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Cantor Gold Crime #3
Genuine Gold
New York, 1952. From the shadowy docks of Athens, Greece, to the elegance of a Fifth Avenue penthouse, to the neon glare of Coney Island, art smuggler Cantor Gold must track down an ancient artifact, elude thugs and killers, protect a beautiful woman who caters to Cantor’s deepest desires, and confront the honky-tonk past which formed her. Memories, murder, passion, and the terrible longing for her stolen love tangle in Cantor’s soul, threatening to tear her apart.
Book Three of the Cantor Gold Crime Series
Book Three of the Cantor Gold Crime Series
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
5 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Ann Aptaker
18 books31 followersNative New Yorker Ann Aptaker has earned a reputation as a respected if cheeky exhibition designer and curator of art during her career in museums and galleries. Taking the approach that what art authorities find uncomfortable the public would likely enjoy, exhibitions Ann has curated have garnered favorable reviews in the New York Times, Art in America, American Art Review, and other publications.
She brings the same attitude and philosophy to her first love: writing, especially a tangy variety of historical crime fiction. Ann’s short stories have appeared in two editions (2003 and 2004) of the noir crime anthology Fedora. Her flash fiction story, “A Night In Town,” appeared in the online zine Punk Soul Poet. In addition to curating and designing art exhibitions and writing crime stories, Ann is also an art writer and an adjunct professor of art history at the New York Institute of Technology. (from the publisher's website)
She brings the same attitude and philosophy to her first love: writing, especially a tangy variety of historical crime fiction. Ann’s short stories have appeared in two editions (2003 and 2004) of the noir crime anthology Fedora. Her flash fiction story, “A Night In Town,” appeared in the online zine Punk Soul Poet. In addition to curating and designing art exhibitions and writing crime stories, Ann is also an art writer and an adjunct professor of art history at the New York Institute of Technology. (from the publisher's website)
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 25, 2025
Entertaining read!
Another gritty, constant action, enjoyable and a very much well-written plotline in this book #3 of the ongoing life of the underworld gangster crimes of Cantor Gold -- butch extraordinaire in the 1950s, New York City.
Recommended book and series!
Another gritty, constant action, enjoyable and a very much well-written plotline in this book #3 of the ongoing life of the underworld gangster crimes of Cantor Gold -- butch extraordinaire in the 1950s, New York City.
Recommended book and series!
January 26, 2017
Every time there's a buzz on my apartment door, my heart rate speeds up. Sophie? .....but some other person walks in, and my heart goes back to its normal rhythm. Next time maybe... These are just a few lines in the book about how Cantor Gold feels every time there's an unexpected knock on her door, but strangely, it also pretty much sums up how I feel about the book.
It's a long story. And it goes back a couple of books. Cantor Gold is an art and antiquities dealer. She procures rare pieces for museums and private collectors, by whatever means necessary. It's the 1950s, but she dresses as she pleases: custom-tailored suits, silk ties and fedoras. She also fancies the ladies. She lives on the edge--of the law, of respectability. She makes people uncomfortable. Cops, criminals, her rich clients. But money, the right connections and her uncanny ability to deliver the most sought-after finds make people look the other way. Underneath the cool, confident swagger, though, lies a very broken heart. The tragedy of a great love lost, stolen from Cantor right under her nose. But life has to go on. There's money to be made. Clients to be placated. And great art to be discovered, retrieved and delivered. Yet not a day goes by that Cantor doesn't think about Sophie, not even when she's in the arms of other beautiful ladies.
And so we come to the latest of Cantor Gold's adventures. In this third book in the series, Cantor once again gets her hands on a priceless piece of art and is on her way to a very lucrative deal. And of course, it's going to go south very fast. Welcome to the New York underworld, circa 1950. Cigar-chomping crime bosses, two-bit gangsters and their molls, slimy cops and double-crossing henchmen....these are some of the colorful characters you'll meet in Cantor's world. And of course, the ever-present damsels in distress--Cantor's number 1 weakness--and the ultimate driver of all of her adventures.
