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The Big Timer
TOUGH. TRICKY. TREACHEROUS.
FINDING THE REAL KILLER CAN BE MURDER.
El Train is Harlem’s most infamous night club performer. And she’s about to become Harlem’s most infamous murder suspect. But what the police and the press don’t know? She was married to the victim.
When Alice Holloway is found shot to death at her own family’s factory, El throws herself into the dangerous world of sibling rivalries, union politics, ruthless racketeers, violent strike busters, midnight meetings, and career-ending secrets. Together with her best friend, her millionaire employer, and Harlem’s own Baroness of Business, El must piece together the shards of Alice’s life—and her own broken heart—so she can bring the real killer to justice.
A wrongfully accused mystery that shows what happens before the murder, before the arrest, before the trial—and what El is willing to do before she runs out of time…
FINDING THE REAL KILLER CAN BE MURDER.
El Train is Harlem’s most infamous night club performer. And she’s about to become Harlem’s most infamous murder suspect. But what the police and the press don’t know? She was married to the victim.
When Alice Holloway is found shot to death at her own family’s factory, El throws herself into the dangerous world of sibling rivalries, union politics, ruthless racketeers, violent strike busters, midnight meetings, and career-ending secrets. Together with her best friend, her millionaire employer, and Harlem’s own Baroness of Business, El must piece together the shards of Alice’s life—and her own broken heart—so she can bring the real killer to justice.
A wrongfully accused mystery that shows what happens before the murder, before the arrest, before the trial—and what El is willing to do before she runs out of time…
378 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2025
1 person want to read
About the author
Chris Holcombe
9 books25 followersChris Holcombe is the author of the Hidden Gotham series, which is LGBTQIA+ historical crime fiction set in New York City in the 1920s.
His first novel "The Double Vice" was released to great acclaim in 2021, with Queer Writers of Crime calling it "One of the best books I've read all year!" The followup, "The Blind Tiger" was released in 2022 and "The Devil Card" in 2023.
He lives with his husband in New York, where he is hard at work on the next Hidden Gotham novel.
His first novel "The Double Vice" was released to great acclaim in 2021, with Queer Writers of Crime calling it "One of the best books I've read all year!" The followup, "The Blind Tiger" was released in 2022 and "The Devil Card" in 2023.
He lives with his husband in New York, where he is hard at work on the next Hidden Gotham novel.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 19, 2025
A thrilling murder mystery that keeps you at the edge of your seat and fully immersed in the colorful underbelly of Harlem in the 1920s. Great to see the women of Hidden Gotham front, center, and fully armed! Holcombe’s extensive research into the queer culture of the time shines in every detail of the vibrant world he creates — all the way down to some deliciously raunchy song lyrics.
Displaying 1 of 1 review