Murder in Manhattan

Mulhern (the Country Club Murders novels) launches a snappy historical series centered on 1920s nightlife columnist Winifred “Freddie” Archer. One night, Freddie witnesses a shooting outside a Manhattan club and notices an elegantly dressed young woman she swears she’s seen before fleeing the scene. When other, similar murders follow, Freddie draws from her reporting to compile a suspect list and puts herself directly in harm’s way as she tries to ferret out the culprit. Mulhern peppers her narrative with real-life figures to charming effect: Freddie, who’s based on 1920s New Yorker columnist Lois Long, gossips with legendary sports columnist Ring Lardner, trades quips with Dorothy Parker during a bumpy ride uptown in a Packard, and sips gin rickeys with actor Tallulah Bankhead. All the while, she proves to be a resourceful heroine whose professional prowess as both a journalist and a gumshoe impresses without straining credibility. Immersive, fast-paced, and entertaining, this promises good things to come. Agent: Gordon Warnock, Fuse Literary. (Dec.)