This book is very similar in style, theme, and structure to the first two but for one additional element: it's a homage to the old Coney Island. Much of the drama and action takes place there, where Cantor grew up. In this respect, it is the most 'historical' of the three books. What's interesting is that the author was able to capture the soul of the old Coney Island, and not just the physical appearance. Coney Island then was a magical place for it's visitors, which in turn, was a magical opportunity for people who made it so. Everyone could cash in on the magic (or the con, depending on which side you're looking at), and the enterprising child Cantor was already showing great promise, filching little trinkets off unaware tourists and pawning them off for small change, working her own little piece of the con.
As a thriller and whodunit, this is pretty good, by lesfic standards. But compared to the excellently-plotted first two books, this feels slightly underwhelming and been-there, done-that. For one, there is no gut-punching opening scene that just grabs the reader by the jaw and says 'pay attention!'. Cantor got punched in the gut alright, literally ;), but that doesn't really compare to the stunning scenes that launched her first two adventures. There are a few plot holes, pesky little things that bothered me. Specifically (It's happened before though...dangle a pretty damsel in front of Cantor and she's a goner, lol...so maybe not a plot hole, but still...:)) This is a better example:
But what is probably the main reason I didn't feel major tingles with the plot was because I didn't really care for any of the victims, none of whom were particularly worth rooting for or feeling sorry for. Lilah had a lot of potential, and early on I warmed up to her dreadful situation. But then In the first two books, the damsels were in real distress, and part of the fun (and the game) was to try to figure out what they were all about--whether they were going to be Cantor's next great love or to stab her in the back. Like I said, Lilah had a lot of potential...but I think the author lost me when Lilah If this is what the real Coney Island is all about under all that innocent veneer, I'm glad Cantor got out. Nostalgia often makes things look better than they really were. The reality is often quite different and Cantor was right to walk away.
So what earned the book's rating? The excellent writing. Because I didn't care too much about the convoluted plot this time (and because really, this wasn't any of Cantor's business), it was a good thing I had the writing to fall back on. This book doesn't offer much in terms of moving the overall story arcs forward for any of the original characters in the series, nor were there any compassionate new characters I could root for. That tantalizing bit of plot development that came at the very end felt more like a teaser to the next book. Not that it's not welcome or overdue. Much as I'd love to read more about Cantor Gold's artful misadventures, I can't stand anymore of her pining for a lost love (lol). This book felt more-of-the-same, and coupled with unsympathetic characters, I lost interest at one point.
But the excellent writing brought me back, and made the whole trip much less of a chore than it would have been otherwise. Her perfect take on Cantor Gold, the honorable thief with a deadly weakness for beauty, be it art or women, and all the complicated women in her life always makes for enjoyable reading. Her in-depth knowledge of art and history has made all three books engaging trips back in time and into the secretive and seductive world of art dealing (and stealing). I would have preferred that she wrote more about Cantor's successful exploits rather than her failures (she keeps losing her catch, even the bad guys notice, lol) but then I suppose Cantor wouldn't have so much fun trying to get them back then.
4.25 stars
ARC from Netgalley and BSB.
Ooops, I almost forgot to explain my cryptic opening statement. Spending three books with a character you love (grew to love, in this case) means that you fall into a certain kind of affinity with them. I seldom follow series books beyond the second or third book (I grow bored easily and there are many I've abandoned over the years) unless there's something new or compelling that keeps me coming back. Unlike other lesfic series, Cantor carries the weight of all three books on her own mighty shoulders. There's no significant other. Lots of candidates but no winners...yet. I guess that is the ultimate appeal of this series, to see if Cantor can ever have her HEA (and hopefully Rosie as well) or will it be a tragedy of Greek proportions. And if so, will there ever be anyone good enough for Cantor to replace the almost mythical Sophie? I'm pretty much committed to see this through, and enjoy her shenanigans on the side. So...every time I pick up a new book in the series, I feel like Cantor getting that unexpected knock on the door, we both feel a bit of a spike in the heartbeat. Will it be this time? ....And when it's not, the heartbeat goes back to normal. Life goes on. More artworks for Cantor to steal. More books for me to read. Oh well, until the next time then.
It's a long story. And it goes back a couple of books. Cantor Gold is an art and antiquities dealer. She procures rare pieces for museums and private collectors, by whatever means necessary. It's the 1950s, but she dresses as she pleases: custom-tailored suits, silk ties and fedoras. She also fancies the ladies. She lives on the edge--of the law, of respectability. She makes people uncomfortable. Cops, criminals, her rich clients. But money, the right connections and her uncanny ability to deliver the most sought-after finds make people look the other way. Underneath the cool, confident swagger, though, lies a very broken heart. The tragedy of a great love lost, stolen from Cantor right under her nose. But life has to go on. There's money to be made. Clients to be placated. And great art to be discovered, retrieved and delivered. Yet not a day goes by that Cantor doesn't think about Sophie, not even when she's in the arms of other beautiful ladies.
And so we come to the latest of Cantor Gold's adventures. In this third book in the series, Cantor once again gets her hands on a priceless piece of art and is on her way to a very lucrative deal. And of course, it's going to go south very fast. Welcome to the New York underworld, circa 1950. Cigar-chomping crime bosses, two-bit gangsters and their molls, slimy cops and double-crossing henchmen....these are some of the colorful characters you'll meet in Cantor's world. And of course, the ever-present damsels in distress--Cantor's number 1 weakness--and the ultimate driver of all of her adventures.
This book is very similar in style, theme, and structure to the first two but for one additional element: it's a homage to the old Coney Island. Much of the drama and action takes place there, where Cantor grew up. In this respect, it is the most 'historical' of the three books. What's interesting is that the author was able to capture the soul of the old Coney Island, and not just the physical appearance. Coney Island then was a magical place for it's visitors, which in turn, was a magical opportunity for people who made it so. Everyone could cash in on the magic (or the con, depending on which side you're looking at), and the enterprising child Cantor was already showing great promise, filching little trinkets off unaware tourists and pawning them off for small change, working her own little piece of the con.
As a thriller and whodunit, this is pretty good, by lesfic standards. But compared to the excellently-plotted first two books, this feels slightly underwhelming and been-there, done-that. For one, there is no gut-punching opening scene that just grabs the reader by the jaw and says 'pay attention!'. Cantor got punched in the gut alright, literally ;), but that doesn't really compare to the stunning scenes that launched her first two adventures. There are a few plot holes, pesky little things that bothered me. Specifically (It's happened before though...dangle a pretty damsel in front of Cantor and she's a goner, lol...so maybe not a plot hole, but still...:)) This is a better example:
But what is probably the main reason I didn't feel major tingles with the plot was because I didn't really care for any of the victims, none of whom were particularly worth rooting for or feeling sorry for. Lilah had a lot of potential, and early on I warmed up to her dreadful situation. But then In the first two books, the damsels were in real distress, and part of the fun (and the game) was to try to figure out what they were all about--whether they were going to be Cantor's next great love or to stab her in the back. Like I said, Lilah had a lot of potential...but I think the author lost me when Lilah If this is what the real Coney Island is all about under all that innocent veneer, I'm glad Cantor got out. Nostalgia often makes things look better than they really were. The reality is often quite different and Cantor was right to walk away.
So what earned the book's rating? The excellent writing. Because I didn't care too much about the convoluted plot this time (and because really, this wasn't any of Cantor's business), it was a good thing I had the writing to fall back on. This book doesn't offer much in terms of moving the overall story arcs forward for any of the original characters in the series, nor were there any compassionate new characters I could root for. That tantalizing bit of plot development that came at the very end felt more like a teaser to the next book. Not that it's not welcome or overdue. Much as I'd love to read more about Cantor Gold's artful misadventures, I can't stand anymore of her pining for a lost love (lol). This book felt more-of-the-same, and coupled with unsympathetic characters, I lost interest at one point.
