The Jean Harlow Bombshell

A Classic Star Biography Mystery #1

by Mollie Cox Bryan

When it comes to writing Golden Age Hollywood biographies, the pen is deadlier than the sword

Justine Turner is a world-famous biographer of Hollywood stars. She's also Charlotte Donovan's overbearing boss. So it comes as no surprise to Charlotte when Justine requests an emergency meeting related to her latest in-progress biography. It is a surprise, though, when Justine up and dies before their urgent discussion can begin.

In the wake of such a tragedy, all Charlotte wants to do is finish the Jean Harlow biography that Justine had started. Instead, she finds herself in grave danger--stalked both online and in person by a drop-dead Jean Harlow look-alike. Together with police sergeant Den Brophy, Charlotte uncovers shocking revelations. But will these revelations be enough to catch the killer?

Praise:

"The Jean Harlow Bombshell is a page-turner, a modern whodunit threaded with Golden Age Hollywood glamour. Its protagonist, Charlotte Donovan, is a sleuth for our times, flawed, bright, and eminently relatable. Factor in the delicious elements of romance, friendship, and family, and you have a mystery as captivating as Jean Harlow's (still missing) star sapphire ring."--Jess Lourey, author of Salem's Cipher and Mercy's Chase

"Twisty, fascinating, and gently edgy, this mixture of vintage Hollywood and contemporary New York will delight fans of the traditional mystery as well as those craving a modern read. Loved it!"--Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of Trust Me

"Mollie Cox Bryan concocts a fascinating mystery with more twists than a pretzel factory. Bryan's skillful portrayal of Charlotte and best friend Kate make it fun to follow them as they work through to the solution. An entertaining read, a steady pace, and memorable characters to meet."--Reviewing the Evidence

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2019

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for almost anything Old Hollywood, so I jumped at the chance to read this mystery novel. Jean Harlow. Jean was famous for her beauty and platinum blonde hair. Her fame only grew when she died young in 1937 at age 26 following a short illness. Her funeral was attended by the entire Hollywood A-list and she was buried with a 152-carat star sapphire ring on her hand (a gift from William Powell). Her story is tragic but it's the stuff Hollywood Legends are made of.

I completely love, love, love the idea of a mystery series involving Old Hollywood icons! This book was an entertaining mix of mystery and facts about Harlow. It easily kept my attention from start to finish.

The basics: Charlotte Donovan is a writer's assistant. Her boss, Justine, writes biographies and gossip type books about famous people. Charlotte helps research and even helps write portions of the books. The current project is a book about Jean Harlow. Then Justine dies under mysterious circumstances....and Charlotte learns there are facts about Harlow that someone wants kept quiet.

Very entertaining story! I liked the basic plot, the basic premise for the series and the characters. Very enjoyable read!

There is a second book in this series: The Aubrey Hepburn Heist. I'm definitely reading it!

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jean Harlow Bombshell is a unique and entertaining read. The characters are likeable. It's just a fun story to read, especially if you like old movies.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas's Thoughts 

Justine Turner is a world-famous biographer of Hollywood stars. Charlotte Donovan is her assistant. Together they are working on a biography of Jean Harlow. She was the “Original Blonde Bombshell” and the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s. Charlotte is used to being summoned by her boss so her requesting an emergency meeting at Layla's Tea Room was not a surprise. The meeting starts out well but soon Justine is complaining about being warm. It is then Charlotte notices how pale her boss is. She leaves the booth to get the woman a cool towel but when she returns to the table Justine appears to be asleep but the waiter soon informs Charlotte that she has passed away.

In the aftermath, Charlotte tries to tie up loose ends and the publisher has asked her to finish the Harlow biography as fast as she can. She loved to do that, but a Harlow look-alike appears to be stalking her. She's being threatened online too. NYPD Sergeant Den Brophy is on the case but he is going to need Charlotte's help to dig into Justine's life to figure out who would want to kill her and why. He is also going to have to keep her safe.

