CBR16 Bingo: Disco – This mystery’s set amid the bright lights of 1920s Hollywood, featuring both it’s fast-living stars and the people behind the scenes who prop them up.
English widow Emma has settled comfortably into her new life in 1920s Hollywood as her silent movie star sister-in-law’s companion and part-time script doctor. When a child star and her mother are kidnapped, she gets swept up in the mystery, if only because she and Kitty may be the only ones who really care if Susy gets home or not.
There has been a surprising number of mysteries centering around staged kidnapping plots going awry that I’ve read published in the last few years. That’s all I can say while avoiding spoilers.
This is the third book in the series, but despite having not read the earlier books I was able to find my footing quickly enough in this story. 1920s Hollywood comes alive in all its sleazy glory, but for all that Hambly isn’t afraid to face its dark side there’s plenty of dry humor to be found here too. I loved the unlikely bond between professor’s daughter Emma and the free-spirited Kitty, as well as the low-key romance between Emma and Zal.
There are one too many coincidences for my liking though, subplots twining together so neatly that it threatened my suspension of disbelief. And maybe it’s because I’ve seen plenty of this plot recently, but I didn’t find the mystery very compelling. Indeed, it drifted in and out of focus throughout the book, with the historical aspects even eclipsing it at times. Luckily, those aspects are still fascinating on their own.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.