But the excellent writing brought me back, and made the whole trip much less of a chore than it would have been otherwise. Her perfect take on Cantor Gold, the honorable thief with a deadly weakness for beauty, be it art or women, and all the complicated women in her life always makes for enjoyable reading. Her in-depth knowledge of art and history has made all three books engaging trips back in time and into the secretive and seductive world of art dealing (and stealing). I would have preferred that she wrote more about Cantor's successful exploits rather than her failures (she keeps losing her catch, even the bad guys notice, lol) but then I suppose Cantor wouldn't have so much fun trying to get them back then.
4.25 stars
ARC from Netgalley and BSB.
Ooops, I almost forgot to explain my cryptic opening statement. Spending three books with a character you love (grew to love, in this case) means that you fall into a certain kind of affinity with them. I seldom follow series books beyond the second or third book (I grow bored easily and there are many I've abandoned over the years) unless there's something new or compelling that keeps me coming back. Unlike other lesfic series, Cantor carries the weight of all three books on her own mighty shoulders. There's no significant other. Lots of candidates but no winners...yet. I guess that is the ultimate appeal of this series, to see if Cantor can ever have her HEA (and hopefully Rosie as well) or will it be a tragedy of Greek proportions. And if so, will there ever be anyone good enough for Cantor to replace the almost mythical Sophie? I'm pretty much committed to see this through, and enjoy her shenanigans on the side. So...every time I pick up a new book in the series, I feel like Cantor getting that unexpected knock on the door, we both feel a bit of a spike in the heartbeat. Will it be this time? ....And when it's not, the heartbeat goes back to normal. Life goes on. More artworks for Cantor to steal. More books for me to read. Oh well, until the next time then.
January 9, 2017
I'm a bit disappointed, that I didn't find this book to be as good as the previous two. This book wasn't bad by any means, since Aptaker is a very good author, I just found the murder mystery and overall plot to be lacking in this book.
The book starts with Cantor overseas acquiring one of her stolen artifacts. I must say I liked finally getting to see the other side of Cantors business. When Cantor goes to deliver her goods, and get her paycheck, she is robbed. Cantor does not want to loose twenty grand, plus this is very bad for business. From her search for the missing artifact, Cantor finds herself back in Coney Island, the place of her childhood. Can Cantor get back what was stolen from her or will things go from bad to worse?
The book started off okay, with a little excitement, though I don't know how Cantor makes a living as a smuggler when she keeps losing her treasures. My problem with this book is once the murder mystery started, it turned quite convoluted and I lost interest. Normally, what I enjoy most about these books is the murder mystery, but this mystery involved people that you didn't care about if they were dead.
My other issue was, for almost half this book, I didn't understand why Cantor was even involved. Normally she is involved because her neck is on the line. That was not the case this time. As the book progressed, I didn't understand why Cantor didn't just pack up and leave these people to their own devises. I want to be careful not to spoil anything, but I felt like there were some plot holes to be sure.
My last small issue. There is a storyline that spans all three books, I was hoping it would finally be put to rest, in this one. No such luck. I feel like this is a bit too long to string the readers along. I'm quite frustrated to say the least. Aptaker made it sound like in book 4, we will finally know what happened. But who knows if it will actually be answered. I just don't know if a maybe is enough to get me to read the next volume.
I can't really recommend this. I would suggest starting at book one or two, and if you enjoy them, than give this one a read.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for an honest review.
The book starts with Cantor overseas acquiring one of her stolen artifacts. I must say I liked finally getting to see the other side of Cantors business. When Cantor goes to deliver her goods, and get her paycheck, she is robbed. Cantor does not want to loose twenty grand, plus this is very bad for business. From her search for the missing artifact, Cantor finds herself back in Coney Island, the place of her childhood. Can Cantor get back what was stolen from her or will things go from bad to worse?
