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Secrets Typed in Blood

by Stephen Spotswood

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Pentecost and Parker (3)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1238235,196 (3.88)5
"In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Parker & Pentecost Mystery series ("my new favorite sleuthing duo"-- Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review), Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction. New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean "Will" Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost. The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse. But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she's not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she's diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick's pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren't telling the full story? With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she'd better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it's about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker's doorstep"--… (more)
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» See also 5 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
This is part of a series involving two private detectives, Lillian Pentecost and her assistant, Willow Jean Parker, and is set in the years immediately after WWII. In this installment, a woman who writes stories for a detective magazine under various pseudonyms finds her scenarios are being enacted in seemingly unrelated murders around New York City. Parker takes the lead on this investigation despite her misgivings about the client, who seems to be keeping secrets from her.

The mystery here is fine, if overly complex and the solution felt convenient, but the mystery is less important here than the style, which aims for an old school hardboiled tone with protagonists who would be entirely comfortable in the present day. It didn't entirely work for me, but if you want that noir vibe with a softer tone and none of the unfortunate attitudes that are usually present in the vintage stuff, this might hit the spot. ( )
  RidgewayGirl | Dec 28, 2024 |
3.5 ( )
  calvson | Jul 13, 2024 |
I remember reading film reviews by James Agee in which he complains that a film's cast doesn't look like the people they are playing. In particular he points to rural characters who don't look like country people. That's how I feel about this book. There isn't much I would call an anachronism but wow, I don't think these folks live in 1947. If you can put that aside, it's not bad. The perp is not properly set up, though. Definitely a beach book. ( )
1 vote Dokfintong | Jun 3, 2024 |
Here Pentecost and Parker continue to pursue the elusive Olivia Waterhouse, but their main case is one where a writer of crime stories is convinced her murder scenes are being recreated in real life, in cases the police have no reason to believe are linked. I enjoyed this book very much, although I would have enjoyed it more if Holly, the crime writer had been more likeable. Parker is sent to work as a temp in an office where Olivia once worked, while Pentecost contracts out work on Holly's case to another investigator, for reasons I don't think were entirely satisfactory, and which meant I struggled a bit to really care about the victims and keep them straight in my head. Finally, I thought the ending was going to be more ingenious than it was.

Still, this series is very entertaining and I recommend it. ( )
  pgchuis | Feb 25, 2023 |
The best entry in the series so far. Spotswood's plotting is still intricate but easier to follow and the humorous bits are wry, dry, and skillfully woven into Will Parker's candid narration. ( )
  bookappeal | Feb 12, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Stephen Spotswoodprimary authorall editionscalculated
Windsor, Michael J.Cover artist & designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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"In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Parker & Pentecost Mystery series ("my new favorite sleuthing duo"-- Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review), Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction. New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean "Will" Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost. The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse. But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she's not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she's diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick's pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren't telling the full story? With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she'd better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it's about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker's doorstep"--

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