DNF 131 pgs (52%)

I just want to start this off by saying that the premise of the book is great. It is a historical fiction novel featuring a set of twins, Viola and Vivian, solving the mystery of the disappearance of actress Babs Le Roy. However, I struggled while reading this book and it did not meet my expectations at all.

THINGS I LIKED:
- The mystery. I always love to read mysteries and try to follow along to see if I can pick up on clues and solve it myself. I liked how the reader gets to see Viola and Vivian's thoughts on how they were attempting to solve the mystery.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
- The mystery. I genuinely don't remember when Babs goes missing. Viola and Vivian look through her stuff towards the beginning (I think it was to make up their own mystery?), and they follow her around a little (I don't know why). Then they show up at some event and all of a sudden declare that Babs is missing. Maybe I'm missing something here, I know I probably am, but I don't usually have trouble understanding plots in mystery books.
- The worldbuilding. I was 70% sure this takes place in NY (now 100% because I just googled Ziegfeld Follies), but nothing was ever really described. I thought it was the 1930s (5% sure), although it could be anytime during that time period, I'm not quite sure exactly when.
- The characters: Was this book in Viola or Vivian's POV? Or both? Neither? I couldn't tell the two apart personality-wise, just by name. I also have no idea whose POV this book was from which is pretty strange. It is 3rd person, but usually it's easier to figure out.
- The characters (pt 2): There were sooooooooo many characters introduced all at once! There are the other people who live with Viola and Vivian, as well as other irrelevant characters that are given detailed backstories that I don't think are necessary for this plot. In fact, the only character I feel like I actually know is Babs!

Surprisingly, by the time I DNFed the book, it was getting a little better. Usually the middle section of a book is worse than the beginning for me because it drags on too much sometimes. Once I realized Babs was missing and they were trying to solve the mystery, it got more enjoyable because I understood what was going on. However, I was not picking up the book at all and made very little progress. I just wanted to move on to a different book, so I DNFed it. Maybe this book just wasn't for me. Historical novels tend to be hit or miss with me, as sometimes the way characters talk confuses me, but I can see how people enjoyed this book.

I will never get tired of books about the 1920/1940 era,with all their Ziegfeld girls,prima,luxury and the general sense than the life would be more and more better. This books wasn't a exception,and it really have now a place in my heart as one of my favorites ! Really enjoyed and loved the aesthetics,the plots and the write. I'm totally sold to this series !

An Intelligent and Entertaining Read!

Set in New York in the years following the Great Depression, 17 year-old twin sisters Vivian and Viola Van der Beek live in a large boarding house owned by their parents and filled with a cast of zany boarders. The house, a salvaged remnant of the now poor, but once rich and socially connected family, is their only means of shelter and income. Despite being categorized as a YA read I was interested based on the cover, title and premise. With all of my historical cozy mystery boxes ticked I agreed to receive an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) from NetGalley so I could provide my honest opinion. The mystery premise features a missing Ziegfeld Follies dancer who is a current boarder at the Van der Beek home, Canary House. The creative plot, characters and setting did not disappoint. However, from the beginning the story was a bit hard to follow because it would sometimes introduce an element before giving the reader background. Like when Vivian refers to Viola as Lala but doesn’t allude to why. The author also chose to weave a lot of elements into this first installment of the series. First, there is the connection between The Scarlet Letter written by Nathanial Hawthorne and one twin’s obsession with it. Then, there is the undercurrent of the history of the relatives in the Van der Beek family, their servants and their borders; followed by the relationship of the twins themselves. It is this slightly irreverent bouncing around that almost mimics the eclectic nature of the boarding house itself. Personally, I believe the correlations between The Scarlet Letter and its characters were unnecessary. I felt the book would have benefitted from a glossary of terms or historical references. For example, I doubt many young adults know who Walter Winchell is, but as a middle-aged woman I know that he was a very famous American gossip columnist and radio commentator from the 1930s and 1940s. I’m glad I hung in there though, because the more I read the story the more I became invested in it. I enjoyed the storyline when it centered around the close bond of the twins being tested by their developing relationship with the police. This book is an intelligent and entertaining piece that does not speak down to young readers or adults. I would definitely recommend it! If in the beginning you start to feel a little lost, hang in there, the book gets even better the more you read it.

I always love to get in on the first book of a series and so I did with this book. I also loved that it is described as a 'Tongue in Cheek Historical Mystery Series'.