The book started off okay, with a little excitement, though I don't know how Cantor makes a living as a smuggler when she keeps losing her treasures. My problem with this book is once the murder mystery started, it turned quite convoluted and I lost interest. Normally, what I enjoy most about these books is the murder mystery, but this mystery involved people that you didn't care about if they were dead.
My other issue was, for almost half this book, I didn't understand why Cantor was even involved. Normally she is involved because her neck is on the line. That was not the case this time. As the book progressed, I didn't understand why Cantor didn't just pack up and leave these people to their own devises. I want to be careful not to spoil anything, but I felt like there were some plot holes to be sure.
My last small issue. There is a storyline that spans all three books, I was hoping it would finally be put to rest, in this one. No such luck. I feel like this is a bit too long to string the readers along. I'm quite frustrated to say the least. Aptaker made it sound like in book 4, we will finally know what happened. But who knows if it will actually be answered. I just don't know if a maybe is enough to get me to read the next volume.
I can't really recommend this. I would suggest starting at book one or two, and if you enjoy them, than give this one a read.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for an honest review.
April 9, 2018
With Genuine Gold (Book Three in the Cantor Gold Crime Series) Book Club Buddie D. and I know the drill by now. Ann Aptaker will take us by the scruff and drop us straight into the action. Cantor Gold - as we expect - gets herself into plenty of hot water in the course of the next 48 hours.
All players are lined up, our dapper dyke art smuggler, her somewhat distracted cab-driver, the rich Fifth Avenue client, the cowardly murdered Coney Island mobster, his beautiful but tragic prostitute sister, the crooked policeman, the old fortune teller, her dying dog, the shifty arcade guy.
When Cantor Gold loses a priceless pixys she smuggled all the way from Greece right on her client’s doorstep, she cannot imagine this brutal and blatant theft will lead her straight back to the place where she grew up and worked so hard to get away from, Coney Island.
In order to find her lost Greek treasure, Cantor must reluctantly tango with a nasty small-time Coney mob boss and at the same time keep his beautiful sister out of harm’s way. By now Book Club Buddie D. (who knows what Ann Aptaker is capable off) is groaning “oh please don’t kill her off!”
This is Crime Noir done to perfection. I am such a fan of Aptaker by now. Her women are both vulnerable and calculating, sultry, sexy and always magnets for trouble. Her descriptions of Coney Island and it’s denizens are colorful and fascinating. Reading this series is just pure joy.
f/f graphic death scenes
Themes: bloody murder, Coney carnies, oh Lilah, another beautiful tragic ambiguous female we fall in love with, are we getting closer on a lead to Sophie’s whereabouts?
5 stars
All players are lined up, our dapper dyke art smuggler, her somewhat distracted cab-driver, the rich Fifth Avenue client, the cowardly murdered Coney Island mobster, his beautiful but tragic prostitute sister, the crooked policeman, the old fortune teller, her dying dog, the shifty arcade guy.
When Cantor Gold loses a priceless pixys she smuggled all the way from Greece right on her client’s doorstep, she cannot imagine this brutal and blatant theft will lead her straight back to the place where she grew up and worked so hard to get away from, Coney Island.
In order to find her lost Greek treasure, Cantor must reluctantly tango with a nasty small-time Coney mob boss and at the same time keep his beautiful sister out of harm’s way. By now Book Club Buddie D. (who knows what Ann Aptaker is capable off) is groaning “oh please don’t kill her off!”
This is Crime Noir done to perfection. I am such a fan of Aptaker by now. Her women are both vulnerable and calculating, sultry, sexy and always magnets for trouble. Her descriptions of Coney Island and it’s denizens are colorful and fascinating. Reading this series is just pure joy.
f/f graphic death scenes
Themes: bloody murder, Coney carnies, oh Lilah, another beautiful tragic ambiguous female we fall in love with, are we getting closer on a lead to Sophie’s whereabouts?