_____

Charlotte is a complex individual. While her boss lived in New York, she lives and does most of her work on Cloister Island. She lives with her alcoholic mother who falls off the wagon often. Then her grandmother steps in to help. Charlotte also suffers from Lyme Disease and she has some brutal flare-ups. Her boss Justine was very supportive and they worked around all the effects of the disease.

Charlotte grew up with her best friend Kate on Cloister Island but back then her name was "Karl". Her family did not support her transition so she moved away and made a life in New York. It is almost like Kate and Charlotte are connected at the hip when she is in the city. Hardly a day goes by when they are not together. We also meet Sergeant Den Brophy, "an Irish cop with a Brooklyn accent" with "eyes as blue as a jay's wings". Charlotte does have a thing for cops and this one appears to be very interested in her. All of the characters in this story have depth and feel true to life.

Charlotte thought she knew her boss so well but she found out that wasn't the case as she tried to come up with a list of suspects. The woman had a lot of secrets. Charlotte is caught off balance by the woman she sees everywhere who looks just like Jean Harlow. She knows she has to have something to do with the murder. A surprising discovery turns the tables in a new direction confuses Charlotte's thinking even more and puts her in danger too.

The mystery was twisty and complicated. I enjoyed the way Charlotte shared most of the information she gathered right away with Den. He was very open with her too. Their attraction continues to grow too but they vow to hold off until the case is closed. The case does start to go cold but an idea not supported by everyone sets up a fantastic showdown and reveal.  I didn't realize I was holding my breath for a few seconds as one last piece of drama played out. Like many in the story, I was kept guessing until the very end.

https://www.jeanharlow.com/photos/

I didn't know much about Jean Harlow but I remember watching some of her movies. The author includes an afterward where she shares some interesting facts and explains that the biographical information about Harlow is accurate but that she added some fictional events to the woman's life in the story. The story piqued my interest and I did find myself on Wikipedia to read even more about her. It is sad that she died so young.

The Jean Harlow Bombshell was a bombshell of a story. It was cleverly written and I was very entertained. Charlotte Donovan is unique and genuine and I want to know what happens next for her.  Book 2 in this series, The Audrey Hepburn Heist has been added to my wish list and a recent interview with the author says that she has almost completed Book 3, “Hedy Lamarr’s Lost Ecstasy”.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan is a researcher and executive assistant to a writer who specializes in celebrity biographies, mostly from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She's currently working on one about Jean Harlow, a 1930's platinum blonde who died tragically at the age of 26. When Charlotte goes to a local tearoom to meet her employer, Justine Taylor, it's only a short time before Justine dies in front of her.

Now Charlotte has been given the job of finishing the biography, but also cleaning Justine's apartment, and when she finds out Justine was murdered, she decides to find out who killed her and why. But when potential murderers start coming out of the woodwork, and it's apparent that whoever killed Justine is now after her, the stakes have been raised, and with the help of a handsome police officer and her best friend Kate, Charlotte will have to dig deep to find out the truth...

I wanted to read this book because I am a huge classic movie fan. So much so, I have hundreds of biographies from stars of the Golden Age, and thousands of classic films from the silent era to the 1960's. I figured this would be tailor-made for me. After all, a book about Jean Harlow and a lookalike? What's not to like? Well, this book, apparently.

Please note that below there are plenty of spoilers regarding this book, so PLEASE do not read unless you've already read the book or don't care if you read parts of the plot that gives things away!

First off, the author is a writer of cozy mysteries, so you pretty much are thinking you know what to expect. This book is nothing like any of the others - as an example, there's quite a bit of foul language throughout (not that it bothers me, but I more expect it if I'm reading a thriller, but this is not labeled as such, so I didn't much care for it in this book) and almost all of it is spoken by our protagonist, Charlotte.