A Follies star (washed up star) goes missing, two young girls (twins) try to crack the case and find answers but things aren't always as easy as they might seem. And these two young girls make for an interesting read. This is a whodunnit, mystery with many suspects, the historical aspect and setting is wonderful and the story flows well and kept me reading.

I loved that it wasn't a dark mystery and had some fun and humour in it without making it drab and silly. Yet it is quirky and has all the mystery, intrigue, clues and twists that you want from a book like this. Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what comes next.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. A YA mystery featuring 18-year-old twin sisters, set in New York City. When their father’s post WWI ‘shellshock’ and the family ‘curse’ results in the family opening their house to paying boarders, the twins’ inveterate curiosity is peaked when a new boarder is a famous Ziegfeld Follies star with a mysterious past. When she goes missing, they decide to solve the case.
The author weaves a well told tale with lots of threads for future stories, thanks to the multiple boarder options. And there are family secrets to be uncovered as well as potential love interests to consider.
As a personal preference, I wish the author had given the girls first names with different first letters. I always struggle with too many alliterative names in a book as it makes things unnecessarily difficult to tell them apart.

I'm not typically a big YA reader, but I couldn't resist The Starlet Letter because I love a good historical fiction mystery, and after slogging through a few longer books, I was looking for a lighter read. The book tells the story of Vivian and Viola, 18-year-old twins living in 1930's Manhattan. Their high-society family has fallen on hard times during the Depression and they share their home with several tenants, setting the stage for an eccentric set of supporting characters. When one of their tenants is kidnapped, Vivian and Viola take it upon themselves to solve the mystery before the police do. Their sleuthing requires a slight suspension of disbelief and the story is a bit whimsical at times, but overall it was a fun and enjoyable story.

I found myself frustrated at the end, feeling that there were some loose ends that Mathison left untied, but I'm hopeful that some of these will be resolved later, as this is the first in a series of 5 books. I'll just have to read those as well!!

The book immediately immerses you in this atmosphere of history and sends you on an adventure along with the main characters. This book captured me from the first page. It was very interesting to watch the development of the story and the detective line. The authors really managed to capture the atmosphere of New York in those years. If you like old detective stories that you probably read as a child and waited with enthusiasm for how the book would end, then you will enjoy this book. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the boarding house which I enjoyed very much. This story reminded me of one of my favorite series, Flavia de Luce's, that I have read. Vivian and Viola, twins, will try to find the answer to the main secret. They will search, they will guess, they will create absolutely incredible ideas and all this together. I really liked it. It seems crazy at times, but I still love it. I was also very intrigued by the allusion to the scarlet letter. Thank you, NetGalley for this book.

The Starlet Letter is a departure from Mathison's previous styles but is still a great read. Fans of Enola Holmes and Nancy Drew will appreciate the Van der Beek twins. Set in New York's post-depression era, 18 year old upper-class twins Viola and Vivian live with a twisted family history and an eclectic mix of tenants. When their latest tenant, a washed-up Ziegfeld Follies star goes missing, the twins are on the case and are joined by a sergeant who takes a keen interest in Vivian.

The writing does jump around a lot between the Van der Beek's family history and each twin but it doesn't detract from the engaging story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

A quick light read. I found it difficult to keep the two main characters straight and had trouble following the different perspectives. The setting of a boardinghouse in the 1930s is promising with some interesting characters.

What a cute little mystery. Twin sisters Vivian and Viola Van der Beeck who are so different in many ways yet they can read each other like no one else. Living in their family home called Canary House along with their parents and a array of borders these twins seem to find trouble wherever they go. Now they find themselves looking for one of their borders Babs Le Roy.. Miss Le Roy is a Ziegfeld Follies star which the twins find exciting. Little do they know that Miss Le Roy has been hiding a little secret that gets her into big trouble. Even though the twins try not to get to involved with Miss Le Roy they cannot help it once she goes missing.
Vivian and Viola find themselves involved with trying to find Babs. There is a ransom which is paid but yet no Babs. The twins were not going to give up even when they meet up with a gangster or two, one who loved Babs. A broke theater producer and a sinister preacher. Throw in a few detectives and a love lorn police sergeant and you have the makings of a real who done it.
As I was reading this book I felt like I was in an old black and white style movie. The history behind the time period Canary House and the curse surrounding the Van der Beeck family made me want to keep turning the page. I love the characters of the twins. Being so different they could read each others minds and would do anything for each other. They were quite determined to find Bab's and tie up the mystery surrounding her secret.
I enjoyed this book and give it 3.5 stars. It was well written and the characters were very comical and interesting. Especially the characters of borders that lived in the Van der Beeck family home. Hoping Ms. Mathison will continue with this book as a series. I can see that Vivian and Viola could be solving many mysteries to come. I can also see a real love interest for one of them..
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and Ms. Mathison for this little mystery. Looking forward to more adventures.

