This was a month where we got two Amazon First Reads selections, and I actually read both of them the same month! Well, in terms of this one, read as far as I'm going to read at least. It started with an interesting premise:




I mean, c'mon... scandalous flappers, politically connected socialites, bootleggers, dicey gigolo lovers and Broadway dancers... and a cagey sugar daddy to boot! How could I not pick up this book and see how all of these elements came together?

The first sign of trouble came with the Author's Note at the very front of the book, which includes, "I carefully researched this case for several years, interviewing professors, police officers, and other subject-matter experts, while amassing over fifteen hundred distinct pieces of research. My intention in writing this book is to honor the truth of this story and the (very) real people involved." I should have known that would spell trouble, because the author said nothing about wanting to tell a good story or create compelling characters. The note made it feel like she thought it was more important to showcase how historically accurate and detailed the account of this true crime story was.

Ultimately, I made it through 20% of the book and wasn't feeling compelled by any of the characters in the book, and the story was plodding along. Life's too short to slog through a book that hasn't hooked you after 85 pages, so I moved onto the next one.

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Created Mar 14, 2024 at 11:40am • Submit your own review...