A Deadly Endeavor

Deadly Twenties #1

by Jenny Adams

Philadelphia, 1921. When Edie Shippen returns home after spending years in California recovering from Influenza, she’s shocked to discover her childhood sweetheart is engaged to her twin sister. Heartbroken and adrift, Edie vows to begin living her life as a modern woman—and to hell with anyone who gets in her way. But as young women start to disappear from the city,  her newfound independence begins to feel dangerous.

Gilbert Lawless returned home from the Great War a shell of his former self. He hides away in the office of Philadelphia’s Coroner, content to keep to himself until a gruesome series of corpses come into the morgue. And when his sister, Lizzie, goes missing, he risks his career to beg help from the one person Lizzie seemed to trust: her employer, Edie Shippen. 

Fearing the worst, Edie and Gilbert desperately search for clues. It soon becomes clear that Lizzie’s disappearance is connected to the deaths rocking the City of Brotherly Love… and it’s only a matter of time until the killer strikes again.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Historical Mystery

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Jenny Adams has always had an overactive imagination. She turned her love of books and stories into a career as a librarian and novelist. She holds degrees in Medieval Studies and Library Science from The Ohio State University and Drexel University, and currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her family.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting impatiently to get my hands on this delightful book, and it surpassed my expectations! I love Edie and Gil SO much. The plot was so perfectly paced, the descriptions of the setting—and the clothing!—were fabulous. I love the characters’ backgrounds and how cleanly they were folded into the storyline without infodumps. If you are a fan of Miss Fisher, you will adore this story!

Cannot wait for more from this author!

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for an advanced copy of this delightful story. Opinions are my own.

[Jeannine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The investigation in this debut was solid, though the villain is obvious by the 25% mark. The characters on the non-society side of the character list are appealing. Those on the society side of the character list are less likeable. The female main character is abrasive and self-absorbed. It's hard to sympathize with her knowing that she created the difficult situation in which she finds herself when the story begins. I found the writing unsophisticated and goofy at points.

Both main characters are working through trauma, but we don’t see much evolution in this book. Perhaps it’s being saved for future books.

The final scene is very similar in structure and content to another book in this genre (and by this publisher!). So similar that I was startled. Maybe this is a common way to end a book and my reading of mysteries isn’t as extensive as I thought, but it was disappointing because it was unoriginal.

I won’t be continuing the series.

Reviews are for readers! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[M.K. Pagano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an early edition of this lovely book. Adams has created an incredibly well-written, obviously well-researched, tense and exciting story about a serial killer in 1920s Philadelphia. We have two compelling protagonists: Edie, a high society girl who returns to find her sister engaged to her ex-boyfriend, and Gilbert, a doctor who's returned from World War I and now works at the city morgue. As women around them go missing and then turn up gruesomely murdered, they need to team up to find out who's responsible before someone close to them is next. I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the twenties and loved following along with Edie and Gil as they followed a trail of clues and slowly start to have feelings for each other. I can't wait to read more from this world!

[ß]

started off really well but the insta love on the guy’s end was so lame. bro barely blinked and he was already waxing poetic about how he wants her

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suspenseful historical mystery with an unforgettable romantic pairing at the center, a narrative equal turns gory and shocking and gossipy and swoony . Lots of fun!

[TrueReviews180 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an odd book. On the one hand, there is a psychologically incongruous (giggly, jealous, suicidal, flirtatious, pouty, desperate to be a "modern girl," by turns) beautiful young socialite named Edie with gorgeous clothes (described to the feathers) who cuddles her pug dog Aphrodite. And on the other, murder scenes with the bodies butchered, the organs removed (in detail), and the skin ripped off the victims. It's like a predictable rom-com (the love interest is a handsome and traumatized former war medic) crossed with Silence of the Lambs -- and the blend doesn't come off as clever or original (the way Guy Ritchie, for example, can blend the macabre and comedy).

I believe some allowances should be made for debut novels. I feel the author struggled to represent Edie as "spirited"; to me, she came off as shallow and spoiled. If Edie had been engaging and likable, I might have let the plot with all its coincidences and holes ride, but .... well, I DNF'd at page 170. It wasn't for me.

[Samantha Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Philadelphia in the early 1920s. This historical murder mystery will leave you on the edge of your seat with shocking twists, vivid settings that will whisk you away to the Jazz Age, lovable characters topped with a bit of slow burn romance. An incredible debut by the author. I cant wait to read more of Edie and Gil in Book 2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What you get:
☠️ Great Gatsby Vibes
💙PTSD Rep
☠️Heroic FMC
💙Grumpy x Sunshine
☠️Single Dad
💙Whodunnit
☠️ Complex Characters

If you’re from the Philadelphia area or frequent it a lot, you’re going to LOVE this setting! I seriously felt as if I was standing in the middle of it all!

