Release: November 15, 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads , Amazon
__
__
Can Fiona catch a killer and find a decent cup of tea before her mustache wax melts?
1917. New York.
Notorious spy, Fredrick Fredricks, has invited Fiona to Carnegie Hall to hear a famous soprano. It’s an opportunity the War Office can’t turn down. Fiona and Clifford are soon on their way, but not before Fiona is saddled with chaperon duties for Captain Hall’s niece. Is Fiona a spy or a glorified babysitter?
From the minute Fiona meets the soprano aboard the RMS Adriatic it’s treble on the high C’s. Fiona sees something—or someone—thrown overboard, and then she overhears a chemist plotting in German with one of her own countrymen!
And the trouble doesn’t stop when they disembark. Soon Fiona is doing time with a group of suffragettes and investigating America’s most impressive inventor Thomas Edison.
When her number one suspect turns up dead at the opera and Fredrick Fredricks is caught red-handed, it looks like it’s finally curtains for the notorious spy.
But all the evidence points to his innocence. Will Fiona change her tune and clear her nemesis’ name? Or will she do her duty? And just what is she going to do with the pesky Kitty Lane? Not to mention swoon-worthy Archie Somersby . . .
If Fiona’s going to come out on top, she’s going to have to make the most difficult decision of her life: the choice between her head and her heart.
About the Author:
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series:
The contemporary suspense, Jessica James Mysteries,
The middle grade, Pet Detective Mysteries, and The historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries.
When she’s not writing mysteries, Kelly is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.
Kelly lives in Nashville with her husband and three very demanding felines.
To learn more about Kelly and her books, please visit her website at www.kellyoliverbooks.com.
Chaos at Carnegie Hall Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book of the “Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane” series, despite having yet to read any previous books featuring these characters in other series by the author.
There are a couple of reasons why this book captivated me. Firstly, I was impressed by the author’s storytelling style. The dialogues are witty and engaging, while the overall narrative has a grandeur that surpasses the typical cozy mystery series. From encountering suspicious activities aboard the RMS Adriatic, such as the disposal of a body, to shocking murders in Carnegie Hall, Fiona, Eliza, and Clifford embark on an intriguing quest to uncover the truth. I also found Fiona’s ability to disguise herself and pick locks to investigate the situation fun.
Secondly, Fiona’s character takes center stage, and the author adds drama to her storyline. I liked her interactions with Eliza, Archie, Clifford, and even Poppy. Moreover, the profound discussions she engages in with other characters, like Emily Hobhouse, concerning South African children in concentration camps, suffragettes, the mistreatment of refugees, poverty, and controlling population growth made the story memorable.
Thirdly, I appreciated the author’s skill in seamlessly integrating historical figures such as Thomas Edison, Anna Case, Dorothy Parker, Margaret Sanger, and J. Edgar Hoover into the plot, some even plausible suspects in the murder case. It’s rare to come across a series that attempts such an approach. I found it entertaining and cleverly executed without taking itself too seriously.
In conclusion, “Chaos at Carnegie Hall” is an exciting introduction to the series and left me eagerly anticipating how the storyline will unfold in the next book, especially considering the suspenseful note on which this one concludes.
