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Pentecost and Parker #1
Die Tote auf dem Maskenball
A wildly charming and fast-paced mystery written with all the panache of the hardboiled classics, Fortune Favors the Dead introduces Pentecost and Parker, an audacious new detective duo for the ages.
It’s 1942 and Willowjean “Will” Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York’s best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn’t expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian’s multiple sclerosis means she can’t keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian’s very particular art of investigation.
Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home—her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed.
But that’s easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins—the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca’s relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer’s next target.
It’s 1942 and Willowjean “Will” Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York’s best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn’t expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian’s multiple sclerosis means she can’t keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian’s very particular art of investigation.
Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home—her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed.
But that’s easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins—the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca’s relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer’s next target.
446 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2020
900 people are currently reading
23548 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Spotswood
9 books640 followersStephen Spotswood is an award-winning playwright, journalist, and educator. As a journalist, he has spent much of the last two decades writing about the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the struggles of wounded veterans. His dramatic work has been produced nationwide and includes Girl In The Red Corner (winner of the 2017 Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play), In The Forest She Grew Fangs, Doublewide, and more. His debut novel, Fortune Favors The Dead, will be released by Doubleday in October 2020. He makes his home in Washington, D.C., with his wife, young-adult author Jessica Spotswood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,780 reviews
October 22, 2020
Set during the final years of WW2 in New York, Stephen Spotswood writes the first of a delightful historical murder mystery series featuring the famous female PI, Lillian Pentecost, with her detective agency and narrated by her assistant, the street smart Willowjean 'Will' Parker, an ex-cirky girl with an unusual skill set acquired after becoming a jack of all trades at the circus, after running away from home. It was her knife throwing skills that saved Lillian on their first meeting that led to Will's new career direction, Lillian is suffering from the progressive disease of MS and badly needed help, training Will in the vital skills required in the profession. A wealthy woman, Lillian, feels the strong need to put back into the community, her well paying clients allow her to run the packed Open Saturdays, where those who cannot afford her services receive the requisite support, and Will runs her self defense classes for women often facing abuse and domestic violence, as a consequence the detectives have a wide network of informants to draw on for their cases.
The agency is called in when the wealthy Abigail Collins, wife of a steel magnate, Alistair, who switched to production of military weapons for the American war effort, is discovered murdered, a locked room mystery, at the annual Halloween Party celebrations that boasted the presence of fortune teller and spiritualist, Ariel Belestrade. Strangely, a year previously, Al Collins had committed suicide in the same room and rumours are rife that it was the dead man who was responsible for killing his wife with a crystal ball. It is a complex investigation, with a wide range of suspects that include the beautiful Collins twins, Randolph and Becca, and their beloved godfather, Harry Wallace, a good friend of their father. Will struggles to adhere to Lillian's order that she stay away from Ariel, only to find herself regretting not following her instructions. And why can't they find any information on Abigail before she arrived in New York?
Spotswood new series oozes charm and atmosphere, with its wonderful offbeat protagonists that immediately caught my interest, their relationship with each other is a joy to observe as they are always there for each other when required. I particularly liked Will, dressing like a man, unafraid of taking on men twice her size, with her sexual attraction to Becca, hardworking and determined, but a woman with her flaws. There are faint echoes of the Sherlock Holmes and John Watson dynamic, but Will is more of her own woman, and with Lillian's MS set to worsen, no doubt Will is going to have to increasingly step up in the future. This is such a promising beginning to the new series, so engaging and entertaining, that I cannot wait for the next in the series! Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
The agency is called in when the wealthy Abigail Collins, wife of a steel magnate, Alistair, who switched to production of military weapons for the American war effort, is discovered murdered, a locked room mystery, at the annual Halloween Party celebrations that boasted the presence of fortune teller and spiritualist, Ariel Belestrade. Strangely, a year previously, Al Collins had committed suicide in the same room and rumours are rife that it was the dead man who was responsible for killing his wife with a crystal ball. It is a complex investigation, with a wide range of suspects that include the beautiful Collins twins, Randolph and Becca, and their beloved godfather, Harry Wallace, a good friend of their father. Will struggles to adhere to Lillian's order that she stay away from Ariel, only to find herself regretting not following her instructions. And why can't they find any information on Abigail before she arrived in New York?
Spotswood new series oozes charm and atmosphere, with its wonderful offbeat protagonists that immediately caught my interest, their relationship with each other is a joy to observe as they are always there for each other when required. I particularly liked Will, dressing like a man, unafraid of taking on men twice her size, with her sexual attraction to Becca, hardworking and determined, but a woman with her flaws. There are faint echoes of the Sherlock Holmes and John Watson dynamic, but Will is more of her own woman, and with Lillian's MS set to worsen, no doubt Will is going to have to increasingly step up in the future. This is such a promising beginning to the new series, so engaging and entertaining, that I cannot wait for the next in the series! Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
December 4, 2020
AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING DELIGHT I DEVOURED THIS BOOK
March 12, 2025
**'Venturing and Reconstructing historical storylines can be really enjoyable if done correctly or not -- just know that research is also where these stories originates..'
Enjoyable read!
An entertaining, well-paced while at the same time, both suspenseful and gripping book #1 of 'Pentecost and Parker' historical investigative series.
Highly recommended book!
Enjoyable read!
An entertaining, well-paced while at the same time, both suspenseful and gripping book #1 of 'Pentecost and Parker' historical investigative series.
Highly recommended book!
September 20, 2021
" . . . if I'm only going to tell one story, it might as well be the Collins murder. In a lot of ways that was a threshold moment for both of us. It set a lot of dominoes falling and left me with more than a few scars, physical and otherwise." -- investigative assistant Willowjean 'Will' Parker, page 30
The masterstroke of Spotswood's Fortune Favors the Dead is the Americanizing of a standard Agatha Christie-styled murder mystery but injecting it with a certain modern sensibility . . . yet while a good chunk of the book still reads like something that was initially published back in 1945. It's not a 'cozy,' it's not quite retro, but I found it to be simply wonderful. It features a relatable protagonist in Ms. Will Parker, and I cannot wait for her to chronicle her subsequent investigations in future books.
