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Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries #10
The Girls and the Golden Egg
Two missing young women…and one discovered Fabergé egg.
New York, 1926
Jack Sweeney, the head of one of the most notorious gangs in New York City, has come to Penelope “Pen” Banks to call in a favor. His seventeen-year-old daughter has gone missing and he wants Penelope to find her.
The next day, Charles Easton, one of the wealthiest men in New York City comes to her with an identical case. His daughter, a flamboyant flapper of the same age, has also disappeared.
A golden egg, which Penelope suspects may be an authentic Fabergé, somehow lands in her possession soon after. It may be the clue that connects both cases.
At least until a dead body is found, one which only raises more alarming questions.
Now, the race is on to solve both cases before it leads to another murder, a gang war, or an international incident!
The Girls and the Golden Egg is the tenth book in the Penelope Banks Mystery series set in 1920s New York. The enjoyment of a cozy historical mystery combined with the excitement, daring, and danger of New York during Prohibition and the Jazz Age.
New York, 1926
Jack Sweeney, the head of one of the most notorious gangs in New York City, has come to Penelope “Pen” Banks to call in a favor. His seventeen-year-old daughter has gone missing and he wants Penelope to find her.
The next day, Charles Easton, one of the wealthiest men in New York City comes to her with an identical case. His daughter, a flamboyant flapper of the same age, has also disappeared.
A golden egg, which Penelope suspects may be an authentic Fabergé, somehow lands in her possession soon after. It may be the clue that connects both cases.
At least until a dead body is found, one which only raises more alarming questions.
Now, the race is on to solve both cases before it leads to another murder, a gang war, or an international incident!
The Girls and the Golden Egg is the tenth book in the Penelope Banks Mystery series set in 1920s New York. The enjoyment of a cozy historical mystery combined with the excitement, daring, and danger of New York during Prohibition and the Jazz Age.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2023
225 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Colette Clark
23 books105 followersColette Clark lives in New York and has always enjoyed learning more about the history of her amazing city. She decided to combine that curiosity and love of learning with her addiction to reading and watching mysteries. Her first series, Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries is the result of those passions. When she’s not writing she can be found doing Sudoku puzzles, drawing, eating tacos, visiting museums dedicated to unusual/weird/wacky things, and, of course, reading mysteries by other great authors.
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September 2, 2024
These presents don't really come for free / Your paychecks don't mean that much to me / Just take my hand and hold me tight, you'll never buy my love (This Girl – Kungs & Cookin’ On 3 Burners).
Hey, hey, hey, another killer installment in the Penelope Banks Murder Mystery series! It’s always nice to have a wonderful and reliable author to fall back on if I ever find myself losing interest my little reading hobby. Not saying that that’s what was happening when I first started this, but it’s not not happening! Sorry about the double negative, but honestly? I’d use triple negatives if I thought I could get away with them. Anyway, I think it’s cool that we’re on book 10 (ten!) in this series and it still feels as fresh and exciting as it did when I first started them on a whim. Though, I do appreciate the little deviations this time around to switch it up a little bit. Keep us on our toes and all that. I know this seems like the most obvious thing in the world to say, but I like when books, even formulaic mysteries, are about something more than just the events that they portray. You know, themes. Hurray for themes! And yeah, the straw-man argument in my ear right now is saying, “duh, everything has a theme, dude.” But I’ve actually noticed that a lot of writers (and some readers) are actually a little resistant and a little hostile to the idea that the stories they write and consume can have a deeper meaning. “It’s not that deep!” Yeah well, maybe it should be. At the end of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I remember there was this extra written interview between John Green and David Levithan where they were both tooting their horns about how they never write with themes in mind. And maybe it's because I imagined both of them chortling as they were saying these things, but it annoyed the hell out of me. Other than the fact that writing without a theme in mind is almost impossible, why the hell would you even set that as your goal when writing, let alone being proud of the fact? Like, “yay, my book doesn’t mean anything! I love slop, take that, thinkers!" It’s a bizarre way of thinking, and the wrong way to approach art, in my opinion. What I’m getting at is that this book (and the whole series, really) is about something. Sure, it stars out business as usual, but this time around, Pen’s got herself in a “Catch-me-or-I-go-Houdini”-situation, and while it seems simple enough at first, what’s really interesting is the undercurrent of sexism explored through Penelope’s interactions with the powerful men around her and their treatment of the young women that have gone missing. Maybe it was more their fault than they realize? We may never know! Dun dun dunnn (it was). Men’s casual dismissal of a women’s agency has been a constant running theme throughout this series; as it’s shown in the way Penelope was disowned by her father for not marrying a schmuck, in the way everybody raises their eyebrows at her being a lady detective, and it’s even the source of friction between Penelope and Detective Prescott in the early days of their relationship (she thinks he doesn’t believe she has what it takes because she’s a woman and they only get together when he proves that that’s not the case), but I don’t think that the sentiment has ever been more pronounced than how it's explored here in The Girls and the Golden Egg. But that’s a story for another paragraph!
