What do you think?
Rate this book
Pentecost and Parker #3
Secrets Typed in Blood
In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Parker & Pentecost Mystery series, Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction.
New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost.
The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse.
But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?
With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.
New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost.
The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse.
But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?
With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2022
272 people are currently reading
2392 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Spotswood
9 books629 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
January 31, 2024
Ahh, I think I messed up when I decided my next audiobook would be a mystery! My problem is that mysteries generally demand the reader’s attention in a way that I’m incapable of giving in audio format. This is especially true for the Pentecost and Parker series, where each installment is so rich in detail and continuity that I felt a little out of my depth in a way that I wouldn’t if I had been reading a physical copy. I have a hard time sitting still and just straight up listening to something. It’s funny because sometimes I’d be eating and wouldn’t catch hints because I couldn’t hear the narrator or sometimes my mind would simply wander for a couple seconds and miss crucial details! Nonetheless, this was still an absolutely wonderful experience and this series remains smart and stylish with an abundance of personality. You know how there’s, like, this genre of dude who make the show Peaky Blinders their entire personality? Yeah well, I’m probably going be that guy… only with the Pentecost and Parker book series. Get ready! There’s probably a thousand reasons why these books in particular click with me; it’s an exhilarating tale full of action and intrigue, a historical-fiction that highlights the forgotten voices of history, but most of all… Will is just really cool. It’s not just because she’s so damn unapologetically bisexual (though that’s a pretty big part of it), but also because she’s a rebel just for kicks. Her flippant attitude actually made me laugh out loud several times while listening along. And this especially stood out to me because I’m not really someone who laughs at books, even the purposefully humorous ones. This one's got layers, for sure. Anyway, it doesn’t matter one-bit what format I read these books in, Will will (ha ha) always be the main drawing factor for me. And that cliffhanger!? Damn… I’m glad I waited for this because now I can just dive right into the next one. Can’t wait!
Wouldn't it be better not to be so polite / You could offer a light (Take Five – Dave Brubeck & Carmen McRae)
Wouldn't it be better not to be so polite / You could offer a light (Take Five – Dave Brubeck & Carmen McRae)
January 15, 2025
YUPPPPP YUPPP this is what I’m freaking talking aboutttttttt !!!!! Historical fiction lesbian sleuthing; victim centered detective work; 1940s silliness and secretarial drag; comic-book esque characters; a delight!
Maybe as good as the first book
Maybe as good as the first book
March 26, 2023
4.5 stars
This historical mystery series is criminally underrated—I LOVE it, and I want everyone to read it. b>Queer rep, 1940s noir with a modern edge, witty as hell, and so much fun you can’t stop reading/listening/laughing. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Characters: ★★★★★
Audiobook experience: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
This is the third installment in the Pentecost and Parker mystery series. While they each can be read as standalones, the first two books are great too and I recommend starting there. My reviews of Fortune Favors the Dead (#1) and Murder Under Her Skin (#2) are available if you're interested!
Pentecost and Parker are back! And there's a new series of murders in town....
Willowjean 'Will' Parker and her boss, Ms. Lillian Pentecost, are a private detective duo operating in 1940s New York City as two women with a reputation for solving New York's most troubling and unsolved cases. They're a unique crime-fighting duo for the 1940s—two single women, one older with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis and one in her 20s with a passion for crime and for love affairs with both men and women—and their passion for helping women, people of color, and those in special circumstances has given them a boatload of cases and a sensational relationship with the press.
In Secrets Typed in Blood, the case for Pentecost and Parker starts with a high body count and a ticking clock. There's a copycat murder on the loose, killing New Yorkers in a sensational way and ripping their crimes from the fictional stories of one particular crime writer.
Holly Quick pens crime stories for a local paper under many pseudonyms. When she notices a disturbing link between her fictional murders and some real-life headlines, she calls up Pentecost and Parker. Her one stipulation? No police.
Will and Ms. Pentecost are very aware that Holly's hiding secrets of her own, but the mystery of the copycat killer is too enthralling to pass up. They take the case.
