Reviews

The first installment in the Pentecost and Parker series turns out to be an excellent read! The writing style, while a bit hokey with the noir PI voice, made this so easy to read, as did the pace and turns of the mystery. I was appropriately intrigued and entertained, although the “and then we realized this clue” or “and I grabbed something from the kitchen I knew would come in handy” etc. leads felt overdone—although we were never kept waiting that long for an explanation.

It was nice to see the beginnings of this series and both Pentecost and Parker, and this felt like a more solid mystery with a tighter culprit, motive, etc. than the third book that I listened to earlier this year. Maybe it’s because I was reading rather than listening at almost double speed, but the outlines of the plot and murder made more sense this time around. The main characters were as likable as ever, and I appreciated the sprinkles of historicity—Will’s navigation of being queer in the 1940s, references to the impact of WWII, even inklings of the oncoming Red/Lavender Scare. This book in particular reminded me of the Andy Mills series in its navigation of post-WWII queer existences, although this came out beforehand.

Just a very satisfiable and very readable book all around; a mystery that was done well.

rita_scitter's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

literatehedgehog's review against another edition

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3.0

A slow start, but this historical mystery eventually hooked me. A locked room mystery, heiresses and clairvoyants, allusions to secret gay bars, and an understanding of long lasting trauma.
The hard boiled detective narration came on strong but faded easily into the background as the book went on.
Believable twists kept me guessing. The women and queer characters were complex - I like my characters toeing the line between likeable and unlikeable. A solid read.

hannahlegerton's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

thereadinggoblin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

katiezookat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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