Now Charlotte is an unlikable character, and not because of her choice of words, but just her entire personality. First, I should mention she has Lyme Disease, and while it is a terrible thing, it is entirely curable. While it may take months, or even years, I am told that Lyme Disease is curable, and the symptoms will not return. So my question is, how did Charlotte contract it; where; and how long has she had it? We are never told, yet we are to believe that she's suffered from it for years. If she's still suffering, she would not have Lyme Disease, but rather Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome; and eventually even this is more than likely curable; although there are a small number of those that have some lingering effects. So that was my first problem (and before you think I'm being cold, I have a sister who has Celiac Disease, so I know how difficult it is to live with a permanent condition.)

Then, not to put too fine a line on it, Charlotte is a bit of a slut with Daddy issues. (Don't go nuts; I'd use the same words if she were a male character). Her father, a police officer, left when she was a child, so now she sleeps with cops regularly - but she has standards, so the cops have to be 'hot' before she'll screw them. I guess that makes it alright in her mind. She does this on such a regular basis that when she meets Sergeant Den Brophy, who's handling the Justine case (we'll get into that later), she thinks he's one of the hot ones, but has made a bet with her friend Kate that she won't have sex for four weeks (which should tell you how many guys she's screwing; she even refers to one as one of her 'favorites'). This, however, doesn't stop her from lusting after him every time she looks at him. It comes to pass that when she goes to meet him she's worried one of her 'past experiences' might be in the bar and make things uncomfortable. But she still keeps talking with a cop on Tinder. Riiiggghhtt...

Doesn't she think that if she continues to see this guy that if they ever attend a function together (or even go to a bar) that one of her former conquests might recognize her and inform Den of her little 'peccadilloes'? I can't see any way this relationship is going to work, any more than if it were Den who had been sleeping around with people she knew. Also, her mother is a drunk, so she has that to contend with. Charlotte leads a pretty depressing life, in my opinion. (As a side note, if Justine was of sound mind, Judith has nothing to contest. She never visited Justine, and relatives are not under any obligation to leave their estate to other relatives based on the mere fact they are family. A judge would make quick work of this).

As for Den, the murder occurred in Manhattan. So why are the homicide detectives allowing a street cop to take the lead on this? It's not Mayberry where there are only two cops. In a large city where there's been a murder, he would have passed it on to the homicide department and been out of it. I know this is true in Manhattan, so this didn't make any sense at all.

Now to the plot of the story: While the writing was very good, I wasn't happy with the story line. I get that she wanted to find out who the Harlow lookalike was. I get that she wanted to find out who killed Justine, and who's after a missing item that belonged to Harlow. (FYI, Norma Shearer's name is misspelled a few times, for those who want to know more about her but don't know who she is).

What I didn't like is the way the author completely trashed William Powell, a wonderful actor, nominated three times for academy awards, and by all accounts, very well-liked. She calls him a 'prick'. He had an impish grin, dimples, a wonderful laugh, could do comedy and drama equally well, was liked by his costars, a marvelous actor...and his world crashed when Harlow died. He was so devastated he had to be helped at the funeral. He didn't work for nearly two years afterward, and was welcomed back with open arms. (Not to mention he had cancer during this time and was undergoing radical treatment and recovery). There were reasons he didn't marry Harlow, but there is no dispute that the man loved her deeply. (Just look at the photo and you'll see). [There is a photo on my blog]. While Charlotte is enamored of Harlow, it's painfully obvious she hates Powell.

Needless to say, I thought this would be a new cozy series, but alas, it is not. I also thought the characters would be funny and/or quirky, interesting, intelligent, or even have substance, but they don't. You can't call Charlotte intelligent when her actions prove otherwise. The book also has some moral dictates thrown in, though I won't mention them here. I do, however, dislike the fact when authors tend to throw in their own personal and/or political views - we're here to be entertained, not preached to. I also didn't understand why the owner of the talent agency hated cops. Is he hiring criminals? Because it didn't make any sense otherwise why he wouldn't talk to Brophy, and neither would any of the employees. The last I heard, being a female impersonator wasn't against the law.