Possibly taking a little inspiration from Rex Stout's 'Nero Wolfe' character in detective literature or even Raymond Burr's 70's TV crime series Ironside - as said title characters, known for their mystery-solving acumen, had motivated young investigators performing the necessary legwork - Fortune Favors the Dead introduces readers to the keen mind of Lillian Pentecost, a New York City-based forty-something private investigator afflicted with a steadily worsening multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Fortunately for Ms. Pentecost she has a chance meeting with the young Willowjean 'Will' Parker, a tenacious 'jill-of-all-trades'-type who worked in a traveling circus. After a brief introductory origin story explaining their very first interaction in 1942 we flash forward three years, as the duo is employed to investigate a recent unsolved murder of a wealthy industrialist's wife during a party.
The murder-mystery involves 'the usual suspects' - family members, business partners, household servants, etc. - and the gradual uncovering of some secrets. Ms. Parker occasionally finds herself in danger, and even becomes smitten with one of the suspects . . . and, refreshingly, that would be the daughter (she and Parker are of similar age) of the murder victim. (There's a bit of culture shock when author Spotswood shows how quietly LGBTQ folks had to conduct themselves during that pre-Stonewall era.) The book doesn't take a wrong step - the story was sound, the dialogue / narration was great, and the detective duo were an intriguing pair. More of their stories, please!
The masterstroke of Spotswood's Fortune Favors the Dead is the Americanizing of a standard Agatha Christie-styled murder mystery but injecting it with a certain modern sensibility . . . yet while a good chunk of the book still reads like something that was initially published back in 1945. It's not a 'cozy,' it's not quite retro, but I found it to be simply wonderful. It features a relatable protagonist in Ms. Will Parker, and I cannot wait for her to chronicle her subsequent investigations in future books.
Possibly taking a little inspiration from Rex Stout's 'Nero Wolfe' character in detective literature or even Raymond Burr's 70's TV crime series Ironside - as said title characters, known for their mystery-solving acumen, had motivated young investigators performing the necessary legwork - Fortune Favors the Dead introduces readers to the keen mind of Lillian Pentecost, a New York City-based forty-something private investigator afflicted with a steadily worsening multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Fortunately for Ms. Pentecost she has a chance meeting with the young Willowjean 'Will' Parker, a tenacious 'jill-of-all-trades'-type who worked in a traveling circus. After a brief introductory origin story explaining their very first interaction in 1942 we flash forward three years, as the duo is employed to investigate a recent unsolved murder of a wealthy industrialist's wife during a party.
The murder-mystery involves 'the usual suspects' - family members, business partners, household servants, etc. - and the gradual uncovering of some secrets. Ms. Parker occasionally finds herself in danger, and even becomes smitten with one of the suspects . . . and, refreshingly, that would be the daughter (she and Parker are of similar age) of the murder victim. (There's a bit of culture shock when author Spotswood shows how quietly LGBTQ folks had to conduct themselves during that pre-Stonewall era.) The book doesn't take a wrong step - the story was sound, the dialogue / narration was great, and the detective duo were an intriguing pair. More of their stories, please!
November 22, 2021
Ok, this book was so good. It's fun and clever and interesting. There are several mysteries and I was kept guessing a lot of the time. I absolutely loved and hated the fact that I was very wrong in several of my guesses lol.
There isn't really a romance so don't go in expecting that. And honestly, I didn't miss it because I was having so much fun with everything else. Highly recommend this for mystery fans!
There isn't really a romance so don't go in expecting that. And honestly, I didn't miss it because I was having so much fun with everything else. Highly recommend this for mystery fans!
February 11, 2022
полюбила цю книжку та її героїнь так сильно як загалом здатна полюбити детективну історію (пошепки: серію, звісно, це буде серія, тут такий потенціал!). надзвичайно приємне видання, переклад, атмосфера, гумор і кілька несподіваних твістів, все як треба.
у Нью-Йорку 1945го року успішно діє тандем двох детективок: досвідченої Ліліан Пентекост (у якої є скляне око і розсіяний склероз) та юної Вілл Паркер, яка до того років зо п'ять гастролювала з мандрівним цирком і набралася всякого-різного. ці дві пані воліють допомагати жінкам (живим і мертвим), що зіткнулися з несправедливістю, а коли за такі розслідування ще й гарно платять, то взагалі чудово. цього разу до них звернулися з розслідуванням смерті жінки з верхівки суспільства, яка була забита скляною кулею для ворожінь у замкнутій зсередини кімнаті.
найбільше у цій книзі мені імпонує як автору вдалося органічно створити так багато різних жінок: розумних жінок, добрих жінок, лихих жінок, загублених жінок, нещасних жінок, дбайливих жінок, сміливих жінок, чуттєвих жінок. вони взаємодіють між собою, вони визначають рух у цьому тексті, вони повні життя!
у цьому ж романі окреслюється постать головної антагоністки, "доктора Моріарті" для наших детективок, гідної суперниці, яка могла б стати їхньою подругою, але в них надто різняться підходи до життя, аби це спрацювало.
так само приємно бачити, що українські видавництва втрачають страх перед виданням квір-текстів, тут є кілька персонажів, зацікавлених не лише у протилежній статі. така тенденція мене тішить, дайбоже, і гейромансів діждемо.
у Нью-Йорку 1945го року успішно діє тандем двох детективок: досвідченої Ліліан Пентекост (у якої є скляне око і розсіяний склероз) та юної Вілл Паркер, яка до того років зо п'ять гастролювала з мандрівним цирком і набралася всякого-різного. ці дві пані воліють допомагати жінкам (живим і мертвим), що зіткнулися з несправедливістю, а коли за такі розслідування ще й гарно платять, то взагалі чудово. цього разу до них звернулися з розслідуванням смерті жінки з верхівки суспільства, яка була забита скляною кулею для ворожінь у замкнутій зсередини кімнаті.
найбільше у цій книзі мені імпонує як автору вдалося органічно створити так багато різних жінок: розумних жінок, добрих жінок, лихих жінок, загублених жінок, нещасних жінок, дбайливих жінок, сміливих жінок, чуттєвих жінок. вони взаємодіють між собою, вони визначають рух у цьому тексті, вони повні життя!
у цьому ж романі окреслюється постать головної антагоністки, "доктора Моріарті" для наших детективок, гідної суперниці, яка могла б стати їхньою подругою, але в них надто різняться підходи до життя, аби це спрацювало.
так само приємно бачити, що українські видавництва втрачають страх перед виданням квір-текстів, тут є кілька персонажів, зацікавлених не лише у протилежній статі. така тенденція мене тішить, дайбоже, і гейромансів діждемо.
