What do you think?
Rate this book
Maggie Sullivan Mysteries #3
Don't Dare a Dame
(Maggie Sullivan mystery #3)
** 2014 SHAMUS AWARD WINNER **
Depression-era private investigator Maggie Sullivan risks losing her P.I. license — and her life — when two spinsters hire her to learn the fate of their father, who vanished twenty-six years earlier. She’s barely started when her main suspect commits suicide and Maggie is summoned before the powerful chief of police. A stroke of his pen will revoke her license, and he warns her he’s getting complaints about her from City Hall.
With her livelihood on the line, fortified by a nip of gin and her .38, the intrepid detective follows a trail all but obliterated by time and the catastrophic Dayton flood of 1913 in which the vanished man went missing. It leads her to a local politician with bigger ambitions — and possibly secrets to hide. It takes her into dime stores, cheap hotels, and a violent ambush by men wearing brass knuckles.
As a cop wages a wily campaign to win her affections, and a rag-tag newsboy pushes to become her assistant, crimes of the past explode in the present. Maggie fights to survive foes who must destroy her to destroy each other.
Fans of strong women sleuths and historical atmosphere have dubbed this tough little private investigator “Sam Spade in a skirt.”
** 2014 SHAMUS AWARD WINNER **
Depression-era private investigator Maggie Sullivan risks losing her P.I. license — and her life — when two spinsters hire her to learn the fate of their father, who vanished twenty-six years earlier. She’s barely started when her main suspect commits suicide and Maggie is summoned before the powerful chief of police. A stroke of his pen will revoke her license, and he warns her he’s getting complaints about her from City Hall.
With her livelihood on the line, fortified by a nip of gin and her .38, the intrepid detective follows a trail all but obliterated by time and the catastrophic Dayton flood of 1913 in which the vanished man went missing. It leads her to a local politician with bigger ambitions — and possibly secrets to hide. It takes her into dime stores, cheap hotels, and a violent ambush by men wearing brass knuckles.
As a cop wages a wily campaign to win her affections, and a rag-tag newsboy pushes to become her assistant, crimes of the past explode in the present. Maggie fights to survive foes who must destroy her to destroy each other.
Fans of strong women sleuths and historical atmosphere have dubbed this tough little private investigator “Sam Spade in a skirt.”
250 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
263 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
M. Ruth Myers
30 books189 followersM. Ruth Myers is a Shamus Award winning mystery writer. Her Maggie Sullivan mystery series features a private eye in Dayton, Ohio in the years 1938-1946.
Other novels by the author, who has also written as Mary Ruth Myers, have been translated, optioned for television and condensed in Good Housekeeping. They also have been used in college classes in Japan. She has taught at writers’ conferences across the country including the Antioch, Cape Cod and Mark Twain conferences.
Myers was born in Warrensburg, MO. When she was nine the family moved to Wyoming where she graduated from Cheyenne Central High School. After earning a Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University of Missouri J-School she worked as a reporter and feature writer on daily papers in Michigan and Ohio.
She and her husband are long-time Ohio residents with one grown daughter.
When not writing or reading, Myers cooks and plays Irish traditional music on an Anglo concertina. She confesses to more enthusiasm than skill.
Other novels by the author, who has also written as Mary Ruth Myers, have been translated, optioned for television and condensed in Good Housekeeping. They also have been used in college classes in Japan. She has taught at writers’ conferences across the country including the Antioch, Cape Cod and Mark Twain conferences.
Myers was born in Warrensburg, MO. When she was nine the family moved to Wyoming where she graduated from Cheyenne Central High School. After earning a Bachelor of Journalism degree at the University of Missouri J-School she worked as a reporter and feature writer on daily papers in Michigan and Ohio.
She and her husband are long-time Ohio residents with one grown daughter.