Okay, here we are on another paragraph! This book sees two sets of shitty fathers go to Penelope in a desperate plea for her assistance in helping find their missing daughters. Because they suck, as fathers... and just normal guys, they believe that her “womanly sensibilities” will be the secret ingredient that offers special insight on the case. The thing is, they’re totally right, but for the wrong reasons. Pen is the right person, but all she does differently than the two brutes (other than being smarter and better than them in every way) is look at the victims through a lens of empathy and understanding. Her special “insight” is actually giving a shit. Woah, who would have thought! This book is delicious in its depiction of irony, because all of the problems caused throughout the novel could have easily been avoided had the fathers given their daughters, the people they claim to care about, the love and attention they so clearly craved. If they had more than material things to offer, then there wouldn't have been anything to worry about in the first place. It's cyclical! And while they're constantly yapping, callously blaming a women’s “flighty nature” as the reason for their running away, it’s actually shown that the father's own emotionally stunted ways are the causes of every problem throughout the novel. Man, I love snacking on some irony! You know how there’s always that guy who says something like “Pay them no mind. They’re only doing that for attention” and it's like, then maybe give them some attention, dumbass. I'm getting a little heated, so I'll move on. I think it’s easy to get caught in a specific rhythm when it comes to these mystery books, to the point where it feels a little too choreographed; a person dies in Pen’s company, then she investigates, then around the third act she figures it all out and we can all call it a day, but what I enjoyed the most about this book is that it hides the usual story beats in a more naturalistic way. I usually have to get myself into different mindsets whenever I'm reading switching from genre to genre, but this time around I didn't even register that I was reading a mystery book. Actually, I was flying through this at such a fast clip, that I barely noticed I was even reading! And I was so enraptured by the increasingly complicated mystery that I hadn’t realized that Penelope hadn’t even come across a dead body (yet). Trust me, the fact that I didn't notice is saying a lot because I’m usually that guy who glances at each page in impatience if there hadn’t been a dead body discovered yet. Really, it’s the only way my bloodlust can be satiated. And not to name names, but I'm going to name names... when I think of a book with this problem, Corpse at Captain's Seat by Josh Lanyon, book 8 (eight!), comes to mind. I thought my problem with it was that nobody dies in the first few pages, but I guess it turns out that you can make any story interesting enough with some good writing. Who knew? Also, this book pairs Pen with different characters other than her designated love-interest, Detective Prescott, which worked wonders not only because I’ve never really been his biggest fan, but it also reminds us, the readers, how good of a detective Pen is in her own right. By having her accompanied by a bunch of bullish, he-man, types, it really proves why Penelope is the right person for any mystery that comes to her table. And it’s not for her “feminine ways,” it’s because she is more personable and more tactful than the men around her. Kind of like how there’d be no problems in the Alien universe if all the losers around Ripley would have just listened to her. It’s good writing, it’s good stuff!
