When an author is shot dead during his reading and there’s literally no smoking gun, the suspects come down to those who were there. With two fellow authors as the top suspects, can they put their personal history aside and actually solve the case before one of them is charged?

This is more of a period piece and I tend not to read them, but I actually enjoyed this one. But then again I like Josh Lanyon’s work and his writing keeps me glued to the pages a his characters come to life and take us through whodunit. Quite enjoyable and a solid mystery that will keep you guessing for quite awhile. I highly recommend getting to know Mr. Lanyon’s work.

An entertaining mystery with interesting characters.
Not my usual pick but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Good entertainment for everyone looking for a easy and light mystery.

I really like parodies and pastiche, especially when they are well written. And that's the case here. Josh Lanyon just knows how to write a good short story, and I say that as someone who usually doesn't like short stories. But with Lanyon, everything is always in place. First of all, you are able to connect with the main characters in a very short time. And I never feel that they are not fully formed. Felix and Leonard are very interesting, multi-dimensional characters that you really want to go through this story with. I also think they make a really well-matched duo.

This is not only a very successful pastiche of a 1940s mystery novel, but it is also just a very good story. Two enemies decide to solve the murder of their acquaintance together. They are rival crime writers and both have some wartime military backgrounds that they use in their investigation. The stakes get surprisingly high pretty quickly.

It's a pity that it's standalone and we won't meet these main characters again. I would love to see what else they are capable of. I definitely recommend this book to all readers looking for a light and easy detective story with a bit of humor.