“Faithful column readers know how much I adore Stephen Spotswood’s Pentecost and Parker series, and sometimes I feel . . . like a broken record recommending these books, set in post-World War II New York City, to anybody and everybody. I swore I was going to let this new installment pass without comment, but when it’s just as good as the last three, how could I. . . There’s a cliffhanger ending, which I shan’t spoil, but which raises my hopes very high for installment No. 5.” –Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“A worthy addition to a superb series. It is deftly plotted and expertly paced. The scrapes and skirmishes provide thrills, with moments of genuine tension. . . Bring on this pair’s next magical mystery.” —The Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Christie-like . . . A superb retro noir that summons another unlikely brownstone duo, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.”
—Booklist
“Spotswood’s newest sojourn with Parker & Pentecost won me over from the first page . . . It’s fast-paced with first-rate, humanly-flawed protagonists, lots of action right up to the last page, and interconnected side stories: a compelling read, which spirits readers into 1947 New York with ease. I’m eager for the next book and strongly recommend this one.”
–Historical Novel Society
“Will is . . . the Archie Goodwin to Lillian’s Nero Wolfe . . . The feel is very much of the period in terms of lexicon, fashion and all the other minutiae that make for authentic storytelling. . . Will and Lillian . . . have different perspectives on life as hard-boiled detectives in the 1940s than their forebears in the genre.”
—BookPage
Praise for the Pentecost & Parker Mysteries
“Razor-sharp style, tons of flair, a snappy sense of humor, and all the most satisfying elements of a really good noir novel.”
—Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of The Searcher
“A delight . . . it’s a pleasure to watch [Pentecost and Parker] sifting through red herrings and peeling secrets back like layers of an onion. . . Just like his mystery-writing ancestor [Rex Stout], Spotswood understands that the detective story should be sound, but spending time with unforgettable characters is paramount.”
—New York Times Book Review
“My new favorite sleuthing duo are Pentecost and Parker, the spiritual sisters of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin . . . Utterly brilliant!”
–Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of Killers of a Certain Age
“Stephen Spotswood hard-boils with the best of ‘em!”
–Alan Bradley, bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series
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