February 15, 2022
Уіііі🎉
Чудова нова серія, сподіваюся видавництво не дуже буде гальмувати продовженням, навіть вже є анонс 2 книги наприкінці цієї👌
Чудово все - атмосфера (Америка 40-х ну це просто ах🖤), детективна складова, жіночі сильні персонажі, динамічний сюжет і не просто історія😁
Я у захваті 🔥
Рекомендую від нечитуна, для того, щоб відволіктися від тривог (хоча б на трохи) і просто чудово провести час
Чудова нова серія, сподіваюся видавництво не дуже буде гальмувати продовженням, навіть вже є анонс 2 книги наприкінці цієї👌
Чудово все - атмосфера (Америка 40-х ну це просто ах🖤), детективна складова, жіночі сильні персонажі, динамічний сюжет і не просто історія😁
Я у захваті 🔥
Рекомендую від нечитуна, для того, щоб відволіктися від тривог (хоча б на трохи) і просто чудово провести час
July 29, 2021
A great start to the book, but by a third of the way through it started to drift away from me. It didn’t help that I didn’t particularly like the way the author had ‘Will’ narrating little snippets and anecdotes just slipped into the story. Also the book was set in the 1940s, but you couldn’t really tell this from anything in the story. To be fair the actual investigation was generally OK, although it was fairly boring at times.
However my biggest disappointment was the interaction between Will and Lillian. I was hoping for something far more interesting, perhaps a bit of banter or even just bouncing ideas off each other. Overall I thought it was a waste of two potentially very interesting characters.
However my biggest disappointment was the interaction between Will and Lillian. I was hoping for something far more interesting, perhaps a bit of banter or even just bouncing ideas off each other. Overall I thought it was a waste of two potentially very interesting characters.
January 21, 2021
Publisher summary:
"It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman...."
The first book in the Pentecost and Parker series takes place three years later when a woman is murdered during a party. By then Will and Lillian have a strong working relationship and Will is trained in a variety of skills including lock-picking, shorthand, and self-defense.
I liked the slight twists of tropes and the inclusion of a character with MS (I also didn't realize MS was defined in the 1800s, that's my little side dive into things I was curious about.)
I had a review copy from the publisher through Edelweiss, but I'm still catching up on my 2020 remnants and this actually came out back in October.
"It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman...."
The first book in the Pentecost and Parker series takes place three years later when a woman is murdered during a party. By then Will and Lillian have a strong working relationship and Will is trained in a variety of skills including lock-picking, shorthand, and self-defense.
I liked the slight twists of tropes and the inclusion of a character with MS (I also didn't realize MS was defined in the 1800s, that's my little side dive into things I was curious about.)
I had a review copy from the publisher through Edelweiss, but I'm still catching up on my 2020 remnants and this actually came out back in October.
April 23, 2024
Нуарний детектив, де головні розслідувачки - жінки, є одностатеве кохання і багато, дуже багато загадок. За всіма законами жанру, це прекрасний представник. На жаль, попався мені не в той настрій, тому читала довго і субʼєкти��но поставила б 3. Але блін, такий сюжет і ось ця гьорл павер не заслуговує менше, ніж на 4.
Радію, що такі книги пишуться і перекладаються)
Окремо хочу похвалити українське видання. Найзручніші мʼ��кі обкладинки на ринку, без перебільшень. Книжка розкривається повністю, її не потрібно тримати, вона нормально лежить розкритою і при цьому корінець не надламався. Жорж 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Радію, що такі книги пишуться і перекладаються)
Окремо хочу похвалити українське видання. Найзручніші мʼ��кі обкладинки на ринку, без перебільшень. Книжка розкривається повністю, її не потрібно тримати, вона нормально лежить розкритою і при цьому корінець не надламався. Жорж 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
January 23, 2023
A witty duo, the 1940s with a modern edge, and a whole lotta mystery. If you read anything remotely related to cozy mysteries or dynamic female duos being badasses, you NEED to have this on your radar.
Characters: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
It's the mid-1940s in New York City and Willowjean "Will" Parker is working as night shift muscle for an abandoned construction site. Will's always looking for cash in between circus gigs, and this one pays as well as anything. (And Will knows how to handle herself.)
What Will isn't expecting, however, is to witness Lillian Pentecost in action. Middle-aged, wielding an elegant cane for her multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and dressed in an impeccable tailored suit, Ms. Pentecost is here to catch a killer and completely unbothered by Will's presence.
Will ends up killing said murderer—with a throwing knife to the back—for Ms. Pentecost's sake.
The dynamic duo is born.
Months later, Will and Ms. Pentecost are the best private detectives in the game, with cases spanning from the mundane to the spectacular. And this time, it's a classic locked-room mystery that's piqued their interest. A rich man dies, supposedly by suicide. A year later, his widow dies in a locked room after a disturbing séance.
Are the two deaths connected, and if so, are they murders?
This was so. much. fun. I can't state that enough. For one thing, it's rare to find a cozy mystery series that packs a punch at every single level. Engaging characters? Check. Engaging plot beyond the basics? Check. Authentic bisexual representation? Check. Intricate world-building beyond the murder? Check. Humor for days? Check.
Fortune Favors the Dead had it ALL, folks. I am in love with these characters and their adventures. I hope the author writes many, many more to come. Do yourself a solid and pick this up, I promise you won't regret it.
Blog | Instagram
Characters: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
It's the mid-1940s in New York City and Willowjean "Will" Parker is working as night shift muscle for an abandoned construction site. Will's always looking for cash in between circus gigs, and this one pays as well as anything. (And Will knows how to handle herself.)
What Will isn't expecting, however, is to witness Lillian Pentecost in action. Middle-aged, wielding an elegant cane for her multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and dressed in an impeccable tailored suit, Ms. Pentecost is here to catch a killer and completely unbothered by Will's presence.
Will ends up killing said murderer—with a throwing knife to the back—for Ms. Pentecost's sake.
The dynamic duo is born.
Months later, Will and Ms. Pentecost are the best private detectives in the game, with cases spanning from the mundane to the spectacular. And this time, it's a classic locked-room mystery that's piqued their interest. A rich man dies, supposedly by suicide. A year later, his widow dies in a locked room after a disturbing séance.
Are the two deaths connected, and if so, are they murders?
This was so. much. fun. I can't state that enough. For one thing, it's rare to find a cozy mystery series that packs a punch at every single level. Engaging characters? Check. Engaging plot beyond the basics? Check. Authentic bisexual representation? Check. Intricate world-building beyond the murder? Check. Humor for days? Check.
Fortune Favors the Dead had it ALL, folks. I am in love with these characters and their adventures. I hope the author writes many, many more to come. Do yourself a solid and pick this up, I promise you won't regret it.
