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Dear Sylvia, Love Jane: Detective Molly Malone
It's 1943, San Francisco. And Molly Malone has secrets. Between pretending to be the secretary of her own detective agency and late-night visits to her favorite gay club Whiskers (where a secret knock grants entry), Molly's life is lived in the shadows. But when distraught housewife Sylvia seeks help from a detective, Molly's professional and personal life begin to merge. When an up-and-coming politician reveals his plan to shutter gay clubs like Whiskers, Molly is concerned. Then when bodies start appearing, Molly needs to act fast to save her friends and loved ones-old and new-from being the next victims. Because Molly isn't the only one with a secret.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2023
30 people are currently reading
1223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 14, 2024
I was scrolling on Instagram one day a few months ago, as one does when they’re supposed to be working, and saw Jenifer Prince’s cover for this book. It’s absolutely perfect for the story Erin Hall wrote. When we say covers matter and indie authors should definitely invest in cover artists and designers, this is what we mean. I bought this book because the cover is by one of my fave artists. Both cover and novel are reminiscent of the girl detective stories I loved as a teenager, only the girls are all grown up now, holding their own in a world that tends to overlook them and go for Philip Marlowe types.
Set in San Francisco in 1943, Dear Sylvia, Love Jane looks at the war some powerful people—in all eras—go to against “vice mongers”, aka queer folks, often for political clout, revenge, money… Molly Malone is a brilliant private investigator, who, as a woman—and a lesbian—hides behind her actor friend James when new clients want to meet “the detective”. Sylvia Owens is one of these clients, convinced her ambitious politician husband Carl is devising an evil plan for the city, that also probably includes killing her.
At a time when knowing the secret knock is the only way to enter a queer bar, being out is unimaginable. Recognition of kinship happens through stolen and perilous looks and touches, and community only exists in carefully hidden spaces. As she uncovers a conspiracy to “clean” the city of these spaces, Molly is confronted to all sorts of dangers and moral dilemmas.
As far as I can tell, this is Hall’s debut novel and it feels extremely promising. It has debut novel flaws, such as repetitions, but it doesn’t take much to overlook them. Molly is very easy to love and root for. I love how she takes responsibility for her mistakes, her determination, her sense of what is right, what needs to be done. I hope we’ll get many more of her adventures. Since Molly is the one telling the story, I didn’t get as much of a feel of who Sylvia is but I imagine we’ll get to know her better in future books.
Striking the right balance between light writing and endearing, witty characters on one hand and heavy topics on the other isn’t always successful, yet Erin Hall found it.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please get your books from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
October 2, 2023
3.5 stars.
This lesbian noir novella features a female detective, a femme fatale who's really just a victim, a 1940s setting, and the complicated strings tying gay bars, the corrupt police force, and the mafia together. It's easily bingeable; I read it in one evening. It's also more plot heavy than romance focused (though there is a romance), and moves at a pretty good pace!
MLM and WLW solidarity for the win 🤝
It reminded me a bit of those old-fashioned lesbian pulp novels, except that this book falls closer to the "cozy mystery" side of the scale. It's only a matter of taste. This book was really well-written but I found myself wishing it had more darkness, maturity, and bite considering the seriousness of the subject matter. So if you're the type who prefers mystery stories to be hopeful rather than depressing, then this is for you. I'm still glad I bought it!
This lesbian noir novella features a female detective, a femme fatale who's really just a victim, a 1940s setting, and the complicated strings tying gay bars, the corrupt police force, and the mafia together. It's easily bingeable; I read it in one evening. It's also more plot heavy than romance focused (though there is a romance), and moves at a pretty good pace!
MLM and WLW solidarity for the win 🤝
It reminded me a bit of those old-fashioned lesbian pulp novels, except that this book falls closer to the "cozy mystery" side of the scale. It's only a matter of taste. This book was really well-written but I found myself wishing it had more darkness, maturity, and bite considering the seriousness of the subject matter. So if you're the type who prefers mystery stories to be hopeful rather than depressing, then this is for you. I'm still glad I bought it!
