Review: Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance

This is the 4th Discreet Retrieval Agency mystery and definitely one of the best.

The Discreet Retrieval Agency, made up of Lola Woodby and Berta Lundgren, receives an anonymous commission with an invitation to a holiday party in Vermont. They are to retrieve a ring that was stolen by one of the attendees years ago.

But, while busy with their errand, the hostess keels over. Lola and Berta thought it was a heart attack, but police reveal it was a poisoned cocktail and they are at the top of the suspect list. With no one else to turn to, Lola and Berta must find the real murderer before they find themselves behind bars.

And they work hard to do it. Lola and Berta go from one end of the town to the other following leads in the coldest of weather with Cedric the pomeranian in tow. There are many suspects on their list from family members to household staff (both temporary and permanent). And a cryptid bear that walks on two legs has been spotted in the woods nearby.

It's still prohibition era. That plays a small part in the mystery. After all, where do these people get their fixings for their cocktails from? And where do they get the whiskey to soak the fruitcake in? And Lola and Berta have a wonderful 1920s vocabulary. The culture is 1920s as well.

The biggest mystery. though. is who is the killer or are there multiple killers since there end up being multiple victims. I love watching Lola and Berta figure out what is going on.

The novel mostly moves along at a decent pace as the women go from one set of clues and suspects to the next and sometimes back again. There is a little slow part in the middle, but it's not for long.

I have to admit I thought I knew who was responsible, but I was wrong. It was nice to have a logical surprise at the end.

I gave this mystery 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the mystery as well as the historical aspects of the book. It's well paced and had a surprise ending for me. If you enjoy stories from the prohibition era and slightly humorous cozies, then this would be a good choice for you. It's also a good holiday read since it takes place just prior to Christmas.

Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance was released November 13th, 2018 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Teaser Tuesday: Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I have a bad feeling about this," I said.

"If you slip, steer into the slide. That is the only way to avoid a tailspin."

"Not that. The murder."

"We will be on our way back home tomorrow."

How I wished I could believe it.

(3% through on my Kindle)

Lola and Berta are talking. Lola is the "I" in question. The two ladies make up the Discreet Retrieval Agency. Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance was published November 13th, 2018 from Minotaur Books. This is the fourth novel featuring the Discreet Retrieval Agency in a prohibition era mystery.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #246: Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Discreet Retrieval Agency is doing a brisk holiday business of retrieving lost parcels, grandmas, and stolen wreaths. But with their main squeezes Ralph and Jimmy once more on the back burner, both Lola and Berta pine for a holiday out of New York City. So when they receive a mysterious Christmas card requesting that they retrieve an antique ring at a family gathering in Maple Hill, Vermont, they jump at the chance. Sure, the card is signed Anonymous and it's vaguely threatening, but it's Vermont.

In Maple Hill, several estranged members of the wealthy Goddard family gather. And no sooner do Lola and Berta recover the ring--from Great-Aunt Cressida Goddard's arthritic finger--than Mrs. Goddard goes toes-up, poisoned by her Negroni cocktail on ice. When the police arrive, Lola and Berta are caught-red-handed with the ring, and it becomes clear that they were in fact hired not for their cracker-jack retrieving abilities, but to be scapegoats for murder.

With no choice but to unmask the killer or be thrown in the slammer, Lola and Berta's investigations lead them deep into the secrets of Maple Hill. In a breathless pursuit along a snowy ridge, with a lovelorn Norwegian ski instructor and country bumpkin hooch smugglers hot on their heels, Lola and Berta must find out once and for all who's nice...and who's naughty.

Naughty on Ice by Maia Chance is expected to be published November 13th, 2018 from Minotaur Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed the other books in the series. This is the fourth book. It promises to be just as good as the others. I expect it to have madcap adventures and good mysteries as Lola and Berta try and solve the mysteries before they get put in jail.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #213: Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Agnes Blythe and her glamorous Aunt Effie must take a break from restoring their inn to rake in the clues when a local mechanic is murdered in national bestselling author Maia Chance’s charming second Agnes & Effie mystery.