Y'all! My neighbors could hear my scream of happiness when this latest book appeared on my doorstep. This series—and in particular, these characters—have my heart and I've been an advocate for them since my first read last year.
The perfect hybrid between cozy mystery and noir, Pentecost and Parker fulfill an interesting niche in the detective story scene. They're historical and filled with banter, but they're not your grandmother's predictable tea shop cozy. They're intricately plotted and their murders are ghastly, but it's not the grim never-ending darkness of today's modern detective mystery/thriller.
There's something about this series that hits all of my buttons.
This particular installment was nicely paced and a fresh mystery for the iconic duo to solve. I liked the interplay between the copycat murderer and the social mystery behind Holly Quick's backstory.
I also liked that the slow-burn unsolved mystery that emerged in the early books continued in the background of this one—similar to Sherlock with Moriarty, Pentecost and Parker have a "big bad" that they're chasing behind the scenes of their current drama. I'm excited to see that play out in future books.
Don't sleep on this story—pick it up! And for my listening friends, I can't recommend the audiobook highly enough, it's fabulous.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
This historical mystery series is criminally underrated—I LOVE it, and I want everyone to read it. b>Queer rep, 1940s noir with a modern edge, witty as hell, and so much fun you can’t stop reading/listening/laughing. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Characters: ★★★★★
Audiobook experience: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
This is the third installment in the Pentecost and Parker mystery series. While they each can be read as standalones, the first two books are great too and I recommend starting there. My reviews of Fortune Favors the Dead (#1) and Murder Under Her Skin (#2) are available if you're interested!
Pentecost and Parker are back! And there's a new series of murders in town....
Willowjean 'Will' Parker and her boss, Ms. Lillian Pentecost, are a private detective duo operating in 1940s New York City as two women with a reputation for solving New York's most troubling and unsolved cases. They're a unique crime-fighting duo for the 1940s—two single women, one older with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis and one in her 20s with a passion for crime and for love affairs with both men and women—and their passion for helping women, people of color, and those in special circumstances has given them a boatload of cases and a sensational relationship with the press.
In Secrets Typed in Blood, the case for Pentecost and Parker starts with a high body count and a ticking clock. There's a copycat murder on the loose, killing New Yorkers in a sensational way and ripping their crimes from the fictional stories of one particular crime writer.
Holly Quick pens crime stories for a local paper under many pseudonyms. When she notices a disturbing link between her fictional murders and some real-life headlines, she calls up Pentecost and Parker. Her one stipulation? No police.
Will and Ms. Pentecost are very aware that Holly's hiding secrets of her own, but the mystery of the copycat killer is too enthralling to pass up. They take the case.
Y'all! My neighbors could hear my scream of happiness when this latest book appeared on my doorstep. This series—and in particular, these characters—have my heart and I've been an advocate for them since my first read last year.
The perfect hybrid between cozy mystery and noir, Pentecost and Parker fulfill an interesting niche in the detective story scene. They're historical and filled with banter, but they're not your grandmother's predictable tea shop cozy. They're intricately plotted and their murders are ghastly, but it's not the grim never-ending darkness of today's modern detective mystery/thriller.
There's something about this series that hits all of my buttons.
This particular installment was nicely paced and a fresh mystery for the iconic duo to solve. I liked the interplay between the copycat murderer and the social mystery behind Holly Quick's backstory.
I also liked that the slow-burn unsolved mystery that emerged in the early books continued in the background of this one—similar to Sherlock with Moriarty, Pentecost and Parker have a "big bad" that they're chasing behind the scenes of their current drama. I'm excited to see that play out in future books.
Don't sleep on this story—pick it up! And for my listening friends, I can't recommend the audiobook highly enough, it's fabulous.