[CHRISTY · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost DNF 🫠usually this would be my exact cup of tea, but I was bored. I didn’t really care about any of the characters? They were so unmemorable that I couldn’t remember who was who and why they were in the story. It was also real weird to have him pining so hard for her while his sister was missing????? like???? let’s be so serious lol you just got bad news but you’re all hot and bothered?????

[Lisa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a fun book! Fast-paced with sparkling characters and dastardly murders. Loved the slow-burn attraction between Edie and Gil. And the historical setting *chef’s kiss*
Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Mae Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS
-m/f historical suspense
-murder mystery
-single parent
-opposites attract
-migraine and PTSD rep


This was such a great read. A murder mystery, an atmospheric historical, and two people who love the first time around didn't work out. Edie and Gilbert were wonderful main characters, opposites in so many ways, pushed aside by society, and just trying to live their lives assuming love would never play a part again. I loved watching them clash together to solve the mystery as their chemisty built. The entire world including secondary character was so well drawn. I can't wait to read whatever Jenny writes next.

[Andrea Rinaldi-Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will keep you on your toes until the very last page. I've had the privilege to read it while it was still on submission, and I cannot wait for the world to experience Edie!

GET IT. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

[Annie]

I need this preorder link yesterday.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! What an amazing debut by Jenny! This book sucked me right in, the characters were developed so well and I absolutely couldn’t put this book down! Ready for more!

[S S · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's this hilarious Bollywood movie from 2007, Welcome, in which a character with some anger issues is repeatedly found muttering to himself "Control, Uday, control," as he tries to keep himself from flying off the handle (Uday being the name of the character). Completely unrelated to this story, except that, by the end, it feels like both of the characters that we are following in first person view (Edie, Gil) are incessantly telling themselves the same thing (about their apparent feelings for each other, as opposed to anger) - and then failing before the next page is up.

I guess to put it another way - when you watch a TV show that has the 'will they/won't they' sort of build-up/plot, it works because it sorta comes and goes throughout the course of a season (or more) and isn't constantly at the forefront. The problem here is the first person approach to both of their thoughts, plus their apparent immaturity to some extent, mean that we have to keep on reading about it - not only when they've met, but each time after they've met, or when they think about the other person, or when they're in danger, or when someone is dead, or ... It is just always there, not in the backdrop but literally in our face, which quickly becomes an annoyance. Like, I get trying to build up the relationship and that sort of 'will/won't' drama, but I feel like maybe we didn't need as much of it sorta flooding over the whole story. It may have been more impactful if it was less 'constantly in our face' ('show don't tell,' sure, but also, like, after it has been made clear that this dynamic exists, we know, so there's no need to keep driving it in with a hammer).

The only other real gripe I had from that, and this is overall minor, is that I felt the culprit was pretty predictable pretty early on. (Also, I still question why a character would first disappear, then show up and leave cryptic clues and not just say anything outright, but hey, I guess that would just end the mystery too quickly.)

However, this minor gripe doesn't really negatively impact my take of this story (partially because I wasn't really going into expecting a full-on, Christie-style whodunnit). It is a quick read - and also a mostly fun one (opening point about incessant "I shouldn't do this" as they do exactly 'this' aside). Well, as fun as a story about two folks on the hunt for a possible serial killer (well, more to the point, on the hunt for a missing person who they both know - and having that search tie into a possible serial killer) can be. It is a bit gruesome, maybe - especially as we are introduced to the crime scenes and the bodies (and, later, a scene/description in the climax as well). And the motive, when the motive comes out, is very, very out there - not in a "WTF? What a load of shit!" kind of way, but in a "WTF? Talk about a (spoiler) complex!" that doesn't detract from the story or make it too unbelievable (as crazy as it overall is). I did wonder it for a second as the bodies were described - if this is the direction the story was going, I mean - but there was no real reason to think that until it was actually stated. But I'll admit - as insane as it sounds, there are clearly people out there like this, and I didn't really hate it as the villain's motive (solely from a storytelling point of view). I do, however, question the choice of victims - maybe it was entirely overshadowed by also being a crime of convenience, but it also sorta draws a fairly small circle of possible criminals (but that is neither here nor there for the story).

