Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

I was excited to jump into book 2 of A Deadly Twenties Mystery. Edie Shippen is trying to settle into life as a "private investigator"... but the problem is she has yet to book a case. When she finally gets her first job, it unexpectedly throws her right back together with Gilbert Lawless. Coroner's assistant by day, troubled veteran with shell shock by night. He and Edie were thrown together for the events of book 1, and their chemistry is undeniable.

Edie's old friend from California, major movie star Ava, comes under scrutiny when her new husband dies unexpectedly on a movie set. Can Edie and Gil untangle the threads of these cases that tie them together? and will they finally address their attraction to each other?

What a ride! Fingers crossed for book 3.

this was a great sequel in the Deadly Twenties Mystery series, it had the element that I was looking for from the first book. It had that Prohibition-era element that I wanted and the mystery was really well done. I was invested in the characters and how everything worked with them. Jenny Adams was able to create a strong story and was glad I read this.

This second entry in what promises to be a great series is just as interesting and well-done as the first. This one picks up a few months after the last ended. It could be read as a stand alone, but some of the interactions and references will make more sense if you have read the first. Edie and Gilbert find out that what look like separate murder cases that they are investigating are in fact connected, and the cases prove to involve both two local crime families and a movie studio. The cases are interesting and well constructed, and the relationship between Edie and Gil is compelling as Gil continues to struggle with tragedies from his past. The 1920s Philadelphia setting works well, as do the supporting characters from the first book. I’m already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of A Poisonous Silence by Jenny Adams.

What an excellent sequel in the Deadly Twenties Mystery series! I'll admit I've felt a bit discouraged lately in the historical fiction cozy mystery genre, what with Deanna Raybourne and Andrea Penrose each only putting out one book annually, Kate Belli's Gilded Gotham series being placed on hold for a fifth book, Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell series coming to a close in May 2025 -- the field has felt a bit empty lately and I really needed something to fill the void. Adams certainly delivered with A Poisonous Silence - I think it was even more successful and entertaining than the series opener, A Deadly Endeavor. New readers definitely do want to start there, as you will miss critical pieces of the character relationships/connections without it.

A Poisonous Silence kicks off roughly four months after the events of A Deadly Endeavor. Gilbert is just returning to field work as a coroner, and Edie has her first official case as a Lady Detective. The rough side to both of their situations? They haven't spoken since the events of the first book have greatly strained their relationship - both finding it difficult to move forward due to the risks they previously encountered. That being said, both have done some personal work on themselves in the intervening months - Edie with a focus on helping women, and Gilbert focused on his mental wellness and non-drug related treatments for his PTSD. Luckily for fans, their paths cross again when both their newest cases end up being about the same man murdered by cyanide. From there it's another fast-paced adventure to find the killer and to understand their motive to stop them before they hurt more people, or, if they have it their way, start a gang war that will put many of Edie and Gilbert's loved ones in the crossfire.

When I read A Deadly Endeavor, I noted it felt a bit predictable -- A Poisonous Silence has strengthened Adams mystery skillset, and this book kept me guessing until the last pages (like the *hopefully* third book will focus on that cryptic ending!).

Fans of Edie and Gilbert will also be pleased with how their relationship progresses - I know I was. Though, the only reason I did remove a star was because some aspects of this felt quite rushed, where one instance either of them would say something unnecessarily cruel, and then a few sentences later they had moved past it without any real processing of the underlying issue. I wish there was a bit of a deeper dive into both of their feelings and intentions with each other - they have both done such fantastic progress on their own personal selves that it seemed sad to have them not really give the same consideration and conversation to each other, even when things were moving along happily.

I also really enjoyed the setting of the story, and I think Adams has done a great job of really setting that 1920s time and place. There was a lot on prohibition, on the influence of the New York 400, etc. that really made this feel well-researched and specific. My review of A Deadly Endeavor compared it to Belli's New York setting, and I truly think Adams has captured a time and place no others are competing with, making this book a great choice for anyone looking for a new foray into historical fiction cozy mystery settings.