When not writing or reading, Myers cooks and plays Irish traditional music on an Anglo concertina. She confesses to more enthusiasm than skill.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
March 30, 2015
On M. Ruth Myers’ website, the author claims her books have “strong women–small guns–smart dialogue.” And Don’t Dare a Dame, the third book in the Maggie Sullivan detective series, makes good on those claims. And then some.
Set during the Depression Era in Dayton, Ohio, Don’t Dare a Dame starts off in classic P.I. form with Maggie Sullivan taking a seemingly dead-end case. The Vanhorn Sisters, two sweet spinsters, one of them blind, hire Maggie to look into the disappearance of their father, who vanished some quarter of century ago during the Great Flood of 1913. The investigation immediately turns deadly when the Vanhorn’s stepfather–and Maggie’s chief suspect–commits suicide, and then she gets hauled before the Chief of Police for asking too many questions. From there, the pot really begins to boil as Maggie discovers that the Vanhorn sisters’ suspicions are justified: their father was, indeed, murdered; the only question is: who is the killer? But before Maggie can identify the killer and bring justice to the Vanhorn’s, her P.I. license, her livelihood, and her life will be put at risk.
Myers definitely makes good on the “strong women” in this novel, especially the protagonist Maggie Sullivan. Tough and pretty with a smart mouth and a strong moral compass, Sullivan is a “dame” a reader can root for. This is the passage in chapter one that really sold me on this character when Sullivan takes a bully down:
I hated to persuade him, but Neal seemed like one of those guys who needed taking down a peg or two. I gave him a quick little kitten jab in the snoot. Not enough to break it, just enough to start blood gushing down to his chin and get his attention. . .’Don’t drip on the rug on your way out,’ I said.
Now that’s my kind of detective, but if you remain unconvinced of her toughness, here’s a great exchange between Sullivan and one of her operatives after she’s caught a beating herself:
“Holy smokes, Sis! Someone roughed you up bad.”
“Yeah, but I shot him,” I said to allay his dismay. ..
“Was it Cy Warren’s mugs did it?”
“Nah,” I lied. “Some girls have a fan club. The one they started for me is people lining up to break my nose.”
But it’s not only Sullivan’s toughness and sharp tongue that make this an enjoyable read. It’s also the setting. The descriptions of the area, the secondary characters and how they act, speak, and think, and the police procedural aspects of the novel: all of these elements are authentic and highly readable. And when you add those elements with a formidable lead character and a page-turning plot, it all adds up to a great mystery.
Maggie Sullivan is in the running for my favorite new P.I. series, and I’ve already downloaded Tough Cookie to my Kindle. Don’t Dare a Dame, which was recently nominated for the Shamus Award for Best Indie P.I. novel,has everything working for it. Go buy it. You will not be sorry.
Set during the Depression Era in Dayton, Ohio, Don’t Dare a Dame starts off in classic P.I. form with Maggie Sullivan taking a seemingly dead-end case. The Vanhorn Sisters, two sweet spinsters, one of them blind, hire Maggie to look into the disappearance of their father, who vanished some quarter of century ago during the Great Flood of 1913. The investigation immediately turns deadly when the Vanhorn’s stepfather–and Maggie’s chief suspect–commits suicide, and then she gets hauled before the Chief of Police for asking too many questions. From there, the pot really begins to boil as Maggie discovers that the Vanhorn sisters’ suspicions are justified: their father was, indeed, murdered; the only question is: who is the killer? But before Maggie can identify the killer and bring justice to the Vanhorn’s, her P.I. license, her livelihood, and her life will be put at risk.
Myers definitely makes good on the “strong women” in this novel, especially the protagonist Maggie Sullivan. Tough and pretty with a smart mouth and a strong moral compass, Sullivan is a “dame” a reader can root for. This is the passage in chapter one that really sold me on this character when Sullivan takes a bully down:
I hated to persuade him, but Neal seemed like one of those guys who needed taking down a peg or two. I gave him a quick little kitten jab in the snoot. Not enough to break it, just enough to start blood gushing down to his chin and get his attention. . .’Don’t drip on the rug on your way out,’ I said.
