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A review by carolsnotebook
The Last Drop of Hemlock by Katharine Schellman
4.0
The Last Drop of Hemlock is set in New York City in the 1920s. This is the second in the series and, while it does work as a stand-alone, I think you get a much better feeling for the characters if you read them in order. Vivian and her sister, Florence, are poor, but better off than they used to be. The setting, from their tenement building to the club where Viv works to the street’s cities, felt real. I loved the details – the smells, the sights, the people.
The mystery was well done. In a city where everyone works by their own moral standards, some of which are more gray than others, there are plenty of suspects in the murder. And Vivian’s reasons for looking into the death make sense- they can’t trust the cops. She has to call in a favor or two and puts herself in a couple of dangerous positions, but it all feels in character.
It’s not a quick moving book. It takes time to walk through the streets, to talk to everyone, to spend some time dancing. It’s not that Viv takes her time, it’s that she has the rest of her life to live in addition to catching the killer. She can’t afford to take off work, but she does have friends and family on her side.
I listened to the audio and the narrator did a fabulous job bringing Vivian and New York City to life. The characters were easily distinguishable and you can just hear their attitudes in her voices. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
The mystery was well done. In a city where everyone works by their own moral standards, some of which are more gray than others, there are plenty of suspects in the murder. And Vivian’s reasons for looking into the death make sense- they can’t trust the cops. She has to call in a favor or two and puts herself in a couple of dangerous positions, but it all feels in character.
It’s not a quick moving book. It takes time to walk through the streets, to talk to everyone, to spend some time dancing. It’s not that Viv takes her time, it’s that she has the rest of her life to live in addition to catching the killer. She can’t afford to take off work, but she does have friends and family on her side.
I listened to the audio and the narrator did a fabulous job bringing Vivian and New York City to life. The characters were easily distinguishable and you can just hear their attitudes in her voices. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.