Blog | Instagram
April 28, 2023
finally, a murder mystery with a main character who actually has a distinct voice and personality and isn't the most boring person to ever stumble across a corpse
Fortune Favours the Dead is engaging, fun, and has some of the best written characters i have ever seen in this genre
bottom line: we need more gender nonconforming sapphics be detectives
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 24/26
Fortune Favours the Dead is engaging, fun, and has some of the best written characters i have ever seen in this genre
bottom line: we need more gender nonconforming sapphics be detectives
read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨
april reading: 24/26
May 4, 2022
Take the noir detective, place him in post-war New York, and then make him a her. And you'd have only a very shallow understanding of this story because Spotswood imbues these characters with life in a way that both honors, and extends, his noir source.
The structure of this closely resembles Nero Wolfe with Willowjean Parker playing the intrepid Archie. I was engaged with Will from the start, and not just for her embracing her Carnie roots. I love how unabashedly she is herself as a semi-butch bisexual who actively acquires both the hard and soft skills needed to be the support Lillian Pentecost needs in her investigations. (short aside, I just love these names!)
Anyway, the mystery is as solid as it needs to be. And Spotswood follows the noir patterns very well. He also layers in a good bit of feminism and pointed social commentary without being pedantic or moralistic and that's an incredible feat, frankly. I think it works because Will makes for a great barometer, staying true to herself in ways that spotlight injustices and hypocrisies but without going out of the way to do so. It wouldn't have worked if the characterization weren't as strong as it is, I think.
Anyway, I was drawn in from the start and never faltered. It's a strong five stars and I highly recommend it for fans of noir detective stories or anyone interested in the seedier side of 1940s post-war New York.
A note about Chaste: Will isn't a heartbreaker and while there's a bit of dating it doesn't progress to sleep-overs. So there's a great kiss and nothing more. I consider this very chaste.
The structure of this closely resembles Nero Wolfe with Willowjean Parker playing the intrepid Archie. I was engaged with Will from the start, and not just for her embracing her Carnie roots. I love how unabashedly she is herself as a semi-butch bisexual who actively acquires both the hard and soft skills needed to be the support Lillian Pentecost needs in her investigations. (short aside, I just love these names!)
Anyway, the mystery is as solid as it needs to be. And Spotswood follows the noir patterns very well. He also layers in a good bit of feminism and pointed social commentary without being pedantic or moralistic and that's an incredible feat, frankly. I think it works because Will makes for a great barometer, staying true to herself in ways that spotlight injustices and hypocrisies but without going out of the way to do so. It wouldn't have worked if the characterization weren't as strong as it is, I think.
Anyway, I was drawn in from the start and never faltered. It's a strong five stars and I highly recommend it for fans of noir detective stories or anyone interested in the seedier side of 1940s post-war New York.
A note about Chaste: Will isn't a heartbreaker and while there's a bit of dating it doesn't progress to sleep-overs. So there's a great kiss and nothing more. I consider this very chaste.
November 19, 2020
“Fortune Favours the Dead” is a brand new exciting historical crime series from award-winning playwright and journalist Stephen Spotswood. Featuring Ms Lilian Pentecost and Miss WillowJean Parker - New York private detectives set in 1946 New York - these two wonderful characters form a fabulous strong female duo, who are both audacious, spirited and fearless. Narrated by WillowJean (Will), a circus runaway with a catalogue of talents, including knife throwing, wrestling and lock picking, we hear the past events surrounding what looks like an impossible crime but with Lilian and Will on the case, there is no such thing and we are taken on a journey involving seances, murder, family secrets and a wide range of suspects.
Lilian’s health is failing, suffering from MS but thriving even through her bad days, determined to continue her work regardless. Enrolling Will into her business was a very smart move, she’s quick witted, sharp, bold and her sexual interest in women made the story modern and up to date. Her love of American dime store crime novels really completed the picture of her and her witty voice throughout the story made for a interesting and engaging read. The agency mostly deals with private investigations but matriarch Lilian also has an ‘open house’ policy on a Saturday, where for those who can’t afford help, go to her for advice and support, while Will offers self defence classes to to women.
Although the crux of the crime was a little confusing at times due to the number of possible suspects and long buried secrets, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this intriguing debut in a promising new series and thought the whole creation of Will’s queer character brilliant. There’s a very helpful cast of characters at the start of the novel, which explains who they are and their involvement in the story, to help aid any confusion.
The author’s evident inspiration for the novel is based on his love of classic detective stories, Holmes and Christie being his go to reads of his youth. His fascination with mid-century hardboiled American detective stories is what gave him the imagination and courage to introduce a series that looks into the corners of American culture that is so often forgotten.
A unique, highly entertaining and fun read which kept me utterly engaged and I would welcome any further books in the Pentecost/Parker series with open arms.
5 stars
Lilian’s health is failing, suffering from MS but thriving even through her bad days, determined to continue her work regardless. Enrolling Will into her business was a very smart move, she’s quick witted, sharp, bold and her sexual interest in women made the story modern and up to date. Her love of American dime store crime novels really completed the picture of her and her witty voice throughout the story made for a interesting and engaging read. The agency mostly deals with private investigations but matriarch Lilian also has an ‘open house’ policy on a Saturday, where for those who can’t afford help, go to her for advice and support, while Will offers self defence classes to to women.
Although the crux of the crime was a little confusing at times due to the number of possible suspects and long buried secrets, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this intriguing debut in a promising new series and thought the whole creation of Will’s queer character brilliant. There’s a very helpful cast of characters at the start of the novel, which explains who they are and their involvement in the story, to help aid any confusion.
The author’s evident inspiration for the novel is based on his love of classic detective stories, Holmes and Christie being his go to reads of his youth. His fascination with mid-century hardboiled American detective stories is what gave him the imagination and courage to introduce a series that looks into the corners of American culture that is so often forgotten.
A unique, highly entertaining and fun read which kept me utterly engaged and I would welcome any further books in the Pentecost/Parker series with open arms.
5 stars
January 6, 2023
I hope that this first book of 2023 will be indicative of what my New Reading Year will be like. It has glorious cover art which gives the reader an excellent preview of what they will be getting. Set in the 1940s, the main characters are both women: Ms. Pentecost is a private investigator who also incidentally has multiple sclerosis. Will (Willowjean) Parker is a much younger woman, who left home at 15 and quite literally joined the circus. Pentecost is a Sherlockian genius and Parker is the streetwise protégé. They make a great team.