5 stars
February 5, 2020
These just get better, and better!!!
Back in New York with Cantor Gold after a priceless artefact recovered on a trip to Greece is stolen in the dead of night. But as usual, it isn’t as simple as it seems and Cantor finds herself wrapped up in Coney Island dramas. Walking footsteps of the past, with old acquaintances appearing, and ghosts lurking everywhere, Cantor is keen to recover her goods and get her pay from her client, but finds herself deeply embroiled in more than she bargained for with new femme fatale, Lilah Day!
This is 100% my favourite series ever. Crime Noir at it’s very best, and Ann brings it to life in a way I am going to struggle to put into words because it is just amazing. Every time I find myself back in the seedy underworld of gangsters and mobsters with Cantor Gold, I fall just a little bit further in love with the ‘glamour’ of it all! The way Ann users Cantor narrate her own story, as if she recounting her adventures to you in the present day is just wonderfully vivid. I can always see the scenes playing out in my head, as if they were on the big screen in the heydays of Black and White, Sepia toned Hollywood Noir. Ann has a real talent for this stories, and I adore every one of them.
I loved the little insight into Cantor’s past, the connections and memories as she compares the past with her present surroundings. The memoir feel is just beautiful and brings a uniqueness to the story telling. I was excited to start reading this before I’d even read the first page. I just know what I am getting with Ann and Cantor, and I LOVE it!!! I think everyone should read these, even if you think crime/noir/romance isn’t your thing, because this will change your mind. The talent to write in first person like this is something I aspire to, and Ann is great inspiration.
Then there is these femme fatales that keep getting in Cantor’s path. Although heartbroken about Sophie, she really is swept away by these ladies and they are all amazing, and Lilah Day has to be the best one yet!!! I was so unsure, and she had me guessing how much she was going to be behind things in this adventure. I was really surprised with every turn of a page, it was so unpredictable I couldn’t even start to call this one out and guess who was behind everything!!! Just amazing!!! Now, I am more excited than ever to read the fourth book in the series, and that Ann is continuing Cantor’s adventures with another novel too!!! If you haven’t discovered this series yet, then I can highly recommend it (disclaimer* It’s addictive!!!) and what are you waiting for!!!
Back in New York with Cantor Gold after a priceless artefact recovered on a trip to Greece is stolen in the dead of night. But as usual, it isn’t as simple as it seems and Cantor finds herself wrapped up in Coney Island dramas. Walking footsteps of the past, with old acquaintances appearing, and ghosts lurking everywhere, Cantor is keen to recover her goods and get her pay from her client, but finds herself deeply embroiled in more than she bargained for with new femme fatale, Lilah Day!
This is 100% my favourite series ever. Crime Noir at it’s very best, and Ann brings it to life in a way I am going to struggle to put into words because it is just amazing. Every time I find myself back in the seedy underworld of gangsters and mobsters with Cantor Gold, I fall just a little bit further in love with the ‘glamour’ of it all! The way Ann users Cantor narrate her own story, as if she recounting her adventures to you in the present day is just wonderfully vivid. I can always see the scenes playing out in my head, as if they were on the big screen in the heydays of Black and White, Sepia toned Hollywood Noir. Ann has a real talent for this stories, and I adore every one of them.
I loved the little insight into Cantor’s past, the connections and memories as she compares the past with her present surroundings. The memoir feel is just beautiful and brings a uniqueness to the story telling. I was excited to start reading this before I’d even read the first page. I just know what I am getting with Ann and Cantor, and I LOVE it!!! I think everyone should read these, even if you think crime/noir/romance isn’t your thing, because this will change your mind. The talent to write in first person like this is something I aspire to, and Ann is great inspiration.
