I look a break from the dark thrillers I've been devouring by Preston and Child, and went to the lighter, brighter side with a fun new read by USA Today Bestseller Julie Mulhern.
What a treat! Murder in Manhattan is a fun 1920s romp that gives you the feel of the period - fashions, nightclubs, bootleggers, and murders, too, all experienced by a witty young fashion writer, Freddie Archer. * Find it on Goodreads.
** BONUS! It pays to look! Sign up for Mulhern's Freddie newsletter on her website (link to Bookfunnel) and get a prequel novella, Murder by Moonlight, Free!!!!
For Murder in Manhattan, Mulhern shares that the story was inspired by a young flapper/fashion writer named Lois Long (read her bio at the link), a notable, longtime columnist who started writing in the '20s under the name "Lipstick," for the New Yorker magazine.
** ADDED: ** Here's a fun page on 1920s fashion, which includes an image of Long. (Some fantastic art, photos and fashion here!)
** ADDED: Just found this: 1925 New Yorker Lipstick columns online (look at the ads: Ziegfield Follies!)
If you want a true window into the Roaring Twenties, read some of Long's columns here. Read more about Long here and here. She later wrote fashion columns for the New Yorker. Mulhern definitely got her character's bright voice and style from Long's columns. The actual columns are a great find to get the time period just right.
Another fun aspect of the book is you can see Long in the cover image.(Looks just like her, a la actress Colleen Moore, also famous for the Fairy Castle at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.)
I love old magazines and have collected many, so getting to read these columns will be a lot of fun! I'll be looking out for some '20s magazines in second-hand stores, etc. and maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a few of her columns (hopefully reasonable!)
I don't often look for book sequels, but this one was so enjoyable, I can't wait to read another! (Happy to have found the prequel above!)
