From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Review of Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan

Author: Rachel McMillan

Publihser: Thomas Nelson

Date of publicaton: July 2018

“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times — including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square. When he meets his cousin’s “right hand man” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand.

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo night club.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.

Murder at the Flamingo takes you back to the 1930s when the nightclubs were packed with glamours ladies and dashing young men. Hamish has come to Boston to live with his cousin after being humiliated in his first court case. He is looking for a fresh start. Reggie is a former debutante looking to escape her parents and become an independent woman. The didn't count on getting caught up in a murder investigation.

For me, the mystery part of the book was just OK. It wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on so that part made the book a bit slow. What I liked most about the book were the characters. I loved Hamish. It's not often that you read about a male character with anxiety. Especially one in the 1930s. He was such a sweet guy and interesting character. I adored his conversation with his father toward the end of the book. Reggie was intriguing as well. A woman willing to turn her back on her pampered life in order to find herself and become independent wasn't common back the either. She was hilarious and a strong-willed. They are definitely characters I would want to read about again.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan is a history enthusiast, lifelong bibliophile, and author of the Herringford and Watts series. When not reading (or writing), Rachel can be found at the theater, traveling near and far, and watching far too many British miniseries. Rachel lives in Toronto where she works in educational publishing and is always planning her next trip to Boston.

Facebook: RachKMc1; Twitter: @RachKMc; Instagram: RachKMc.

Connect with Rachel

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Instagram tour:

Monday, July 16th: @alittlebookishlife

Tuesday, July 17th: @ladyofthelibrary

Wednesday, July 18th: @thebooksellersdaughter

Thursday, July 19th: @jennblogsbooks