Now that’s my kind of detective, but if you remain unconvinced of her toughness, here’s a great exchange between Sullivan and one of her operatives after she’s caught a beating herself:
“Holy smokes, Sis! Someone roughed you up bad.”
“Yeah, but I shot him,” I said to allay his dismay. ..
“Was it Cy Warren’s mugs did it?”
“Nah,” I lied. “Some girls have a fan club. The one they started for me is people lining up to break my nose.”
But it’s not only Sullivan’s toughness and sharp tongue that make this an enjoyable read. It’s also the setting. The descriptions of the area, the secondary characters and how they act, speak, and think, and the police procedural aspects of the novel: all of these elements are authentic and highly readable. And when you add those elements with a formidable lead character and a page-turning plot, it all adds up to a great mystery.
Maggie Sullivan is in the running for my favorite new P.I. series, and I’ve already downloaded Tough Cookie to my Kindle. Don’t Dare a Dame, which was recently nominated for the Shamus Award for Best Indie P.I. novel,has everything working for it. Go buy it. You will not be sorry.
December 12, 2015
Maggie Sullivan, a Depression-era P.I., is hired to assist two sisters their father's so-called death. The two spinsters claim he disappeared twenty-six years before during the Dayton flood of 1913. Just as she takes on the case, the prime suspect commits suicide and Maggie is called before the police chief, who could revoke her license, to warn her that she has complaints about her from City Hall. As As Maggie pursues the case which has been all but been obliterated by the passage of time, she finds herself mixed up with ambitious politicians, thugs, and plenty of secrets and crimes from the past.
I've always enjoyed noir with a tough-talking private investigator and Don't Dare a Dame by M. Ruth Myers is no exception. This novel is bursting with atmosphere and everything I love about the genre. I completely agree with the main character's nickname, "Sam Spade in a skirt". I could really root for her character - she one smart-mouthed, tough, and clever sleuth. The setting's also one of note for me as it's set in my home state, and I've always been fascinated by the era. Myers does a fantastic job of making everything come together. I believe I'll have to try the first two books in the series, No Game For a Dame and Tough Cookie.
I've always enjoyed noir with a tough-talking private investigator and Don't Dare a Dame by M. Ruth Myers is no exception. This novel is bursting with atmosphere and everything I love about the genre. I completely agree with the main character's nickname, "Sam Spade in a skirt". I could really root for her character - she one smart-mouthed, tough, and clever sleuth. The setting's also one of note for me as it's set in my home state, and I've always been fascinated by the era. Myers does a fantastic job of making everything come together. I believe I'll have to try the first two books in the series, No Game For a Dame and Tough Cookie.
August 24, 2021
Each of these books gets better. This time its up to Maggie to dig into a mystery over a decade old. The period feel is getting richer and the characters continue to excel. M. Ruth Myers is doing a great job of showing particular advantages and tricks that only a female PI could pull or be able to do without making her too girly or too much a dude with a skirt. She's good in a scrap, but not a super waif kicking and trashing men twice her size.
The dialog crackles, the humor is there along with real drama, and its a fun ride all the way.
The dialog crackles, the humor is there along with real drama, and its a fun ride all the way.
October 22, 2021
2021 bk 325. Myers continues to capture my attention in this 3rd of her series. A female private eye in Dayton, Ohio. You would think a small city would not have enough crime to support a full police department, let along multiple private eyes - but it did and does. When asked to investigate the disappearance of a man during the 1913 flood, Maggie is a little concerned about finding any clues. We think of the 1937 flood as the biggest in history - but the 1913 flood covered a wider area, wrecked wider devastation, and killed far more people. But not all of the people were killed by the flood waters as Maggie is about to learn. Throw in sketchy politicians, romantic police officers, one orphaned newsboy with lots of gumption and you have a mystery designed to keep your attention - or keep you awake until 2:35 a.m.
January 26, 2014
I just love this series! Read it in black and white for the complete experience!