It’s leaf-peeping season in Naneda, New York, and Agnes Blythe has settled into helping her eccentric Great Aunt Effie restore the Stagecoach Inn. It seems nothing can shatter the golden idyll―or the ka-ching of cash registers―until a mechanic at Hatch Automotive is found bludgeoned to death with a wrench.

Sweeping into action, Agnes and Aunt Effie are on the scene, when a tourist-laden motor coach breaks down outside of town. The Stagecoach Inn isn’t exactly ready for guests, but Agnes and Effie agree to take in a group of seniors while they wait for repairs. But then, Agnes finds herself pulled into the investigation when she learns her new boyfriend, gorgeous Otis Hatch, is the Naneda Police Department’s prime suspect.

With bodies falling faster than the foliage, Agnes must leaf through the more viable suspects and clear Otis’s name of murder in Bad Neighbors, the charming second Agnes and Effie mystery from national bestselling author Maia Chance. 

Why am I waiting on this one? I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it. Been looking forward to the continuing adventures of Agnes and Effie. I loved the humor in the first book and the way the mystery was handled. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I wish it was out already because this would be the perfect time of year to read it. It's due out April 26, 2018 from Crooked Lane Books.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

Mrs. Lola Woodby and her trusty companion and former cook, Berta are hired for the discreet retrieval of a stuffed rhinoceros head by Lord Sudbury. It seems like it will be an easy task with a big payoff. Plus the alcohol will be flowing freely at the mansion where the rhino's head is and Lola does enjoy a good gin and tonic.

Not long after they've arrived, the owner of the mansion turns up dead in what appears to be a suicide. Lord Sudbury retains their services asking them to look into Rudy's death. The ladies eat it up like chocolate and plunge in where angels fear to tread.

More death, gangsters, diamonds, and a dash of romance round out the plot. Not to mention that Lola is supposed to be sending out her sister's wedding invitations and picking a caterer for her.
There are gunshots fired, car chases, consorting with gangsters in a speakeasy, and plenty of prohibition era slang bandied about.

I have to say that I've enjoyed all the books in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. This is the third one and it's quite fun. There are a few good mysteries and plenty of humor. I will say Lola needs a better pair of shoes than t-straps for skulking around, but that's part of the fun as is her carting her dog Cedric everywhere they go.

If you enjoy mysteries with well developed quirky characters and twisty plots, then this would be a good book for you. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The mysteries are good. There is humor. And the main characters are entertaining.

Gin and Panic by Maia Chance is being released today, October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Teaser Tuesday: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"There was something to be said for those old-fashioned men, Mrs. Woodby. One felt there were adults in charge of things. It was, if nothing else, reassuring. Nowadays when I read the newspaper, I have the sense that enormous moody toddlers are running the show." (17% through on my Kindle)

Gin and Panic by Maia Chance is due to be released October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books. It's the third book in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. The above teaser is from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition. There is currently a Giveaway on Goodreads from the publisher. It's a mystery that takes place in the prohibition-era 1920s and is full of humor as Lola Woodby and her cook attempt to solve it.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Sleeping Beauty, Borrowed Time: A Fairy Tale Fatal Novella by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Published May 16th 2017 by BookBaby

"Miss Flax, your suspicion is as keen as ever," Gabriel smiled, but his belly sank. He suddenly recalled with great clarity occasions when Ophelia had damned his interest in fairy-tale relics. The words "moldy" and "obsession" had featured prominently.

~ 29% through on my Kindle

Sleeping Beauty, Borrowed Time by Maia Chance was published May 16th. 2017 by BookBaby.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance

Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance is the first in a new series of Agnes and Effy mysteries. Agnes is the mayor's 28-year-old daughter who has recently moved back home after being jilted. Effy is her great aunt who has recently inherited a fairly decrepit inn. Effy offers Agnes a job helping to remodel the inn. Agnes accepts.

Effy and Agnes find a woman murdered on the back porch of the inn. A woman who they both had had words with the day before. They are the prime suspects in the case, though framed. And they are desperate to find someone else for the cops to blame.