Then there is these femme fatales that keep getting in Cantor’s path. Although heartbroken about Sophie, she really is swept away by these ladies and they are all amazing, and Lilah Day has to be the best one yet!!! I was so unsure, and she had me guessing how much she was going to be behind things in this adventure. I was really surprised with every turn of a page, it was so unpredictable I couldn’t even start to call this one out and guess who was behind everything!!! Just amazing!!! Now, I am more excited than ever to read the fourth book in the series, and that Ann is continuing Cantor’s adventures with another novel too!!! If you haven’t discovered this series yet, then I can highly recommend it (disclaimer* It’s addictive!!!) and what are you waiting for!!!
August 5, 2018
I just love Cantor Gold as a character. Again, author Ann Aptaker takes us for a ride with Cantor in the underworld of NY 50's. A lot of the same characters are in this book as the last and I love how Cantor manages to walk fine lines with some of the people she mixes it up with. She can enjoy but at the same time will not let anyone take advantage.
I read this one long after the others and again, I was reminded of how much I love the how Ann Aptaker writes. The phrasing, the words, they are all so evocative and delicious. I would read these books just for the writing itself.
It felt like she left an opening for book 4. I hope there will be.
I read this one long after the others and again, I was reminded of how much I love the how Ann Aptaker writes. The phrasing, the words, they are all so evocative and delicious. I would read these books just for the writing itself.
It felt like she left an opening for book 4. I hope there will be.
January 31, 2022
No quarto livro da série, voltamos ao passado de Cantor Gold, mas não sinto que aprendi muitas coisas novas sobre ela. Na verdade vemos mais do mesmo: Cantor se metendo em mil crimes por causa de alguma mulher que ela "não pode amar".
Conhecemos alguns personagens novos, mas já sei que provavelmente não os verei nos próximos livros. Isso é algo que está me incomodando um pouco na série, algumas personagens são realmente interessantes e seria bom vê-las em outras situações com Cantor, entendo que o papel da maioria é fazer parte de um mistério maior, mas ainda assim dá pra pelo menos mencionar elas.
Me apeguei à Lilah, interesse romântico desse livro, foi a primeira vez que achei que Cantor teria algo mais profundo com alguma personagem, porém não foi isso que aconteceu, enfim, ansiosa pra essa mulher resolver o mistério da Rose e parar de palhaçada.
Conhecemos alguns personagens novos, mas já sei que provavelmente não os verei nos próximos livros. Isso é algo que está me incomodando um pouco na série, algumas personagens são realmente interessantes e seria bom vê-las em outras situações com Cantor, entendo que o papel da maioria é fazer parte de um mistério maior, mas ainda assim dá pra pelo menos mencionar elas.
Me apeguei à Lilah, interesse romântico desse livro, foi a primeira vez que achei que Cantor teria algo mais profundo com alguma personagem, porém não foi isso que aconteceu, enfim, ansiosa pra essa mulher resolver o mistério da Rose e parar de palhaçada.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2023
In this third Cantor Gold book, a stolen Greek vase Cantor procured for a wealthy client draws our hero back to her origins in Coney Island where she encounters a small-time crime boss who is looking to expand his holdings and who is blackmailing Cantor with the vase. Then he winds up murdered, leaving Cantor without any info about the location of the vase.
There's a lot of detail about the Coney Island scene in the early 1950s (the author details her research sources in the acknowledgements) and the book is an opportunity to learn more about Cantor's early years in that neighborhood.
All in all, this is a 4 for me. As I read through these books, I feel less engaged than I did with book one and I'm wondering if, despite the different stories in each, that the cumulative effect of reading the series is giving me a sense of repetition.
There's a lot of detail about the Coney Island scene in the early 1950s (the author details her research sources in the acknowledgements) and the book is an opportunity to learn more about Cantor's early years in that neighborhood.
All in all, this is a 4 for me. As I read through these books, I feel less engaged than I did with book one and I'm wondering if, despite the different stories in each, that the cumulative effect of reading the series is giving me a sense of repetition.
