I love Rachel McMillan + Rachel's books. This series was a super fun read. I love the time period, and Rachel writes it with such authority!

Such a fun murder mystery!! I’m really looking forward to reading more of these. I especially like the time that it’s set in. It’s got everything I love!

What a sweet, cozy mystery. I felt this story was more about the character development than an actual mystery itself. However, this was a fresh and lovely story about some wonderful characters.

Murder at the Flamingo is a fun, historical mystery with just a hint of romance. The main character, Hamish, follows his cousin to Boston where he becomes a part of his new nightclub.

The writing was lush and descriptive, the characters were wonderful, and the setting was so vivid. This book made me want to move to Boston, but only if I could somehow time travel to the 1930s.

It was refreshing to read of a protagonist who struggles with anxiety. I felt that element of his characterization really added depth and made him much more likable. Luca, Hamish, and Reggie were interesting characters.

The story was rather slow to start, but once I got used to the pacing I couldn’t put this down.

This was such a charming, 1930s mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

Just couldn't get through this and did not finish. Found it really slow moving, the characters didn't interest me and the mystery element still wasn't strong at the halfway point.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

3.5 stars.

1937, Boston. While the world is on the brink of crisis, there is also the magical world of nightclubs, where the platinum blondes and the well-dressed men are dancing and forgetting the world. And the best is yet to come - because dazzling Luca Valari is going to open his nightclub in a few days, and it is going to be big. Luca knows everybody, Luca wants only the best and Luca can inspire loyalty. But do people truly know and like him?
For Hamish DeLuca, his cousin is not the enigmatic figure, but maybe the only person with whom he can feel confident, somehow. Luca, a few years older, has always been a caring companion to him. So when Hamish need a safe spot to recuperate from humiliation, Luca and Boston it is.
Regina Van Buren is on a different kind of run. A girl from a good family, she has tired from the polite manners and being just a pretty mannequin. She is going to live on her own terms! And Luca seems to value what the others are not - her good manners, her upbringing and her upper-class good taste.
But Reggie is more. And Hamish is more than just a shy, smart guy, too. And they click together.
So when the trouble comes, they have each other's back.

The next generation is here! Hamish DeLuca is son of Ray DeLuca and Jemima Watts, the heroes of the previous work of Ms McMillan: the series "Herringford and Watts Mysteries". And charming Luca is son of Viola and Tony Valari.
And I must say - the next generation is much better and attractive! Hamish is shy and unsure of his good qualities because of his anxiety disorder (which was just hard then, when the mental health was not treated with education and respect like today) - which makes him being human and relatable to. Fingers crossed to grow in self-esteem and strength, Hamish! Bad boy Luca seems to still have a piece of living heart within all the coldness - and I must confess that I like this anti-hero the best. All in all, he is the most alive character here!
But tomboy Regina is close:) With all her courage, wit and energy, she is a (pretty) force to be reckoned with. And Hamish is all but ready to do just that!

This novel is also much more mature than Herringford and Watts Mysteries. While the previous work showed potential, here the said potential is at play. The book knows where to go and is doing it with gusto. And the golden nightlife era is a very attractive background for that!
Yet, there still is a way to go. The mystery, while good and believable, is mysteriously solved on a few pages - which I don't like, as in my opinion the mystery should be the most elaborate part of the mystery book. The baddies are just not believable. And the mastermind character is also hard to believe. Also the characters need to grow into their full potential to be fully likeable (as for now, the bad boy is the best character here for me, and it should not be that way :)).

Having said that - way to go, Ms McMillan! You can (and should) be proud of the growth and strength shown in this novel.

MURDER AT THE FLAMINGO seemed to have great promise. The 1930’s Boston setting is good with the author capturing both the glamour and grit and the characters are likable, but it suffers from in identity crisis. It’s a romance, not a murder mystery. The murder does not take place until almost 60% into the story, and that is too long to string readers along. The investigating is sluggish, and by the end I did not care what had happened to the victim and why. Historical Romance readers might find this enjoyable, but I cannot recommend it to fans of the mystery genre.


I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Wow. This book was fantastic!!

This is my first Rachel McMillan book, and I must say, it was really good, and I’m excited to read more from her!

What I enjoyed:

The Characters: The lovely characters in this novel are pretty much the definition of Dynamic! Reggie is a young, pampered socialite, who decides it’s time she take her future into her own hands. But her journey goes so much farther than simply learning how to change a lightbulb (a first for this pampered lady).... Her journey extends to brand new friendships, an actual job, and eventually even to the solving of a murder! Hamish. Ah, Hamish. Can I just say, I’m really liking the new trend of “flawed heroes” in Christian Fiction? Hamish definitely fits the bill. I don’t want to give up too much of the story, but I do want to say this...following his journey, as he meets Reggie and ends up doing things he never thought were possible for him, was an incredible experience for me!
And last but not least...Luca! Luca is charismatic and flawed. Pretty seriously. But I’m not giving up hope for him. Even the most broken people can be redeemed!—I am definitely on the lookout for more about him in a later book! 😉

The Period: The 1930’s! Gosh, this is not an era you read about a whole lot in Christian Fiction, for some reason. But, it was so much fun to go there, and read about the words, fashions, and movies that were “in” at that time. It’s an intriguing time period, and it fit this story to perfection!

The Themes: Second Chances, Change, Courage, Faith. These amazing themes were weaved throughout this intriguing story in a delightful way. I particularly enjoyed reading about Hamish and seeing him overcome the obstacles that were in his way. What makes it a million times more powerful is that the author herself faces some of the same issues. Seeing her have the courage not only to address them, but to weave them into this wonderful story, is so impactful!

Anyway, to wrap it up, this was a wonderful novel! The characters were brave and dynamic, the period was intriguing, and the themes were incredibly powerful! So what are you waiting for? Go read it!! 😉

While not initially engaged by the main characters in this historical mystery, the 1930s Bostonian setting, with gangsters, jazz clubs and immigrant communities, drew me in, and then slowly, I also fell in love with Hamish and Reggie. The main characters, while in their twenties, are relatable for teens, and the overall content is appropriate for school libraries. Note that the cover is a bit misleading. The book ends with a romantic triangle still very much of an issue. Hamish, with his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, reminds me a bit of TV detective, Monk. I do hope Van Buren and DeLuca find many more mysteries to solve.

Included in a Books section essay on new titles, including historical fiction, that address the stigma of mental health issues.

Rachel McMillan has done it again.
Murder at the Flamingo is another un-put-downable book that you must find the answers to without it being too gruesome.

My full review is coming soon.

Title: Murder at the Flamingo

Author: Rachel McMillian

Series: Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery Book 1

Chapters: 28

Pages: 352

Genre: Historical Mystery

Rating: 4 Stars


Murder at the Flamingo is the newest book by Rachel McMillan. It is the first in a new series. We meet Hamish DeLuca the baby from the Herringford and Watts series all grown up. He's Jem and Ray DeLuca A new lawyer who's running away from his first court case. He ends up in Boston where his cousin Luca is starting a nightclub. Once in Boston Hamish meets Regina call me Reggie Van Buren who despite being the daughter of a wealthy Pastor and an heir of New Haven fortune doesn't want that life. She wants to live her own life. Be self-sufficient just like the characters in her favorite movies. She doesn't know how to take Hamish when she first meets him. Hamish on the other hand almost falls for Reggie as soon as he meets her. But doesn't think that a girl like her would like a guy like him, with his anxiety and glasses.
But then pretty much on opening night of his cousin Luca's club a murder happens. Hamish wants to clear his cousin and Reggie doesn't like the fact that some of the police want to write it off as an accident. Reggie wants to bring justice for the victim so the two team up to solve the murder.
I have to say that I enjoyed Murder at the Flamingo more than I did Rachel's first series and I loved the Herringford and Watts series. A series that you need to read first before you read this one. As there could be spoilers if you don't. I liked Reggie's spunk, but I loved Hamish, the flawed hero who has to learn how to deal with his anxiety. Rachel who even says in the author's note at the end of the book that she herself deals with anxiety put some of herself in Hamish, so in many ways it was an own voices novel. I loved that Rachel had Hamish be the character with anxiety and not Reggie as it made Hamish a more relateable character. I don't know about most readers but after a while I get tired of perfect heroes. I think Hamish has become one of my new favorite heroes. An Nate is an awesome side kick I love with Nate compares Hamish to Clark Kent (the glasses) and superman (being the hero). A mention of my favorite comic book hero. What can I say I have a thing for the nerdy hero.
I can't wait for the next book in the series, Murder in the City of Liberty do to release on May 28th 2019. I also look forward to continuing Rachel's other series in Three Quarter Time a modern romance series sent in Vienna.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Murder at the Flamingo is a cute, somewhat entertaining mystery. The cover is fun and represents the movie well.

This book is simply amazing. Rachel McMillan writes character’s with such depth and uniqueness. It’s easy to get caught up in the lives of Hamish, Reggie and Luca and become invested in what is happening in their lives. I like how each character has struggles like Hamish with his anxiety but works to manage and become the best version of themselves. I think that Reggie and Luca bring out the best in each other. The story is set in Boston in in the 1930s and you can tell Rachel did an extensive amount of research for this book. The story is a blend of mystery, adventure, romance and history and sure to capture your heart.

I received this book from the publisher to read and give my honest review.

I highly recommend this story to my family and friends

Whodunits often feature strong, confident men who swoop in to solve the mystery and save the day—and they usually get the girl in the process. But Murder at the Flamingo, the first Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery by author Rachel McMillan, pairs an anxious young man and a girl on the run...

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

This was W A Y too long to be be considered a cozy [even though it is classified as such], the audiobook alone was over 10 hours long [!!], but all things considered, this wasn't a horrible book. Trouble is, it isn't a great book either. It was way too long and not really about a murder [that doesn't happen until almost 50% into the story]; the title of the book is very misleading [though the murder does happen at the Flamingo, NOTHING else does] in this case.

While I like the main characters Hamish DeLuca and Reggie Van Buren quite a bit, but the other characters are quite another story. I felt they really fell flat and were one-dimensional [even flatter than your typical "gangster-style" fodder], especially Hamish's cousin Luca. His posturing and pretending to be someone he clearly wasn't, got very old and annoying very fast and I just didn't like him or believe he was a part of the mess he was supposed to be involved in [no matter HOW the book ends]. And speaking of endings, I am so glad that Vaughn seems to be taking a walk. WHAT. A. PUTZ.

Not sure if I would read the next one [if there is one] or not, but if I did, I'd certainly allot more time for it as this was most definitely a cozy mystery in the strictest sense of the word and needs way more time to get through than a typical book in the genre.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

I adored this story! From the main characters to each of the secondary characters, from the setting to the time period, from the romance to the mystery, this story was intriguing in every way! I really enjoyed all the different relationships between the different characters as well. Parental, familial, friendship, romantic, and business...each relationship was interesting and unique. I think Ms. McMillian did a beautiful job in her writing the different aspects of her fantastic book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan is book 1 in the Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery series. Written with a definite sense of time and place, it is obvious that the author is a student of history and researched this novel well. The setting is so well developed that Boston can be considered a character in its own right. Reading this book is like being transported back in time, and it is a bustling adventure! Having lived in Boston, I really enjoyed the setting and figuring out how it has changed over time. I particularly loved the author's two main characters. Hamish and his very real anxieties bring this book a realism that is missing from much historical fiction. Reggie's attempt to make her own life also brings much to the plot. These characters with very different backgrounds come together to solve a murder mystery. Pick up this book! It is a fabulous read and would be enjoyed by those who love historical fiction, cozy mysteries, and well written stories. I can't wait for book 2! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan had such promise as it was set in the the 1930s with the vibe of The Thin Man's Nick and Nora Charles and the glamour of a night club. Like the screwball comedies and mysteries typcially of 1930s Hollywood, McMillian tried to introduce the snappy and quick dialogue typical of this period. It is the story of rich girl striking out on her own and asserting her independence by becoming a working girl at the unlikely place of a night club. Enter a lawyer who has been embarrassed by a recent courtroom loss and seeks refuge working at the family's night club. At some point, a murder occurs, and these duo become the detectives. However, I never made it to the murder even though I was over 50% into the book (thanks Kindle for keeping up with the percentage). At that point, I quit reading as the pace was too slow and the attempts at snappy dialogue fell flat. It was a disappointment as I had such high hopes for this book.