New York City, 1936. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Big Apple is defiantly striving toward an era infused with art, architecture, and economic progress under the dynamic Mayor La Guardia. But those in City Hall know that tumultuous times can inspire both optimism and deadly danger . . . It’s been six months since Lane Sanders was appointed Mayor Fiorello “Fio” La Guardia’s new … Guardia’s new personal aide, and the twenty-three-year-old is sprinting in her Mary Janes to match her boss’s pace. Despite dealing with vitriol from the Tammany Hall political machine and managing endless revitalization efforts, Fio hasn’t slowed down a bit during his years in office. And luckily for Lane, his unpredictable antics are a welcome distraction from the childhood memories that haunt her dreams—and the silver gun she’ll never forget.
When Lane gets attacked and threatened by an assailant tied to one of most notorious gangsters in the city, even the mayor can’t promise her safety. The corrupt city officials seem to be using Lane as a pawn against Fio for disgracing their party in the prior election. But why was the assailant wielding the exact same gun from her nightmares?
Balancing a clandestine love affair and a mounting list of suspects, Lane must figure out how the secrets of her past are connected to the city’s underground crime network—before someone pulls the trigger on the most explosive revenge plot in New York history . . .
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1930s New York is alive with art, music and mystery. Lane, as charismatic Mayor Leguardia’s assistant is at the heart of it all. When sinister characters enter the scene, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery that could bring disaster down on the mayor and the city unless she and her band of friends can get to the bottom of it. Along the way, she discovers that the current mystery may have links to her barely remembered past.
Full of surprising twists and turns and lots of fast-paced action! L.A. Chandlar knows the ins and outs of New York City of the 1930s and creates an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re there. Her characters are so well drawn and likable you’ll feel like you’re part of the family, and you’ll want the main character, Lane, as your best friend.
I loved this book! Great story line with interesting characters and historical facts. I’m always happy when romance, mystery and history are rolled into one. The author gave us a realistic picture of 30’s New York with the good and the bad. You can see the sites and feel the ebb and flow of the city. It was great to imagine how real people might have interacted with the fictional characters.
I loved the main character, Lane. She has moxy and a lot of story that needs to be unraveled. Lane takes risks and isn’t afraid to put her heart out there. Lane is refreshing in that she doesn’t always end up being right or things going her way…I like that she is strong, but appreciates the strength of the males in her life too. Good intricate plot with great twists and turns. Just when you think you have it figured out…something else is revealed that turns your theory on its head.
Can’t wait to see what happens next!
L.A. Chandler brings 1930-s New York City to life in this hold onto your hat tale, The Silver Gun. Even though the Gret Depression was one of the worst times in American history, this novel shines a bright light on the amazing things going on the Big Apple during that ear. The protagonist, Lane Sanders, is just trying to do her job as assistant to Mayor Fiorillo LaGuaria, when she finds herself caught in the crossfire of mobster warfare and secrets that have been long buried, but not completely forgotten. With the help of her friends, family, and even her boss, Lane races against the clock to prevent a disaster of historic proportions. If you like history, suspense, mystery, with a little romance mixed in, you’ll enjoy The Silver Gun.
What a wonderful book! The Silver Gun is the best historical mystery I’ve read in ages.
The setting of The Silver Gun is New York City, in 1936. Author L.A. Chandlar’s love for her city and the Art Deco movement is readily apparent, and also her fondness for Mayor LaGuardia, one of the stars of this book.
Chandlar has incorporated some actual deeds, antics, and achievements of LaGuardia into her novel, which increased my interest and enjoyment of The Silver Gun. It’s a very fun read that’s almost impossible to put down. The action is told in first person by Lane Sanders, the protagonist. I love Lane’s voice, her personality, her spunk.
The Silver Gun has humor, excitement, mystery, danger, romance, lots of great characters, and more! Action-packed rescues (yes, more than one!), thrilling climaxes (yes, more than one!), and trumpet fanfares! I really like the twist at the very end. It’s quite a teaser for the next book in the series. I am eagerly awaiting the release of The Gold Pawn, Book #2, in September. I can’t wait to read it. I will definitely continue with the Art Deco Mysteries!
I highly recommend The Silver Gun, especially to those who live, work, or vacation in the Big Apple, and to cozy readers who like their mystery mixed with history. I think you’ll really enjoy it. The Silver Gun has earned our highest rating of Five Stars — it’s amazing!
Note: I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of The Silver Gun. All opinions shared are 100% my own.
Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.
Lane Sanders has landed a job as the personal assistant to New York City’s mayor Fiorello “Fio” La Guardia in 1936 New York City. She’s enjoying her job even though some days it feels like she is just trying to keep up with her energetic boss as he is on a crusade to clean up the city. One night, at the scene of a fire, Lane receives a warning for her boss. But soon she begins to wonder if there is more to the warning. And is she really a target?
This new series gets off to a promising start. There’s a good mystery here that kept me engaged most of the time and certainly had me turning pages during the suspenseful climax. I did feel the beginning wandered a bit too much, although it did all come into play by the end. Likewise, the ending could have been tighter as it set up the next in the series. The characters, both real and fictional, are a varied bunch and a delight to be around.
