"Brilliantly captures the vibe of the Prohibition era": This novel of a flapper turned amateur sleuth is a "delightful historical mystery" (
Shelf Awareness).
After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago's premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci is finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.
Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls-she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it's one of the women from the night before.
Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or something more sinister.
"Winning. . . Calkins draws a memorable portrait of Prohibition-era Chicago." -
Publishers Weekly
"Written with wit and an understanding of the tensions during one of the most volatile times in history." -
Library Journal
"You have to love a gal who takes chances while staying true to herself." -
Kirkus Reviews
"A fun romp. . . with lots of 1920s atmosphere." -
Booklist