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
March 4, 2023
"I just rousted you out of bed to go off chasing a man who might be responsible for brutally murdering four people. Soooooo . . . your landlady's right. I am definitely trouble." -- the feisty and determined Willojean 'Will' Parker of Pentecost & Parker Investigations, on page 288
Hot damn, how I just adore this mystery series! Secrets Typed in Blood is the third and most recent of the throwback Pentecost & Parker books - featuring an urbane / respected but ailing New York City private investigator and her sharply streetwise young protege who performs the necessary and often dangerous legwork - and takes place on the heels of the previous volume in early 1947. (I loved Ms. Parker's mention of having tickets to opening day at Ebbets Field . . . to catch the Dodger debut of a man named Jackie Robinson. Yes!!!) After an absolutely perfect first chapter - a tight standalone suspense / action piece involving a kidnapping case that is mostly independent of the subsequent storyline, much like those pre-title sequences in the James Bond movies starring Roger Moore - the main plot quickly gets down to business with our title ladies assisting a prolific pulp crime writer who believes an unidentified murderer is copycatting scenarios from her fictional stories and will soon be targeting her as well. As with the previous two books author Spotswood knows how to deftly handle an ensemble cast (a detailed character list precedes the introductory chapter, just like in Agatha Christie's books), nail the necessary first-person private eye narration of Ms. Parker, AND also construct an involving 'whodunnit?' tale that plays fair by the expected gumshoe rules.
Hot damn, how I just adore this mystery series! Secrets Typed in Blood is the third and most recent of the throwback Pentecost & Parker books - featuring an urbane / respected but ailing New York City private investigator and her sharply streetwise young protege who performs the necessary and often dangerous legwork - and takes place on the heels of the previous volume in early 1947. (I loved Ms. Parker's mention of having tickets to opening day at Ebbets Field . . . to catch the Dodger debut of a man named Jackie Robinson. Yes!!!) After an absolutely perfect first chapter - a tight standalone suspense / action piece involving a kidnapping case that is mostly independent of the subsequent storyline, much like those pre-title sequences in the James Bond movies starring Roger Moore - the main plot quickly gets down to business with our title ladies assisting a prolific pulp crime writer who believes an unidentified murderer is copycatting scenarios from her fictional stories and will soon be targeting her as well. As with the previous two books author Spotswood knows how to deftly handle an ensemble cast (a detailed character list precedes the introductory chapter, just like in Agatha Christie's books), nail the necessary first-person private eye narration of Ms. Parker, AND also construct an involving 'whodunnit?' tale that plays fair by the expected gumshoe rules.
March 21, 2025
3.5 Stars!
Another engaging plotline with this book #3 of 'Pentecost and Parker' ongoing historical detective/investigators series.
Recommended book and series!
Another engaging plotline with this book #3 of 'Pentecost and Parker' ongoing historical detective/investigators series.
Recommended book and series!
February 22, 2023
This is book three in this series. I’ll admit I haven’t read the first couple and while I was able to follow and enjoy this story I do think this is a series best read in order. I was drawn to this book because it takes place in the 1940’s and features two female detectives who between them have queer and persons with disability representation and that made it both appearing and unique in my opinion. The mystery in this was superbly written and definitely held my interest. I did find myself reaching for other books despite my interest, but when I really sat down with it I got carried into the story and it flowed well. There is great humor, fun murder, and some really intelligent detective work in this book. Definitely a series I need to further explore.
September 2, 2025
4⭐️
Ця частина зовсім інша справа. Цікаве розслідування, і то не одне. Але виявляється, що є продовження, як мінімум ще дві книги.
Ця частина зовсім інша справа. Цікаве розслідування, і то не одне. Але виявляється, що є продовження, як мінімум ще дві книги.
February 4, 2023
Go read this series, now.
December 18, 2022
This series continues to be a delight to read, and I’m so pleased to see that the work of Pentecost and Parker has brought them back home to New York City this time around.
Will continues to be one of my favorite protagonists in a currently active mystery series, and the dynamic between her and Lillian is one of the best parts of these books.
It’s interesting that despite the fact that there isn’t a lot of real estate on the page devoted to descriptive content and setting in these books, Spotswood still somehow creates and excellent sense of place and atmosphere.
The mystery in this one is a tick below those of the first two book in the series, though I’m not sure it made the read any less enjoyable. The solve was a bit disappointing since it was kind of out of the proverbial left field, but the process of getting there was as good as ever.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Will continues to be one of my favorite protagonists in a currently active mystery series, and the dynamic between her and Lillian is one of the best parts of these books.