THE SILVER GUN by L.A. Chandlar
The First Art Deco Mystery
Working for Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia is always an adventure, but after Lane Sanders runs into a mysterious good looking man exiting his office and locks eyes with another man with an evil glare who’s watching her at the subway things get even more thrilling. Lane must not only keep up with the mayor’s antics and deal with two sourpussed secretaries jealous of her promotion, but she must join forces with friends and family to work on “the case”. There’s a threat against the mayor, but the attacks are aimed at Lane. Could she be the real target? Should she trust that mysterious man who seems to pop up whenever she’s in danger? And what is the meaning behind the silver gun in her dreams?
Intrigue, adventure, and a touch of romance, this historical mystery has it all!
THE SILVER GUN is filled with unique richly developed characters. Lane Sanders is an eager young woman willing to reach out for what she wants and who is not one to sit by the sidelines. She thrusts herself into danger and rescues herself, no wilting flower is she! Lane lives life to the fullest. She’s a woman I’d love to know and call friend. Finn Brodie is not only swoonworthy, he’s a complex character with hidden depths. Speaking of hidden depths, there are lots of characters with mysterious backgrounds. Not everything nor everyone is as it seems, which adds to the excitement and surprises which continue to unfold throughout the book.
I love just about everything in this first Art Deco mystery. The rich attention to detail provides added layers. I love hearing about the artists and songs from the time, and laugh as Lane gets the lyrics wrong. I appreciate the architecture, fashion, and the food. I never realized potato chips where a thing in the 1930s and I desperately want some fried olives.
THE SILVER GUN grabbed my attention from the start and would not let go. There are so many dimensions involved and the novel captivated me in so many ways. With laugh out loud escapades, romance, camaraderie, danger, and special dreams, it’s thrilling, charming, and funny, and not to be missed.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
This was a new author to me. I really enjoyed her writing style and the story. I love a good cozy mystery with a bit of suspense and side romance. The main characters and the secondary characters were believable and I felt engaged and invested in their journeys. I love a good historical, too, and this one felt fully fleshed out in time and place. Lane was a spitfire, smart, and quick on her feet. I liked the whole cast of characters. I loved that Lane could have male relationships that were not romances (but don’t worry for those romance lovers, there is also a sweet little side romance of mystery). Looking forward to reading the next one. The story closes the plot point but also dangles the plot for the next book, so it can read as standalone or readers can move on to the next in the series. I listened on audible and the narrator was great!
If you enjoy historical mysteries, I recommend checking out The Silver Gun by L.A. Chandlar!
Set in New York City in 1936, Lane Sandars is working as Mayor Fiorella La Guardia’s personal aide. With Fio managing revitalization efforts, dealing with vitriol from those who don’t think he should be in office, and meeting directly with constituents, Lane’s constantly busy keeping everything on track and the 23-year old is enjoying every minute. Then Lane is attacked and everyone from notorious gangsters to corrupt city officials seem to have possible motives due to her connection to the mayor. Even more concerning, Lane’s assailant was holding a silver gun that reminds her of one she’s dreamt off for years.
Add in a clandestine love affair, and Lane’s jumped in head first with a fun group of characters to figure out what exactly her assailant is planning and how it relates to her, as the stakes keep getting higher.
The setting is fabulous and the plot is fast paced with tons of twists and turns. Lane is an engaging character and I enjoyed her crew of family and friends. There was no cliffhanger, but there are some jaw dropping new discoveries near the end of the novel and I look forward to finding out what happens next.
The Silver Gun by L.A. Chandlar is the first book in An Art Deco Mystery series. Lane Sanders is aide to the 99th New York City Mayor Fiorello “Fio” LaGuardia. It has been busy with Fio’s efforts to stop the various gang enterprises in the city (slot machines for example) and his many reform ideas. One night at the scene of a fire, Lane is grabbed and threatened. One of the gangs is trying to scare off Fio through Lane. This is just the beginning of their efforts to scare Lane and get Fio out of office. Lane and her friends work to find out which gang leader is behind the attacks and stop them before the violence escalates. Lane has noticed a handsome man that seems to be following her. Is he out to help her or a part of the conspiracy?
The Silver Gun has a wonderful, strong female main character in Lane Sanders (well thought out and developed). Lane is spunky and has moxie. L.A. Chandlar did her research for An Art Deco Mystery series. She captured the era, the city and did a wonderful job at portraying the dynamic Fiorello LaGuardia. My rating for The Silver Gun is 3 out of 5 stars. I did think that the pace of the novel was slow. The author put so many details, events, and characters into the story that it made the story seem lengthy (and at times it read like a book on the history of the era). I wish the author had a different writing style. It would have made a world of difference (if she wrote like Leslie Meier, Laura Childs, Ellery Adams or Kate Carlisle for example). The mystery seemed complicated, but it is easily solved early in the story. I did find it unusual that Lane seemed to meet the same people no matter where she was in the city. Fio seemed to arrive at any incident in the city within minutes of it being reported (sometimes faster). I was curious how Fio showed up before Lane has been rescued from the train tracks. Her family also arrived equally as quick. I thought adding the famous painter (name would be a spoiler) to the story was a bit of a stretch (just made me roll my eyes in disbelief).