It took me a little while to finish this book, but once I really got into it, I enjoyed it. If you like historical fiction, then this book will check the boxes. It’s set in the 1950s and has strong female lead characters. Latisha is the black female jazz club owner & the white men want her building for gentrification. She isn’t going down without a fight, so they frame her for murder. Kay is a white lawyer who loves to sing in the jazz clubs but unknown to her white counterparts. She feels at home & accepted when she’s on the stage. She also represents Latisha. My favorite plot of the book was the white detective who was really interested in finding out the truth and actually did his job.

The book was well written. Mystery usually isn’t my first choice, but this book grabbed me. Sometimes i have a hard time reading books where racism is very prevalent because Of the way that African Americans were treated badly. This book highlights gentrification & the lengths they went to take a black woman’s property. Read it! It’s a good book

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & of course the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 26% due to a sudden intense awareness of my own mortality. There were a lot of individually interesting threads here, but all together it made for a bit of a mess, and we never dove deeply enough into the main character's POV for me to want to stick around and untangle all of it.

This book's clearly struck a chord for others, so I'm sure this'll be an enjoyable book for some...but not for me. (Sorry. SO sorry.)

My thanks to Bronzeville Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This read was definitely interesting. I love a good strong female main character! The way she fought for her respect and get the rights they deserve was a powerful thing to read. I definitely recommend this book!

Allison Davis has written a great story that includes the culture of the late 1950s; the music, the sports, the politics and the economic and cultural differences of the time. All of this, incorporated into an intriguing mystery. While not the typical type of book I read, it was one that I enjoyed. Thanks #NetGalley #BronzevilleBooks

I'm not sure why this book didn't really work for me. I definitely think it was my problem, not the book's. The writing's decent and the plot was interesting. It just never really clicked for me. It's the kind of book that I think I would like more if I try it again later.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

What a frustrating read — this is not Davis’s fault, it’s just that so little has changed regarding racism and sexism in the past 60 years. Kay is a plucky heroine, easy to cheer for, but at the end of the day, success and peace still aren’t for anyone but rich white men.

I'm still not sure why I said yes when I was offered a pre-release copy of this debut novel to read and review - after all, I'm an elderly woman living far north of the Mason-Dixon Line and not even close to being a history buff. But something about it called my name - and boy, am I glad I answered affirmatively. Put it this way: if this is the first in a series as it appears to be, please sign me up for the next one.

The story centers around Kay Schiffner, who despite the times when women are thought to be best kept barefoot and pregnant, has managed to earn a law degree. She's been hired at a San Francisco law firm, where she's basically treated like a second-class citizen. She's also an accomplished jazz pianist; by night, she often makes her way to the Blue Moon, a club in the Fillmore District, an almost exclusively Black (back then, it was Negro) neighborhood where a white woman tends to stand out. But she's made friends here and is accepted by the all-male jazz musicians who take the stage, often allowing her to sit in.

But the neighborhood itself is in danger; gentrification efforts are in full swing, with at least one developer outright threatening residents and club owner Leitisha Boone - herself a sort of anomaly - if they don't sell their homes and businesses at rock-bottom prices. Things take a turn for the worse when a Black real estate mogul is shot and killed - and Leitisha is arrested for the murder on the basis of evidence that everyone - including the cops - know was planted.

Soon, Kay realizes that she's up against some very powerful people. Given the time in history, her efforts to get justice for Leitisha bump up against the reality that Black people (and women) are nearly invisible and never taken seriously. Even though she finds a couple of allies in the legal and law enforcement ranks, she quickly realizes that forging ahead puts their lives -and hers - at risk. It's a well-written action-filled adventure from beginning to end and an insightful peek into the inequities of a world that brings back memories to those of us who were around back then and to those who weren't an awareness of a time when some people were more equal than others.

This is a wonderful police procedural, murder mystery and historical fiction all rolled into one entertaining and very well researched and written package. The characters had depth and dimension which was integral in bringing the plot to life. The rich history is portrayed lovingly in these pages and provides a glimpse into the situations faced during that time.

But Not For Me by Allison Davis is a fantastic read! I can’t believe this is Allison’s debut novel, she did a brilliant job. If you like historical fiction, strong female characters, plot twists, jazz club, politics, mystery, with dual POV’s, and getting justice then you will love this book.

Kay Schiffner white FMC, is a lawyer who has a love for playing and listening to jazz music. After work she likes to play at the Blue Moon, a club owned by Letisha Boone a black FMC, in the Fillmore District . Letisha is wrongly being accused of murdering real estate agent Marvin Wright, they had gotten into an argument before his unaliving. Letisha is being framed and knows she isn't getting out of jail until either she confesses to the murder or evidence that proves that she didn't do it is found. Kay facing danger at every corner, puts her life on the line and decides to become her lawyer. She along with the help of investigator Thursday Zimpel, are determined to find out the truth and get justice for Letisha.