July 4, 2017
Another armchair journey to NYC of the 50's. This time, Cantor is drawn back to the Coney Island of her youth. I enjoyed this novel, not just for the description of a long gone NYC, but for the back story of Cantor. Another mystery, a few red lipped herrings, and an enjoyable read!
Here's to Cantor Gold #4!
Here's to Cantor Gold #4!
May 27, 2022
Excellent continuation of Cantor's story! The author writes noir so well, you'll be transported back in time.
August 24, 2021
This was another great installment in the Cantor Gold mystery series. In book three of the series, we find Cantor unexpectedly going back to her roots on Coney Island, and getting caught up in murder and mysterious underworld machinations.
At first, all she wants is to recover a precious artifact that was stolen from her before she could deliver it to a client, but soon she's pulled into the intrigue by the beautiful--and enigmatic--Lilah. In order to save Lilah from danger, Cantor must unravel who killed her brother, the two-bit gangster Mickey Day. And all while staying out of the crosshairs of the powerful mafia boss Sig Loreale.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel to keep you guessing, leading to a death-defying climax high above Coney's streets. I was able to figure out the killer about a paragraph before Cantor did, which is perfect timing.
This is a great mystery, and the setting of January 1952 is beautifully evoked in the imagery Ann Aptaker uses; the scenery, the clothes, even the aspirations of the characters all transport us back to that gilded time when The American Dream seemed so close to so many--and yet so far away from others. Cantor really shines once again as a protagonist we can relate to, as well as be fascinated by at the same time. She stays true to herself and her values throughout, and her personal saga also takes a dramatic turn. Enthusiastically recommended.
At first, all she wants is to recover a precious artifact that was stolen from her before she could deliver it to a client, but soon she's pulled into the intrigue by the beautiful--and enigmatic--Lilah. In order to save Lilah from danger, Cantor must unravel who killed her brother, the two-bit gangster Mickey Day. And all while staying out of the crosshairs of the powerful mafia boss Sig Loreale.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel to keep you guessing, leading to a death-defying climax high above Coney's streets. I was able to figure out the killer about a paragraph before Cantor did, which is perfect timing.
This is a great mystery, and the setting of January 1952 is beautifully evoked in the imagery Ann Aptaker uses; the scenery, the clothes, even the aspirations of the characters all transport us back to that gilded time when The American Dream seemed so close to so many--and yet so far away from others. Cantor really shines once again as a protagonist we can relate to, as well as be fascinated by at the same time. She stays true to herself and her values throughout, and her personal saga also takes a dramatic turn. Enthusiastically recommended.
January 5, 2017
For the most part, I really liked this book although it would have been nice for the author to have told those of us who had not read her first books in this series when the book was set. I spent the first four chapters wondering if the author had written a spoof of Hammet or Spillane. It wasn't until the end of the fourth chapter that the author mentioned it was 1952. After that I could, and did, get into the book.
There were times when it seemed out of character for Gold to spend so much time worrying about the sister of a two-bit mobster. Perhaps it was because she is still pining over a lost love, and the damsel was in distress. But the book would have been shorter, and perhaps tighter if Gold had let the damsel go.
If you enjoy historical mysteries, this would be a book for you. It is well-written, Gold is a character you can care for. But there are no secondary characters to like - or dislike.
The one thing that bothered me throughout the book was the overuse of the word "that." A stronger editor would have had the author remove dozens, if not hundreds, of the word.
There were times when it seemed out of character for Gold to spend so much time worrying about the sister of a two-bit mobster. Perhaps it was because she is still pining over a lost love, and the damsel was in distress. But the book would have been shorter, and perhaps tighter if Gold had let the damsel go.
If you enjoy historical mysteries, this would be a book for you. It is well-written, Gold is a character you can care for. But there are no secondary characters to like - or dislike.
The one thing that bothered me throughout the book was the overuse of the word "that." A stronger editor would have had the author remove dozens, if not hundreds, of the word.
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