Will is the narrator. She is an enthusiastic fan of detective literature and tells the tale in a very noir voice. There are certainly plenty of dames in the course of the novel! There is a convoluted family mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie. Mind you, in Christie's time there wouldn't have been the plethora of queer characters as Spotswood provides.
I picked this book up because it was the December choice of the mystery book club sponsored by my local bookstore. I couldn't get it from the library in time for the December meeting, but I intend to start attending these meetings in February. If this book is any indication, they choose excellent mysteries and I look forward to discussing them with other mystery enthusiasts.
Will is the narrator. She is an enthusiastic fan of detective literature and tells the tale in a very noir voice. There are certainly plenty of dames in the course of the novel! There is a convoluted family mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie. Mind you, in Christie's time there wouldn't have been the plethora of queer characters as Spotswood provides.
I picked this book up because it was the December choice of the mystery book club sponsored by my local bookstore. I couldn't get it from the library in time for the December meeting, but I intend to start attending these meetings in February. If this book is any indication, they choose excellent mysteries and I look forward to discussing them with other mystery enthusiasts.
February 15, 2022
"Удача любить мертвих" — детектив майже класичного взірця, який не раз нагадав мені Аґату Крісті (вбивство у замкненій зсередини кімнаті! заплутані сімейні стосунки! загравання з спіритуалізмом! тут навіть театральна викривальна промова наприкінці є). Особливістю цієї книжки є те, що обидві детективки тут жінки, як і багато інших основних персонажів.
Нашою оповідачкою є молода жінка Вілловджин (Вілл) Паркер. 15-літньою вона втекла з дому від батька-пияка і приєдналася до мандрівного цирку, де почергово побувала помічницею в геть усіх артистів. Вілл — дівчина здібна, тож цирковий досвід навчив її не лише тигряче лайно вигрібати, але й справно метати ножі і майстерно користуватися відмичками. Волею випадку, підпрацьовуючи в Нью-Йорку як нічний сторож на будові, вона рятує життя відомій детективці Лілліан Пентекост. На місіс Пентекост справили враження небуденні навички Вілл, тож вона запрошує її до себе на роботу, де починає готувати її собі на заміну.
Стосунки між Пентекост і Паркер досить незвичні: вони не лише напарниці, але й подруги і надбана сім'я одна для одної (не в романтичному плані, якшо-шо). На момент знайомства з Вілл Лілліан 45 років, а під час розслідування справи, якій присвячена левова частина цієї книжки, їй уже під 50, до того ж вона має дегенеративне захворювання (і скляне око), тож їй складно багато ходити, а бувають дні, коли вона майже не встає з ліжка, тому молода Вілл стає "ногами" їхнього агентства.
Примітно й те, що книжка несе виразний гуманістичний посил: зробивши собі ім'я, Пентекост бере за свої послуги з багатіїв кругленькі суми, що дає їй можливість безкоштовно допомагати тим, хто не може заплатити: щосуботи до неї приходять жінки з найбідніших, найчастіше це жертви сімейного насильства, які не знають, як їм вибратися зі скрутного становища, в якому вони опинилися. Вілл і Лілліан, допомагаючи їм, викладаються чи не більше, ніж на їхні оплачувані справи. Цим книжечка мені нагадала гарний австралійський серіальчик про леді-детективку Фрайоні Фішер: це теж така жанрова-жанрова річ, але поміж справами там регулярно проступають соціальні проблеми, з якими стикалися жінки у відповідний період (чимало з них актуальні і досі).
Тепер трошки про те, що мені хотілося б в книжці змінити. Найперше, я хотіла б, щоб тут було більше Лілліан. Серія називається "Пентекост і Паркер", тож я сподівалася, що вони обоє будуть присутні в тексті приблизно однаково, але ми проводимо набагато більше часу з самою Вілл (вона симпатична персонажка і я не маю нічого проти неї, мені йдеться лише про баланс). Також я хотіла б прочитати більше про початок їхньої співпраці, бо автор, коротко описавши історію їхнього знайомства, одразу занурює нас у справу, яку вони розслідують на п'ять років пізніше. У перекладі є незвична особливіть: я помітила, що перекладачка часто залишає ідіоми, як вони є, просто перекладаючи дослівно, при чому вона явно їх розпізнає, бо до деяких з них навіть є відповідні примітки (яскравий приклад "як тридоларова купюра", до чого додається примітка "евфемізм на позначення гомосексуаліста", мене це зачепило аж з двох причин: по-перше, я б такий вираз адаптувала так, щоб він був зрозумілий читачам, які не чули цієї ідіоми без додаткових пояснень, по-друге, те, що в примітці використали застарілу форму "гомосексуаліст", а варто було б гомосексуал за аналогією до бісексуал, пансексуал, асексуал і т.д., до того ж queer не обов'язково позначає саме гомосексуалів).
Перепрошую за це занудствування, переклад я не назвала б поганим, навпаки — він тішить численними фемінітивами і книжка читається дуже легко, а саме видання — якісний пейпербек — приємне і стильне.
Нашою оповідачкою є молода жінка Вілловджин (Вілл) Паркер. 15-літньою вона втекла з дому від батька-пияка і приєдналася до мандрівного цирку, де почергово побувала помічницею в геть усіх артистів. Вілл — дівчина здібна, тож цирковий досвід навчив її не лише тигряче лайно вигрібати, але й справно метати ножі і майстерно користуватися відмичками. Волею випадку, підпрацьовуючи в Нью-Йорку як нічний сторож на будові, вона рятує життя відомій детективці Лілліан Пентекост. На місіс Пентекост справили враження небуденні навички Вілл, тож вона запрошує її до себе на роботу, де починає готувати її собі на заміну.
Стосунки між Пентекост і Паркер досить незвичні: вони не лише напарниці, але й подруги і надбана сім'я одна для одної (не в романтичному плані, якшо-шо). На момент знайомства з Вілл Лілліан 45 років, а під час розслідування справи, якій присвячена левова частина цієї книжки, їй уже під 50, до того ж вона має дегенеративне захворювання (і скляне око), тож їй складно багато ходити, а бувають дні, коли вона майже не встає з ліжка, тому молода Вілл стає "ногами" їхнього агентства.
Примітно й те, що книжка несе виразний гуманістичний посил: зробивши собі ім'я, Пентекост бере за свої послуги з багатіїв кругленькі суми, що дає їй можливість безкоштовно допомагати тим, хто не може заплатити: щосуботи до неї приходять жінки з найбідніших, найчастіше це жертви сімейного насильства, які не знають, як їм вибратися зі скрутного становища, в якому вони опинилися. Вілл і Лілліан, допомагаючи їм, викладаються чи не більше, ніж на їхні оплачувані справи. Цим книжечка мені нагадала гарний австралійський серіальчик про леді-детективку Фрайоні Фішер: це теж така жанрова-жанрова річ, але поміж справами там регулярно проступають соціальні проблеми, з якими стикалися жінки у відповідний період (чимало з них актуальні і досі).
