Deadly Twenties #2
I think the mark of a good writer is often seen in book two of a series. In book one, the author has put in everything – every twinkly, sparkly element they’ve had in mind forever. When it works, it’s magical. Jenny Adams’ debut, A Deadly Endeavor, was just such a beginning. Excellent, rich, main characters, interesting setting, and good storyline. In this book, the second in her series, she proves her chops, with a more focused plot line and continuing the development of her main characters, who are estranged as the book opens.
The story follows Philadelphia socialite Edie Shippen, and a war veteran/doctor suffering from what we would now recognize as PTSD, Dr. Gilbert Lawless. Gil has recently given up a dependence on morphine and taken up boxing to still the demons he wrestles with. It’s 1921, and he served in WWI. Gil is also the widowed father of a young daughter, who lives with his parents.
The hook: Edie has set up shop – after her shenanigans in the first book – as a private detective, thinking she will be handling lost dogs or missing jewelry. Instead, a woman appears at her door looking for justice regarding the poisoning death of her neighbor. She’s sure the wife is guilty of the crime. Coincidentally, this is the same death Gil was called in on to investigate in his job as coroner. While Edie isn’t quite sure she’s up to a murder, she sets out to solve it anyway. When another death occurs, and the two men appear to be linked through the mob bosses they worked for, the murders begin to draw unwelcome attention from the bosses.
It’s the third death that’s a puzzle. Edie had been at a party with Gil when her long time friend Ava, an actress, announces her marriage to her leading man. She invites Edie to watch the filming of her movie – Romeo and Juliet – when the leading man is struck down during filming, an apparent poisoning.
These are the crimes that kick off the story, and the threads that draw Gil and Edie back together. Gil is holding himself somewhat aloof from Edie, thinking to himself he can romance a “fine” girl at his work, but the attraction between Edie and Gil is a powerful one, and this novel certainly has elements of romance throughout. With her lively story telling style and romantic elements, Adams reminds me very much of Ashley Weaver, whose Amory Ames series wrapped up in 2020. If you’re a fan of that series, check out these books.
As Gil and Edie get closer to a solution the threads of their lives converge. Edie’s history with Ava, and her employment of Gil’s sister as her assistant, come to the fore, as does Gil’s history with the neighborhood “boss,” Tommy, who makes no bones about wanting to know how his man was struck down. I thought the solution was pretty ingenious. What stays with me about this series, though, are the main characters of Edie and Gil, who are human and relatable with all their flaws and virtues. Adams also has a knack for pacing, which is not as common as you might think.
This series looks to be settling in for a long run, and I very much look forward to seeing what Edie and Gil get up to in the next book. — Robin Agnew