December 13, 2020
Maggie Sullivan is one tough gumshoe! In Dayton Ohio in the early 1940s era, when women were not supposed to have physical jobs, Maggie is a dame with good aim. She shoots one of the guys sent to rough her up plus tracks down a murderer from 25+ years in the past.
I enjoyed the auxiliary characters in this story. Newspaper hawker Heebs is a street urchin with spunk. Connelly is an Irish cop with a big heart. Tessa is a self important looker who is willing to knock of her louse of a husband. And the lovely sisters who hire Maggie are sweetly portrayed.
This is a fun gumshoe series, although the book stands well alone. An independent dame trying to fit into a world not yet ready for women's lib is interesting. In particular, the author portrays the era of the 1940s well. I felt like I'd stepped back in time for this detective story.
I enjoyed the auxiliary characters in this story. Newspaper hawker Heebs is a street urchin with spunk. Connelly is an Irish cop with a big heart. Tessa is a self important looker who is willing to knock of her louse of a husband. And the lovely sisters who hire Maggie are sweetly portrayed.
This is a fun gumshoe series, although the book stands well alone. An independent dame trying to fit into a world not yet ready for women's lib is interesting. In particular, the author portrays the era of the 1940s well. I felt like I'd stepped back in time for this detective story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2021
Two elderly sisters hire private investigator Maggie Sullivan to find out what happened to their father, who disappeared in a flood in Dayton in 1913. Specifically, they want her to prove that the man who became their stepfather was the murderer. Maggie is skeptical about solving any case this cold, but she realizes that there is something to the plot when someone tries to stop her investigation and starts killing potential witnesses. Meanwhile Maggie is being threatened by an ex-con that her evidence helped to put away. Her friends offer to help, but Maggie says that she has to take care of the problem herself in order to keep her credibility as a “tough cookie.” Well-written with a vividly drawn protagonist.
July 14, 2021
Don’t Dare A Dame
Maggie Sullivan, Private Investigator, takes a job for two elderly sisters - find out what happened to their father, 25 years earlier, during a historic flood in Dayton, under suspicious circumstances. The story is set in depression times, so readers who enjoy historical fiction, less gratuitous language and violence, and a plucky Irish female heroine doing a job ahead of her time, will enjoy this read. The plot has one twist I never saw coming, and one twist I guessed might happen. There is plenty of action, interesting characters, and good, old-fashioned sleuthing to follow. Before the days of computers, mobile phones, and large expense account, an investigator had to use intelligence and reasoning.
Maggie Sullivan, Private Investigator, takes a job for two elderly sisters - find out what happened to their father, 25 years earlier, during a historic flood in Dayton, under suspicious circumstances. The story is set in depression times, so readers who enjoy historical fiction, less gratuitous language and violence, and a plucky Irish female heroine doing a job ahead of her time, will enjoy this read. The plot has one twist I never saw coming, and one twist I guessed might happen. There is plenty of action, interesting characters, and good, old-fashioned sleuthing to follow. Before the days of computers, mobile phones, and large expense account, an investigator had to use intelligence and reasoning.
October 15, 2022
I love the Maggie Sullivan Series! I read the first two awhile back and just loved them. I'm originally from Dayton Ohio where they take place, so they bring a lot of nostalgia for me. I was missing home and decided I needed to read another in the series. This one was especially familiar with several streets I grew up around being mentioned. Aside from being familiar with the location, Maggie is great! I love her style and I'm not just referring to the hats and I love the way Ms. Myers tells the adventures of Ms. Sullivan, they are quick reads that keep you engaged. They're just good, clean mysteries (if that's even a thing?). I guess you could say they keep you guessing and are entertaining. Thanks for the trip down Wayne Ave., can't wait for my next read in the series!