And because Pen is hardly around her designated love-interest (he doesn’t appear until, like, 50% in the story! Nice.) this time around, I actually realized how little space he actually takes up in these books. Is it weird that his absence was not felt? At all? Like, apparently all he’s good for is moving out of the way, and it’s probably not the best thing for a book when the the love-interest is the least interesting character. I mean, “interest” is in his title, so I should probably notice when he’s not around, no? It even got to the point where I started my usual nonsense by noticing that Pen actually has more chemistry (of the romantic variety) with Lulu, the jazz singer. They seemed to hit it off with each other in a more organic and interesting way than with Detective Dude over there. It's not only that he's a bit of a bore, I also think that he sometimes acts too much like a father figure for Pen and his relationship to completely feel like they're equal partners. Maybe this is just a me thing, but if I’m bored with a romance, I always find myself trying to look at things through a queer lens (we call that a queer eye, heh). Truthfully though, I'm mostly joking and I'm definitely not taking any of this too seriously, but I do think it’s interesting how we’re always supposed to assume a thing is heterosexual at face value, until explicitly told otherwise. It’s a bit unfair, if you ask me. Just the fact that I have an “LGBT” shelf on here but not a “straight” shelf kind of proves that too. And it’s like, why can’t I have a little fun in pretending something can be queer if I want to? Just because a book isn’t labeled as such doesn’t mean it can’t be interpreted as queer fiction. Not everything has to be straight (not like there’s anything wrong with that!), and it’s fun to interpret art way differently than intended! Besides, sometimes unintended queerness in stories can have a more of an impact than something that’s trying to be too careful, too “correct” in its inclusivity. It's the The Outsiders effect! I know for a fact that the author of that book isn't cool like that, but that doesn't change the fact that the book is liked by a lot of queer folk. Me included. I'm also reminded of how The Sims 4 added an option to give your sims sexual preferences, and a lot of people made a huge stink about it because they thought it was making the game “too political” or whatever, but the funny thing is… because sims could already have same sex relationships as the default option before the update, what was actually added to the game was the option have your sims be straight! Queerness was the default! Hahah how the turntables, indeed! Anyway, I’m not delusional (about this series, at least), and I know Detective Man is here to stay, I’m just saying that maybe, just maybe The Lord just forgot Pen’s gay awakening. Random tangent aside, I still love this series, and it amazes me how reading each one I can get my hands on is as bingeworthy as the one that preceded it. They really are lovely books and never fails to give me a feel-good… feeling. Really though, they’re like a warm bowl of Miso Soup on a chilly day.
“You’re beginning to sound like my father.”
“Don’t be silly, I’m hardly that terrible.”
