Welcome to Litsy!

#YuleSwap I am completely overwhelmed with your gift & the obvious love,care,&thought that you put into it. Excited to read the books,drink from the mug,wear the warm socks,use the bookmark, have botanical jars in my reading space,a reminder of spring,& especially your mystery winter solstice bag that‘s full of all witchy things to celebrate with.thank you; you made my day!

#DecemberDreams #wintersolstice

Jazz age mystery with some BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ characters. I like the setting but I found myself reading just to get to the end instead of living in the world. I felt like I could put the characters in modern day NY and it wouldn't change too much. Perhaps the follow up will capture my imagination more.

Soft pick! What worked for me: speakeasy vibes + cozy mystery. Pure brain candy. What didn‘t quite measure up imo: I didn‘t care that much about who actually killed the dead guy, and I wanted a little more complexity in the main characters. I know Schellman can do better because I love her Lily Adler mysteries. This book sets things up for future installments, so I‘m hoping the characters will feel a little more lived in by that point.

✨️??A whodunit in prohibition NYC set around a jazzy speakeasy and seedy streets with diverse characters. A dive into what society was like with the added suspense of a murder. Vivian sets out to find out who did it and why by persuasion of the club owner who she is attracted too while also falling for mysterious Leo Green. A love triangle has started and I will definitely be reading the sequel "The Last Drop of Hemlock" to find out who gets who

This start to a Prohibition NYC mystery series opens up with Vivian Kelly, a seamstress who just can‘t stay out of her favorite speakeasy— even when it lands her with a corpse at her feet in the alley and a night in the clink. With a diverse cast, a mystery to solve and the start of a love triangle, this one kept my attention from start to finish. The mystery is relatively straightforward and ends in a satisfying way. I‘m curious for the sequel!

I liked the characters and the setting (Prohibition era New York), but the mystery wasn‘t that interesting. I think it‘s the first in a new series, and I‘d definitely read more. There‘s bisexual representation here that provides some interest — kind of a “will they or won‘t they” thing. #audiowalk

A great story that I recommend highly. Set in 1924 New York, after four years of Prohibition, speakeasies and other underground nightclubs are thriving. Vivian Kelly loves to dance, her club of choice: The Nightingale, run by the enigmatic (and alluring) Honor Huxley. Then Vivian finds a dead body, and her life, and the lives of everyone she cares about are changed. Great period details, wonderful characters; you can hear the jazz as you read!

Congratulations, @katherinewrites in the release of your new book, Last Call At The Nightingale.

Publisher‘s summary:
“New York, 1924. Vivian Kelly's days are filled with drudgery, from the tenement lodging she shares with her sister to the dress shop where she sews for hours every day.

But at night, she escapes to The Nightingale, an underground dance hall where illegal liquor flows and the band plays the Charleston with reckless excitement…”

I absolutely loved this novel: the time period, the characters, the setting, the mystery. I really liked the fact that the main characters, while being the lower members of society, are strong and determined in their individual ways. I liked the audiobook as well. Sara Young did a wonderful job narrating this novel; between her tone, inflection and character‘s voices I found myself absorbed and lost in the narrative.

I really really enjoyed this book and am hoping it‘s the start of a new series because there‘s a lot more to dive into! The setting was low key, pacing was good, the characters great, and the mystery was good with a solid ending. Definitely hoping there‘s a follow-up soon!

I finished it! The first 100 pages were a struggle for me. It took me WAY too long to get through them. Once I got past them, I was immersed in the story. Told from the perspective of Vivian, a poor, Irish orphan, Schellman does a fantastic job setting the 1920's speakeasy scene. The cast of characters is diverse & I thought the mystery was well-executed. In the end, it was a pick. Because of the slow start I give this book ⭐⭐⭐💫

Has anyone heard of this one? It's a Goodreads giveaway win but I don't know much about it!