It’s interesting that despite the fact that there isn’t a lot of real estate on the page devoted to descriptive content and setting in these books, Spotswood still somehow creates and excellent sense of place and atmosphere.
The mystery in this one is a tick below those of the first two book in the series, though I’m not sure it made the read any less enjoyable. The solve was a bit disappointing since it was kind of out of the proverbial left field, but the process of getting there was as good as ever.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
February 26, 2023
Another fun installment in the Pentecost and Parker series. The mystery they were solving this time was the most engaging for me out of the 3 books. Holly Quick writes mystery stories under a bunch of different pen names, and now somebody is using those stories as the basis for murdering real people. How did they figure out she’s behind all the stories, why are they killing these people, and who will be next?
I wasn’t as interested in the overarching Dr. Olivia Waterhouse storyline, but it still made for some fun moments. Like Will having to go undercover as a secretary.
What I enjoy the most about the books in this series is getting to see queer people, disabled people, and people of color as the heroes in a noir, detective story set in the 1940s.
I wasn’t as interested in the overarching Dr. Olivia Waterhouse storyline, but it still made for some fun moments. Like Will having to go undercover as a secretary.
What I enjoy the most about the books in this series is getting to see queer people, disabled people, and people of color as the heroes in a noir, detective story set in the 1940s.
September 29, 2024
Я в захваті від цієї серії! Вілловджин Паркер і Ліліан Пентекост швидко стали одними з моїх улюблених вигаданих персонажів. Якщо вам до вподоби детективна література 1940-х років з атмосферою Нью-Йорка, обов’язково прочитайте ці книги.
Особливо мене привабила історія, оскільки вона розгортається в 40-х роках та має двох жінок-детективів у головних ролях. Окрім того, серед персонажів є представники квір-спільноти та люди з інвалідністю, що додає глибини та унікальності сюжету. Розслідування таємниць чудово продумані та інтригують з самого початку. Сюжет буквально захопив мене. Книга наповнена чудовим гумором, захопливими злочинами та розумними детективними підказками. Це серія, яку я точно продовжу читати далі.
Особливо мене привабила історія, оскільки вона розгортається в 40-х роках та має двох жінок-детективів у головних ролях. Окрім того, серед персонажів є представники квір-спільноти та люди з інвалідністю, що додає глибини та унікальності сюжету. Розслідування таємниць чудово продумані та інтригують з самого початку. Сюжет буквально захопив мене. Книга наповнена чудовим гумором, захопливими злочинами та розумними детективними підказками. Це серія, яку я точно продовжу читати далі.
Read
January 4, 2023another absolute delight with twists, good sleuthing, character development, a little character growth for everyone, and excitement. once again, the hardboiled writing style won my heart and several lines of prose were worth transcribing to enjoy again later. if the previous installment felt a little off, this one returns to form with the setting, etc.
i especially enjoyed the ways things with Daryl Clinghorn were handled, the turn in how Will thought of him thanks to Miss Pentecost’s perspective. and of course, the numerous timely subjects touched on, including elder abuse, the importance of vaccines, and information privacy! Stephen Spotswood is here to win hearts and my good favor, and i give it gladly.
Kirsten Potter continues with stellar performances for the series.
queer content gets a bonus of counterculture relationships in this i saw coming a mile away and was very pleased with.
i especially enjoyed the ways things with Daryl Clinghorn were handled, the turn in how Will thought of him thanks to Miss Pentecost’s perspective. and of course, the numerous timely subjects touched on, including elder abuse, the importance of vaccines, and information privacy! Stephen Spotswood is here to win hearts and my good favor, and i give it gladly.
Kirsten Potter continues with stellar performances for the series.
queer content gets a bonus of counterculture relationships in this i saw coming a mile away and was very pleased with.
January 17, 2023
(2 1/2). This is a pretty well written book, but it moves at a very British speed, which is not my style at all. This is another choice by the new crime editor at the New York Times, Sarah Weinman, and she and I have not been on the same page too often. Will Parker is a fun protagonist, and there are lots of slow reveals here that are mostly fun, but as I said, I find the whole feel of this one a little offputting. Medium stuff.
