Last Call at the Nightingale
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- Create Date：2022-06-13 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Katharine Schellman
- ISBN：1666560200
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Summary
First in a captivating Jazz age mystery series from author Katharine Schellman， Last Call at the Nightingale beckons readers into a darkly glamorous speakeasy where music， liquor， and secrets flow。
New York， 1924。 Vivian Kelly's days are filled with drudgery， from the tenement lodging she shares with her sister to the dress shop where she sews for hours every day。
But at night， she escapes to The Nightingale， an underground dance hall where illegal liquor flows and the band plays the Charleston with reckless excitement。 With a bartender willing to slip her a free glass of champagne and friends who know the owner， Vivian can lose herself in the music。 No one asks where she came from or how much money she has。 No one bats an eye if she flirts with men or women as long as she can keep up on the dance floor。 At The Nightingale， Vivian forgets the dangers of Prohibition-era New York and finds a place that feels like home。
But then she discovers a body behind the club， and those dangers come knocking。
Caught in a police raid at the Nightingale， Vivian discovers that the dead man wasn't the nameless bootlegger he first appeared。 With too many people assuming she knows more about the crime than she does， Vivian finds herself caught between the dangers of the New York's underground and the world of the city's wealthy and careless， where money can hide any sin and the lives of the poor are considered disposable。。。including Vivian's own。
New York， 1924。 Vivian Kelly's days are filled with drudgery， from the tenement lodging she shares with her sister to the dress shop where she sews for hours every day。
But at night， she escapes to The Nightingale， an underground dance hall where illegal liquor flows and the band plays the Charleston with reckless excitement。 With a bartender willing to slip her a free glass of champagne and friends who know the owner， Vivian can lose herself in the music。 No one asks where she came from or how much money she has。 No one bats an eye if she flirts with men or women as long as she can keep up on the dance floor。 At The Nightingale， Vivian forgets the dangers of Prohibition-era New York and finds a place that feels like home。
But then she discovers a body behind the club， and those dangers come knocking。
Caught in a police raid at the Nightingale， Vivian discovers that the dead man wasn't the nameless bootlegger he first appeared。 With too many people assuming she knows more about the crime than she does， Vivian finds herself caught between the dangers of the New York's underground and the world of the city's wealthy and careless， where money can hide any sin and the lives of the poor are considered disposable。。。including Vivian's own。
Reviews
Shannon
，
Set in 1920s New York at the height of prohibition and the Jazz age， this first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Vivian Kelly， a cannily smart working girl who loves to dance and gets caught up in a murder mystery at the Nightingale， her favorite speakeasy。 Coerced by the mysterious and lesbian bar owner， Vivian finds herself investigating the dead man and who might have motive for his death。 I really enjoyed this book on audio narrated by Sara Young。 The pacing and plot kept my Set in 1920s New York at the height of prohibition and the Jazz age， this first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Vivian Kelly， a cannily smart working girl who loves to dance and gets caught up in a murder mystery at the Nightingale， her favorite speakeasy。 Coerced by the mysterious and lesbian bar owner， Vivian finds herself investigating the dead man and who might have motive for his death。 I really enjoyed this book on audio narrated by Sara Young。 The pacing and plot kept my interest and this was thoroughly enjoyable。 I can't wait to read more books featuring these characters and the special queer positive speak easy。 Recommended for fans of the Harlem Renaissance Mystery series by Nekesa Afia。 Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance listening copy！！ 。。。more
Dawn Thomas
，
Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman9781250831828315 PagesPublisher: St。 Martin’s Press， Minotaur BooksRelease Date: June 7， 2022Fiction， Mystery， Thriller， New York， 1920s， Prohibition， LGBTQIAIrish sisters， Vivian and Florence Kelly were orphans。 When they were of age， the nuns made sure they had respectable jobs as dressmakers。 Vivian， however， needs more out of life and spends her nights at the Nightingale speakeasy。 Her best friend， Bea， is a young Black woman working at the Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman9781250831828315 PagesPublisher: St。 Martin’s Press， Minotaur BooksRelease Date: June 7， 2022Fiction， Mystery， Thriller， New York， 1920s， Prohibition， LGBTQIAIrish sisters， Vivian and Florence Kelly were orphans。 When they were of age， the nuns made sure they had respectable jobs as dressmakers。 Vivian， however， needs more out of life and spends her nights at the Nightingale speakeasy。 Her best friend， Bea， is a young Black woman working at the Nightingale as a waitress。 The bartender， Danny， is a young Chinese man and works at his family’s restaurant during the day。 They are surprised when out on a smoke break in the alley behind the building they find a dead man。 Bea wants to just forget about it but Vivian is intrigued and wants to find out who he was， why he is dead， and who killed him。 Her actions have consequences that will affect everyone associated with her。This book is fast paced， the characters are somewhat developed， and it is written in the third person point of view。 I really enjoy reading books circa 1902s。 It gives us a different perspective than the way things are now （liquor is legal）。 If you like a quick mystery based in the 20s era， you will enjoy this book。 。。。more
Kim
，
I thought I was going to love this book， it had all the elements - New York City， 1924 - an underground jazz club during the era of prohibition， very interesting characters， a murder crying to be solved， a protagonist while downtrodden with enough spunk and moxie for a dozen。 So why did it leave me wanting more？ Confusing semi-stereotypes that walk a thin line and are always looking back over their shoulder and skirting the margins。 A time when information was the mostly precious currency used t I thought I was going to love this book， it had all the elements - New York City， 1924 - an underground jazz club during the era of prohibition， very interesting characters， a murder crying to be solved， a protagonist while downtrodden with enough spunk and moxie for a dozen。 So why did it leave me wanting more？ Confusing semi-stereotypes that walk a thin line and are always looking back over their shoulder and skirting the margins。 A time when information was the mostly precious currency used to keep the wealthy at the top of the protected heap， the poor down and in their place， the troubled always on the edge tilting toward ruin and worse。 They all hang out at the Nightingale， Vivian the poor seamstress who has yet to figure out much less declare her sexual identity and only wants to keep dancing， Beatrice the waitress who happens to be Vivian’s best friend and black so we know what her social status is in 1924 NYC， Danny， the bartender who happens to be Chinese tries to protect so many， Mags the young heiress who loves to go slumming as long as she can do it with glamour， Leo who might or might not be a thug and is most definitely interested in Vivian， and Ms。 Honor Huxley at the very center of everything to do with The Nightingale。 A murder， a raid， a night in jail， a deal to be made， a twist， a turn， another red herring， another twist， and while the action moved the story forward something just seemed to be missing and hovering at the edge。 A solid 3-1/2 stars that I am rounding up。 Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Publishing for a copy。 。。。more
