Murder Knocks Twice

Susanna Calkins has done it again! She has created another absorbing mystery series featuring a strong female lead character who does not feel confined by the norms of the times. This book is clearly very well researched. I loved all of the details about Chicago in the 1920s. I can't wait to see what Gina gets into in the next book, but I hope she runs into Jane Addams and Amelia Earhart again. I received this title as a galley from Netgalley and I really liked it. I highly recommend reading this book, but make sure you have a lot of time because you won't be able to put it down. I read it in two sittings.

I have read this author’s other books, and although it’s a new series it did not disappoint. The novel is extremely well written and fun to read. Both the characters and storyline are interesting and entertaining. I hope there are more additions to this new and fabulous series. I highly recommend!

historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, mystery, Chicago

Prohibition, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Hull House, the very rich and the walking dead returned from The Great War, it's the 1920s in Chicago. A young woman gets a job as a cigarette girl to support herself and her father but understands little when she starts, only to learn far more than she ever wanted before long.
Well researched and crafted to make you feel like you are there, and the characters are engaging and interesting. I really enjoyed reading it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the first in a series that I hope will include many more adventures of this protagonist. I always love seeing a strong, female lead who gets the job done without looking like a silly, slapstick caricature of a female. I loved reading about 1920's Chicago and the speakeasy world where this mystery takes place. The plot is well written and it held my interest until the end. In fact, I was sad to see it end! This book was a treat! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I was given a ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Susanna Calkins goes in a wonderful new direction with this series. It's her classic style in the 1920's. I loved the setup of this new series. You'll be on your toes waiting for more too.

Delightful! Great characters and a great story set in a time frame that's always fun to read about (if not to live in.) Further, Calkins does such a beautiful job writing about Chicago in 1929 that you feel like you're there. It's clear she's done the research for the era.

I hadn't heard of Calkins before this book. Now I have to go back and check out her other series!

Murder Knocks Twice is the first in a new series set in the seedy world of 1920's Chicago, full of mob bosses and speakeasies, and plenty of crime and terror. Gina Ricci needs a job in order to support her father and upon the word of a friend, she finds one at 3rd door, a speakeasy full of excitement and secrets. The biggest mystery of all involving the girl who held the very same position she is currently occupying before she died unexpectedly. Gina finds herself the only witness to a murder and feels strongly that she must solve it quickly, before she is next. Murder Knocks Twice is full of the historically accurate and rich details readers have grown to expect and seek out in Susanna Calkins other series. She is an expert at creating such rich, vibrant worlds full of bold characters fitting for the times. There was plenty of adventure thrown in around the mystery and the subplots that kept the plot moving along at a good clip. Gina is a strong heroine, perfect for the leading role in a time when women were often constrained by the social norms of the times. I sincerely hope that there are other adventures to follow in this exciting new historical series.

"The first mystery in Susanna Calkins’ captivating new series takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920s Chicago speakeasy.

Gina Ricci takes on a job as a cigarette girl to earn money for her ailing father - and to prove to herself that she can hold her own at Chicago’s most notorious speakeasy, the Third Door. She’s enchanted by the harsh, glamorous world she discovers: the sleek socialites sipping bootlegged cocktails, the rowdy ex-servicemen playing poker in a curtained back room, the flirtatious jazz pianist and the brooding photographer - all overseen by the club’s imposing owner, Signora Castallazzo. But the staff buzzes with whispers about Gina’s predecessor, who died under mysterious circumstances, and the photographer, Marty, warns her to be careful.

When Marty is brutally murdered, with Gina as the only witness, she’s determined to track down his killer. What secrets did Marty capture on his camera - and who would do anything to destroy it? As Gina searches for answers, she’s pulled deeper into the shadowy truths hiding behind the Third Door."

Chicago during the 1920s has always fascinated me, mainly because that's when my grandmother used to sneak away from school and hang out at all the speakeasies... I'm sure if she would approve of this new series. Also can we say cover lust?

Murder Knocks Twice by Susanna Calkins is a delightful romp thru old Chicago in the wake of The Great War. Its the time of prohibition, speakeasies, flappers and cigarette girls. Gina Ricci is one of those girls. Times are hard and she takes a job at The Third Door as a cigarette girl...and runs smack dab into mayhem, mystery and murder. And for readers the fun is just beginning. Gina prides herself on being able to take care of herself. Even though she shows some vulnerability, especially in the beginning. She's an emotionally strong, wise cracking, gum chewing girl of her times. I loved her! Susanna Calkins also populates the book with a whole cast of secondary characters that are colorful and well defined. I look forward to seeing them more in future books. There is even a hint of romance in Gina's future. There are enough misdirections in the plot to keep you guessing as to "who dunnit" before the story comes to a surprising and entertaining conclusion. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Roaring Twenties Cozy Mystery
Life was much different during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. However, murder remains the same! This is a grand peek inside life during the 1920s, especially inside the life of a twenty-something young girl. This is a great and twisted murder mystery with Chicago gangs, speak-easy joints, crooked cops, Women's Temperance groups, and all that the1920s had to offer – good and bad! I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Murder Knocks Twice pulls you into the danger and excitement of 1920s Chicago from the first page and doesn’t let up until the last. Calkins’ protagonist, Gina Ricci is a ‘trust no one’ woman of her time, and that instinct serves her well when a new friend, and long-lost cousin, is murdered at the speakeasy where they both work. In a world where what you know can get you killed, Gina keeps her cards close as she unravels the clues that will lead her to the murderer. A great first book in an exciting new series.