February 20, 2023
This is my first Pentecost and Parker mystery, and just like Sarah Weinman of the NYT ("my new favorite sleuthing duo"), it won't be my last. How refreshing to have two intelligent female private eyes rather than the silly depictions most authors choose to saddle their female leads. Weinman's bi-weekly column on crime novels once again steers readers to a (relatively) unknown gem. Recommend.
August 8, 2025
And the hits just keep on coming!! Every type of hit! More murders & more 5 stars!!! Spotswood strikes again! I just want to live in this world forever.
Here we have Pentecost & Parker at it again trying to solve a string of copy cat murders! A killer is out there making their murders look like those from a well known short story magazine called Strange Crime. However connecting the dots leads to more questions than answers.
I felt thoroughly confused and bamboozled and just all my theories fell through! A thoroughly twisty one with a satisfying and fully explained ending! I'm telling you a hit is a hit!
Here we have Pentecost & Parker at it again trying to solve a string of copy cat murders! A killer is out there making their murders look like those from a well known short story magazine called Strange Crime. However connecting the dots leads to more questions than answers.
I felt thoroughly confused and bamboozled and just all my theories fell through! A thoroughly twisty one with a satisfying and fully explained ending! I'm telling you a hit is a hit!
December 29, 2024
Тут зразу 2 детективні лінії, а в одному моменті злалось, що навіть 3. Тут знову не класична любовна лінія і дуже повільне розслідування. Але такі ж гарні абзаци з гумором, атмосферою Америки «золотої доби», а найбільше сподобалось всі письменницькі моменти, бо замовниця розслідування авторка, яка пише про вбивства, які з виходом книги - зразу ж реалізовуються.
September 16, 2024
Люблю цю атмосферну серію про цих двох детективок, але ця книга сподобалась найменше. Доволі монотонно, без особливої динаміки та різких поворотів сюжету. Прочитала залюбки, але без захвату.
December 15, 2024
190 сторінок я мучила тиждень, щоб решту 200+ проковтнути за ніч 💋
July 21, 2025
Черговий блискучий нуарний детектив, сюжет чимось нагадав перший епізод «Касла») Героїні все ще цікаві й харизматичні, розслідування динамічне, атмосфера Штатів післявоєнних років затягує. Багато писати не варто, варто це прочитати.
5/5, рекомендую всю серію.
5/5, рекомендую всю серію.
September 16, 2024
3.5 Stars
May 13, 2024
This is the third entry in Stephen Spotswood's "Pentecost and Parker" series. It's set in 1947 New York City, "Pentecost" being Lillian Pentecost, famous private detective, and "Parker", being Willowjean Parker, her intrepid assistant, handy with guns, knives, and wisecracks. Willowjean narrates, alternating between jaded cynicism and … um, less jaded cynicism.
If that reminds you of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin books, I think it's supposed to. Out of the four blurbs on the back cover, two mention this similarity. (Another similarity: Archie liked the ladies, and … so does Willowjean.)
The primary plot concerns Holly, who, under a pseudonym, writes of pulp detective stories published in Strange Crime magazine. She notices that three actual recent murders have been staged to follow the garish scenes in three of her fictional stories. What's going on with that? Holly has an addiction to Chesterfields, and is attempting to keep a deep secret of her own under wraps.
There's also a continuing plot from the first book: the Professor Moriarty of the series, criminal mastermind Olivia Waterhouse, is discovered to have been employed as a secretary in a law office. Willowjean is tasked with posing as a secretary herself, wangling a temp job at the same office. Her goal is to find out why Waterhouse was working there, what she did, and (hopefully) that will assist in bringing her to justice.
It's all good, murderous, fun.
March 30, 2024
4.50 ★
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: bisexual mc; bi & polyam love interest; sc with multiple sclerosis; bipoc and queer scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: bisexual mc; bi & polyam love interest; sc with multiple sclerosis; bipoc and queer scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
September 17, 2024
С каждой книгой эта серия нравится мне все больше)
September 19, 2024
Fantastic book in the series, it expanded on the characters and gave us some great new ones. This is my favorite detective series, came back to this site to make sure I gave it 5 stars!!! I will always recommend these books! Can't wait to grad the next one!