I think our main characters - Gil, suffering from clear PTSD, and Edie, suffering from migraines and a bit too much of an over-the-top 'I will do whatever I want to do' attitude (not necessarily a bad thing in a person, but written in a sort of painful to fully support/root for way) - are overall not a bad duo to follow, though I do wonder if alternating chapters (and 1st person narratives) between them ended becoming a bit much (as above). Gil I guess is a stereotypical 1920s man (maybe slightly more progressive than they're typically portrayed, but still very "I'm the man, you're the woman"); Edie is a stereotypical female movie/book character who is determined to do everything her own way (usually good thing) while ignoring everything and developing a savior complex (in the stories, this is usually a bad thing; but also, it feels, way too commonplace in stories) that backfires and puts everyone into danger (I guess the main point is simple - don't meddle without talking it over first, especially when you don't know the full backstory).

But also, like, every time Edie steps outside, something bad happens - like, talk about having the worst luck ever. And that's on top of her own self-induced troubles - right from the start, we learn that a lot of the stuff in her life (like the initially constant pining over her ex, who is now her sister's fiancé) is largely her fault (which, if it is written as way of garnering our sympathy, quickly fails at that because she keeps bringing it up). Additionally, she occasionally talks about being "independent," whilst her actions show her immediately jumping from "in love with my ex" to "in love with a guy I shouldn't love" and just going on an on (in her mind) about both guys (I guess that's meant to be part of her growth; but I don't know how much "getting over person A" is growth when it is immediately turned into "always thinking about person B"). Like obviously this had to reach a conclusion at some point, but the "she acts independently and puts everyone in danger as a result" was entirely predictable (largely because it has become so cliché) and also, maybe unnecessary. I'm sure there could've been some other way to take the story that would bring all the characters together (though, I'll be honest, I'm not sure what that is - since the story has made it clear he would never take that step). Also, I'm not sure "I'm independent" and "searching his room the minute he walks away" are necessarily one-and-the-same.

All that said - like I mentioned above, it is a pretty quick read and a mostly enjoyable fare. The suspense/mystery, while maybe predictable in terms of the 'who,' does keep you a in the dark about the 'why' until the end - and which, while creepy and slightly (or more than slightly) deranged, is an effective sort of reveal here. The only thing keeping me from giving this 4 stars (for me, this amounts to: "very good, loved every minute of it; definitely recommend") is the non-stop self-talk where they keep telling themselves to essentially 'control' their thoughts/emotions (and then promptly fail - over and over again). Otherwise, though - fun read.

[Gabrielle (belle.bookcorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

A Deadly Endeavor is a murder mystery set in Philadelphia, 1921.
Told from the POV of both main characters, Edith and Gil as they began to investigate deeper into the case when a dear person to them was missing.

The main characters – Eddie and Gil really have a good chemistry together, they would make a good partner in this case. I wish this book wasn’t a standalone, instead it’s a series because I’d love to see more of them.

While I do enjoy the writing style and the mystery, I find the culprit pretty obvious from the start. One character keep standing out and there wasn’t other suspicious characters that made me want to doubt my theory, and I was right so the big reveal doesn’t really come as a surprise for me.

Overall, this is a simple entertaining mystery and quite enjoyable.
I would keep an eye out for another book by this author in the future!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: death, gun violence, chronic illness

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philadelphia, 1921. Twin Edie Shippen on returning home finds her sister Frances engaged to the man she loves decides to become what she believes is a modern woman. This high society female (this group of people including Edie are mostly unlikeable) meets up with war veteran Dr Gilbert Lawless, coroner's assistant to investigate a series of murders.
Overall an enjoyable historical mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren Burke · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I could not get myself to finish it. For a murder mystery there couldn’t have been less murder or less mystery. SO BORING like I would read for an hour and genuinely nothing would happen. If you want a low stress brain rot book go for it, but I need some sort of something. This book literally made me depressed.

[Zoë Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely, quick read! Quick because I became so absorbed that I finished it in about a day. Despite guessing the plot twist halfway through, the characters kept me invested. I enjoyed the little bits of Irish sprinkled through, and found the social dynamics very interesting. I almost wish we could’ve heard more about The Twelve and their artistic endeavors. Overall, fun and easy to read!

[Amanda Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored everything about this book! Jenny is a magnificent author who crafts the most compelling story to keep you hooked, while falling in love with her characters. Just wonderful!

