Vera and Max have settled in to domestic bliss when Max receives startling news from her estranged family. Suspicious things are happening and she decides to return home and see for herself what is going on. Lucky for us and Max, Vera goes along. The book feels rather low key compared to the previous books. There still remained the issues of her lesbian relationship coming under fire but it didn't seem as forceful as in previous books. Of course there is Max's disapproving family. Vera is both in shock over the amount of wealth her paramour's family has and how they treat Max. But I think this book rested more on character building and story advancement rather than the actual mystery. This would be a difficult book to read if you haven't read the previous two. As always, I suggest you read the series in order but especially in this case as it will help you understand Vera and why she reacts the way she does.

A more more personally focused entry into ‘Vera Kelly—she has more at stake than pleasing government handlers, as she tries to help her emotional partner navigate mysterious and troubling family issues.

This is the first book I have read in this series and will read the other books.

I enjoyed the noir pulp fiction style of the story.

Vera Kelly: Lost and Found
by Rosalie Knecht
Pub Date: June 21, 2022
Tin House Books
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* Mystery *Queer *Fiction
This is the first book I've read in the series so that may have impacted my opinion. I did not like it. It starts very slow. It did pick up some but the beginning soured me on the whole story. I found it to be mostly plot-driven, slow to medium-paced, and with some interesting characters. I'd recommend it to folks who previously enjoyed others of the series.
2 stars

This is the first book I've read in the series so that may have impacted my opinion. I did not like it. It starts very slow and I kept losing track as I zoned out. It did pick up some but the beginning soured me on the whole story. I found it to be mostly plot driven, slow to medium paced, and some interesting characters. I'd recommend it to folks who previously enjoyed others of the series.

Vera Kelly is such a wonderful character, and Rosalie Knecht is a great writer. I love the noirish feel to the books, and I'd follow Vera anywhere. This was a great read, and Knecht deserves all the good publicity she's been getting for this series.

I think this is my favorite Vera Kelly book yet! I loved the first and thought the second was okay and loved this. It was not so much of a spy or mystery novel but peek into her life in early 1970s NYC and LA. I loved learning more about Max and their visit to her mother. I hope there is a fourth book around the corner!

"Everyone’s favorite sleuth - Vera Kelly - is back and put to the test as she searches for her missing girlfriend.

It’s spring 1971 and Vera Kelly and her girlfriend, Max, leave their cozy Brooklyn apartment for an emergency visit to Max's estranged family in Los Angeles. Max’s parents are divorcing - her father is already engaged to a much younger woman and under the sway of an occultist charlatan; her mother has left their estate in a hurry with no indication of return. Max, who hasn’t seen her family since they threw her out at the age of twenty-one, prepares for the trip with equal parts dread and anger.

Upon arriving, Vera is shocked by the size and extravagance of the Comstock estate - the sprawling, manicured landscape; expansive and ornate buildings; and garages full of luxury cars reveal a privileged upbringing that, up until this point, Max had only hinted at—while Max attempts to navigate her father, who is hostile and controlling, and the occultist, St. James, who is charming but appears to be siphoning family money. Tensions boil over at dinner when Max threatens to alert her mother—and her mother’s lawyers - to St. James and her father’s plans using marital assets. The next morning, when Vera wakes up, Max is gone.

In Vera Kelly Lost and Found, Rosalie Knecht gives Vera her highest-stake case yet, as Vera quickly puts her private detective skills to good use and tracks a trail of breadcrumbs across southern California to find her missing girlfriend. She travels first to a film set in Santa Ynez and, ultimately, to a most unlikely destination where Vera has to decide how much she is willing to commit to save the woman she loves."

Southern California in the seventies? Yes please!

If you read the first two Vera Kelly books and were like, "I really like this, and would like to read the same book again, but wish it were a little slower and set entirely domestically, maybe mostly with exceptionally wealthy people in California," this is truly the perfect book for you. It has the same 60s-era spy/investigator feel, same classic lesbian pulpy experience, same slightly underdeveloped characters making a series of bad choices based on hunches. I liked reading it, but it is no more or less than exactly what you would expect!

Utterly engrossing and fun. An absolute enjoyable read with a well-earned twists. Couldn't recommend this journey more.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Tin House and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

An enjoyable series and story. A quick read, that’s a reminder no matter how much things change they remain the same.

I enjoy the Vera Kelly as does most of our library patrons. This is a great addition to the series.Thank yiu to Netgalley and the Publisher

Almost did not finish, oddly constructed and had trouble following the plot/enjoying the book. Thank you for the ARC

Although I didn't race through this title as fast as I did the first two, I still found it a very good read. As with the previous book, this is partially a mystery, and partially a reflection on Vera's inability to be authentically herself.

With each of these titles, the author shows how authentic relationships between women who love each other reverberate through parents, careers, friendships and vacations. When being "found out" as queer can keep you from being paid, cause you to lose your job, and tear apart your family, how do you make love stick?

Also, there is a real mystery to solve, as Vera's latest love goes missing from her estranged family home.

Looking back from 2022, it's surprising how much has changed...and how much has stayed the same.. for same-sex couples since the 1970s. Vera Kelly's girlfriend was disowned by her wealthy family, only to be called back home by her younger sister in response to her parents' pending divorce. Vera must face their outright hostility and track down Max when she mysteriously disappears early one morning. It's always great fun to see Vera use her wits to solve problems and the period touches are perfect (a paper ticket for a Pan Am flight? shoes for $3.99?). Enjoy!

Thanks to Tin House for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This was the first book for me to read by these authors but definitely not my last!! The story and characters are so well developed and the book is beautifully written. This will stick with you long after you finish the book. Highly recommend!!!