Hey, hey, hey, another killer installment in the Penelope Banks Murder Mystery series! It’s always nice to have a wonderful and reliable author to fall back on if I ever find myself losing interest my little reading hobby. Not saying that that’s what was happening when I first started this, but it’s not not happening! Sorry about the double negative, but honestly? I’d use triple negatives if I thought I could get away with them. Anyway, I think it’s cool that we’re on book 10 (ten!) in this series and it still feels as fresh and exciting as it did when I first started them on a whim. Though, I do appreciate the little deviations this time around to switch it up a little bit. Keep us on our toes and all that. I know this seems like the most obvious thing in the world to say, but I like when books, even formulaic mysteries, are about something more than just the events that they portray. You know, themes. Hurray for themes! And yeah, the straw-man argument in my ear right now is saying, “duh, everything has a theme, dude.” But I’ve actually noticed that a lot of writers (and some readers) are actually a little resistant and a little hostile to the idea that the stories they write and consume can have a deeper meaning. “It’s not that deep!” Yeah well, maybe it should be. At the end of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I remember there was this extra written interview between John Green and David Levithan where they were both tooting their horns about how they never write with themes in mind. And maybe it's because I imagined both of them chortling as they were saying these things, but it annoyed the hell out of me. Other than the fact that writing without a theme in mind is almost impossible, why the hell would you even set that as your goal when writing, let alone being proud of the fact? Like, “yay, my book doesn’t mean anything! I love slop, take that, thinkers!" It’s a bizarre way of thinking, and the wrong way to approach art, in my opinion. What I’m getting at is that this book (and the whole series, really) is about something. Sure, it stars out business as usual, but this time around, Pen’s got herself in a “Catch-me-or-I-go-Houdini”-situation, and while it seems simple enough at first, what’s really interesting is the undercurrent of sexism explored through Penelope’s interactions with the powerful men around her and their treatment of the young women that have gone missing. Maybe it was more their fault than they realize? We may never know! Dun dun dunnn (it was). Men’s casual dismissal of a women’s agency has been a constant running theme throughout this series; as it’s shown in the way Penelope was disowned by her father for not marrying a schmuck, in the way everybody raises their eyebrows at her being a lady detective, and it’s even the source of friction between Penelope and Detective Prescott in the early days of their relationship (she thinks he doesn’t believe she has what it takes because she’s a woman and they only get together when he proves that that’s not the case), but I don’t think that the sentiment has ever been more pronounced than how it's explored here in The Girls and the Golden Egg. But that’s a story for another paragraph!
Okay, here we are on another paragraph! This book sees two sets of shitty fathers go to Penelope in a desperate plea for her assistance in helping find their missing daughters. Because they suck, as fathers... and just normal guys, they believe that her “womanly sensibilities” will be the secret ingredient that offers special insight on the case. The thing is, they’re totally right, but for the wrong reasons. Pen is the right person, but all she does differently than the two brutes (other than being smarter and better than them in every way) is look at the victims through a lens of empathy and understanding. Her special “insight” is actually giving a shit. Woah, who would have thought! This book is delicious in its depiction of irony, because all of the problems caused throughout the novel could have easily been avoided had the fathers given their daughters, the people they claim to care about, the love and attention they so clearly craved. If they had more than material things to offer, then there wouldn't have been anything to worry about in the first place. It's cyclical! And while they're constantly yapping, callously blaming a women’s “flighty nature” as the reason for their running away, it’s actually shown that the father's own emotionally stunted ways are the causes of every problem throughout the novel. Man, I love snacking on some irony! You know how there’s always that guy who says something like “Pay them no mind. They’re only doing that for attention” and it's like, then maybe give them some attention, dumbass. I'm getting a little heated, so I'll move on. I think it’s easy to get caught in a specific rhythm when it comes to these mystery books, to the point where it feels a little too choreographed; a person dies in Pen’s company, then she investigates, then around the third act she figures it all out and we can all call it a day, but what I enjoyed the most about this book is that it hides the usual story beats in a more naturalistic way. I usually have to get myself into different mindsets whenever I'm reading switching from genre to genre, but this time around I didn't even register that I was reading a mystery book. Actually, I was flying through this at such a fast clip, that I barely noticed I was even reading! And I was so enraptured by the increasingly complicated mystery that I hadn’t realized that Penelope hadn’t even come across a dead body (yet). Trust me, the fact that I didn't notice is saying a lot because I’m usually that guy who glances at each page in impatience if there hadn’t been a dead body discovered yet. Really, it’s the only way my bloodlust can be satiated. And not to name names, but I'm going to name names... when I think of a book with this problem, Corpse at Captain's Seat by Josh Lanyon, book 8 (eight!), comes to mind. I thought my problem with it was that nobody dies in the first few pages, but I guess it turns out that you can make any story interesting enough with some good writing. Who knew? Also, this book pairs Pen with different characters other than her designated love-interest, Detective Prescott, which worked wonders not only because I’ve never really been his biggest fan, but it also reminds us, the readers, how good of a detective Pen is in her own right. By having her accompanied by a bunch of bullish, he-man, types, it really proves why Penelope is the right person for any mystery that comes to her table. And it’s not for her “feminine ways,” it’s because she is more personable and more tactful than the men around her. Kind of like how there’d be no problems in the Alien universe if all the losers around Ripley would have just listened to her. It’s good writing, it’s good stuff!