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this because I'm doing a RPG campaign set in 1921, and I thought this would give me some creative sparks for my character. But I got sucked into the romance and finished the second half of the book in one night.
I'm rating this 4 stars as a romance, since I don't normally read mysteries and I can't comment on the tropes of that genre. The chapters switch from the rich society girl to the gruff war veteran, so from male to female and each read distinctly and clearly. The writing was clean and not overly explaining -- not quite sparkling like the cover blurb says, but still very good. Strong enough to pull the reader into the story. The plotting is solid and deft. But the 1921 setting was very real. The setting feels real, the way the girl is still haunted by the Spanish flu and the guy is still sucked into flashbacks from the war. The romantic tension builds up naturally and the situation that brings them together flow.
The Murderer is revealed in a very dramatic over-the-top scene that has gruesome horror elements. And his motive doesn't completely make sense, but maybe thats a normal trope? It felt more like a screen play for the Netfix series, then something realistic to the time period. Also the girls gets a gun and uses it well. So Magic Gun saves girl trope - most dangerous fictional device.
The last chapter sets up a sequel and doesn't quite resolve the romance. Which I assume is normal for a mystery series, but disappointing in a romance.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this book. I really wanted to, but I just couldn't and it's going to be a DNF.

Both Edie and Gilbert COULD have been characters I could have related to, but both of them would almost get to the point of telling everyone else in their lives who was trying to force them into boxes that did not fit to SHOVE IT, and then they would fold and put up with more stupid nonsense from the people in their lives.

I stuck with this until the halfway point hoping one or both of them would stand up and tell everyone else to buzz off because they were going to live their lives their way and find happiness for themselves. But they still hadn't by the mid-point and I just had enough of the wishy-washy boo-hooing. I'm moving on to something else.

[M. Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up before bed intending to read only a chapter or two and was 20% through before I knew it--and the book only got more gripping from there. I really loved this one! The characters are absolutely fantastic, the historical details are charming and authentic, and the mystery itself had enough twists to keep me guessing. This was easily the most enjoyable mystery I've read in awhile. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

[Candice Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I enjoyed the 1920s time period and the murder mystery aspect. The plot was good (while I was surprised by the true crime aspect of all the murders, that was a little unexpected). The mystery was good and predictable.
I wasn't a fan of narrator for the audiobook, she seemed older (I know the author has no control over that but just wanted to through that out there for anyone considering listening, I think it would have been more enjoyable if I read the book myself)

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this murder mystery set in 1920s Philadelphia - great period detail, sensitive and compelling depiction of both migraines and post-war PTSD, and damn is it a page-turner. The side characters were well-developed, and though rich girl Edie was grating at times, you could see her grow throughout the book.

[Sam Riner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the growing romystery genre. In the beginning, the male POV was way more interesting because murder investigation vs going to social events, but eventually their paths finally cross officially, and things get much more interesting.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! Can't wait for the sequel

[Stefanie Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling characters and a captivating storyline. A whodunit with all the clues laid out for the reader, so the twists feel natural and not just for the purpose of putting twists in a novel.

[A Reader's Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow, this one snuck up on me. After spending three years in California recovering from the influenza, Edie Shippen is home to find her childhood sweetheart engaged to her twin sister. Not long after, women in her life start going missing. When her maid Lizzie disappears, she ends up teamed up with Lizzie's big brother, Gil, who has medical issues of his own thanks to the Great War. I started this one thinking I'd just dip a toe in and see if it was any good, and I ended up reading the whole thing in one go. The mystery was tightly plotted, and the clues were there but not so obvious that slapped you across the face (and, quite frankly, I was so caught up in finding out what happened next I missed a few!). I didn't necessarily like Edie at the beginning of the book (and don't get me started on Franny), but I really loved how much she came into her own throughout the book and had me rooting for her by the end. I also adored Gil, his family, and especially his interactions with Penelope. To round out the trifecta, I quite liked them together, and I look forward to see how their relationship progresses in future books. I'm a sucker for well written secondary characters, and this book features loads; I hope to see more of Lizzie, Marco, the mobsters, and their families in future books (and maybe some redemption for Artie Van Pelt?). All in all for a debut, I can't find significant flaws. 5/5 stars, and eagerly awaiting the next!

[Harisa- EsquiredToRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! Writing was great and character development for our main two characters was also good.

It has the slow burn romance of a cozy but the creepiness and true crime aspect of “criminal minds” + it’s set in prohibition era Philly. Overall very good read.

[Samantha Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut that’s perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen’s ROYAL SPYNESS and Kerri Maniscalco’s STALKING JACK THE RIPPER. Both the time period and the prose sparkle. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!