They begin their somewhat inept investigation around the small town mostly on their own. They find quite a few people had reasons to kill the woman. It becomes a question of finding a motive and the killer from among their suspect pool as well as staying alive and out of jail long enough to get their man - or woman.

If you enjoy humorous mysteries, you will most likely enjoy this one. Both Agnes and Effy are good strong female characters and the rapport they share is funny. Agnes is reduced to living at home again now that her professor fiance has dumped her for a fitness instructor. She is wearing old clothes from high school that have seen better days and are a bit tight. But her brain is working on all four cylinders. Euphemia, aka Effie, has moved into the soon to be demolished Stagecoach Inn and is trying to get it a stay of execution. Effy has style and grace and is a chain-smoking fiend.

The mystery itself is a good one. The pool of suspects while wide narrows as a few of them bite the dust. The suspense and pace of the mystery are well done. I had fun trying to guess who had done the dastardly deed and why. I was still surprised in the end.

I give Bad Housekeeping 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good humorous mystery. And being first in a new series, I'm happy there will be more to look forward to.

The expected publication date for Bad Housekeeping is June 13, 2017 from Crooked Lane Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. This review is solely my opinion and freely given.

Waiting on Wednesday #189: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

Synopsis:

Former socialite Lola Woodby, a not-so-discreet private eye in Prohibition-era New york City, along with her grim Swedish sidekick, Berta, take on a piece-of-cake job: retrieving a rhinoceros trophy from the Connecticut mansion of big game hunter Rudy Montgomery. After all, their client, Lord Sudley, promises them a handsome paycheck, and the gin and tonics will be free. But no sooner do they arrive at  Montgomery Hall than Rudy is shot dead with a houseful of suspicious characters standing by. Lord Sudley ups the ante, and Lola and Berta take the case. Armed with handbags stuffed with emergency chocolate, gin flasks, and a Colt .25, Lola and Berta are swiftly embroiled in a madcap puzzle of stolen diamonds, family secrets, a clutch of gangsters, and a flapper who knows her way around a safari rifle.

Gin and Panic is the third mystery in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series by Maia Chance. It's due out October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed the other two in this series. I like a good humorous mystery. And I enjoy reading books set in the 1920s, 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She didn't look sweet when she smiled like that. She looked like the love child of an antique doll and a crocodile handbag. (Describing Effie's smile) ~ 28% through on my Kindle

Bad Housekeeping (An Agnes and Effie Mystery) by Maia Chance is expected to be published June 13, 2017 from Crooked Lane Books.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #174: Bad Housekeeping by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which has been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm also linking up with "Can't Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When 28-year-old Agnes Blythe, the contented bifocals-wearing half of an academic power couple, is jilted by her professor boyfriend for the town Pilates instructor, her future is suddenly less than certain. So when her glamorous, eccentric Great Aunt Effie arrives in town and offers a job helping to salvage the condemned Stagecoach Inn, what does Agnes have to lose? But work at the inn has barely begun when the unlikely duo find the body of manipulative Kathleen Todd, with whom Agnes and Effie both have recently had words. Words strong enough to land them at the top of the suspect list. 

The pair have clearly been framed, but no one else seems interested in finding the real murderer and Agnes and Effie's sleuthing expertise is not exactly slick. Nevertheless, they're soon investigating a suspect list with laundry dirtier than a middle school soccer team's and navigating threats, car chases, shotgun blasts, and awkward strolls down memory lane.

In Bad Housekeeping, the first novel in the Agnes & Effie cozy mystery series by Maia Chance, danger mounts, deadlines loom, ancient knob-and-tube wiring is explored, and the ladies learn a thing or two about the awful, wonderful mistake that is going back home.

Bad Housekeeping is expected to be available June 13, 2017 from Crooked Lane Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? This is a first in a new series. I've read Maia Chance's historical mysteries and have enjoyed them. I like her sense of humor and it looks like parts of this mystery might be humorous as well. And it seems like it will be a good cozy.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Teetotaled by Maia Chance

Still set in the 1920s, book two in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series picks up where book one left off. Lola Woodby and her former cook and detective agency partner Berta had solved their first case. But, any money they had from that one is just about gone and the rent is due. They are forced to take the first job that comes their way.