December 30, 2023
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed the main character’s role in the story where she faces off seedy characters while being the badass boss that she is. The intricacies of the cast and their roles in moving the story forward was captivating. It doesn’t hurt that some of the scenes were based on true events which was cherry on the cake.
I enjoyed the main character’s role in the story where she faces off seedy characters while being the badass boss that she is. The intricacies of the cast and their roles in moving the story forward was captivating. It doesn’t hurt that some of the scenes were based on true events which was cherry on the cake.
October 26, 2023
The only thing I wanted more of in this book---- was more to the book itself! Otherwise I absolutely loved how the story and characters came alive. I read it over two nights I couldn't put it down and can't wait for another book from the author!
January 7, 2025
I've been wanting to read this book since it landed in my library's collection. I mean, that cover! I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, but it's good to step outside of comfort zones every now and then.
Considering the length of the novel (just over 200 pages), I thought Erin Hall did an admirable job of plotting the novel and giving us enough information about a fairly large cast of characters to make the story engaging. However, things just seemed to happen to easily, and that comes down to the short length and perhaps inexperience of the writer (I believe this is a debut). For a mystery, this lacked a little bit of tension, but Hall was trying to do a lot!
I think people are drawn to mysteries mostly for plot, but I love good character development, and I found that lacking here. There was an interesting back story that I would have loved more information on but there just wasn't time.
A couple of nitpicky points, particularly because the novel is set in 1943:
- There was no mention of the war. It also featured a lot of able-bodied men who would have likely been serving.
- The narration describes Molly talking about the Giants' season. Normally this would be a great little tidbit to help character development. But this is San Francisco, and the Giants didn't move there until 1958. Is it possible Molly is just a big baseball fan who follows the NY Giants? Yes, but I don't think that's what we're meant to infer.
I think this was decent for what it was. I enjoyed my time with the novel.
Considering the length of the novel (just over 200 pages), I thought Erin Hall did an admirable job of plotting the novel and giving us enough information about a fairly large cast of characters to make the story engaging. However, things just seemed to happen to easily, and that comes down to the short length and perhaps inexperience of the writer (I believe this is a debut). For a mystery, this lacked a little bit of tension, but Hall was trying to do a lot!
I think people are drawn to mysteries mostly for plot, but I love good character development, and I found that lacking here. There was an interesting back story that I would have loved more information on but there just wasn't time.
A couple of nitpicky points, particularly because the novel is set in 1943:
- There was no mention of the war. It also featured a lot of able-bodied men who would have likely been serving.
- The narration describes Molly talking about the Giants' season. Normally this would be a great little tidbit to help character development. But this is San Francisco, and the Giants didn't move there until 1958. Is it possible Molly is just a big baseball fan who follows the NY Giants? Yes, but I don't think that's what we're meant to infer.
I think this was decent for what it was. I enjoyed my time with the novel.
August 31, 2023
This is like a queer episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Molly is a spunky PI with gumption and a mind for solving crime. Obviously, that means I enjoy her—especially during those I-know-what-happened/ah-ha moments. I look forward for the rest of the series and what Erin Hall will come out with next!
December 5, 2023
Fun detective noir complete with femme fatale only this time the detective is a she and she is a lesbian.
Read
October 22, 2023After a stint as a Police Department secretary, Molly Malone decides she wants to help stop crime in her own way—by becoming a private detective. Trouble is, nobody in 1943 San Francisco would employ a woman detective. So he hires an actor she met in a gay bar to pretend to be her boss in the agency. He meets with each client alone, but Molly is able to hear through a listening device and guide her “boss” through a series of colored light signals. If this sounds a little specious well, it is. But once I got past the shaky setup, I found this to be quite a good mystery tale with lots of LGBTQ content.
The action has to do with a high-ranking SF politician conniving with the police chief to not only close all the gay bars in the city, but to kill their owners. Heavy stuff. Seems that the wives of the two men once had an affair, and their masculinity is severely damaged. But the two men are playing with fire because the owner of one of the gay clubs is the daughter of the mafia boss, Valentino Fazio.
Hall is the second author in a couple of weeks that has used the Enola Holmes motif of opening a private eye office using a fictitious male name. The TV show Remington Steele also comes to mind.