And because Pen is hardly around her designated love-interest (he doesn’t appear until, like, 50% in the story! Nice.) this time around, I actually realized how little space he actually takes up in these books. Is it weird that his absence was not felt? At all? Like, apparently all he’s good for is moving out of the way, and it’s probably not the best thing for a book when the the love-interest is the least interesting character. I mean, “interest” is in his title, so I should probably notice when he’s not around, no? It even got to the point where I started my usual nonsense by noticing that Pen actually has more chemistry (of the romantic variety) with Lulu, the jazz singer. They seemed to hit it off with each other in a more organic and interesting way than with Detective Dude over there. It's not only that he's a bit of a bore, I also think that he sometimes acts too much like a father figure for Pen and his relationship to completely feel like they're equal partners. Maybe this is just a me thing, but if I’m bored with a romance, I always find myself trying to look at things through a queer lens (we call that a queer eye, heh). Truthfully though, I'm mostly joking and I'm definitely not taking any of this too seriously, but I do think it’s interesting how we’re always supposed to assume a thing is heterosexual at face value, until explicitly told otherwise. It’s a bit unfair, if you ask me. Just the fact that I have an “LGBT” shelf on here but not a “straight” shelf kind of proves that too. And it’s like, why can’t I have a little fun in pretending something can be queer if I want to? Just because a book isn’t labeled as such doesn’t mean it can’t be interpreted as queer fiction. Not everything has to be straight (not like there’s anything wrong with that!), and it’s fun to interpret art way differently than intended! Besides, sometimes unintended queerness in stories can have a more of an impact than something that’s trying to be too careful, too “correct” in its inclusivity. It's the The Outsiders effect! I know for a fact that the author of that book isn't cool like that, but that doesn't change the fact that the book is liked by a lot of queer folk. Me included. I'm also reminded of how The Sims 4 added an option to give your sims sexual preferences, and a lot of people made a huge stink about it because they thought it was making the game “too political” or whatever, but the funny thing is… because sims could already have same sex relationships as the default option before the update, what was actually added to the game was the option have your sims be straight! Queerness was the default! Hahah how the turntables, indeed! Anyway, I’m not delusional (about this series, at least), and I know Detective Man is here to stay, I’m just saying that maybe, just maybe The Lord just forgot Pen’s gay awakening. Random tangent aside, I still love this series, and it amazes me how reading each one I can get my hands on is as bingeworthy as the one that preceded it. They really are lovely books and never fails to give me a feel-good… feeling. Really though, they’re like a warm bowl of Miso Soup on a chilly day.
“You’re beginning to sound like my father.”
“Don’t be silly, I’m hardly that terrible.”
April 21, 2023
Rating: 5 / 5
Wowwee, talk about making a simple thing complicated! But then, in the world of Penelope Banks, that often seems to be the case, doesn't it?
This time around, she finally has to pay in that favour she owes Mr. Sweeney, and it actually turns out to be something fairly benign: his daughter, Katie, has gone missing, and he wants Penelope to find her.
Simple, right?
Or at least, it SHOULD be, but then the kid of another mafia boss goes missing, and then the kid of a super-rich importer/exporter as well, and they ALL seem to be tied together with the item of a very valuable Golden Egg...
...well, let's just say that it becomes about as complicated as the fairy tale of The Golden Goose. (And if you don't know that one yet, look it up. I recommend the Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics animated version, which is available for free on YouTube.)
But anyway, while we ourselves as the readers may be in over our heads, Pen herself certainly keeps a cool head, and voila wouldn't you know it--she solves the case!