December 31, 2022
Another great installment. Loved returning to Will's voice and her inner commentary and all her wisecracking. I enjoy watching her grow with each book. Also--What a final chapter that was, can't wait for more.
January 12, 2025
Love these books so much! Willowjean Parker and Lilian Pentecost are rapidly becoming my favourite fictional characters. If you like 1940's detective fiction based in New York, do yourself a favour and read this series.
December 31, 2022
Incredibly boring! The first (and Last!) Stephen Spottswood book I'll ever read!
March 22, 2023
Interesting characters, but a glacial pace. Definitely not recommended.
November 13, 2023
Love these books, this series. They're fast, funny, clever, involved and you have NO trouble keeping straight who's who. (Some books, even in series I like, use similar names for characters and there's often a bartender, a cop, a thief, and a fellow who helps the good guyswho all read alike. Not here.)
Willowjean Parker, young, lesbian, feisty, former circus-worker, and Lillian Pentecost, much older, has MS, a famous NYC detective, circa late 1940's, work together to solve all sorts of crimes, midemeanors and other problems. They share a brownstone, and a housekeeper, and work together like clockwork. (The only other similar situation I know is the Bryant and May series, by Christopher Fowler, which I also absolutely love.)
At any rate, in this one, number three in the series - and please, Mr. Spotswood, keep writing them - they're out to solve a seriies of murders which happen similarly (hard word to say) to the murders described in a selection of short stories written by a NYC author. These stories are featured in crime magazines, of which there were many out there. (Think pre-TV, for the most part, when a lot of people got their escapist entertainment through reading; omg, what a time!) So is the murderer a short story reader? Then how does one explain the fact that one of the murders happens before the story is even published? What gives here!
(I'm a short story writer myself, had a bunch published, so I got kind of a 'feel' for this!)
At any rate, Will and Lillian are tied up in knots with this one - with the police who suspect Will 'knows too much' and Lillian, who's wrestling with her MS. Lots of detail and insight into the times - just after WW2. Sometimes with books like this I spot an anachronism or two...
But not here! It's like Mr. Spotswood totally immerses himself in the era when he writes.
A wonderful five stars!
Willowjean Parker, young, lesbian, feisty, former circus-worker, and Lillian Pentecost, much older, has MS, a famous NYC detective, circa late 1940's, work together to solve all sorts of crimes, midemeanors and other problems. They share a brownstone, and a housekeeper, and work together like clockwork. (The only other similar situation I know is the Bryant and May series, by Christopher Fowler, which I also absolutely love.)
At any rate, in this one, number three in the series - and please, Mr. Spotswood, keep writing them - they're out to solve a seriies of murders which happen similarly (hard word to say) to the murders described in a selection of short stories written by a NYC author. These stories are featured in crime magazines, of which there were many out there. (Think pre-TV, for the most part, when a lot of people got their escapist entertainment through reading; omg, what a time!) So is the murderer a short story reader? Then how does one explain the fact that one of the murders happens before the story is even published? What gives here!
(I'm a short story writer myself, had a bunch published, so I got kind of a 'feel' for this!)
At any rate, Will and Lillian are tied up in knots with this one - with the police who suspect Will 'knows too much' and Lillian, who's wrestling with her MS. Lots of detail and insight into the times - just after WW2. Sometimes with books like this I spot an anachronism or two...
But not here! It's like Mr. Spotswood totally immerses himself in the era when he writes.
A wonderful five stars!
September 29, 2023
Rating: 3.5/5
I'm having a great time with this series and I can't wait for the next one to come out. The reveal for this one was a bit underwhelming but I did enjoy the overall story and Parker's humour. I'm really curious how he series will progress since Lilian's health is seems to be worsening - I'm wondering if the series will end with Will taking over the business.
I'm having a great time with this series and I can't wait for the next one to come out. The reveal for this one was a bit underwhelming but I did enjoy the overall story and Parker's humour. I'm really curious how he series will progress since Lilian's health is seems to be worsening - I'm wondering if the series will end with Will taking over the business.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews