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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A woman in a man’s world. Placing the pieces together to solve an mind-boggling mystery at considerable peril to herself.
The title character is a cross between a couple of my favorites… Miss Fisher and Nancy Drew. A period piece, which I also enjoy. Just Delightful!
Nice try, but ponderous.
I enjoyed the characters so much I want to read the rest of the series.
Interesting take on the 30’s and 40’s “hard boiled” detective fiction. Plotted well and paces nicely. Overall a very good read. Not going into plot here … best you read it for yourself.
Reminiscent of the Sam Spade period murder mysteries, this book has the tough broad female detective who out-talks, out-thinks, and out-draws a gun on the bad guys. Stereotypical female super heroes out maneuver the weak, hapless, misguided men. Nice to see women able to take care of themselves but still… A lot of bravado with not much story.
Just ok
Delightful and enticing. I am glad I found this wonderful author. I plan to read more of the author’s work. Highly recommended.
Female gumshoe
I like period novels. Enjoyed the dialogue. Would like to read more!
Love these books!
Super!
Predictable, not that good.
If you’re a fan of the old Phillip Marlow style PI, this is for you.
Waste of time.
I’ll read more by this author.
really enjoyed…
wonderfully written. colorfull characters.
Clever puzzle; refreshing heroine; unusual setting.
Enjoyed the time setting and the authors references to it. Also the idea of a female PI in an era, I can only imagine was dominated by men. Fun read, I’d recommend if you like detective stories.