Hamish DeLuca and Reggie Van Buren are back in action, with their own private investigation firm.
Just be warned that it helps to read Murder at the Flamingo to know what’s happened in the past. This isn’t meant as a stand-alone novel. While there is a murder (as the title implies) much of the story involves Hamish and Reggie sorting out their feelings for one another.
I love the settings and characters. The author paints a fabulous backdrop with Boston in the late 1930’s/early 1940’s. Just before the US joins WWII, racial and political tensions create an interesting and historical window into this time period. Hamish will steal the reader’s heart as he struggles to overcome anxiety to forge his own way in life, similar to what Reggie is doing by making hard choices to leave the past behind while she finds her own identity.
The mystery part wasn’t as intriguing as the setting and characters and played a secondary role for me, so the element of suspense wasn’t there. It wasn’t a fast-paced novel, yet I became completely immersed in Murder in the City of Liberty. It definitely transports readers to a different time period where the characters come to life on every page. The characters have real flaws and struggles, making them vulnerable in a way that tugs on your heart strings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.