Book Blurb:
It’s a deadly game of who’s who, and who isn’t. A B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree Things get pretty sticky for PI Jax Diamond and his courageous canine partner, Ace, when their best friend, a cop, is framed for murder. And not just anyone’s murder. The victim is the fiancée of the most notorious gangster in the city, Orin Marino, Jax’s worst enemy. Laura Graystone, the budding Broadway Star and Jax’s new squeeze, proves to be an ingenious partner as they sift through clues trying to find the real murderer. But when Jax is pinched for another crime, Laura and Ace are forced to go undercover. Hang on to your seat as Jax, Laura and Ace take you on another crazy, whodunit ride during the Roaring Twenties. Where no one is who they seem, and those who do, aren’t. Anything goes during an era of fun and frolic, song and dance, speakeasies, gangsters, bootlegging, and bribes.
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Editorial Review:
Ms. Meath does it again! After being introduced to Jax Diamond in the first book in this series, “Songbird”, we were also introduced to the author's affinity for this style of writing... not to mention giving the reader a rollicking good time within the pages of a book and is a complete stand-alone without having to read the first. However, I highly recommend starting at the beginning so you can completely absorb these sensational characters.
By way of summation, Jax Diamond is a private investigator in New York City, right in the midst of the Prohibition era, with a beautiful German shepherd sidekick named Ace, and an incredibly talented and vivacious girlfriend, Laura, a Broadway star who can belt out a song and fix your car at the same time. As mentioned, this is 1920s NYC, and Ms. Meath sets the stage brilliantly with this mystery thriller noir reminiscent of the illegal gambling and booze speakeasies of Fitzgerald's Gatsby or of the stage-play Chicago. The city was rife with gangsters of this underworld – a world of jazz, drink, decadence... and murder; and this book is filled with luscious details about the era – the sounds, the smells, and the fashions. When Jax's friend, ex-partner in the NYPD, is framed for the murder of the girlfriend of a notorious racketeer, Orin Marion, Jax must do everything he can to clear Tim of the murder before he is sent up the river to the big house, a place he must stay clear of since many of the prisoners are cons that Tim put behind bars. With Evie, the murdered girl, gone, Laura is hired as a singer at Orin's speakeasy, taking over for Evie as the lounge songbird. And she uses her skill to draw the attention away from Jax as he scopes out the place, looking for clues and casing the joint in search of the real murderer of Evie Becker; as well as keep himself out of harm's way.
As with the last book, there are a plethora of hidden and subtle clues throughout the narrative while not giving too much away so as to be predictable, and the story keeps you page-turning from the very beginning, really immersing the reader into the era. The characters are very well-developed, and this book adds another layer to their personalities, even the dog, whose adoring and defending personality will make any reader want to go out and get themselves a German shepherd and name him Ace.
I will say it again, and add to it, that Ms Meath's style for this genre is brilliant and this book is top-notch, the same as Songbird. To be honest, so often sleuthing novels are often compared to other novels in the genre such as those gifted to us by Doyle or Christie, but Ms Meath is holding her own against any of those classic detective books. If you are fan of those writers, then you won't want to miss getting to know Jax. Here's hoping there is a dozen or more books coming in this series! Between the first book and this one, you are going to want to set aside a whole weekend to enjoy these in quick succession. Well done, Ms Meath, your books are the 'bee's knees' and the 'cat's meow'.
*****
“Framed” by Gail Meath receives 4.5 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
Author Bio:
Award-winning author Gail Meath writes historical romance novels that will whisk you away to another time and place in history where you will meet fascinating characters, both fictional and real, who will capture your heart and soul. Meath loves writing about little or unknown people, places and events in history, rather than relying on the typical stories and settings.
The subgenres of her books vary from action-packed westerns, plot twisting murder mysteries and biographies of powerful women who defied the strict rules of society fighting for the freedom of their countries. Her romances may exclude steamy sexual scenes, yet the intensity between heroine and hero will satisfy your deepest fantasies.
Outside of writing, she spends loads of time with her husband, children and grandchildren. www.gailmeath.com
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