This is overall a great addition to the series, and more so because it came out so soon after Book 9 that I was quite surprised! I think either the author had this planned for a while, or they just got so hyped up by inspiration and couldn't help finishing this up quickly. Well, either way, the passion in it shows, and therefore makes for a wonderful read!
Which...by the same, I should probably start ranking these reads and updating them as I move through the series, yeah? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!
My Ranking of the Penelope Banks Books (so far)
1. The Great Gaston Murder (book 6)
2. The Missing White Lady (book 2)
3. Murder on 34th Street (book 8)
4. The Girls and the Golden Egg (book 10)
5. A Murder in Washington Square (book 5)
6. Murder in the Gardens (book 4)
7. A Murder in Long Island (book 1)
8. Pearls, Poison, and Park Avenue (book 3)
9. Spotting a Case of Murder (book 9)
10. A Murder After Death (book 7)
Wowwee, talk about making a simple thing complicated! But then, in the world of Penelope Banks, that often seems to be the case, doesn't it?
This time around, she finally has to pay in that favour she owes Mr. Sweeney, and it actually turns out to be something fairly benign: his daughter, Katie, has gone missing, and he wants Penelope to find her.
Simple, right?
Or at least, it SHOULD be, but then the kid of another mafia boss goes missing, and then the kid of a super-rich importer/exporter as well, and they ALL seem to be tied together with the item of a very valuable Golden Egg...
...well, let's just say that it becomes about as complicated as the fairy tale of The Golden Goose. (And if you don't know that one yet, look it up. I recommend the Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics animated version, which is available for free on YouTube.)
But anyway, while we ourselves as the readers may be in over our heads, Pen herself certainly keeps a cool head, and voila wouldn't you know it--she solves the case!
This is overall a great addition to the series, and more so because it came out so soon after Book 9 that I was quite surprised! I think either the author had this planned for a while, or they just got so hyped up by inspiration and couldn't help finishing this up quickly. Well, either way, the passion in it shows, and therefore makes for a wonderful read!
Which...by the same, I should probably start ranking these reads and updating them as I move through the series, yeah? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!
My Ranking of the Penelope Banks Books (so far)
1. The Great Gaston Murder (book 6)
2. The Missing White Lady (book 2)
3. Murder on 34th Street (book 8)
4. The Girls and the Golden Egg (book 10)
5. A Murder in Washington Square (book 5)
6. Murder in the Gardens (book 4)
7. A Murder in Long Island (book 1)
8. Pearls, Poison, and Park Avenue (book 3)
9. Spotting a Case of Murder (book 9)
10. A Murder After Death (book 7)
April 27, 2023
Enjoyable!
This is a very good and entertaining series, set in an interesting time period. It's been fun reading about how Penelope Banks went from a rich, rebellious teenage party girl to being so poor that she had to become a professional poker player after her strict father cut her off without a dime, back to rich professional private investigator living in a swanky penthouse apartment. Penelope is older and wiser and smarter than ever. This time, she has crime bosses and high-finance businessmen coming out of the woodwork, two of them trying to hire her to find their daughters. It soon becomes apparent that their goal is more than finding a couple of missing teenagers. Pen's reputation as a very good P.I. doesn't seem to be the only reason that all these "big" men are seeking out her services and why they've given her a deadline for finding them. To make it even harder for Pen to get people talking to her, she has been "assigned" a helper in the form of the top enforcer for a very powerful crime boss. In the end, Pen can take care of herself and any crime boss who happens to get in her way. I really like that. I like that most of the women in this series, Pen, Lulu, Jane, and Kitty, are all ready, willing, and able to stand up to anyone; they don't let anyone boss them around. Like I said, this is a fun and entertaining series, and I will continue to read it until the end.
This is a very good and entertaining series, set in an interesting time period. It's been fun reading about how Penelope Banks went from a rich, rebellious teenage party girl to being so poor that she had to become a professional poker player after her strict father cut her off without a dime, back to rich professional private investigator living in a swanky penthouse apartment. Penelope is older and wiser and smarter than ever. This time, she has crime bosses and high-finance businessmen coming out of the woodwork, two of them trying to hire her to find their daughters. It soon becomes apparent that their goal is more than finding a couple of missing teenagers. Pen's reputation as a very good P.I. doesn't seem to be the only reason that all these "big" men are seeking out her services and why they've given her a deadline for finding them. To make it even harder for Pen to get people talking to her, she has been "assigned" a helper in the form of the top enforcer for a very powerful crime boss. In the end, Pen can take care of herself and any crime boss who happens to get in her way. I really like that. I like that most of the women in this series, Pen, Lulu, Jane, and Kitty, are all ready, willing, and able to stand up to anyone; they don't let anyone boss them around. Like I said, this is a fun and entertaining series, and I will continue to read it until the end.
April 16, 2023
Two missing girls, an infamous gangster and a priceless egg…
Pen owes a favor to infamous gangster Jack Sweeney and it’s time to pay up. His daughter has gone missing and he’s decided Pen is the one to find her. Pen knows he’s hiding something from her but has no choice but to get on with it, and her new shadow Sweeney’s man Tommy. When a wealthy businessman’s daughter also goes missing a few days later in much the same manner Pen is sure the cases are connected. When she tries to investigate she’s met with half truths, secrets and more questions than answers. When a famous egg comes into play that’s when things get really serious. Pen will need all her wits and her friends to make sure she finds the missing girls and the truth before it’s too late.
This story is vey interesting yet the plot is sometimes over complicated. I’m not sure if that’s intentional because of the way the characters plotted or not. With all the circles Pen kept going in I wasn’t sure how this would end but it was a very Sherlock Holmes type of conclusion. It all makes sense oddly enough when it’s explained you wonder how you missed the clues along the way. Some great twists and turns and some very interesting history to stir up this story! Definitely enjoyed another visit to 1920’s NYC along with Pen and her crew!
Pen owes a favor to infamous gangster Jack Sweeney and it’s time to pay up. His daughter has gone missing and he’s decided Pen is the one to find her. Pen knows he’s hiding something from her but has no choice but to get on with it, and her new shadow Sweeney’s man Tommy. When a wealthy businessman’s daughter also goes missing a few days later in much the same manner Pen is sure the cases are connected. When she tries to investigate she’s met with half truths, secrets and more questions than answers. When a famous egg comes into play that’s when things get really serious. Pen will need all her wits and her friends to make sure she finds the missing girls and the truth before it’s too late.
This story is vey interesting yet the plot is sometimes over complicated. I’m not sure if that’s intentional because of the way the characters plotted or not. With all the circles Pen kept going in I wasn’t sure how this would end but it was a very Sherlock Holmes type of conclusion. It all makes sense oddly enough when it’s explained you wonder how you missed the clues along the way. Some great twists and turns and some very interesting history to stir up this story! Definitely enjoyed another visit to 1920’s NYC along with Pen and her crew!
May 22, 2023
A bone of contention
Another good story with one glaring historical error spotted by this Texan. Yes, Norman-Marcus was founded in 1909 so it did exist in the 1920’s. Carrie Norman had for a time been a buyer for a NY department store and brought her unerring sense of style back to Texas where Norman’s was founded. It was a BIG DEAL in my childhood when the first N-M store was established in Fort Worth, Texas in the 1960’s. To shop Norman’s in the 1920’s you had to go to Dallas.
Another good story with one glaring historical error spotted by this Texan. Yes, Norman-Marcus was founded in 1909 so it did exist in the 1920’s. Carrie Norman had for a time been a buyer for a NY department store and brought her unerring sense of style back to Texas where Norman’s was founded. It was a BIG DEAL in my childhood when the first N-M store was established in Fort Worth, Texas in the 1960’s. To shop Norman’s in the 1920’s you had to go to Dallas.