Early in the investigation, however, Molly becomes infatuated with her client—the wife of the politician.
The story is a good one, with perhaps a touch too much violence, a couple of gaping holes in the plot, and maybe too much reliance on the reader’s suspension of belief. The point of view switches occasionally from Molly to one of the other characters, but it is tastefully done and not distracting. The writing itself is solid without much embellishment. But here’s a nice description of gaydar.
[T]here’s a microsecond that only queer people know about, when two people gaze at each other a shadow of a second longer than socially acceptable.
It’s likely that there will be a sequel, with Molly relocated to Portland, Oregon. It will be interesting to see how her new digs play out.
Final Rating: 3.5
Note: I read the ebook version of this novel available from Amazon in September, 2023
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel , along with information on over 1150 other lesbian mysteries by over 375 authors.
The action has to do with a high-ranking SF politician conniving with the police chief to not only close all the gay bars in the city, but to kill their owners. Heavy stuff. Seems that the wives of the two men once had an affair, and their masculinity is severely damaged. But the two men are playing with fire because the owner of one of the gay clubs is the daughter of the mafia boss, Valentino Fazio.
Hall is the second author in a couple of weeks that has used the Enola Holmes motif of opening a private eye office using a fictitious male name. The TV show Remington Steele also comes to mind.
Early in the investigation, however, Molly becomes infatuated with her client—the wife of the politician.
The story is a good one, with perhaps a touch too much violence, a couple of gaping holes in the plot, and maybe too much reliance on the reader’s suspension of belief. The point of view switches occasionally from Molly to one of the other characters, but it is tastefully done and not distracting. The writing itself is solid without much embellishment. But here’s a nice description of gaydar.
[T]here’s a microsecond that only queer people know about, when two people gaze at each other a shadow of a second longer than socially acceptable.
It’s likely that there will be a sequel, with Molly relocated to Portland, Oregon. It will be interesting to see how her new digs play out.
Final Rating: 3.5
Note: I read the ebook version of this novel available from Amazon in September, 2023
Another Note: This review is included in my book The Art of the Lesbian Mystery Novel , along with information on over 1150 other lesbian mysteries by over 375 authors.
November 27, 2024
Look at that stunning cover!!
3.5 // This was fun, it was like a modern-day pulp novel. My dream job growing up was to be a detective so I love Private Eye stories, especially when it's a lesbian investigator. The mystery was interesting and the book discusses a very real campaign to raid gay bars in the 1940s. It was a fun quick read, but nothing to write home about for me. I recommend it if you're interested in it!
3.5 // This was fun, it was like a modern-day pulp novel. My dream job growing up was to be a detective so I love Private Eye stories, especially when it's a lesbian investigator. The mystery was interesting and the book discusses a very real campaign to raid gay bars in the 1940s. It was a fun quick read, but nothing to write home about for me. I recommend it if you're interested in it!
June 8, 2024
I’m going to need a million more books just like this one!
June 18, 2024
3.5
this was SO close to being an easy four. fun, quick paced and classic noir fun, I would be keen to see molly’s adventures continue. the only thing that pulled it down for me that as it was a small book the draw back was that the main romance felt a little undeveloped by the end and I would have liked to have seen molly and sylvia’s build up rather than an easy round up. still a very enjoyable read.
this was SO close to being an easy four. fun, quick paced and classic noir fun, I would be keen to see molly’s adventures continue. the only thing that pulled it down for me that as it was a small book the draw back was that the main romance felt a little undeveloped by the end and I would have liked to have seen molly and sylvia’s build up rather than an easy round up. still a very enjoyable read.
July 28, 2025
tbh I was sure I was going to love this, but I really didn't. It's technically competent as a mystery and as a romance, but I wasn't feeling it. My biggest issue was that it has the trappings of noir without being noir in attitude or prose. The characters lacked depth to me; I could understand why they felt the way they felt and why they did what they did, but I never fully attached to any of them. And the romance itself never hooked me. Maybe I've been reading too many indie books where the romance is really amped, but this just felt too light to me.