This story takes place in 1950s San Francisco and takes you back to a different time of organized crime, politics, culture, when racial tensions were high, and women were trying to break free from being seen as less than, in a man dominated world, and jazz was popular. Davis did an amazing job with the storyline and plot. This thriller took me on a wild ride full of twists and turns. Davis explores issues racism, sexism, and entitlement. She did an amazing job with the characters and what is was like not only being black or white during that time period, but also what it was like being a woman who wanted to be more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what Davis does next. Thank you NetGalley, Bronzeville Books, and Allison Davis for letting me read o a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

But Not for Me by Allison A. Davis is a richly atmospheric novel set against the backdrop of 1958 San Francisco, where jazz, politics, and racial tensions collide. The story follows two powerful women—Kay Schiffner, a lawyer with a secret passion for jazz, and Leitisha Boone, a Black club owner fighting to keep her business amid rising threats of gentrification. When Leitisha is framed for the murder of a prominent real estate magnate, Kay must navigate a city fraught with corruption and racial tension to clear her friend’s name.

Davis expertly weaves together historical elements with a gripping crime story, highlighting the challenges both women face in male-dominated spheres. The setting, from the vibrant Fillmore District jazz scene to the shadowy political underbelly of San Francisco, is brought to life with vivid detail. While the mystery is central, the novel also delves into themes of friendship, racial inequality, and the dark side of urban redevelopment. But Not for Me is a compelling, layered read that offers both suspense and social commentary.

An excellent and solid mystery, the story of the gentrification of an area and how you had to fight for you right if you weren't white and/or male.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it remained with me as it's a powerful story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

BOOK: BUT NOT FOR ME

AUTHOR: ALLISON A. DAVIS

PUB DATE: 17 SEPTEMBER 2024

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REVIEW- 4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I had a high expectation for this book and I was not disappointed. I loved the storyline, characters, the author's attention to details. I just kept turning the pages. I wanted to know who was in charge if the redevelopment plans and the murder case. Kay and Zimpel really worker hard to discover who it was.

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For Kay, a white female lawyer in the 1950s who also plays the piano in black-owned clubs, I felt her ambiguity in representing black people. During those times, you will be under fire if you're found to be 'friendly' with black people. And for Kay, it's more difficult because if she supports, she will lose the only job she was offered. But, I'm glad that she finally made the right difficult decision. She really put all her efforts in defending the Blue Moon, the club she plays the piano at. I admired and loved her drive, courage. She was amazing, really

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Zimpel too was an amazing character, just as amazing as Kay. He's a diligent police officer who saw no colour and did a great job. He unwillingly partnered with Kay sometimes. I hope to see another book in this series with their relationship developing romantically. But, he and another police office, Frank, a black one did a good job in unturning the stones and figuring out who did what. They worked well together

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For this mystery, it's kinda different because you literally don't know who was in guilty. It was very good and I found myself solving the crime alongside them. It was really nice to read. Zimpel, Frank and Kay were amazing detectives.

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We also followed the POV of Miss Leitishia, the black rich owner of the  Blue Moon who was falsely accused of murder because the developers wanted to take her business and building away from her. She really suffered from lack of representation and racism, she almost went crazy from the bad treatment. Leitishia was an amazing role model and I learnt a lot from her. She was barrage from all sides, but kept her cool.

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This book was really amazing and a masterpiece. I had POVs from black people and normal (because it's normal to not be racist) white people. All of the characters were amazing. I was not satisfied with the ending, but it was perfect for this book considering the time it was set in.

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I liked this book and I hope that the author makes it a series. I want more of all the characters, Kay, Zimpel, Frank. Yoy should definitely read this.

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Set in San Fransisco in 1958, But Not for Me by Allison A. Davis shines the spotlight on two very strong female characters who defy the odds and societal expectations while living in a men's world. Kay Schiffner is frustrated young White practicing attorney, whose first love is being a jazz pianist. Letisha Boone is the only Black female owner of a nightclub in the Fillmore District which is experiencing revitalization projects. Things turn ugly when a Black real estate developer is murdered. Kay and Letisha both have tough choices to make for justice to prevail. But Not for Me sheds light on the underbelly of politics and organized crime with the ensuing corruption associated with gentrification of neighborhoods. A great quick murder mystery read that also leads you think more deeply about gentrification of our communities. What is valued in the name of "progress" and urban renewal?

Thank you to NetGalley and Bronzeville Books for the e-ARC of I Dreamed of Falling in exchange for my honest review. All options expressed are mine alone.

