The Fate of a Flapper - (The Speakeasy Murders) by Susanna Calkins (Paperback)

About the Book

"After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago's premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's 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 in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, 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? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat"--

Book Synopsis

The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.

A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!

After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago's premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's 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 in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, 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? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat.

Review Quotes

"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...will give readers insight into the world of Prohibition and what the human spirit is capable of in desperate times."
--Library Journal

"You have to love a gal who takes chances while staying true to herself." --Kirkus

"A fun romp...with lots of 1920s atmosphere." --Booklist

"Brilliantly captures the vibe of the Prohibition era...a delightful historical mystery." --Shelf Awareness

About the Author

SUSANNA CALKINS, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion series and the Speakeasy Mysteries, holds a PhD in history and teaches at the college level. Her historical mysteries have been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark and Agatha awards, among many others, and The Masque of a Murderer received a Macavity. Originally from Philadelphia, Calkins now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons.