Enjoyed this one very much, another great historical suspense thriller from author Katharine schellman. Never disappoints, highly recommend

This was a wild ride and a fabulous 3rd installment in this series. I love Vivian's spirit and take no shit attitude. She does what she needs to do make a life for herself and protect those she loves. I can't wait to see what happens next in the next book!

I just couldn’t get into this. I felt like this was the same ole same ole as the first 2 in the series. It was cheesy cute to begin with, but now it’s got repetitive and the queer love triangle was a no-go in this most recent installment. The whole wrong-place-wrong-time trope is a little much three times over and the way the crime was “solved” didn’t seem plausible at all. I don’t think I’ll follow this series anymore. After the first, it’s run its course for me.

In this latest addition to the Nightingale mystery series, dressmaker Vivian is accused of murder after she discovers the body of a man at the home of one of her clients. Through many twists and turns, the mystery of his killer is solved.

The intriguing part of this novel is its time and place. Much of the action takes place in a speakeasy in Manhattan, and the time is Prohibition. The scenes set in the Nightingale club are the best and most interesting in the story. Although this is the third one in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

'The champagne was flowing in the Nightingale, poured out for the dancers who crowded around the bar.
Don’t tell, they agreed, toasting each other with sultry voices and bold laughter. Don’t tell. You never saw me here.'

The Last Note of Warning, and the Nightingale Mysteries series by extension, is more bent on creating the Jazz Age vibes, albeit with modern women than on the crafting a realistic book. I found I couldn't focus on the actual murder mystery as I was distracted by the cardboard cutout characters and the unrealistic circumstances and series of events - just to create a premise for the mystery. This coupled with the heavy handed writing intent on telling rather than showing jarred me out of enjoying the book. I would have appreciated the character development, especially the relationship between the two sisters, if it wasn't so contradictory to itself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟 1/4
[1/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 1/4 star for the characters; 1/4 star for the writing; 1/4 star for the story; 1/4 star for the world-building - 1 1/4 star in total, rounded down to 1 star].

I didn’t get to finish this book, I got a new Amazon prime account and my kindle deleted everything associated with my previous account including all of my downloads and I only just figured out why it wasn’t appearing whenI tried re-sending to my kindle multiple times. Now I’ve finally found the source of my problem and changed/updated the kindle email and can now download books again. It really messed up my reviews for all of the books I’d requested over the past few months, I apologize. I liked what I was able to read so that’s what I’m rating.

A captivating dive into Prohibition-era mysteries and a great start to a new series. The writing is atmospheric, capturing the essence of a time filled with both glamour and danger. Filled with suspense, there are many twists and turns throughout.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's an interesting slow burn of a mystery! I was hooked from page one!!

This is the third book in a series, but it works well as a standalone. I hadn’t read the first two books and still found it easy to connect with the characters.

Balancing her life between managing dress deliveries to the elite circles by day and losing herself in the shadowy world of Nightingale by night, Vivian is paying for her freedom with sheer determination. But trouble comes knocking back when a routine dress delivery leads her to the wrong doorstep. Suddenly, she becomes the prime suspect in a murder case, and she has just a week to find someone else to pin the blame on.

Set in the vibrant 1920s, the story unfolds against a backdrop of illegal nightclubs, glamorous parties, and all the chaos one might expect from the era. The plot moves quickly, with constant twists and discoveries that keep readers engaged from start to finish. I'm drawn to strong-willed women who refuse to give up, and I found both qualities well-developed in our protagonist.

Overall, this was a delight to read! I'm looking forward to reading more in this series and by this author!

Katherine Schellman in the Last Note of Warning has Vivian Kelly, dressmaker's assistant and speakeasy server of drinks, on the hook for a murder that she did not commit The police commissioner gives her one week to find another suspect or she will go down for the murder. Life is complicated as none of her usual helpers can assist her. How will she get out of this?

This was a fun mystery set in the liquor prohibition of the 1920's, the author did a great job of painting the picture of the time. I enjoyed this read and will recommend it to others.

I like this series! Vivian is a strong woman with multiple talents. She knows what - and who - she wants and is making a life she enjoys. That life begins at the Nightingale, an illegal 1902s New York nightclub.
But when she needs to deliver a dress for her day job, a man ends up dead. And Viv is the main suspect. She lives for a week with the shadow of arrest hanging over her head. Can she clear her name and find out who committed the crime before she loses everything?
I appreciate how Viv opens up to help in this novel. She turns to her sister, brother-in-law, friend Leo, and even strangers to help her gather evidence and cope with the weight of the false charges.
Viv also makes several decisions about her life and grows more into the woman she wants to be. I like that she doesn't waver when she knows the next step she wants to take. I do disagree with some of her decisions (entering further into crime, for example), but that layer of humanity makes Viv more relatable.
Some readers may not like the queer aspect, drinking or light sexual content. And the pace is a little slow.
The author's notes at the end about the historical aspects of the book gave me more information for research, which I love!

The truth will come out sooner or later and Vivian will find it. She was an awesome character and one I enjoyed in getting to know! Wow! I liked her because she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted!
I loved the mystery part of it. It was what made me keep sitting on the edge and turning the pages.
I especially enjoyed the era this story took place in.
One of my favorite settings.
The way this author wrote made feel like I was a part of Vivian's life and I didn't want to leave.
Books like those definitely makes it hard to want to come back to the present. Why? Because they leave you thinking about the characters long afterwards!
This author did a wonderful job. However; I did t know that this was a series. But it was still a good book and an awesome cover too!
The cover and title is what made me want to read it
5 stars fir an engaging story. I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine

The Last Note of Warning by Katharine Schellman is a queer historical mystery and the third book in The Nightingale Mysteries series.

In this installment, our main character Vivian is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up the primary suspect in a murder investigation. She can't flee town without endangering the people she loves, but she strikes a deal with the police commissioner to give her a week of freedom to try to clear her name.

I've mostly been a fan of this series, but this one was harder for me to get into. After a slow start, I did get pretty into the story. I really loved the growth of the relationship between Vivian and her sister, Florence. I also will forever love Bea and her family.

I appreciate the Author's note where she explains some topics of historical significance to the novel. I love learning things like that!

I didn’t know that this book was the third book in a series. It read great as a standalone, but I’ll probably go back and read the other two after this!

I don’t normally reach for historical fiction type books. But the fact that this one had a mystery element to it intrigued me and made it more enjoyable!

Also Vivian was a great main character! Highly recommend picking up this book!

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC of The Last Note of Warning! All opinions in this review are my own.

The Last Note of Warning is easily my favorite book in the Nightingale series so far! Each book gets better and has more twists than the last! I already can't wait for the next one.

The Last Note of Warning is the third book in Katherine Schellman's The Nightingale series. Set in the 1920's this book was full of adventure and suspense. It kept me engaged from page one and I didn't want it to end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Solid 4 out of 5 stars.

The Last Note of Warning is the third installment in the Nightingale Mysteries series by Katharine Schellman and it was easily a 5 star read.

Let me start by saying that I haven't read the first two books in this historical cozy mystery series. I did feel like I had missed out on a little bit of backstory with Vivian's relationships, but it didn't interfere with my understanding of the story. However, I would recommend starting at the beginning, not only for all the backstory, but because this was a great read, and I'm sure the others are as well!

I would put this squarely in the cozy mystery genre, as there isn't any gore, etc., surrounding the murder, and of course our main female protagonist is suspect number one and has to try to solve the crime herself. These books are a mix of genres, being set in Manhattan's Jazz Age during prohibition and the time of speakeasies, which isn't something you see a lot in cozies, but they blend together well.

Vivian is a strong, queer protagonist who isn't afraid to go where she isn't wanted to get what she wants. She's currently in a relationship with Leo, nephew to the Police Commissioner trying to arrest her for murder, but it seems she had been in a relationship with her boss and friend, Honor Huxley, who runs the speakeasy she works at. The historical aspects seemed to be very well-researched to someone who doesn't know a whole lot about the time period. (Definitely read the Author's Note at the end, as it will be very educational.) Vivian has a strong support group, with many people willing to help her in her time of need, even putting themselves in harm's way for her.

The mystery itself was interesting and the story wasn't drawn out too long. Viv only has a week to clear her name, so the plot moves at a good pace while leaving small little bread crumbs for you to follow. I wouldn't say this was a twisty suspense novel, but the pieces are there if you can find them with maybe a surprise or two thrown in.

All in all, this was a wonderful story of found family and queer history with a mystery thrown in. If you enjoy historical fiction, cozy mysteries, or a quick read with a great ending, then definitely give this series a try!

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Vivian is accused of murder after stumbling on a dead husband after delivering new dresses to his new wife. The dead man was considerably wealthy, and the family and its servants are quick to point the finger at Vivian, with the police happy to take the easy route and arrest an innocent, much less well-off woman.

Leo, her sort of boyfriend, helps get her out, but his police commissioner uncle gives her a week to find a more credible suspect, or she’s back in jail.

Thinking Honor might be able to help her, Vivian relays what happened, and then is shocked when Honor says she can’t help Vivian. Using what few, other connections she has, Vivian begins digging into the dead man’s family, looking for someone who might have hastened the man’s death. The man's will exposes a secret leading back to the Nightingale, but also gives Vivian a better picture about the dead man and his avaricious family.

The world author Katherine Schellman show's us in this series is wonderfully fleshed out, and each new installment set in 1920s New York City just keeps getting better.

Vivian continues to be an appealing main character, using her intelligence to navigate both the world of the Nightingale, but also that of the rich women she delivers dresses to daily.

The dangerous situation Vivian finds herself in has her dealing much more closely with police than she likes; it's not safe dealing with police as a poor woman of Irish descent, but Vivian keeps her head, and bargains for information from her few allies as she investigates who really had it in for the wealthy man so she can stay out of jail.

I also liked the progression of Vivian and her sister's relationship. They're on a much better footing than in book one, and it's great to see another side of the city in the life Florence and Danny are making together.

I was disappointed in Leo, but, there is a slight change in Vivian's and Honor's relationship, and I'm interested in where this might go.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Last Note of Warning is the third book in a Prohibition-era murder mystery series set in New York starring Vivian Kelly, who works for a dress shop making deliveries and at a jazz club at night as a waitress. While making a delivery she stumbles across the body of a murdered man and is promptly arrested as the suspect. Vivian along with a cast of recurring characters (her sometimes sweetheart Leo, sister Florence, co-worker/BIL Danny, best friend Bea, and club owner Honor Huxley) need to find the real killer and make sure Vivian doesn't go to prison for a crime she didn't commit.

The plot was complex with lots of hidden secrets and relationships revealed and suspects with murky motives. The setting of 1920s NY with its crime, corruption, and also excitement was well-portrayed, along with its racial, class, ethnic, and sexual divides. I think it's helpful to read the earlier books in the series to understand the relationship development. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.