a cutting-edge research group on multiple national and international COVID-19 clinical trials. After a day battling microscopic pathogens, she enjoys spending her evenings taking on hostage takers and serial killers.
With Ann Vanderlaan, she writes two series. Under Danna and Vanderlaan, they craft suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their five Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT; NO ONE SEES ME ’TILL I FALL; A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH; TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER; and LAMENT THE COMMON BONES.
Under the joint pseudonym of Sara Driscoll, they write the FBI K-9s mysteries series, starring search-and-rescue team Meg Jennings and her black lab, Hawk. The series includes LONE WOLF, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE, STORM RISING, NO MAN’S LAND, LEAVE NO TRACE, and UNDER PRESSURE. The seventh book in the series, STILL WATERS, will release in December 2022.
Jen is also the author of the NYPD Negotiators thriller series, starring Gemma Capello with her Hostage Negotiation Team colleagues and first responder family. The series includes EXIT STRATEGY and SHOT CALLER, with the third book in the series, LOCKDOWN, coming soon.
Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband, two daughters, and four rescued cats, and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. You can reach her through her contact page or by email at jenjdanna@gmail.com.
More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are unexpectedly engaged to dig into the past of a suitor of a royal princess in Allison Montclair’s delightful second novel, A Royal Affair.
In London 1946, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don’t yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives—a cousin of Gwen’s—with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.
The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in “some capacity” and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince’s closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince’s past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there’s more at stake than the future of the Empire —there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.
A ROYAL AFFAIR (A Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery Book #2) by Allison Montclair is an exciting historical mystery addition to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series featuring the owners of The Right SortMarriage Bureau in post WWII London. Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge are two women with very diverse backgrounds who work perfectly together as co-owners of their new marriage match business and as unlikely best friends. These first two books can be read as standalones, but the main characters continue to evolve and I suggest you read them in order.
With The Right Sort Marriage Bureau becoming more successful, Iris and Gwen are looking forward to being able to move to larger offices down the hall in their current office building. When Gwen’s cousin, Lady Matheson, who works for the Queen arrives with a profitable proposition, they are more than happy to take on the job.
Lady Matheson has intercepted a black mail note addressed to the Princess Elizabeth concerning her choice for her prince. Wanting to avoid palace gossip, Lady Matheson hires Iris and Gwen to discreetly investigate if the information in some private family letters is true which could be damaging to the Greek prince and Elizabeth’s choice for husband.
What Iris and Gwen don’t realize is that they are not the only party looking for the letters. A dead body, British intelligence, Russian spies, and Greek government officials are all tangled together in this intriguing investigation. Iris and Gwen ready to assist the Crown and Princess and get their new office, too.
This is a great addition to this series, and I enjoy reuniting with Iris and Gwen. These two characters just jump off the page with their friendship, witty dialogue, and unique to their station and background skills. I quickly fall into the story of both their business and personal lives and feel as if I am a fly on the wall. Iris and Gwen feel like friends. The plot for this mystery is very intriguing and twisted. The use of historic figures with a “what if” scenario which could be very plausible kept me completely invested in the story. The secondary characters are fully drawn and quite believable. This has become a must-read series for me, and I am looking forward to following Iris and Gwen on their next adventure, because you know they just cannot stay out of trouble.
I highly recommend this historical amateur sleuth mystery!
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About the Author
ALLISON MONTCLAIR grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result of this deplorable upbringing, Montclair became addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. The Right Sort of Man is her debut novel.
