Really good story about a woman who married too young to a scoundrel and spent most of her money on a casino for him while he gambled and cheated on her and abused her in Shanghai. They are robbed one night, and he dies, and she is able to escape to America, where she teaches singing. But, her past does not leave her alone...

this was a great mystery novel, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey. I liked Penelope Harris as a lead and hope there is more in this series.

Penelope, a recent widow, has returned to New York with her family after suffering some traumatic events in Shanghai. She owned a night club there where she used to sing.

It's 1928 and she's attending her cousin's evening party. Guests include several society members, bootleggers, blackmailers, people from her past...so things get heated during the course of the night. It ends with the murder of one of the guests.
Who's the killer?

The story started off slowly. It picked up once the dead body was discovered and the investigation began. Penelope investigates with her family and love interest (a former cop) to help out.

There were a lot of characters but i didn't have too many issues keeping track of them.
The mystery element of the story was good. Lots of suspects.

Some of the negatives included a lot of repetition with the constant mentioning of "the jade tiger" which is not only the book title but also the club Penelope owned in Shanghai. I didn't connect with the characters nor did I become interested in their stories. And i kept thinking that the crash of '29 would soon be upon them. (with all the talk of riches & finance)
I did appreciate the author's note at the end which gave some historical perspective on elements of the story.

Overall, while I liked the mystery part of the story, I thought the characters were humdrum and i got bored halfway thru so this wasn't for me.

This was a tough one for me - I almost didn't get past the first couple of chapters. There are glimmers of intrigue and a good story, but the backstory was more interesting than the present day one. If the author had written a book that unfolded the events in Shanghai, there would have been a lot more action and opportunities for character development. Instead, we get a book that focuses mostly on characters just talking in one room or another. The dialogue is a bit stitled, especially in the beginning, and the conversations just don't flow well. This book also features yet another version of "if only the main characters had taken the time to talk to each other, perhaps all this angst would have been avoided."

The excerpt for the next book appears to be better written than most of this book, and I found myself wondering what would happen to the characters next and how the series would develop. I think this is likely a case that a first time writer is setting up the characters, which slowed down the pace of this book, but will improve in subsequent books.

*****ARC received free via NetGalley*****

I enjoyed this book, however I found it hard to really connect the any of the characters. Set in 1928, the main character wanted to be an opera singer but instead fell for and married a bounder. He is now deceased but she must continue to deal with her past. The author does give us a good look at New York and society at that point on time.

1928 New York. Penelope Harris and her family have left Shanghai after her husband, Kinkaid Ambrose, was killed and she settled all his debts. In New York she meets the ex-lover, Renee Strong, of her husband who is now involved with Penelope's cousin, the supposedly rich Charles Staughton. But when Renee is found murdered, suspects abound, all with secrets to keep hidden, and how many have been blackmailed by Renee. Lt Nathan Blake and Patrolman James McCain investigate.
An enjoyable cosy historical mystery though I admit I didn't take to many of the characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1928, Penelope has moved from Shanghai after her abusive husband's death. Penelope ran a casino/nightclub in Shanghai named The Jade Tiger. Penelope and her mother and brother move to New York City to begin a new chapter and start over. Penelope has given up her dreams of being a opera singer and is looking for music students to teach. Penelope's husband's mistress, Renee, who also sang at the Jade Tiger also shows up in new York. Renee is found dead at a society party where her cousin introduces Renee as his wife. The search for a killer brings many suspects into the picture especially since Renee's specialty was blackmail and using rich men. The large cast of characters gives you many clues and suspects on the way to finding a killer.
Thank you to NetGalley, E.W. Cooper and Ink Dog Press for an advance copy of The Jade Tiger in exchange for a review.

A very good book about blackmail and consequences taking place in 1930-1940 time period in China and US. This author is very good in creating and describing the era, the scenes, and characters. I enjoyed reading this book...

I will not be reviewing this ‘Read Now’ book as I was unable to read/finish it. Partly due to the fact that I didn’t find the story engaging or interesting and partly due to the fact that, in the Kindle version at least, the formatting was off and I found that distracting. Leaving 3 stars as to not negatively affect the overall rating since I didn’t finish

A short historical mystery/thriller based in Prohibition New York and Shanghai. In 2928 Penelope has moved back to New York from Shanghai where she owned a speakeasy/casino frequented by the underworld, the Jade Tiger. Penelope has given up an operatic career to marry Kincaid a rascal and abusive man who is murdered. In NYC you are treated to how the upper class entertain, their clothes and secrets. There are many characters which can be confusing at first but this serves to provide many possibilities for the eventual antagonist. Renee, a singer at the Jade Tiger and Kincaid’s lover has followed Penelope to New York to bribe her as well as several others. When Renee is murdered at a big party many of the characters are investigated as the possible murderer (thus the many characters mentioned above. There are many twists and turns throughout the novel with added suspense. The only thing I didn’t care for was the lengthy dialogue 3/4’s of the way through the story. The characters are well written and interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This is a very good mystery novel. At first I was a bit confused about the different characters and their backstories, but I quickly caught on and enjoyed the story. It’s very well crafted and keeps the reader interested and guessing until the very end. I definitely recommend to mystery lovers and anyone else who enjoys a well thought out mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author, highly recommend!