All in all, when the ending comes and the murderer was revealed, it wasn't really a surprise as all the clues were leading up to it. I felt that the book was pretty depressing, and it had no memorable characters. While I would have loved a book that introduced people to the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, this one didn't meet my expectations. Two stars for the writing, but I won't be reading any more in the series. Sorry.

[Peter Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jean Harlow Bombshell is a very good first installment in what looks like an interesting series. Charlotte is an assistant to a famous author of celebrity bios. When the author is murdered suspicion moves quickly to many "kooks" who are stirred up by the work in progress which Charlotte is working to finish - a Biography on Jean Harlow.

The writing is excellent. From the first pages I was taken in by the writer's style and it quickly became a page turner. What was lacking a bit for me was the plotting. At some point in the latter half it bogged down a bit, and I felt that the writer was merely upping a page count. The conclusion was good, but ultimately not in line with the journey that it took to get there. Some further editing would have smoothed the story out a bit. For instance the main character has Lyme Disease and this is mentioned ad nauseaum in the first 24 chapters. I wanted to scream "okay...I get it!"

Regardless of my negative thoughts, I was all in all satisfied with this work; enough so that I look forward to the next installment!

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.8 stars

Starts off strong, sags in the middle, perks up towards the end but deflates w/the ending.

I liked the Kate character (sorry, don’t know correct term) who was a man & has now become a woman surgically. She is also the “comedic best friend” in the story.
Charlotte has Lyme disease.
I thought these were both unique elements to add to her characters. (i gave it the extra bit of a star for that)

The negative is that I felt the author was forcing the romantic relationship b/w Den & Charlotte. A note: as a reader, I will pick up on the chemistry b/w characters, it doesn’t have to be repeatedly mentioned as it should be apparent thru the natural flow of the narrative.




I did like the the author’s note at the end which explained her inspiration behind the book. That was interesting.

[PugMom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling beginning to A Classic Star Biography Mystery series! It is clearly evident that the author researched her famous subject but put such an interesting spin on old Hollywood stories that it made me want to pick up a real Jean Harlow biography and learn more about the star. So many twists and turns, you will be kept guessing to the very end. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

[dnsyl57 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan is the research assistant for celebrity biographer Justine Turner. Turner is currently working on the biography of Jean Harlow and claims "all the kooks are coming out" since she started this project. Charlotte meets her boss at an exclusive tea room but before they can get down to business, Justine appears to suffer a fatal heart attack. Charlotte is devastated but is also determined to finish the book rather than allow someone else to take credit for all the work they had already done. Things get complicated when Justine's death is determined to be murder and a look alike Jean Harlow seems to be stalking Charlotte. Then there is the added distraction of her attraction to the police officer in charge of the case - Den Brophy!

As a researcher, Charlotte can't help but want to solve the mystery of who killed her boss but can she survive all the threats, attacks and other crazy things that are happening? There are so many lines of inquiry to sort through, secrets to uncover and several viable suspects who could have done it! Can Charlotte figure it out before the killer gets her too?

My thoughts:
Other than knowing Jean Harlow was a Hollywood movie star from the Golden Age who died too young, I really wasn't that familiar with her. Ms Bryan cleverly wove fact and fiction to create an intriguing page turner in homage to the screen legend.

It was refreshing to have the main character with a health issue - Lyme Disease. For me, it made her more human and realistic. Her BF Kate, a trans woman is strong, supportive and willing to help her best pal in any way she can. Den Brophy seems to understand and accept Charlotte as she is - which understandably, hasn't always been her experience.

What I didn't enjoy about this book (Kindle edition) was an unacceptably large number of minor typos/errors. Most were of a missing letter/word, an extra letter/word or the wrong tense of a word. I understand that some errors can occur during the process of converting manuscripts to a published form BUT I noted 45 errors in this otherwise wonderful 337 page book.