Anyway, if you like lesbian romance and noir mysteries, give it a try--your experience may be vastly different than mine.
Anyway, if you like lesbian romance and noir mysteries, give it a try--your experience may be vastly different than mine.
May 22, 2024
rating would be a 3.5. the plot and themes really drive this story. intense and fast-paced, with themes around facades, corruption, and redemption. where the book could have been better was the capturing of the main crime and its resolution. it felt like it kind of just fell upon the main characters’ laps easily and also was resolved easily. with that said, still a solid read
January 2, 2025
A promising first novel. The mystery pulled me in and there was a good mix of humor, action, and emotion. The fast pace left the plot feeling rushed and the characters flat. Some historical inaccuracies with the portrayal of the 40s lgbtq+ community, but nothing unforgivable. I look forward to seeing the author and Molly grow in future books!
April 29, 2025
Fun, fast-paced noir novel. I wish I could have seen more development between the two main characters, but I loved the plot line.
May 4, 2024
An enjoyable read! The writing didn’t always flow and the story felt rushed since it was such a short book, but I loved the mystery of it all!
February 5, 2025
Dieses Buch war eine Zufallsentdeckung, die ich dank Erin's Buchchallenge machen durfte.
Es ist ein queerer historischer Kriminalroman, der 1943 angesetzt ist. Die Geschichte geht ziemlich flott vonstatten und hätte etwas mehr Tiefe vertragen können, aber trotzdem machte mir das Buch viel Mut. Queere Menschen (und andere marginalisierte Gruppen) haben sich schon immer dagegen gewehrt, wie sie behandelt wurden. Und sie haben überdauert. Wir sind immer noch hier.
Ich hoffe sehr, dass es noch mehr Bücher Molly Malone geben wird. Daumen sind gedrückt.
Es ist ein queerer historischer Kriminalroman, der 1943 angesetzt ist. Die Geschichte geht ziemlich flott vonstatten und hätte etwas mehr Tiefe vertragen können, aber trotzdem machte mir das Buch viel Mut. Queere Menschen (und andere marginalisierte Gruppen) haben sich schon immer dagegen gewehrt, wie sie behandelt wurden. Und sie haben überdauert. Wir sind immer noch hier.
Ich hoffe sehr, dass es noch mehr Bücher Molly Malone geben wird. Daumen sind gedrückt.
March 29, 2025
Gripping story
There's a special little place in my heart for this book now.
The story focuses on the life of queer community in the 1940s San Francisco, when hiding your true nature was not only recommended for your own safety but necessary.
Dear Sylvia, Love Jane presents four points of view, with the focus on Molly, the private, lesbian detective who hires her friend James to act as the face of her PI company. Together, they uncover secrets bigger than they'd imagined at first and go through horrible things for the sole purpose of saving their community.
I loved how the story was weaved, with little details to tie each scene and character. I loved the main characters and their close relationship, showcasing just how wonderful it is to be part of a community that understands you.
Molly Malone is a smart, fierce woman who doesn't back down from danger or the truth.
I absolutely adore this book! If you love a good mystery but also appreciate a good representation of the queer community, this book is definitely for you!
There's a special little place in my heart for this book now.
The story focuses on the life of queer community in the 1940s San Francisco, when hiding your true nature was not only recommended for your own safety but necessary.
Dear Sylvia, Love Jane presents four points of view, with the focus on Molly, the private, lesbian detective who hires her friend James to act as the face of her PI company. Together, they uncover secrets bigger than they'd imagined at first and go through horrible things for the sole purpose of saving their community.
I loved how the story was weaved, with little details to tie each scene and character. I loved the main characters and their close relationship, showcasing just how wonderful it is to be part of a community that understands you.
Molly Malone is a smart, fierce woman who doesn't back down from danger or the truth.
I absolutely adore this book! If you love a good mystery but also appreciate a good representation of the queer community, this book is definitely for you!
