Spotlight on: Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland

#MurderInMidtown #NetGalley

What it’s about:

From the publisher:

Louise has finally gathered the courage to take the police civil service exam, but when she returns to her secretary job at the midtown publishing house of Van Hooten and McChesney, she’s shocked to find the offices smoldering from a deadly, early morning fire. Huddled on the sidewalk, her coworkers inform her that Guy Van Hooten’s body has been found in the charred ruins. Rumors of foul play are already circulating, and the firm’s surviving partner asks Louise to investigate the matter.

Despite a number of possible suspects, the last person Louise expects to be arrested is Ogden McChesney, an old friend and mentor to her aunt Irene. Louise will have to search high and low, from the tenements in the Lower East Side to the very clouds above the tallest skyscrapers, to get to the bottom of an increasingly complex case . . .

How it starts:

From the publisher:

How would you aid a police officer in making the arrest of one or more violent criminals?

My forehead broke out in a dewy film of panic. Ever since this past summer when I’d found myself in the middle of a murder investigation, I’d envisioned myself as a policewoman in the New York Police Department. In my dreams, I would rise quickly through the ranks by dint of hard work, bravery, and cleverness to become a detective. I set my mind on taking the police civil service exam and studied every night after my workday as secretary at the publisher Van Hooten and McChesney. I also set aside Sunday afternoons, as well as any other moment I could sneak a few glances at my well-thumbed pamphlet of New York City’s municipal ordinances. I was nothing if not determined.

Yet here I was, taking the long-awaited test, and my cleverness had deserted me at Question 2.

About the author:

Liz Freeland lives with her husband in Montreal, where she writes and astounds the locals with her makeshift French. An elderly cat or dog (or two . . . or four) can typically be found in her apartment, and during the busiest day, Liz usually finds time to sneak in an old movie.

Other titles in this series:

Book One

Book Three

My thoughts:

Those who enjoy historical mysteries that feature strong women protagonists will want to give this title a look. They will then meet Louise who wants to be in the police but works in publishing as the story opens. When a murder occurs, Louise knows the victim and at least one suspect. She gets involved.

Follow Louise as she traverses Manhattan trying to figure everything out. Readers will hope that she solves the case and gets her position with the police.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 2019