Synopsis

In the middle of Harlem, in the dead of night, a woman falls from a second storey window. In her hand, she holds a passport and the name written on it is Lena Aldridge…

Lena arrived in Harlem less than two weeks ago, full of hope for her burgeoning romance with Will Goodman, the handsome musician she met on board the Queen Mary. Will has arranged for Lena to stay with friends of his, and this will give her the chance to find out if their relationship is going anywhere. But there is another reason she’s in Harlem – to find out what happened in 1908 to make her father flee to London.

As Lena’s investigations progress, not only does she realise her father lied to her, but the man she’s falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And those secrets have put Lena in terrible danger…

Review

The sense of place in this book is fabulous and I was swept up in the atmospheric way Louise Hare writes.

While there were still a lot of problems, New York in the 1930s sounds like an incredible place to be in terms of music, fashion and opportunity. That said, Hare does a really good job of showing the differences between the characters’ experiences of the city, which brings home the struggles that people of colour faced.

The murder mystery itself leaves a lot to be desired and doesn’t have the drama and impact of the first book. The characters and storytelling are fantastic, but I would’ve liked more background on the new people we meet, and their motivations (and perhaps a second body). There is initial shock at the death, but it becomes very clear that it isn’t who we are told it is, which makes the mystery drag on a little bit.

We are offered some insight into the lives of Jessi and Alfie but – although interesting – they are perhaps not given as much time as expected. The coincidences are a little hard to swallow, but this does tidy up a few loose ends from the first book.

Overall, a good read but not quite as gripping as Miss Aldridge Regrets.

Thanks to HQ Books for my advanced copy and the chance to listen to the audio version on NetGalley. Opinions my own.