Тепер трошки про те, що мені хотілося б в книжці змінити. Найперше, я хотіла б, щоб тут було більше Лілліан. Серія називається "Пентекост і Паркер", тож я сподівалася, що вони обоє будуть присутні в тексті приблизно однаково, але ми проводимо набагато більше часу з самою Вілл (вона симпатична персонажка і я не маю нічого проти неї, мені йдеться лише про баланс). Також я хотіла б прочитати більше про початок їхньої співпраці, бо автор, коротко описавши історію їхнього знайомства, одразу занурює нас у справу, яку вони розслідують на п'ять років пізніше. У перекладі є незвична особливіть: я помітила, що перекладачка часто залишає ідіоми, як вони є, просто перекладаючи дослівно, при чому вона явно їх розпізнає, бо до деяких з них навіть є відповідні примітки (яскравий приклад "як тридоларова купюра", до чого додається примітка "евфемізм на позначення гомосексуаліста", мене це зачепило аж з двох причин: по-перше, я б такий вираз адаптувала так, щоб він був зрозумілий читачам, які не чули цієї ідіоми без додаткових пояснень, по-друге, те, що в примітці використали застарілу форму "гомосексуаліст", а варто було б гомосексуал за аналогією до бісексуал, пансексуал, асексуал і т.д., до того ж queer не обов'язково позначає саме гомосексуалів).
Перепрошую за це занудствування, переклад я не назвала б поганим, навпаки — він тішить численними фемінітивами і книжка читається дуже легко, а саме видання — якісний пейпербек — приємне і стильне.
October 15, 2020
This is the first in a proposed new mystery series that defines further genre identification. It has a strong female protagonist, and indeed some issues regarding equality for women running through it. It is also written in the hard-boiled style in terms of some of its sentence structure combined with some of the action that would find itself at home in many hardboiled novels. On the other hand, it has little violence and no typical “gun moll” or distressed female beauty seeking the help of a down on his luck but strong masculine detective.
Rather, the head of this detective agency is the very competent, very successful, Lillian Pentecost. While she is the head of the agency, the book is narrated by Willojean Parker, a young woman who has been brought up in the circus and who has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime; namely to work and apprentice with Pentecost, one of the premier investigators of the period. Pentecost needs Parker as she has MS which is slowly progressing and robbing her of some of her physical strength and ability. Together they create a formidable team with Pentecost teaching Parker the ins and outs of detective work, and Parker using the survival skills she learned growing up in a traveling carnival to enhance her skills in this new to her world.
The atmosphere of the book is skillfully drawn so the reader gets an in-depth flavor of the time period without feeling as if they are reading a history book. There is some humor here, enough to lighten the book and help move it along without being over-the-top. There are also just enough hints of violence to remind the reader that detective work can be dangerous while the book remains largely gore free. The reader can supply as much or as little with their own imagination when action becomes paramount.
The primary mystery is well crafted with all the clues laid out for the reader if they put them together in the right order. The solution is logical and satisfying without being tied up in one neat, shiny package. There are also minor mysteries that reach logical conclusions, at least one of which the reader may be unaware of having been a mystery. The result is a delightfully complex book with well-written characters that will leave most readers hoping this is, indeed, the beginning of a new series.
This is a book I could recommend to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted and well-paced mystery. My thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. The book is scheduled to be published on October 27, 2020; so you’ve got just enough time to order a copy from your local bookseller or get on the waiting list at your library.
Rather, the head of this detective agency is the very competent, very successful, Lillian Pentecost. While she is the head of the agency, the book is narrated by Willojean Parker, a young woman who has been brought up in the circus and who has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime; namely to work and apprentice with Pentecost, one of the premier investigators of the period. Pentecost needs Parker as she has MS which is slowly progressing and robbing her of some of her physical strength and ability. Together they create a formidable team with Pentecost teaching Parker the ins and outs of detective work, and Parker using the survival skills she learned growing up in a traveling carnival to enhance her skills in this new to her world.
The atmosphere of the book is skillfully drawn so the reader gets an in-depth flavor of the time period without feeling as if they are reading a history book. There is some humor here, enough to lighten the book and help move it along without being over-the-top. There are also just enough hints of violence to remind the reader that detective work can be dangerous while the book remains largely gore free. The reader can supply as much or as little with their own imagination when action becomes paramount.
The primary mystery is well crafted with all the clues laid out for the reader if they put them together in the right order. The solution is logical and satisfying without being tied up in one neat, shiny package. There are also minor mysteries that reach logical conclusions, at least one of which the reader may be unaware of having been a mystery. The result is a delightfully complex book with well-written characters that will leave most readers hoping this is, indeed, the beginning of a new series.
This is a book I could recommend to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted and well-paced mystery. My thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. The book is scheduled to be published on October 27, 2020; so you’ve got just enough time to order a copy from your local bookseller or get on the waiting list at your library.
February 2, 2024
this series is so underread, it's a crime worthy of pentecost and parker investigations.
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Will (mc) is sapphic; Lillian (sc/mc) has multiple sclerosis and uses a cane; sapphic and achillean scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Will (mc) is sapphic; Lillian (sc/mc) has multiple sclerosis and uses a cane; sapphic and achillean scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
August 15, 2022
I loved this set-in-1942 murder mystery about a young bi woman working for a circus who ends up as the assistant to the country's most famous female private investigator.
This first book in the series has plenty of intrigue and danger, a beautiful heiress, disability rep, a spirit medium... I usually don't read the sequel to a series starter right away because I like to give it time to settle, but I only lasted a couple of weeks and the next one was on my Kindle.
CW: The past details of the case include a suicide.
This first book in the series has plenty of intrigue and danger, a beautiful heiress, disability rep, a spirit medium... I usually don't read the sequel to a series starter right away because I like to give it time to settle, but I only lasted a couple of weeks and the next one was on my Kindle.
CW: The past details of the case include a suicide.
March 1, 2021
3,5 / 5 ⭐
February 24, 2023
i loved this! haven't read a whole lot of crime/detective books but im excited for the next
November 12, 2020
Fortune Favours the Dead is the first instalment in the Pentecost and Parker Murder Mystery series, featuring Private Investigator Lillian Pentecost, who runs her own detective agency, alongside her assistant, intelligent and cultured Willowjean ”Will” Parker. It's 1942 and Will is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation.
Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home--her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed. But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins--the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.
This is a charming and utterly captivating historical murder mystery, set against the atmospheric backdrop of 1940s New York City. Lillian and Will are characters that are exquisitely wrought and who both have distinct personalities. I loved that they were instantly likeable and the dynamic they have together really worked. They're quirky, relatable, strong women, who don't shy away from backing themselves and each other in a sector dominated by men. I feel as though they very much came alive on the page they were so carefully and intricately built. The murder mystery aspect is superbly plotted, well written and chugs along at a decent pace while also allowing Spotswood the time necessary for series opener exposition. A compulsive, fun and entertaining read and one of the finest series starters I have read in a while. Sublime. Many thanks to Wildfire for an ARC.
Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home--her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed. But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins--the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.
This is a charming and utterly captivating historical murder mystery, set against the atmospheric backdrop of 1940s New York City. Lillian and Will are characters that are exquisitely wrought and who both have distinct personalities. I loved that they were instantly likeable and the dynamic they have together really worked. They're quirky, relatable, strong women, who don't shy away from backing themselves and each other in a sector dominated by men. I feel as though they very much came alive on the page they were so carefully and intricately built. The murder mystery aspect is superbly plotted, well written and chugs along at a decent pace while also allowing Spotswood the time necessary for series opener exposition. A compulsive, fun and entertaining read and one of the finest series starters I have read in a while. Sublime. Many thanks to Wildfire for an ARC.
February 16, 2021
Χωρίς αμφιβολία, μιας από τις πιο ευχάριστες και απολαυστικές ιστορίες μυστηρίου που διάβασα τον τελευταίο καιρό. Εντάξει, όποιος έχει διαβάσει με το κιλό κλασικά μυθιστορήματα μυστηρίου αλλά και νουάρ με ιδιωτικούς ντετέκτιβ (όπως η αφεντιά μου), ίσως και να μην εκπλαγεί και τόσο πολύ από το μυστήριο και τις διάφορες αποκαλύψεις, πάντως νομίζω ότι ο συγγραφέας έκανε ικανοποιητικότατη δουλειά με την πλοκή, προσφέροντας και μια ενδιαφέρουσα έκπληξη στο τέλος. Ωστόσο, νομίζω ότι βασικό προτέρημα του βιβλίου είναι η αφήγηση σε πρώτο πρόσωπο, καθώς επίσης και η εξαιρετική ατμόσφαιρα της δεκαετίας του '40. Η νεαρή αφηγήτρια, ονόματι Γουίλοουτζιν Πάρκερ, είναι αρκούντως συμπαθητική και ενδιαφέρουσα, αλλά και παντελώς ξεχωριστή, με τις παραξενιές της και τα κάμποσα ταλέντα της, προσωπικά τη συμπάθησα όσο δεν πάει, ενώ και οι υπόλοιποι χαρακτήρες λίγο έως πολύ είναι ικανοποιητικά δουλεμένοι. Ο Στίβεν Σπότσγουντ γράφει μια σύγχρονη εκδοχή του κλασικού αστυνομικού νουάρ, χρησιμοποιώντας όλα τα καλούδια που συναντάει κανείς σε μυθιστορήματα του είδους παλαιότερων δεκαετιών (σίγουρα ο συγγραφέας έχει διαβάσει Ερλ Στάνλεϊ Γκάρντνερ, Ρεξ Στάουτ, Ρέιμοντ Τσάντλερ κλπ), όμως με ορισμένες χτυπητές διαφορές σε σχέση με εκείνα τα μυθιστορήματα, όπως είναι το πρωταγωνιστικό δίδυμο (δεν θα το έλεγες και τόσο συνηθισμένο) ή κάποια θέματα που αγγίζει με έμμεσο ή και άμεσο τρόπο. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα παρακολουθώ την πορεία του συγγραφέα (και ελπίζω το ίδιο να κάνουν και οι εκδόσεις Bell), μιας και φαίνεται ότι αυτό το βιβλίο αποτελεί την αρχή για μια νέα σειρά, με πρωταγωνίστριες τις Λίλιαν Πέντεκοστ και Γουίλοουτζιν Πάρκερ.
January 8, 2023
3.5 - A bisexual former circus worker becomes the sidekick to the most famous woman private detective of the 1940s. I really enjoyed Willowjean “Will” Parker and the detective Lilian Pentecost. They both were fleshed out characters and the ways they worked together to solve cases and help women in their neighborhood were interesting to read about.
In the beginning I wasn't all that gripped by the main mystery plot Will and Lillian are hired to solve. It definitely does get more interesting as the book goes on, but it took a while for me to become fully invested. I think the strength of the book is the characters and their working dynamic. It’s interesting to see Will as a bisexual woman in this time period. Also, Lillian has MS and it’s cool to have disability representation from a hero in the detective/noir genre as opposed to the villain.
I’m definitely planning on reading the next book in the series. I think if the actual mystery plot is more exciting then I’ll probably end up enjoying it way more than the first installment.
In the beginning I wasn't all that gripped by the main mystery plot Will and Lillian are hired to solve. It definitely does get more interesting as the book goes on, but it took a while for me to become fully invested. I think the strength of the book is the characters and their working dynamic. It’s interesting to see Will as a bisexual woman in this time period. Also, Lillian has MS and it’s cool to have disability representation from a hero in the detective/noir genre as opposed to the villain.
I’m definitely planning on reading the next book in the series. I think if the actual mystery plot is more exciting then I’ll probably end up enjoying it way more than the first installment.
May 19, 2023
A re-invented version of the Rex Stout books, set in 1940's NYC with female replacements for Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Brilliant detective Lillian Pentecost is not morbidly obese, but she does suffer from MS and is aware that over time her physical limitations will interfere with her ability to solve the crimes that interest her. Enter Willowjean (Will) Parker, a runaway who joined the circus, where she developed an assortment of talents that dovetail nicely with Ms. Pentecost's needs for an assistant. They live in a brownstone in Brooklyn, without an orchid nursery, but with a live-in cook and a respect/hate relationship with a homicide detective.
The story is told through Will's POV; happily for us, she can hold her own with Archie Goodwin when it comes to wisecracking and can match his knowledge of NYC's nightlife. She, and Ms. Pentecost, have a 21st century sensibility, and perhaps a bit more depth, than the originals, but IMO the entertainment value and the overall fast-paced feel matches those. So far there are 4 books in this series and I think I'll dole them out to myself at times when I'm craving distractions.
