A .38, a nip of gin and sensational legs get Depression-era private investigator Maggie Sullivan out of most scrapes – until a stranger threatens to bust her nose, she’s hauled in on suspicion of his murder and she finds herself in the cross-hairs of a crime boss with connections at City Hall.Moving through streets where people line up at soup kitchens, Maggie draws information from sources … sources others overlook: The waitress at the dime store lunch counter where she has breakfast; a ragged newsboy; the other career girls at her rooming house.
Her digging gets her chloroformed and left in a ditch behind the wheel of her DeSoto. She makes her way to an upscale bordello and gets tea – and information – from the madam herself.
A gunman puts a bullet through Maggie’s hat. Her shutterbug pal on the evening paper warns her off. A new cop whose presence unsettles her thinks she’s crooked. Before she finds all the answers she needs, she faces a half-crazed man with a gun, and a far more lethal point-blank killer.
If you like Robert B. Parker’s hard boiled Spencer series and strong women sleuths, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind Ohio detective from a time in United States history when dames wore hats — but seldom a Smith & Wesson.
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I am a fan of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe and the hard-boiled detective mysteries set in the 1930s and 1940s, which is why I gave Myer’s historical mystery, No Game for a Dame, a try. And boy, am I glad I did. It was such fun to see how the classic themes of this genre played out with a female private eye, Maggie Sullivan, and I was …
No Game for a Dame by M. Ruth Myers is set in Depression Era Ohio, where female private detective Maggie Sullivan solves cases using her wits, brain, and her Irish connections in the police department. I loved the 1930s feel to the story, complete with jargon and costume. And Maggie is one smart, feisty woman.
Great plot that moves along as a …
I enjoyed this “pulp” fiction book a ot. Fun!
Terrific debut for the Maggie Sullivan series, featuring PI Maggie in Dayton, Ohio in the late 1930s. Really enjoyed Maggie and her world and I’m planning to revisit, soon!
What was it like to be a feisty female private detective in the 1940’s? Ruth Myers brings this world to life in an unexpectedly entertaining way.
Hilarious! I’ve already ordered the next 2 in the series.
Fast, easy read. The noir style made it fun.
Very enjoyable series.
A fun read
“No Game For A Dame” captures the essence of Philip Marlow in a cute, short blonde. Because she isn’t big, she has to be smart or end up bleeding in a gutter. And smart she is. My only complaint (and the reason it got 4 stars instead of 5) is the length: it’s too short.
A fun read that i highly recommend.
Reminds me of the Alphabet mysteries, but a tougher heroine. Good read.
Series is wonderful, nostalgic, entertaining…
A crime mystery set during the depression era.
Love these books!
A wonderful Detective story. You really feel for her.
I liked this book alot. It is fast paced, reminiscent of the 30-40’s noir genre, and adds the novelty of a female private eye. The descriptions of the era’s icons (automobiles, buildings, lunch counters, prices, and clothing) reflect the author’s insights and careful research. Using Dayton Ohio as a setting is particularly notable, because the …
Cute, period story.
Great mystery written from the perspective of a female PI. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Very good storyline!
good story, kept me interested until the end