A Mysterious Review of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe. A Crime Novel.
Review summary: There is a lot of humor in this crime novel set in early 1900s Los Angeles. The mystery is a rather light one, however; relatively little time is actually spent in solving the crimes. A sequel, one where the lead character can use her obvious skills at deception and deduction in a more challenging case, would be most welcome. (Click here for text of full review.)
Our rating:
The Secret Life of Anna Blanc
Jennifer Kincheloe
A Crime Novel
Seventh Street Books (November 2015)
Publisher synopsis: It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels — but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals.
Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself.
If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding and stop pouring money into her father's collapsing bank. Midway into her investigation, the police chief's son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity. And shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail.
Anna must choose — either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.
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