THE PEARL DAGGER

A sleuthing couple’s perilous pasts complicate their present lives.

Serving as Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s personal aide in 1937 New York guarantees Lane Sanders adventure and danger. La Guardia’s concern for the people of his city, which fuels his hatred of corruption and crime, has won him many enemies. A hot tip to investigative reporter Roarke Channing, Lane’s friend and often her partner in sleuthing, soon has them running from Crusher, a killer who may have targeted the mayor. Lane has had many close calls in the past (The Gold Pawn, 2018, etc.), and the love of her life, NYPD detective Finn Brodie, has problems of his own with his family back in England. Even as the murder of a policeman friend heats things up, the police commissioner dispatches Finn and Lane to London to see whether the Red Scroll is still active in Europe and identify its new leader. After five wonderful days aboard the Queen Mary, they arrive and are tracked down by Finn’s sister-in-law, Gwen, who tells them that Finn’s father is very ill in the hospital—but evidently not too ill to snub Finn when they arrive to visit him. The accusation that Finn has poisoned his father brings the family feud that’s festered for years to a head. But the problems back in New York demand their attention. Daphne Franco, the new leader of Red Scroll, has resolved to kill Lane and snuff out her memories of the past. As visits to jazz clubs and famous historical figures spice up the story, the pair enjoy the attractions of a vibrant city while using their wiles to protect the mayor.

Readers willing to overlook two unrelated cases will find Chandlar’s third Art Deco mystery action packed and filled with 1930s charm.