I received a free advanced digital copy of this book in return for a review. Here is my review:

The Norths are a delightful couple!! They are "screwy" as Sergeant Mullins says, but they are fun to follow! I can't wait to read more.....

This story is set in New York, around the end of the 30s, between the two world wars. It evokes a time that is long gone, glamorous, and pretty carefree. The Norths are not rich, but are "comfortable" with a large group of friends with whom they are social. When a murder happens in their building, they are drawn into the investigation and become friends with the lead detective. I am looking forward to more in this series!

This book is a sort of odd combination of police procedural and amateur sleuths. There's also a lot of drinking, by everyone involved. Mr. and Mrs. North don't seem to do much aside from sticking close to home making drinks. Mrs. North finds an unidentified dead body on the fourth floor of their apartment building. The Norths end up befriending the investigating officer, Lieut. Weigand (despite the fact the Norths are sort-of murder suspects). Along the way of the investigation there are some intriguing clues, including lobsters, a little bit of letterhead, and an open window. Weigand tries to consume as many drinks as he can, and finds out that even in the middle of New York City everyone seems to be connected to everyone else. Mr. and Mrs. North do very little in this book. I assume that as this series is about them, they must be more developed in later books. In general this was an entertaining period mystery, and I found Weigand rather charming. I'd read more in this series.