If I were rating this book strictly on the story, it would be 5 stars but with 45 errors, I can not give this more than 3 stars. I will be reading the follow-up book "The Audrey Hepburn Heist" on Kindle after it is released in April 2022. Hopefully whoever did the editing and proof reading for that book was actually paying attention. JMO

[Patricia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a new series

Charlotte Donovan wants to be a writer. She's spent years as assistant to Justine Turner, world -famous biographer of the stars of yesteryear. Justine is eccentric and secretive so when she calls Charlotte and asks her to meet to discuss an emergency with her work in progress, a biography of Jean Harlow, Charlotte is surprised.

Unfortunately before she can tell Charlotte exactly what is going on she is dead. Right there at the booth. Did someone just murder her boss in broad daylight? It looks that way. Moving into Justine's apartment to try to finish the book before the deadline, Charlotte feels like she is being watched. Followed by a woman who looks exactly like Jean Harlow.

When people start coming out of the woodwork looking for the famous Harlow ring, Charlotte may be next on the list of dead writers.

Charlotte is an interesting character. She suffers from Lyme Disease and sees herself as an amateur sleuth. She pushes herself and there is a lot of mystery surrounding her father and her obsession with hot cops. On one hand I thought she was a bit too sickly to be running all over town trying to find a killer. On the other I was wondering about her odd sex life. It just didn't seem to fit with her character.

This one left me with more questions than answers to be honest. I'm sure once the editing is complete the story will come together

Netgalley/Midnight Ink

[Kaitlyn Dunnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the premise and will read the second entry, but I had a little trouble with a couple of the things Charlotte's cop almost-boyfriend allowed her access to. Instead of making detective, he'd probably have been demoted if his superiors found out. Yes, I know it's fiction, but those incidents pulled me out of the story. So did his lack of concern about a couple of things Charlotte did that should have gotten her into trouble for breaking the law.

[Debbie Hagedorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan is the main character in this first in a series mystery centering around a celebrity biography of Jean Harlow, the Hollywood bombshell of the 1930s. Charlotte is a research assistant for Justine Turner, a prolific writer of celebrity biographies. When Justine dies suddenly, Charlotte becomes tasked with finishing the biography as well as tracking down Justine’s killer. The added complication of Jean Harlow “kooks” ramps up the excitement. Throw in a hot police officer and Charlotte seems nearly overwhelmed. Soon, however, she finds reserves of strength that help her cope with many challenges along the path to find a killer.
This is a pretty traditional mystery, with some modern twists thrown in to help make it a bit more contemporary. You will feel like you know Jean Harlow much better, and may even want to read more about her. The only downside I had with this book were the typographical errors in the text. I read this on a Kindle, so those errors may have been Kindle related. But, please don’t let that deter you from enjoying this contemporary mystery with a touch of old Hollywood.