April 15, 2023
This is the tenth book in an enjoyable series. The protagonist is a courageous and spunky woman whose exploits are always interesting. The plot was complicated and intriguing. All in all, a good read!
April 19, 2023
not my favorite
Ending was good. However, prior to the ending you have to wade through the rehashing of every single thought or idea over and over and over again. I was bored with the story before I got to the end.
Ending was good. However, prior to the ending you have to wade through the rehashing of every single thought or idea over and over and over again. I was bored with the story before I got to the end.
May 14, 2023
The Girls and the Golden Egg 📖 book 10
Needs some editing but otherwise it’s a good historical mystery romance full of mystery,drama,suspense,intrigue, and sass. I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns that led you on a merry chase.❣️💃🏻🙀
Needs some editing but otherwise it’s a good historical mystery romance full of mystery,drama,suspense,intrigue, and sass. I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns that led you on a merry chase.❣️💃🏻🙀
October 29, 2023
Engaging as alway.
Entertaining 1920s mystery with likable characters. Many twists and turns and almost too many suspects.
The clues are all given but can you figure it out before Penelope?
Entertaining 1920s mystery with likable characters. Many twists and turns and almost too many suspects.
The clues are all given but can you figure it out before Penelope?
November 13, 2023
Crazy, Rich, Teenagers
Fun read. What happens when some spoiled rich girls decide they need more money to get to Hollywood. Involving gangsters and other rich men. Murder ensues. Pen works for 2 of the fathers.
Fun read. What happens when some spoiled rich girls decide they need more money to get to Hollywood. Involving gangsters and other rich men. Murder ensues. Pen works for 2 of the fathers.
December 14, 2024
This was a fun and exciting story. Two gangster bosses were involved and a shipping magnate. Two daughters and a son disappeared and Penelope is basically told to find them. The plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding the son and daughters and why a certain priceless item was missing. You won't regret reading the story.
February 14, 2024
super fun read!
This mystery set in the 1920’s and featuring sleuth Penelope Banks can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading all the books starting with the first one.
This mystery set in the 1920’s and featuring sleuth Penelope Banks can be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading all the books starting with the first one.
May 8, 2023
great books
I’ve read every book in this series so far. I can’t wait for more. I definitely recommend this book as well as all of the others.
I’ve read every book in this series so far. I can’t wait for more. I definitely recommend this book as well as all of the others.
May 12, 2023
It started with an egg!
Pen wasn't busy at the time, just helping Jane plan her April wedding. Then the cases started pouring in but, are they all connected?
Pen wasn't busy at the time, just helping Jane plan her April wedding. Then the cases started pouring in but, are they all connected?
June 24, 2023
I really enjoy Penelope Banks and this series, however, I did find the conclusion far too complicated.
July 22, 2023
Good Read intriguing mystery
As usual Collette Clark spins an twisting tale. The characters as as rich as usual. Looking forward to book 11 in the series.
As usual Collette Clark spins an twisting tale. The characters as as rich as usual. Looking forward to book 11 in the series.
September 24, 2023
Delightful
As with the previous stories, a delightful read. I want to thank the author for sharing her talent of telling such interesting stories.
As with the previous stories, a delightful read. I want to thank the author for sharing her talent of telling such interesting stories.
July 2, 2024
Fun Like East Egg
A Gatsby taste of the times, lighthearted and full of history and mystery. Teenage hi-jinx gone astray. Next to Paris!!
A Gatsby taste of the times, lighthearted and full of history and mystery. Teenage hi-jinx gone astray. Next to Paris!!
November 22, 2024
I didn't find this as interesting as earlier books in the series, but it's still well done, 4.5 stars.
October 13, 2025
a bit too many threads for me! bring back Benny!
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