January 24, 2020
Move Over Raymond Chandler! I didn’t think it was possible for the THIRD book in a series to surpass the first two. Don’t Dare A Dame, a Maggie Sullivan mystery by M. Ruth Myers, is even better than the first two books. Readers are treated to chapter after chapter of can’t-put-it-down action and suspense of this Depression-era sleuth. New characters are well-drawn whether in it for a page or multiple chapters, and Maggie’s friends and enemies from previous books continue to pay their respects. Can’t wait to read the fourth in this series!
May 13, 2020
I really liked this book.
I like reading a series in order, but I received this book as a gift. I am sure that Don't Dare a Dame would be even richer if I had read the preceding books, but enough information was included to enabled me to enjoy this book by itself.
This book has great action, interesting dialog, and a good mystery.
I listened to a great audio version. The only minor problem was that the voices for the two sisters seemed a bit old/feeble for the age of the characters.
I like reading a series in order, but I received this book as a gift. I am sure that Don't Dare a Dame would be even richer if I had read the preceding books, but enough information was included to enabled me to enjoy this book by itself.
This book has great action, interesting dialog, and a good mystery.
I listened to a great audio version. The only minor problem was that the voices for the two sisters seemed a bit old/feeble for the age of the characters.
October 14, 2020
1940s private investigator Maggie Sullivan is hired by 2 spinsters to investigate the disappearance of their father in the great flood of 1913 - more than 25 years earlier. A seemingly impossible task, but tough and determined Maggie is always up for a challenge. When her prime suspect is found dead, Maggie realises that someone wants the past to remain buried and finds her own life in danger. Maggie is a great character, displaying the attitudes of her time but still managing to do a "man's job".
March 19, 2024
These are fast, engaging reads, really immersed in the language and mood of the time period. I like the main character, who is just as apt to throw a punch as to put on some lipstick or nurse a Guinness, and who thinks on her feet. The mysteries are neither obvious cakewalks nor impossible puzzles, but the reader finds out information as Maggie does, so often things don't come to light until late. Some may not like this structure, but I find it allows the reader to take a journey with the protagonist.
October 30, 2019
This was a fun story and I think I will go back to find the first two in this series. I don't really like the typical "schtick" of books and movies in this era, so it was a pleasant surprise for the dialogue to be "normal".
Maggie is one tough female PI, gets quite the beating and keeps on working. I like the different references to that time frame and despite the criminal elements, the way life seemed nicer then than it is now.
Maggie is one tough female PI, gets quite the beating and keeps on working. I like the different references to that time frame and despite the criminal elements, the way life seemed nicer then than it is now.
July 22, 2017
I love this series.
Great opening that drew me into the story straightaway. Two old maids ask Maggie to investigate their father’s disappearance during a Flood of 1913. They think that he was murdered by their stepfather. Great story, well written characters. M. Ruth Myers has written another hit.
Great opening that drew me into the story straightaway. Two old maids ask Maggie to investigate their father’s disappearance during a Flood of 1913. They think that he was murdered by their stepfather. Great story, well written characters. M. Ruth Myers has written another hit.
September 22, 2019
I’m glad I found this series I like PI Maggie Sullivan and her policemen friends and other associates. There is a real sense of time and place.
The case undertaken seems slight. Two sisters ask her to look into the death of their father at the time of the great flood in Daytona. So many lives were lost at that time and it was years ago, so trying to find the people around at that time is going to be hard.
Almost immediately other things come into play and these present day problems seem to have some connection with what Maggie is trying to find out.
A very compelling read.
The case undertaken seems slight. Two sisters ask her to look into the death of their father at the time of the great flood in Daytona. So many lives were lost at that time and it was years ago, so trying to find the people around at that time is going to be hard.
Almost immediately other things come into play and these present day problems seem to have some connection with what Maggie is trying to find out.
A very compelling read.
September 18, 2020
#3 in the series but stands alone. Tea with two spinster sisters puts Maggie Sullivan, a 1930's private investigator, into an explosive mix of murder, political rivalries and family secrets. Agreeing to take the case means risking not only her life, putting the sisters in jeopardy, but puts her detective license at risk as well. Well written.