October 10, 2023
This was a fun little noir detective romp set in San Francisco in the 1940's. Amid the crackdown on businesses of ill repute aka all the fun places to hang out, Detective Molly Malone finds herself in the middle of high stakes investigative work and the safety for herself and her community.|
I came across this book via instagram where an artist I follow did the cover art and I was not disappointed. The characters are fun and have big personalities as is tradition in noirs, and I definitely read the book using the noir voice from film
I came across this book via instagram where an artist I follow did the cover art and I was not disappointed. The characters are fun and have big personalities as is tradition in noirs, and I definitely read the book using the noir voice from film
October 15, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed! I’m not really a mystery reader, but I’m glad I picked this one up. I was able to follow the story all the way through, and had a hard time putting it down. I really appreciated reading a story that includes some significant queer history - one of the main reasons I did pick it up. The romance is tastefully done, and none of the characters are just simply reduced to who they’re falling in love with. A story that isn’t all about coming out, but about the realities of queer existence in the 50s. Can’t wait for the next books!
October 22, 2023
the story itself was a 5/5 but some of the wording/conversations felt a bit too modern? for example, “even though paula had been thrown in jail at least twice for wearing clothes that didn’t match the gender on her ID, she’d never let her self-expression be dampened” (17) doesn’t really feel like something a lesbian in the 40s would say. that’s really my only complaint tho
December 22, 2023
The investigation, the villains, the romance...it all felt just a little too cartoonish and ridiculous to take seriously.
August 8, 2024
I feel so stupid that it took me 1000 years to read this book because it's FUCKING AWESOME!! Holy shit! This might be one of my favorite books ever! I can't wait for the rest of the series.
This book is about a lesbian detective named Molly Malone in 1940s San Francisco. She pretends to be the secretary because sexism and has her gay best friend pretend to be the detective while she does the real work. There is a huge conspiracy going on in SF involving a city councilman working with the chief of police to shut down gay bars across the city, under the guise of cleaning up the city. The plot thickens and there are so many twists and turns involved that continue to raise the stakes throughout the novel. Sylvia, the wife of the councilman, recruits Molly to help her unravel this huge mystery, and it's so action-packed and cool.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and thought the writing was so awesome. It's very cinematic and the action and detective scenes are truly just cool as hell. These characters are really well thought out and despite it being set in the 1940s, it still felt really relevant and fresh. The book has an open ending that lends to a series, and I truly can't wait to see what other adventures Molly gets up to! More lesbian detectives!!!
AND despite me being a cartoon cover hater, I do really appreciate that this book cover looks good and is reminiscent of the times in which the book is set. It's all just so good.
This book is about a lesbian detective named Molly Malone in 1940s San Francisco. She pretends to be the secretary because sexism and has her gay best friend pretend to be the detective while she does the real work. There is a huge conspiracy going on in SF involving a city councilman working with the chief of police to shut down gay bars across the city, under the guise of cleaning up the city. The plot thickens and there are so many twists and turns involved that continue to raise the stakes throughout the novel. Sylvia, the wife of the councilman, recruits Molly to help her unravel this huge mystery, and it's so action-packed and cool.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and thought the writing was so awesome. It's very cinematic and the action and detective scenes are truly just cool as hell. These characters are really well thought out and despite it being set in the 1940s, it still felt really relevant and fresh. The book has an open ending that lends to a series, and I truly can't wait to see what other adventures Molly gets up to! More lesbian detectives!!!
AND despite me being a cartoon cover hater, I do really appreciate that this book cover looks good and is reminiscent of the times in which the book is set. It's all just so good.
December 28, 2023
i liked this and it’s pretty good for a first book in my opinion, but as far as the flow of the story goes…i think this should have been edited better. there were a lot of time whilst reading this book that i asked myself what the point of some of the moments were, where would some lines of dialogue lead and why were they so dry, and a lot of other things that i think with better editing this would have been a better book. and my gosh i wanted so much more action! this is a book about a lesbian detective when being a lesbian was illegal and the police wrecked havoc in the lgbt community! where are the stakes????? there were none! at no point in this book did i feel anxious for what was going to happen next and i like to feel anxious about what’s going to happen next in my detective novels, that’s why i’m reading them in the first place.
anyway, i will continue to read books by this author and i’m excited for what she’s going to write next because i see a lot of potential and with just a bit of time to hone her craft she’s going to get big and i intend to be here to witness it all.