This one was a bit of a miss for me. Maybe it would be better for young adult readers? I really like the idea of a crazy boarding house full of characters, even down to the housemaid and cook. And add in a mystery where a semi-famous Follies dancer staying in Canary house goes missing? I like the short chapters and the setting of New York in the 30's. But the style of writing was hard to get into - I would describe it as madcap with the 3rd person narrator darting into the past or explaining some minor character's background - and the mystery itself finished underwhelmingly with the twins making assumptions that were difficult to follow. Additionally, the 18 year old twins, Vivian and Viola, blended together for a long time for me. I finally figured out which one was which - one is very bookish and the other is the rebel/fearless sister - but their names are so similar and the perspective never stays with just one. If they had alternated narrating chapters or if we'd just stuck with one the whole time, it might have been better. We do spend a little more time with Vivian but that's also because of the love story aspect. The ending was visually incredible - but the resolution of who did what for why is a bit of a stretch. I'm not sure I would read another installment of this.

This was a really fun read. Lots of humor and quite original for this type of book.
The authors note said she lost her agent because of this book and I think that is a pity as it is a really good read, well paced, and well written.

I have to admit, when I picked up this book, I failed to realise it is a teen and young adult read. Once I adjusted my expectations, it was a lovely, light mystery! The leading ladies are wildly different in personality and skill set but, circumstances require them to work together accompanied by new friends in order to overcome their enemies and stay safe! Love, mystery, adventure, and more, this book is jam-packed from start to finish. For the right audience, it’s a four out of five!

Content warning: an allusion to sexual conduct, otherwise clean romance

The Starlet Letter might well be one of my all time favorite reads. Right away you are drawn into the historical and social forces at work in the lives of the main characters, Vivian and Viola Van der Beeck. They are twins with delightfully different personalities. The mystery of the disappearance of one of their family's boarding house residents, Babs Le Roy, would never be solved without their dogged, courageous and creative involvement. And the ongoing questions and sometimes disturbing mysteries of their family history hinted at in an old diary continue to demand their attention. The characters in the story are carefully written with a compelling lighthearted understanding of the quirkiness of being human. I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful read.

I really liked this and thought that the mystery was really good. And the story line was so good and original I thought. I lived the twins and can't wait to see what they get into next.
I just reviewed The Starlet Letter by Julie Mathison. #TheStarletLetter #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This quirky, light-hearted historical mystery is a perfect tonic for a snowy afternoon or rainy day.

The young protagonists have very over-developed imaginations and a rich sense of adventure. The reader needs a strong sense of whimsey and acceptance of the absurd, but the writer knows just what she is delivering. . . A light-hearted, romp through Manhattan during The 1920’s.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be very interesting (even if I have never read The Scarlet Letter, I knew enough about it thanks to the movie 'Easy A') and rather enjoyable to read. I want to know more about what is going on as I enjoyed reading about the variety of characters in this book.

Wonderfully developed characters and a pace filled plot that keeps you guessing until the lady page.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

3.5 Stars

The writing style took me right back to some of my favourite reads, and authors, from when I was a young girl, and I felt the same excitement as I did back then, each time the story progressed.

It’s a great little ‘whodunnit’ with lots of vibrant suspects and two, unusually young, yet very likable, private detectives on the case.The atmosphere of the depressive era is conveyed well without the characters or story being too dark or glum and the portrayal of Dad’s ‘ShellShock’ is extremely sad.

The story overall was really well done, although the ending didn’t captivate me as much as the investigation throughout the rest of the book did. Saying that though, and while trying not to give too much away, the ending didn’t disappoint at all. There’s so much more going on in this book than just the main mystery, that I didn’t mind any perceived weaknesses in this part of the story.

Granted, there were times when I feared I was missing out on references, or a certain level of understanding, due to never having read ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ but I think, for the most part, the similarities were explained well.

Would I recommend this book? - Yes I think it’s worth making your own decision on, especially if you are a fan of this genre. You’ll meet some great characters in a vivid world and you’ll probably be left waiting for book number two just like I am.