Mystery in 1930s Boston | Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan

ABOUT THE BOOK

“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.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: July 10, 2018

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MY REVIEW

Take a trip to the Boston of the 1930s in Murder at the Flamingo, the start of Rachel McMillan’s new series, Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries. Nightclub intrigue abounds as the jaunty glamor of the era meshes with its seedier elements in a story that captivates the imagination from the first page to the last.

At the center of the story are newcomers to the Boston scene, Hamish DeLuca and Regina “Reggie” Van Buren. On a search for home, purpose, self, and independence, this anxiety-prone lawyer and making-her-own-way heiress form a sweet friendship, thanks to the mutual acquaintance of Luca Valari, and wind up as unlikely sleuthing partners. As they work together to discover the secrets behind the story’s mystery, the intelligent pair proves to be entirely lovable. With quirks aplenty, they delight and endear.

So, Murder at the Flamingo is a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed it. The titular murder may not occur until the second half of the book, but McMillan sets up her story with an irresistible setting and cast of characters—I couldn’t help but be fascinated as I waited for the murder plot to begin. Having now fallen in love with Hamish and Reggie, I absolutely cannot wait for more of Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries. 

★★★★

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a complimentary copy of Murder at the Flamingo and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

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