The mother of  bride-to-be Grace Whiddle wants to get a hold of her diary. The two ladies are hired because discreet is in the name of their agency. Soon they embark upon an adventure to a health farm where her former brother-in-law is on staff. Lola and Berta try everything they can think of, including climbing in and out of windows, to get the diary. On the night where they are participating in breaking and entering, Grace's future mother-in-law is killed.

Mrs. Whiddle fires Lola and Berta. Before too long has passed, they are lucky enough to land another case - to solve the murder of Grace's future mother-in-law. While it's a more dangerous case than they would like, they are desperate for funds.

Adventures ensue as the Lola and Berta accompanied by Lola's pomeranian try to solve the murder using her former husband's yacht as a base of operations. Lola is a tad clumsy and her dog gets in the way or away as canines are sometimes wont to do. Berta is her stalwart support and companion. Often it seems they have different ideas of how to pursue the case. But they work out their differences by pursuing both theories.

There is a touch of humor in the book and a sprinkling of romance. The plot moves along quickly as they question suspects and pursue leads. It's a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

Lola and Berta are fully developed characters. The others aren't quite as much, but their page time is generally less.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  This is an enjoyable, cozy, period piece. The book was released October 4, 2016 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Teetotaled by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Expected publication:
October 4th 2016 by Minotaur Books

"Some people have a nemesis, I  have Miss Ida Shanks. One part boiled fowl, one part witch, and one part writer for New York's most muckraking newspaper."

31% through on my Kindle

This quote comes from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition.

Teetotaled by Maia Chance is due to be released today from Minotaur Books. It's a period cozy taking place in New York in the 1920s. It's a lot of fun too. Lola Woodbury and her former cook Berta have been forced to find another way to make a living after Lola's husband dies leaving her penniless. They've happened on the notion of forming a private detective agency. This book is the second in the series.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #148: Teetotaled by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

Expected publication:
October 4th 2016 by Minotaur Books

Teetotaled by Maia Chance is book #2 in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. It's due out October 4, 2016 from Minotaur Books.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

After her philandering husband died and left her penniless in Prohibition-era New York, Lola Woodby escaped with her Swedish cook to the only place she could—her deceased husband’s secret love nest in the middle of Manhattan. Her only comforts were chocolate cake, dime store detective novels, and the occasional highball (okay, maybe not so occasional). But rent came due and Lola and Berta were forced to accept the first job that came their way, ultimately leading them to set up shop as a Discreet Retrieval Agency, operating out of Alfie’s cramped love nest.

Now they’re in danger of losing the business they’ve barely gotten off the ground—they haven’t had a job in months and money is running out. So when a society matron offers them a job, they take it—even if it means sneaking into a detox facility and consuming only water and health food until they can steal a diary from Grace Whiddle, a resident at the “health farm.” But barely a day in, Grace and her diary escape from the facility—and Grace’s future mother-in-law is found murdered on the premises. Lola and Berta are promptly fired. But before they can climb into Lola’s red and white Duesenberg Model A and whiz off the property, they find themselves with a new client and a new charge: to solve the murder of Grace’s future mother-in-law. 

Why am I waiting on this book? I read book 1 in the series and I enjoyed it. Lola and Berta work well together. Maia Chance uses humor in her writing as well. And I enjoy reading books that take place in the 1920s prohibition era. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR list. Happy Reading!

Review: Joy to the Worlds by Maia Chance, Janine A. Southard, Raven Oak, and G. Clemans

Joy to the Worlds is a collection of 8 stories, 2 each by 4 authors: Maia Chance, Janine A. Southard, Raven Oak, and G. Clemans.The stories are a mashup of either Science Fiction and Mystery or Fantasy and Mystery. Each story has its strengths. And unlike many anthologies, I found that I pretty much enjoyed all of them. A couple of the stories had a little bit of a YA feel to them, but overall I think this anthology appeals most to adults.