ALSO THE COVER IS AMAZING!!!
anyway, i will continue to read books by this author and i’m excited for what she’s going to write next because i see a lot of potential and with just a bit of time to hone her craft she’s going to get big and i intend to be here to witness it all.
ALSO THE COVER IS AMAZING!!!
March 7, 2025
To be honest, while the synopsis was intriguing, what initially drew me in was the cover. As I progressed through the pages, the story became increasingly captivating, making it nearly impossible to put the book down; I was completely engrossed, eager to uncover more and more. Overall, the narrative met all my expectations: drama, action, mystery, and a touch of queer romance. I connected deeply with each character, feeling both love and frustration towards them. It was truly an engaging story.
The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that I really hoped to see more romance between the protagonists. While it may not have been the central theme, I would have loved to know more about their thoughts on each other, the development of their relationship, and the bond they shared.
The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that I really hoped to see more romance between the protagonists. While it may not have been the central theme, I would have loved to know more about their thoughts on each other, the development of their relationship, and the bond they shared.
January 23, 2024
DNF @ about 25%. We have enough historical revisionism about gay history as is. Fiction affects people's knowledge and viewpoints whether we like it or not. Pretending that gays and lesbians in the 1940s called themselves "q*eer" in the way the characters in this book do is gross and false. The term was used for gay people as both a slur and an identifier at the time (starting in the late 1800s), but by the 1940s it was far out of fashion and "gay" was used instead. Women were calling themselves gay as well, and lesbian less so (sapphism was also occasionally used, as well as derogatory terms like invert). I'm disappointed because this book sounds great; lesbians, 1940s detectives, organized crime, etc....
March 24, 2024
I really enjoyed Dear Sylvia, Love Jane! I thought that the characterization was especially strong. Molly Malone is incredibly endearing and captivating. Having the case be something that she can find meaning in from the onset helps to make the reader care just as much as she does. I also appreciated zooming out on occasion to other characters and add a bit more to the tapestry of the story.
Honestly, I found myself constantly wanting more, and I love it when that happens. I'm eagerly looking forward to Molly's next escapades!
Honestly, I found myself constantly wanting more, and I love it when that happens. I'm eagerly looking forward to Molly's next escapades!
July 5, 2024
My opinion might be biased by the fact that I read Lev AC Rosen's novel not so long ago and this one really suffers from the comparison. But I was truly disappointed. Yes it is rather pleasant to read but way too short and the characters lack depth. Also, I didn't buy the love story which was really rushed. However, it being the very first novel of the author, I think we can expect her to improve for the next, and I will read it too.
December 28, 2023
I prefer books with more romance, so I would have liked to see the relationship between Sylvia and Molly develop more rather than having a fast-forward. I really enjoyed the intrigue, but I found it quickly resolved and the book a bit short. Super happy to have read my first LGBT detective story though, as those are my 2 favorite genres.
July 30, 2024
این رو چند شب پیش تموم کردم ولی یادم رفت لاگ کنم
بهش دوتا ستاره دادم چون به اندازهی یکی، بد نبود
داستان خیلی ساده بود ولی من قلم نویسندههه رو دوست نداشتم، حس میکنم خیلی دیر رفت سراغ اصل مطلب و "معما"ی خاصی در کار نبود که مالی بخواد حلش کنه. اگه تو نوجوونیم قبل خوندن نانسی درو میخوندمش خوشم میومد. ورژن گی و کمتر اسرارآمیز همون محسوب میشه، البته با قلم ضعیفتر
بهش دوتا ستاره دادم چون به اندازهی یکی، بد نبود
داستان خیلی ساده بود ولی من قلم نویسندههه رو دوست نداشتم، حس میکنم خیلی دیر رفت سراغ اصل مطلب و "معما"ی خاصی در کار نبود که مالی بخواد حلش کنه. اگه تو نوجوونیم قبل خوندن نانسی درو میخوندمش خوشم میومد. ورژن گی و کمتر اسرارآمیز همون محسوب میشه، البته با قلم ضعیفتر
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