I have to admit that I never expect a whole lot out of a debut novel, but I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. The story itself was so interesting and the pacing was excellent. It was set in 1958 San Francisco, with a main character who was a woman lawyer, something that was almost unheard of at the time. Kay Schiffner was a woman in a man's world, for sure, but at night she was "playing jazz at the Blue Moon in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, a neighborhood where good white women weren’t supposed to go." One night, the club's owner, Leitisha Boone, another woman who is trying to make it in a man's world, is arrested for the murder of a man she just happened to argue with right before he was killed, and Kay, who was initially reticent to get involved due to her own precarious situation, sets her mind to finding out what really happened when it becomes apparent that Leitisha is being framed and isn't about to get out of jail until she confesses or someone finds evidence that proves unequivocally that she didn't murder anyone. Even though Kay faces danger at every turn, she doesn't give up, and continues to investigate with the help of a police investigator who is always trying to keep her safe, and a lawyer she befriends.

There is so much more to this book that I can't list because I don't want to give anything away, but trust me when I say, this book is definitely worth your time.

I highly recommend But Not for Me to all my readers.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Bronzeville Books, and Allison A. Davis for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It’s August 1958 and black renters, homeowners and business owners are getting kicked out of the Fillmore district of San Francisco due to redevelopment and urban renewal. Developers are using unfair tactics to enforce eminent domain. Leitisha Boone, owner of the restaurant and jazz club, the Blue Moon, is under such a threat.

Attorney Kay Schiffner works for a prestigious law firm at a time when female lawyers are still an anomaly. When she isn’t working, she loves to play jazz piano at the Blue Moon. Family and friends can’t understand why, being white, she loves to go to that part of town. She would love to help businesses, such as the Blue Moon, from losing their leases, but her firm forbids her from doing so.

Boone is constantly at odds with her landlord, prominent black businessman Marvin Wright. Trouble comes to a head when he threatens to evict her, and everyone can hear the shouting.

When Wright is found murdered, Boone seems to be the convenient suspect. Schiffner can no longer sit on the sidelines, but what is she to do?

Inspecter Thursday Zimpel, who cares about truth and justice, is assigned to the case; that is, until he gets too close to the truth. Yes, there are witnesses, but no white jury will believe a black witness. Add to that, there could be government corruption and even La Cosa Nostra could be involved.

This crime thriller takes us on a ride of twists and turns, but also explores issues of entitlement, racism, sexism and class. Those who love San Francisco, like I do, will enjoy the neighborhoods, landmarks, jazz and beat culture. I particularly enjoyed the supporting characters, and I can see a few in upcoming stories.

"But Not For Me" is the first novel in the Kay Schiffner Mystery Series. I hope there are more.

(This book wil be reviewed on UnderratedReads on Sept. 17, 2024

Kay is a single female attorney in 1958 San Francisco. In her spare time, she dreams of being a jazz piano player and fulfills this in The Fillmore area. She is white, The Fillmore is predominantly black, but she feels more at home there than anywhere else. I love the story of her fighting for herself to both be considered equal as an attorney and her ability to play jazz, along with her disinterest in marriage. I love the story of the Fillmore's fight again racism, redlining, and redevelopment. I didn't like it all thrown together. It made for a bit of an unfocused story for me. As the first book in the series, I would have liked it to be more character focused. We seem to learn a lot about Kay, but the rest of the characters are still pretty undefined. I hope we get to know those around Kay better in the next books in the series!

But Not for Me is an interesting read about two strong women fighting against all odds to maintain a place and gain respect they rightfully deserve..

Club owner Leitisha faced some extremely unjust circumstances. Despite this I admired her strength and I liked the fact she had Kay and others willing to fight for her.

Overall this was a good book. Thank you NetGalley and Bronzeville Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

But Not for Me was a fascinating look at the obstacles women and minorities faced in the late 1950s. Interesting characters and setting. I did occasionally encounter some phrases that were somewhat awkward and I had to reread the section to discern what was going on, but otherwise an outstanding debut. I look forward to a second title by the author.

If you like historical fiction, strong female characters with surprising plot twists, this is a book for you.

But Not For Me is a debut novel from Allison Davis and someone I will definitely check out in the future. The story focuses on San Franciso in the 1950s and provides insight into the culture and politics of that time with a mystery focused on the murder of a prominent figure in the jazz scene.

Kay Schifer, a lawyer by day and a jazz musician by night, frequents a club in the Fillmore District owned by Letisha Boone, a black female. Both Kay and Letisha are strong female characters fighting for women’s rights in male-dominated world. Kay and Letisha’s worlds collide when Kay is trying to defend Letisha, who is wrongly accused of murder. As Kay does her best to clear Letisha’s name, she makes some significant sacrifices and puts her own life at risk. The story also explores the racial tensions, treatment of Blacks along with major injustices designed to remove Blacks from the Fillmore District.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed is this review are my own.

#NetGalley #ButNotForMe #AllisonADavis

this isnt the usual type if book i go for. typically i go for romance books with no plot at all because its simply easier to read if i dont have to use my brain. but reading this book, despite it having a plot (which was so intriguing i just had to read it), i got through it fairly easily. the writing style and quality also was unbelievable and i couldn’t out it down!