Each story was introduced by a different author than the one who wrote it and had a concluding note by the author of the piece. I found the brief notes interesting, especially the afternotes as they mentioned some of the things that lead the author to write that story. 

The stories are: Wild Hunt by Janine A. Southard, Escape from Yorktown by G. Clemans, Odysseus Flax & the Krampus by Maia Chance, Ol' St. Nick by Raven Oak, Bevel & Turn by G. Clemans,

Death Node by Janine A. Southard, The Ringers by Raven Oak, and Mr. and Mrs. Mistletoe by Maia Chance.

At the end of the book, there is a nice section on the authors including other works and ways they are on the web. So, if you enjoy one of the works by an author and wish to read more by them or know more about them, the information is readily available. 

I had previously only read one novel by Maia Chance, Come Hell or Highball, which was a historical mystery. I wasn't sure what to expect from her in another genre, but she did a great job with both the Fantasy/Mystery  mashup of the Krampus tale and the SciFi/Mystery mashup of Mr. and  Mrs. Mistletoe. 

Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good anthology with an interesting  premise. And it's a good holiday read. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest  opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #104: Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna by Maia Chance

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on the cozy Beauty, Beast and Belladonna by Maia Chance. It's the third book in her Fairy Tale Fatal Series. 

From Goodreads.com:
Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax knows how to win over an audience. That’s why she’s accepted the marriage proposal of the brutish Comte de Griffe to nettle her occasional investigative partner—and romantic sparring partner—the pompous if dashing Professor Penrose. 

But with his boorish table manners, wild mane of hair, and habit of prowling away the wee hours, the comte has shredded Ophelia’s last nerve. She intends to disengage from her feral fiancé at his winter hunting party—until Penrose, his lovely new fiancée, and a stagecoach of stranded travelers arrive at the comte’s sprawling château. Soon she can’t tell the boars from the bores.

When one of the guests is found clawed and bloody in the orangerie, Ophelia is determined to solve the murder before everyone starts believing the local version of Beauty and the Beast. But until the snows melt, she can’t trust her eyes—or her heart—since even the most civilized people hold beastly secrets.

Honestly, I haven't read any of the series yet, but I am hoping to remedy that before this one comes out in February 2016. I like that the mysteries are loosely based on Fairy Tales. They sound like they are right up my alley.

What book are you waiting on this week? Please leave the title or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Review: Come Hell or Highball by Maia Chance

"Desperate ladies are capable of far more than people might suppose." True. Berta and I were desperate ladies and look at the soup we'd dipped ourselves into."
- Berta speaking to Mrs. Lola Woodbury who then has a thought.
location 4134 on my Kindle.

Mrs. Lola Woodby, society matron, and her good friend and cook Berta take on a task of retrieving a reel of film per a young dancer's request when the young woman offers them $3000 to do so. If they didn't need the money, would it have ever come to this? Probably not. Lola would have kept on drinking highballs, reading detective novels, and eating chocolate cake as past times.

But Lola's husband Alfie dies leaving her with more debts than money. His brother inherits the house and kicks her out. He expects her to go home to her family, but Lola doesn't fancy that. She, her pooch Cedric, and Berta go to Alfie's love nest in Washington Square and hole up there. When the rent comes due, they decide to embark on the adventure of retrieving the reel for Ruby Simpkin. Adventure most certainly follows as well as humor, humiliation, gunshots, and a handsome Private Investigator.

I liked Lola and Berta a lot. They are both funny in their own ways. The mystery also reminded me a little of the Miss Fisher mysteries that also take place in the 1920s. The book Come Hell or Highball is set to be book one in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. There is a lot of humor in the book, but it also makes a good mystery. Where is the reel and how will they get it back? They aren't accustomed to these kinds of activities. And what will happen when people associated with the reel seem to start dropping like flies. It's a good historical cozy mystery. It was a fast read for me. I couldn't put it down. Read it in 2 days.

I would recommend this mystery for someone who likes humorous mysteries, the era of the 1920s, and light reading.

Come Hell or Highball by Maia Chance is scheduled to be released by Minotaur Books September 15, 2015.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The quote comes from an advance reading copy and may be different in the final form.