October 29, 2020
Don’t Dare a Dame, A Maggie Sullivan Mystery, by M. Ruth Myers is a cozy mystery featuring a 1930s female detective who is smart, brave, and very independent. This is an extremely well written series with great characters and dialogue. I love the 1930s flavor and tight, neat plot that moves along at a good pace. This was not my first Maggie Sullivan book and it won’t be my last.
July 12, 2021
Another good funny read. As I mentioned before, I really do like the main character, Maggie. It was going to be a solid 4 but I did not care as much for the ending. I still gave it a 4 because I am enjoying this series. I did love the part, she plucked the cigar out of his mouth and threw it in a vase full of water and said when departing, don’t dare a dame. Was great.
September 18, 2021
If a little overstated, the title does indeed convey the ambience of this police procedure mystery set in the era of the Great Depression. What seems to be investigation of a very cold case turns contemporaneously murderous and generates a good story. The number of primary characters is limited; the plot is easy to follow; and there is plenty of action.
October 14, 2024
This was a very engrossing historical murder mystery staring Maggie, a private investigator set in the 1940s. I listened to the audible book and enjoyed the narrator. There was lots of thrilling scenes throughout the story. Maggie was a great character, caring but dedicated to her case. I would read of this series.
October 13, 2017
A very fun romp through Dayton Ohio in the forties, through the eyes of a woman private detective. An unusual perspective, as I'm sure there were not many like her, and well written. Good character insight and development even for the minor characters, and great capture of the details of the era.
October 21, 2017
I love these books. Ruth was my first friend on Goodreads so I'm partial to her work but I have to say her books are well written, with great, reoccurring characters and plenty of excitement. I think I felt those brass knuckles in this, the third book in the series.
July 1, 2018
A cold case mystery
An excellent murder mystery. Well written with characters that come alive. The investigation of an old case leads to murder and all sorts of bullying. In the end, Maggie gets her man.
An excellent murder mystery. Well written with characters that come alive. The investigation of an old case leads to murder and all sorts of bullying. In the end, Maggie gets her man.
June 6, 2020
Delightful! Maggie is a fantastic character, and the rest of the "cast" are equally good. I like the way they speak and I like the historical context. Besides, I grew up in Ohio, so I liked that, too.
All-around wonderful.
All-around wonderful.
June 13, 2020
Loved it
Meet Maggie Sullivan, P.I. in 1938 Dayton, Ohio. She’s clever, daring, and carries a snub nose .38 pistol. She’s quite the dame in this deadly game that’s usually reserved only for real tough guys. Great characters, plot, dialogue and action. Don’t miss this dame!
Meet Maggie Sullivan, P.I. in 1938 Dayton, Ohio. She’s clever, daring, and carries a snub nose .38 pistol. She’s quite the dame in this deadly game that’s usually reserved only for real tough guys. Great characters, plot, dialogue and action. Don’t miss this dame!
October 29, 2020
A good story, although I uncharacteristically solved the mystery relatively early. The strong female private detective needed a bit of help from male friends, but she was the one to solve the case in the end. A fine distraction mystery novel.
April 16, 2021
The central mystery was not only fascinating in terms of Dayton's history but was very cleverly woven for the reader. I love the way the author creates a complete world for the reader, with sassy, brave, smart-mouthed, kind-hearted Maggie as its pivot. Another outstanding episode in the series.
August 14, 2022
I love this character
Maggie is a great female character. She’s smart and smart-mouthed, can take care of herself, but also needs her friends. The plots are great as well. Plan to read every book in the series.
Maggie is a great female character. She’s smart and smart-mouthed, can take care of herself, but also needs her friends. The plots are great as well. Plan to read every book in the series.
September 7, 2022
I love this series. I admire Maggie. She fights her own battles. This series takes place around 1938, so there are some words that now we view as offensive. Although I was born in the forties, I can picture the scenes from my childhood.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews