While I’m pretty sure that I have at least one or two books by the author under her Amanda McCabe pseudonym, this is my introduction to her work. The second installment in the Santa Fe Revival series, set in the 1920s, and centered around young widow, and former New York City socialité, Maddie Vaughn-Alwin.

Having been born to wealth and comfort, Maddie’s world changed forever after losing her husband during the Great War. Now, far away from the oppressive golden cage of societal and familial expectations, she has found a new home, and is working to find her own place in the world.

And then the past comes to pay her a visit.

Beware: drastic weight loss (potentially due to drug addiction); implied rape of a minor; cultural appropriation/”noble savages”.

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love the title; it grabbed me and didn’t let go until I had read the blurb.

And this really is a great premise for a series, not only because of the unusual setting and time period, but also the central character’s backstory; Maddie is young and privileged in many ways, yet life hasn’t spared her suffering, and she’s supposed to be a mix of artistic dreaminess and cold common sense.

Sadly, the execution didn’t live up to either title or premise.

The book opens with a short prologue, a flashback to 13 year old cousins Maddie and Gwen, dreaming of freedom from “good society” and all the restrictions women lived under in the early 1900s; the scene establishes both characters’ personalities and the tone of their relationship quickly and economically.

When the novel proper starts, a dozen years later, Maddie has already established herself in Santa Fe, not just as another wealthy transplant from “back East”, but as an emerging artist in her own right, and as someone willing to stand up for those around her who don’t enjoy the protection of her position.

Maddie is delighted at the idea of seeing her cousin again; it’s true Gwen’s letters have been less and less frequent, and all but entirely absent for the past couple of months, but they were once as close as sisters, and she knows her cousin has talent. It’s therefore a shock to Maddie that when Gwen does show up; she’s at once fragile, physically and emotionally, and secretive.

Because while Maddie was busy finding her new self in New Mexico,, Gwen ran away to California to fulfill her lifelong ambition of becoming a famous actress; however, lacking her cousin’s rock-solid sense of self, Gwen got entangled with a director–a married one with a reputation as a lecher, and worse, throughout the industry.

And because nothing is ever simple, he’s the director of the movie that brings Gwen to Santa Fe now.

It soon becomes clear to Maddie that most everyone who ever came in contact with him hated the man, so when it’s determined that his suicide scene was staged, the pool of suspects is about as large as the movie production itself.

It is very clear that the author did a goodly amount of research into the film industry of her chosen period; there are references to the kind of pulp magazines and “moving pictures” glossies that would have been widely available at the time, as well as actual films, actors, directors, and the scandals of the time, here and there through the novel.

That research is shared a tad too heavily when it comes to period slang. I understand using it for the dialogue, but it feels forced in the descriptive passages, even if they’re from Maddie’s point of view. When I say that the characters talk, and the third-person narration sounds, “like the movies”, I don’t mean it as a compliment; the artificiality is high.

I want to get lost in the setting, not see the wires holding up the scenery.

Having Maddie-a wealthy NY socialité–use ‘jeepers’ as a mild swear is somewhat affected, but okay, it could be her little idiosyncrasy; having Bridget–a NJ scraper of Irish descent, who’s been in the movie business for a decade or more–use it in the same manner? It flattens both characters into stock “1920s women” rather than two distinct people.

Aside: it may be because the author has written forty-plus genre romances for different category lines, but while there are two scenes where the narration says that someone “swore heatedly/imaginatively”, the only off-color word in the text is “shit”. This feels a bit forced, given the rough or unsavory backgrounds of some of the characters.

On the plus side, one of Maddie’s close friends in Santa Fe is gay, and not only is she aware of it, she actively hopes he’ll find someone to have a loving long term relationship with, just as she hopes for her housekeeper (and friend).

Second aside: much is made of Maddie loving Juanita’s twin daughters and considering her a dear friend, but I couldn’t help but notice how the only potential love interest for the Brown woman is a Brown man; or how most of the Indigenous or Latinx/Mexican people in this version of Santa Fe are servants , with the notable exception of the grocer and the actor.

There are a few brief references to events in the first book sprinkled through the story, mostly as part of the introduction to secondary characters, such as explaining Maddie’s familiarity with the cop in charge of this murder investigation, and so on, but this novel isn’t weighted down with a full rehashing of previous events.

While I wasn’t a fan of Maddie’s willful and blithe disregard for the law–twice she removes evidence from the crime scene, once even helping someone she knows could easily be the murderer–it could be argued that she wants to protect her cousin, and that, as she has never really had to face consequences from her own actions because of her name/wealth/privilege, she’s therefore somewhat cavalier about the possibility.

It makes me itch, but okay, it could be argued.

My main problems with this novel are: first, Maddie magically figures out the mystery by making some fancy leaps of logic that don’t quite track with the facts presented in the story. I prefer mysteries where readers have a fair chance of figuring out the truth, but when that’s not the case, I want the final explanation to answer all the open questions; the solution here left a bunch of dangling threads, some integral to the crime, some red herrings, some in which secondary characters are nothing but window dressing–especially Brown people.

Second, the repetitions. The phrase–“not exactly/so much for the weeping widow” appears about half a dozen times in Maddie’s internal dialogue in the course of about half a chapter. The cop in charge of the investigation warns Maddie about Gwen’s lack of respectability and potential as main suspect twice in two separate conversations in successive chapters. Maddie’s beau, and acting coroner, tells her three times in three successive chapters that the victim was healthy, that there was no evidence of addiction (track marks or organ damage) prior to the final overdose, and that he was likely dead or at least nigh-comatose when his body was hanged. A passage about how “the whole universe had been upended by war and epidemic” appears at least twice, phrased almost identically, and Maddie’s conversation with David about childhood’s sense of security, occurs twice in as many chapters (and days within the story).

Finally, that there’s no real sense of how time passes. For example, during Maddie’s first visit to the set, there’s a minute-by-minute account of what she does, what shee sees, where everyone is, up to the moment the director yells “cut!”, followed by three or four paragraphs that can be summed up as “they were all there”; then, without a scene change or break to indicate the passage of time, it’s suddenly *hours later*–enough hours for rigor mortis to have set in. And in all this time, neither Maddie nor Juanita have thought once about the twins getting back home after school.

Or after Gwen is arrested, first Maddie is rushing about to see her at the jail, calling a lawyer, terribly worried about her cousin’s emotional state and so on; in the next scene, and for a couple of chapters thereafter, Gwen’s status is not mentioned at all. I even thought she had been let out of jail and was staying at Maddie’s house again!

Basically, this book needed tighter editing.

Still, it was quite readable, and the setting novel and interesting in its own right.

A Moment in Crime gets 7.25 out of 10

I wanted to like this book - honest.ly, I did. And I tried, giving it more effort than I normally give a book that is taxing. I just couldn’t. The use of descriptive prose is important in a story, but it seemed to bog the story down. Too much description was almost overwhelming. I remember needing to find a light read after finishing a Tom Clancy because there was so much detail. In that case, it was all necessary. In this case, it wasn’t. Just too much.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me the advanced digital copy of A Moment in Crime by This story is a mix of relatable characters in a period murder mystery brings the silent film era and Santa Fe to life..

This was my first book in the Santa Fe Revival Mystery series, but definately not my last. The book can be read as a stand alone story but I can't wait to know more of the characters.

There are a few spoilers for previous books but that just entices me to read more by this author.

Anyone who is a fan of the Miss Fischer series will quicly become adicted to this series.

I am a fan of this authors other books under the names Amanda Carmack, and Amanda Macabe. This book reminds me of a Miss Fisher type who done it. Having left NYC after her husband's death Maddie has made a life for herself in Santa Fe. Spending time with her art. Her Astor cousin, Gwen shows up with a movie crew and a murder happens. Maddie can't help, but try and help solve the mystery. Delightful, historical mystery

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!

It’s the Jazz Age in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and local resident and artist Maddie Vaughn-Alwin is enjoying the life she’s created for herself. Then renowned Hollywood director Luther Bishop and some of the biggest stars around, including Luther’s wife Bridget, roll into town to film Bishop’s latest movie – a Western. Maddie’s cousin Gwen Astor has a bit part in the movie, and unknown to Maddie, is involved in an affair with Luther.

When Bishop is found hanged in his office, murder is suspected, and Gwen is soon arrested for the crime. Maddie goes to work to figure out what really happened and who is responsible for the director’s death. Luther Bishop had plenty of enemies, so there is no shortage of suspects.

Readers will enjoy getting to know Maddie and her friends and colleagues in this winning whodunit.

Title: A Moment in Crime
Author: Amanda Allen
Pg:279
Series: Santa Fe Revival Mystery book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
In the second book of the Santa Fe Revival Mystery Series A Moment in Crime Maddie Vaughn-Alwin is enjoying her life in Santa Fe when her cousin Gwen Astor comes to town as an actress in a movie that is being filmed outside of town. But Gwen’s arrival is soon followed by a murder in which she becomes the prime suspect.
To clear her cousin’s name and still not trusting the town’s sheriff to solve the case Maddie must involve herself in another murder mystery.
I loved the 1920s setting New Mexico as you don’t get many books set in the 1920s set outside of New York and Chicago. The 20’s is a time period that I enjoy reading about and the fact that this is a mystery makes it so much better. This one was a faster read than the first one. I think due in part to the fact that the setting and the main characters were established in the first book. So the author didn’t have to take time for the world building or character building in this one and she could just jump into the mystery.
I can’t wait for the next book in the Santa Fe Revival Mystery series. Even though it is a series I feel like that could possibly be read as stand alones but I would recommend reading them in order.

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.

The second entry in what will hopefully be a decent length series, and the first I've read. I felt only a little wrong-footed in that there were references to the murder from the first book but otherwise, it was easy to get involved in the story and connect the characters involved.

It's 1922 and artist Maddie Alwin has settled in Sante Fe, New Mexico, after the death of her husband in WWI. She has set up her own life: a home, a successful artistic career, a housekeeper and a new beau in the form of a handsome English doctor.

Maddie's cousin Gwen (they are both 'escapees' from NY society, being Astors), is in California following her dream of becoming an actress. One day, a movie crew arrives in town and begins to set up for filming. To her surprise, Gwen is amongst the arrivals, only she is in quite a state. It turns out that the director of the film, one Luther Bishop, is a both a fan of young ladies and a tyrant to work for, making him no friends amongst the crew. When Maddie finds his body in his office, an apparent suicide, no one is particularly upset to hear the news. However, it's not as cut and dried as it appears, and Maddie gets involved in the investigation of his murder.

The story moves along sedately, nothing particularly dramatic or overly exciting happens, but the story is good and the killer is quite well hidden so while I had a tiny suspicion, I didn't truly guess until Maddie had it figured out.

The single thing which took me wholly out of the story (1922) was the mention of the twins' first day of school, where they readied themselves for their new adventure. Their knapsacks were full of books. I was curious about this, so I looked it up: knapsacks/backpacks weren't invented until 1967. Their brother Eddie arrives home after work with one as well. So, sadly, I went straight from 1922 to 2012 and never really found my way back, despite some mentions of film reels, some 20s lingo and various other references. Anachronisms like this can really upset the whole feel of the book and that's unfortunately what happened to me with this.

Otherwise, I read through this quite quickly and enjoyed it. I'd definitely continue, as I liked the setting and the characters.

This was not a great story. The location was in New Mexico and the heroine was a misplaced New York city member of the Astor family. The story was not very engaging, nor were the collection of characters very believable. The pacing was okay so it held your interest, but it never became suspenseful or exciting even when it was meant to be both. I will not read this author again.

Maddie Vaughn-Alwin and her cousin Gwen Astor grew up in wealthy New York society. They each went their own way as adults, but always had a bond. Gwen set her sights on being a famous movie star as the golden age of cinema is dawning. Maddie pursued her love of painting. Maddie settles in Santa Fe, New Mexico to start her life again after becoming a young widow.
This is where Gwen and Maddie reunite. Maddie needs to solve the murder of Gwen's director, and ex-lover when Gwen is suspected of the murder.

A Moment in Crime has a wonderful setting. It's the 1920s in Santa Fe on a movie set. So fun! Gwen is a starlet. Maddie is her cousin who lives in the town. A murder occurs and we have a mystery to solve. It's an entertaining read with adorable characters. I recommend if you enjoy historical fiction of the glamorous kind. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the setting for A Moment in Crime. Having been to Santa Fe the setting felt very real. I also liked the characters. Maddie Vaughn has had her troubles but finds that leaving New York and coming to Santa Fe fits her life. I also liked her dishy doctor. David provides just the right amount of support for Maddie and their burgeoning romance is just right for the time. The movie setting and the murder are laid out very well. I did think the book moved just a little bit slow. I kept waiting for someone to die and it took a long long time. A nice cozy mystery with a interesting historical setting.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Historical mysteries are a favorite of mine and A Moment in Crime is a enjoyable addition to my reading list. Set in Santa Fe of the 1920's with its slow small town pace, it's the era of the silent films and all of the glamor that comes with it. Maddie and her cousin Gwen have chosen to leave the social life they grew up in - Maddie to become a painter and Gwen to become an actress. When a movie company arrives to film, Gwen is in the company. Gwen soon needs Maddie's help when the film's director is murdered and Gwen is prime suspect number one.
The mystery itself is a bit thin and the pace is slow to start but the characters are well drawn. It's the setting that kept me engaged along with the descriptions of the world of the silent movies. Maddie and Gwen are women who have decided to go their own way and, while investigating they do things that are not wise choices. When reading a historical mystery the reader has to adjust their mind set a bit. Put it altogether and it worked for me. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

An entertaining and engaging mystery. It was a bit slow at the beginning but it was interesting to see how the writer prepared the scene for the mystery part.
I loved the setting and the well written characters.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Maddie is certain that her cousin Gwen did not kill Luther Bishop, the director of the film she's got a bit part in. Set in Santa Fe during the silent film era, it features characters who are in some ways fish out of water. Maddie and Gwen are both "society" women who opted out- Maddie to be an artist and Gwen an actress. Keep the era in mind as you read and give Maddie a break when she does what we would likely find unacceptable in a cozy amateur detective of the 21st century. She's a good character. The rest of the cast is somewhat predictable but the mystery itself takes enough turns to keep you well entertained. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you didn't read the first one- I didn't and it was fine as a standalone.

This was a pleasant enough book to read but I did not find the characters realistic. There was not enough depth to all the different people envolved .
I liked the setting of the story being in the twenties but honestly nothing seemed real.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honesty revue.

A Moment in Crime

A Santa Fe Revival Mystery

by Amanda Allen

Crooked Lane Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 21 Dec 2018

I am reviewing a copy of A Moment in Crime through Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley:

The murder of a famous Jazz aged Film director unearths a hornets nest of passion, duplicity, and naked ambition, and bitter revenge.

The Golden age of cinema has begun. Santa Fe is in the grip of movie fever when Luther Bishop arrives for the filming of his new Cowboy Film. Maddie Vaughn-Alwin’s cousin Gwen Astor is in town with a small part in the movie. Unfortunately Gwen finds herself caught in a whirlwind of Mischief before the filming even starts. The plot thickens when the director is found hanging in his office!

Soon it comes to light that Gwen was having an affair with Luther, leaving Gwen as the prime suspect in his murder much to Maddie’s dismay . But Maddie knows that Gwen was not the only one who he had an affair with. He’s made his fair share of enemies. Luther’s widowed Wife Bridget finally takes her late husbands coveted directors chair meanwhile head of wardrobe Lorelei Fontaine is denied a role that Luther had promised her. Original leading man Harry Kelly was fired by Luther just as they arrived in Santa Fe.

Desperate to prove her cousin Gwen’s innocence Maddie begins an investigation of her own but every clue reveals a new motive. Can Maddie prove her cousin’s innocence.

I give A Moment in Crime five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

1922 Santa Fe and the film industry had arrived in town with the shooting of a film. As does Maddie Vaughn-Alwin’s cousin aspiring actress Gwen Astor. But murder also arrives.
A cozy mystery which took a long time to develop into a mystery. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be much investigating until Madddie decides who the guilty party is, and I didn't particularly take to the main character either. Although the second in the series it can easily be read as a standalone book.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed this delightful cozy mystery set in Santa Fe in the age of the silent movie, early 20th century.

Maddie and Gwen are cousins growing up in New York's high society. But instead of becoming Ladies Who Lunch, they choose a different life for themselves. Traveling West, Maddie settles in Santa Fe to make a living as a painter, while Gwen moves on to Hollywood.

Santa Fe is a lively artisan community, with wonderful adobe houses, Portugese tiles and Navajo rugs.
Its desert and blue skies make a great setting for a movie. Years later this is where the cousins meet again, when Gwen stars in a western.
All is well until a dead body is discovered.

I found the process of solving the mystery quite dragging and once it becomes clear what happened the story just fizzles out.
Even so, A Moment In Crime is a pleasantly paced entertaining read with well written bold characters set in an inspiring environment.

A MOMENT IN CRIME picks up directly where SANTA FE MOURNING left off. Maddie Vaughn-Alwin is attending an art show when her cousin, Gwendolyn Astor, stumbles in and begs Maddie to help her get out of trouble. The last time Maddie saw her cousin was a few years earlier when they were traveling cross-country to California. Maddie never made it to their final destination. Instead, she stayed in Santa Fe and left Gwen to travel the rest of the way alone. In Los Angeles, Gwen set her sights on becoming an actress in the silent films during what is known as the golden age of cinema. Now, Gwen is in Santa Fe to act in a movie that is being filmed outside of town. And she needs Maddie’s help to deal with the overbearing, blackmailing director. When Luther Bishop is murdered on set, Gwen becomes the police’s number one suspect due to her torrid affair with the man. Maddie refuses to believe that her cousin is a murderer, so she delves deeper into the director’s life and learns that he had a long list of enemies that could have killed him. With a slew of suspects, Maddie must find the one who called the final cut on the director’s life.

While I love the setting and time period of the novel – Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the Roaring 20s – I’m not a huge fan of Maddie. She steals evidence from the crime scene, but never turns any of it over to the police. She also learns about various motives that different suspects had to kill the victim, but she doesn’t share this information with the police. Maddie is even threatened by the killer, but she doesn’t tell anyone about that either. It was also a little too unbelievable that Maddie just happened to be given a job as artistic director on set, and is then able to snoop around the set/crime scene at her leisure. Not only did Maddie conveniently get a job on set, she also got a job as wardrobe assistant for her housekeeper. The “best buddies” relationship between Maddie and her housekeeper just doesn’t work for me. Nor is it believable that all of these people are telling Maddie their deepest, darkest secrets. After discovering the identity of the killer, Maddie grabs her deceased husband’s service revolver and rushes off to confront the killer in a completely preposterous scene. I hate to deem Maddie as one of those TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) amateur sleuths – mainly because I think this series has a lot of promise – but most of her antics will make the readers either laugh, groan, or bash their heads into the wall in reaction. Also, the victim was thoroughly unlikable, and I found that I couldn’t bring myself to really care who the murderer was because that person essentially did the fictional world a favor by removing the victim from it. Overall, the premise of the novel was very interesting, and the various suspects and motives did keep me guessing at the killer’s identity.