“Mystery, why so attractive to me?” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
BLURB: In 1942, Pearl Harbor has been bombed and the war is very much in evidence, but it would seem to have little to do with Frank Boyle, a respected Bronx born insurance investigator. He’s a man who can keep secrets, and no one suspects that his boyhood friend—local mob boss Nicky Brooks—is his lover. When Brooks accidentally kills Frank’s younger brother in a shootout, Frank must choose between his affair with Nicky and revenge for his brother’s life.
After Frank betrays Nicky, police detective Sam Lipinski, a Bronx native who has long carried a torch for Frank, makes a move against the mob and lands squarely in the way of Nicky’s plans. Sam smuggles Frank out of New York to keep him safe, and sets him up him in a small northeastern city. But there, a messy insurance investigation involving the Roarkes, who may or may not have killed their own mother for the insurance payout, places him in danger again. Dodging bullets, shady characters, and fallout from the war, Sam and Frank will need far more than luck on their side if they’re ever to see a loving future.
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New York, 1942
Nicky Brooks former employer, lover, and jailbird is seeking revenge against Frank for turning on him when he testified against Nicky in the shooting death of Frank’s little brother, Leo.
After surviving a hit by his former lover. Frankie Boyle, with the help of his friend Sam, is sent to hide out in Newfoundland. While there, Frank is called out to investigate a suicide.
So begins the intricate plot of A Little Night Murder.
This was no light read!
I found both the MC’s and the secondary characters complex and intriguing. Also, there’s enough twists and turns going on in the plot to keep one guessing as to what’s going to happen next.
But…there were a couple of things that didn’t work for me, such as the flashbacks to the past. I felt the author should have cut that down to a chapter and gone in order of events. Instead, there’s a point here and there that leads up to what happened between Nicky and Frank. It tended to distract me from the main storyline.
And…the romance between Frank and Sam started off slowly. Sadly, I didn’t really feel a spark between the two until down to the final chapters, and even that kind of felt rushed.
All in all, I would have trouble recommending A Little Night Murder, except maybe to a mystery buff.
You can buy A Little Night Murder here:
This book looks really intriguing, Lisa, from the cover to the synopsis. And being a sort of mystery writer–I do belong to Sisters in Crime–:) It’s going on my list.
I have it on my TBR pile too, Paul. I do love a good mystery, and I’ve read J.S. Cook’s Inspector Raft series, which is good fun. :)