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan faces so many challengesCharlotte Donovan faces so many challenges when her employer is murdered. She's wants to find the killer and finish the Jean Harlow book that they we're working on. Why is Charlotte being stalked by a Harlow look-a-like? Does she know why Justine was killed? I was intrigued by the idea of a new revelation about this glamorous movie star. Jean Harlow was a long ago icon who died young. Charlotte and her friend, Kate, find themselves involved in a dangerous undertaking as they try to learn more about Justine as well as Jean Harlow. I liked both characters. There is plenty of action when they're together. I could tell that they were true friends. Sergeant Den Brophy is working to find the killer but there are few leads. The attraction between him and Charlotte is apparent. I'm hoping that they will develop a romantic connection. I realized that Charlotte has baggage to deal with. I'm hoping she'll take a chance and risk her heart. This is a great mystery! Mollie Cox Bryan pulled me into this book. I loved learning about Jean Harlow. The glamour of old time Hollywood added spice to The Jean Harlow Bombshell. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion. when her employer is murdered. She's wants to find the killer and finish the Jean Harlow book that they we're working on. Why is Charlotte being stalked by a Harlow look-a-like? Does she know why Justine was killed? I was intrigued by the idea of a new revelation about this glamorous movie star. Jean Harlow was a long ago icon who died young. Charlotte and her friend, Kate, find themselves involved in a dangerous undertaking as they try to learn more about Justine as well as Jean Harlow. I liked both characters. There is plenty of action when they're together. I could tell that they were true friends. Sergeant Den Brophy is working to apprehend the murderer but there are few leads. The attraction between him and Charlotte is apparent. I'm hoping that they will develop a meant connection if Charlotte can avoid being the next victim. I realized that she has baggage to deal with, but she's stronger than she thinks. I'm hoping that she'll take a chance and risk her heart. This is a great mystery! Mollie Cox Bryan pulled me into this book. I loved learning about Jean Harlow. The glamour of old time Hollywood added spice to this mystery. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Charlotte Donovan is just finding her stride.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many topics to be considered in this book was just one of the reasons I found this to be such a compelling read. Along with a murder mystery about a boss but what problems plague this research/assistant to help solve the mystery but this super-star finds the strength while dealing with personal problems of health of self and family. Besides, what can be more intriguing than learning more about a Hollywood Legend. I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this mystery and recommend it highly. Brilliantly written, this is a powerful tale of family dynamics, greed and pure evil. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author’s work. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew very little about Jean Harlow the glamorous movie star until I read this book.
Charlotte’s employer Justine is murdered. Now she really wants to find the killer as well as finish the book about Jean Harlow they had been writing.
Why was Justine killed? Who wanted her dead? Was she killed because she was writing a book about Jean Harlow? Is Charlotte now putting her own safety at risk?Why is a Jean Harlow look a like stalking Charlotte? So many questions as I read this book.
The story kept me turning the pages. I wanted to get the answers to my questions. As well as finding out more about Charlotte, her best friend Kate. Also to see where the attraction between Charlotte and Sergeant Den Brophy would lead.

I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.

[Alexia Cambaling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink!

The Jean Harlow Bombshell concerns a writer who gets entangled into a murder mystery when her mentor and boss gets murdered for something that has to do with the biography she's writing of Old Hollywood star, Jean Harlow. It seems that many people were fascinated by her life as Charlotte's boss, Justine would call it "This has brought out all the Jean Harlow kooks." Soon, Charlotte becomes the target and she has to solve the mystery before it's too late.

The Jean Harlow Bombshell moves quickly and honestly, it seems more about the book and the star than the actual murder mystery. I don't have an issue with that and I still found this to be a quick, easy read. Unfortunately, I did not like the main character as much and she felt rather flat to me. This may be because her character felt a bit all over the place. Still, I appreciated how the author shows the main character's Lyme disease, how it affected her life, and how she continues to work and do her best despite of it.

The actual mystery felt a bit lackluster and I was more interested in the Hollywood aspect of it. By the end, while I still enjoyed it because of the Hollywood stuff, I still wished that there was more mystery present.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn't know much about Jean Harlow before reading this book, I feel like I learned a lot about her and her family. That wasn't the purpose of my reading of this book, but was a nice takeaway. The characters were well rounded. I liked Charlotte, and her best friend Kate was a great character too. The story and the mystery kept me glued to the pages with all of the twists and turns involving Justine, the Jean Harlow look-alike, and the missing ring. This was a unique mystery and I can't wait to read more books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Molly Cox Bryant as an author. In my opinion, this is not a cozy mystery. This first installment in the series is good but gets sluggish in the middle. How many times must I be told that the main character has Lyme’s Disease?