The story is told through Will's POV; happily for us, she can hold her own with Archie Goodwin when it comes to wisecracking and can match his knowledge of NYC's nightlife. She, and Ms. Pentecost, have a 21st century sensibility, and perhaps a bit more depth, than the originals, but IMO the entertainment value and the overall fast-paced feel matches those. So far there are 4 books in this series and I think I'll dole them out to myself at times when I'm craving distractions.
February 6, 2022
3,5*
Toks visai pusė velnio Retro detektyvas su LGBT prieskoniu.
Toks visai pusė velnio Retro detektyvas su LGBT prieskoniu.
April 30, 2021
«Los muertos desempeñan un papel fundamental en todas las culturas civilizadas, desde las tribus del Amazonas hasta los desiertos de Arabia, pasando por Nueva York. Los veneramos. Hablamos de ellos. Les pedimos consejos. Están presentes en todos los actos de nuestra vida, tanto si somos conscientes de ello como si no. En muchos sentidos, los muertos nos gobiernan»
¡¡Ha sido una de las lecturas que más he disfrutado en lo que va de año!!
📍Nueva York de los años 40, dos protagonistas peculiares: una famosa detective y una trabajadora de circo que se encuentran ¿por casualidad? «La primera vez que vi a Lillian Pentecost, estuve a punto de hundirle el cráneo con una tubería de plomo».
Will es la perfecta narradora de la historia, haciéndolo ligero -muy ligero- y lleno de ironía, hasta incluso habla con el lector (estos aspectos en novelas detectivescas son como un soplo de aire fresco). Pentecost es inteligente, una buena maestra del arte de la investigación (y amiga) para su ayudante, lo que le da ese punto de estabilidad a todo lo demás.
• En este caso, nos centramos en la muerte de Abigail Collins, la viuda de uno de los magnates de la ciudad que ha amasado una fortuna gracias a la venta de armamento.
Una investigación de asesinato en el que se mezcla espiritualismo, videntes, sospechosos -pero que muy sospechosos- gente con dinero, negocios turbios…
✨Si me sacas una novela por cada aventura de Lillian y de Will te las compro todas. ✨
¡¡Ha sido una de las lecturas que más he disfrutado en lo que va de año!!
📍Nueva York de los años 40, dos protagonistas peculiares: una famosa detective y una trabajadora de circo que se encuentran ¿por casualidad? «La primera vez que vi a Lillian Pentecost, estuve a punto de hundirle el cráneo con una tubería de plomo».
Will es la perfecta narradora de la historia, haciéndolo ligero -muy ligero- y lleno de ironía, hasta incluso habla con el lector (estos aspectos en novelas detectivescas son como un soplo de aire fresco). Pentecost es inteligente, una buena maestra del arte de la investigación (y amiga) para su ayudante, lo que le da ese punto de estabilidad a todo lo demás.
• En este caso, nos centramos en la muerte de Abigail Collins, la viuda de uno de los magnates de la ciudad que ha amasado una fortuna gracias a la venta de armamento.
Una investigación de asesinato en el que se mezcla espiritualismo, videntes, sospechosos -pero que muy sospechosos- gente con dinero, negocios turbios…
✨Si me sacas una novela por cada aventura de Lillian y de Will te las compro todas. ✨
February 25, 2022
New York 1942 - Mord & Wahrsagen
Nach einer Seance an Halloween wird die Gastgeberin tot in einem von innen verschlossenen Raum aufgefunden. Erschlagen wurde sie von der Kristallkugel, die bei der Seance benutzt worden war und die Fenster des Raums waren vergittert - Wer hat die Frau getöten und warum? Die Leute munkeln der Geist ihres verstorbenen Mannes habe sie getötet, aber wer will schon an Geister glauben, wenn er die Abgründe der Menschen kennt.
So ermitteln Pentecost & Parker und begeben sich damit in Gefahr.
Der Krimi hat mir gut gefallen, ich bin allerdings kein Leser, der miträtselt. Natürlich hat man immer mal einen Verdacht, aber ich begebe mich nicht auf Spurensuche und kann daher nicht sagen wie gut er sich eignet, wenn man wirklich mitdenkt. Für mich war es eimfach sehr gute Unterhaltung. Ich mochte die handelnden Personen, den Fall und das Setting.
Für wen ist dieses Buch etwas?
Natürlich für Leser, die historische Krimis mögen. Besonders hervorzuheben sei, dass die eine Ermittlerin an Multiple Sklerose erkrankt ist und die andere zur LGBTQ+ Gemeinschaft gehört, was heute schon nicht leicht ist, aber in 40ern alles andere als gern gesehen war.
Mir hat dieser Auftaktband sehr gut gefallen und daher 5 Sterne.
- Dieses Buch wurde mir als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt -
Nach einer Seance an Halloween wird die Gastgeberin tot in einem von innen verschlossenen Raum aufgefunden. Erschlagen wurde sie von der Kristallkugel, die bei der Seance benutzt worden war und die Fenster des Raums waren vergittert - Wer hat die Frau getöten und warum? Die Leute munkeln der Geist ihres verstorbenen Mannes habe sie getötet, aber wer will schon an Geister glauben, wenn er die Abgründe der Menschen kennt.
So ermitteln Pentecost & Parker und begeben sich damit in Gefahr.
Der Krimi hat mir gut gefallen, ich bin allerdings kein Leser, der miträtselt. Natürlich hat man immer mal einen Verdacht, aber ich begebe mich nicht auf Spurensuche und kann daher nicht sagen wie gut er sich eignet, wenn man wirklich mitdenkt. Für mich war es eimfach sehr gute Unterhaltung. Ich mochte die handelnden Personen, den Fall und das Setting.
Für wen ist dieses Buch etwas?
Natürlich für Leser, die historische Krimis mögen. Besonders hervorzuheben sei, dass die eine Ermittlerin an Multiple Sklerose erkrankt ist und die andere zur LGBTQ+ Gemeinschaft gehört, was heute schon nicht leicht ist, aber in 40ern alles andere als gern gesehen war.
Mir hat dieser Auftaktband sehr gut gefallen und daher 5 Sterne.
- Dieses Buch wurde mir als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt -
April 7, 2022
Really enjoyed this- a bit different from the usual historical mysteries I read.
January 3, 2023
Непогано, непогано. Таке легеньке, з присмаком нуару, щоб відволіктись на пару вечорів.
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