I liked learning a lot about Jean Harlow and I found it interesting. This is a promising start to a new series.
Charlotte Donovan wants to be a writer. She works as assistant to Justine Turner, biographer to the stars. Justine is killed in front of Charlotte. Charlotte is determined to finish the biography of Jean Harlow and figure out who killed her boss.

I received an e-copy ARC from NetGalley and Midnight Ink. I am not required to leave a positive review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan is an assistant for a noted author of pop star biographies, but her latest meeting with her boss ends with one dead boss. (Fortunately, security camera footage clears Charlotte.) Since Charlotte has health problems, family problems, financial problems and man problems, it's no big deal for her to decide to solve Justine's murder too, while squatting in her palatial Fifth Avenue apartment. The publisher asks Charlotte to finish the book on Jean Harlow's life, a handsome policeman is interested in her, and her best friend Kate (ne Karl) is always ready to help her out as she slowly becomes aware that she's being stalked, possibly by more than one person. First of a series.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jean Harlow Bombshell by Mollie Cox Bryan is the 1st book in a Classic Star Biography Mystery series, and it's off to a great start. Charlotte Donovan is the assistant to famous biographer, Justine Turner. When Justine dies suddenly, Charlotte is determined to find out who killed her. Does it have something to do with the book she has been writing about Jean Harlow? I really like this book, it keep me interest from the start. I learned a lot about Jean Harlow that I didn't know, and Charlotte has Lyme disease, which was also interesting. I recommend this book for all mystery lovers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Midnight Ink. Thank you.

[Barb Foerst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Donovan is an assistant to a biographer to the stars, Justine Turner. Charlotte has many issues but is a great researcher. While meeting Justine at a tearoom, Justine dies suddenly. Charlotte is left holding the ball, cleaning out Justine’s home, finishing the novel, and dealing with a stalker.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t want to put the book down. I see a lot of criticism about the mystery not really being about the murder. I don’t think this is a bad thing. Great book.

[Megengelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of a series with murder center stage, mysteries within, friendship, history, glamour of Hollywood, and a hint of romance. I enjoyed Ms. Bryan's exploration into Jean Harlow's death; her personal link with the subject cultivates a believable tale. As you read, consider what historical details are facts (or not). Can you solve this before the final pages?

ARC (Advanced Review Copy) provided by publisher and author at ALA Mid Winter Seattle 2019. Thank you!

[Rima Aiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say after reading this is WOW. I was a fan of this author before, but this book takes me to new levels of awe. I loved everything about this story, the characters, the mystery, and the whole plot was so different and unique, I just couldn't get enough. I will read this series as quick as the author can churn them out.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced, entertaining, and enjoyable book that I read in one setting.
I loved everything in this book, from the plot to the cast of characters.
It was the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Many thanks to Midnight Ink and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Mollie Cox Bryan's books previously but they have always been cozy mysteries. While this book is not what I read from her, it kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat. I did not want to put this book down and spent most of the night awake reading. I just had to know what happened next to the characters!

[Heather Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a great new unique mystery that was flawless. I can't wait for more from this author. I was impressed and surprised by this novel.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery, with a fantastic and unusual plot, well written and with great characters. There are a couple of things that don't add up, but the rest is so good it's forgiven.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of old movies I was looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed and look forward to the next in the series.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting blend of old Hollywood history and modern day investigative skills combined with a touch of romance and transgender friendship, murders and changing understanding from the 1930s to present day.
The short life of Jean Harlow was being written by a respected biographer and is murdered. A Jean Harlow lookalike is stalking the assistant writer and the secrets of their lives. A second murder brings no’s out a list of suspects.
Friendships past and present, family life and an education of Lyme disease are covered.

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story, fresh and feisty with main character that you could easily become friends with in no time. The amount of new and interesting information in the way of character development was refreshing. There is definitely a lot to unpack in this mystery and it kept me from putting the book down. So many suspects and a good number of misdirects. I had no idea where the story was taking me but I sure did enjoy the ride! Looking forward to book #2.