Susan Lindemulder
，
I actually liked this more than I thought I would--so now I'm looking forward to the next book。 I actually liked this more than I thought I would--so now I'm looking forward to the next book。 。。。more
Marilyn
，
Last Call at the Nightingale by Katherine Schellman was well written and imagined。 It explored the streets and neighborhoods as well as a particular speak easy in New York City during the colorful Jazz Age years of the early 1920’s when prohibition made selling alcoholic beverages illegal。 The vivid descriptions of the rundown tenements， the opulent homes of the very wealthy， the unique and contrasting fashions of the wealthy and poor and the current dances popular with the patrons of the Nighti Last Call at the Nightingale by Katherine Schellman was well written and imagined。 It explored the streets and neighborhoods as well as a particular speak easy in New York City during the colorful Jazz Age years of the early 1920’s when prohibition made selling alcoholic beverages illegal。 The vivid descriptions of the rundown tenements， the opulent homes of the very wealthy， the unique and contrasting fashions of the wealthy and poor and the current dances popular with the patrons of the Nightingale were all so easy to visualize from the way the author described them。 I felt like I was there， walking the streets， and seeing New York City as it had been in 1924。Vivian and her older sister Florence had been orphaned at a young and impressionable age。 They lived in an orphanage run by nuns until they were of age to live together on their own。 They had been guided by the nuns to learn a trade so they would be able to support themselves when they made their way back into the world。 They were taught how to sew。 Both sisters worked in a dress shop where they sewed dresses and did alterations。 Their employer was not very kind or appreciative。 Both Vivian and Florence worked long hours and brought home just enough to barely make ends meet。 Vivian was happiest when she was able to escape to the Nightingale， an underground dance hall。 There Vivian was offered illegal drinks and the pleasure of dancing to help her forget her current situation。 Florence never accompanied Vivian there。 She was the more serious and conscientious of the two sisters。 Vivian viewed The Nightingale as her escape from the reality of what her life was like。 Several of the employees at The Nightingale befriended Vivian and watched out for her。 One night Vivian and her friend Bea， who was a waitress at The Nightingale， went out into the alley to talk and have a cigarette when they discovered the body of a well dressed dead man。 Vivian’s life was changed from that discovery。 Intent on solving the mysteries of who the man was， who had killed him and the reason he was murdered became Vivian’s obsession。 There were twists and turns around every corner。 Every time I thought I had it figured out some new piece of information was added and changed my mind。 I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Last Call at the Nightingale by Katherine Schellman。 It was narrated flawlessly by Cara Young。 Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Last Call at the Nightingale in exchange for an honest review。 I enjoyed listening to it and highly recommend it。 。。。more
Star Gater
，
I realized this is an era that I don't enjoy。 （New York 1924）。 I didn't like any of the characters， during that time period women were trashy or simple， and men cheesy。 The murder plot didn't work for me， and the ending was over the top。 Sadly， I didn't like the narration。 Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and review Last Call at the Nightingale。 I realized this is an era that I don't enjoy。 （New York 1924）。 I didn't like any of the characters， during that time period women were trashy or simple， and men cheesy。 The murder plot didn't work for me， and the ending was over the top。 Sadly， I didn't like the narration。 Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and review Last Call at the Nightingale。 。。。more
Diana N。
，
Wow， the descriptions and setting in this book made me feel like I was in the underground dance club the Nightingale right along with the characters。Seeing a dead man in the alley brought Vivian into trying to find his killer。 She definitely got into some dangerous dealings as this mystery unfolded。 What I liked was that it was hard to figure out all of the characters dark illegal secrets。 It was definitely a twisted prohibition web indeed。The ending was great since I really had no idea who the Wow， the descriptions and setting in this book made me feel like I was in the underground dance club the Nightingale right along with the characters。Seeing a dead man in the alley brought Vivian into trying to find his killer。 She definitely got into some dangerous dealings as this mystery unfolded。 What I liked was that it was hard to figure out all of the characters dark illegal secrets。 It was definitely a twisted prohibition web indeed。The ending was great since I really had no idea who the killer was until the big reveal。 It was surprising enough that I had to rethink if I missed something。 This book truly has a great historical setting and the mystery writing was top notch！Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review。 。。。more
Alyssa
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Last Call At The Nightingale by Katherine Schellman is now out in the world and its a great cozy mystery that takes place during the prohibition era。 I loved the setting and the speakeasy location。 All of the characters were great and diverse。 I thought the author took the time to give them their own personalities while also giving us strong female characters and a nostalgic vibe。 The mystery was great to， it kept changing with plenty of different suspects。 I enjoyed the ending to。 Overall I rea Last Call At The Nightingale by Katherine Schellman is now out in the world and its a great cozy mystery that takes place during the prohibition era。 I loved the setting and the speakeasy location。 All of the characters were great and diverse。 I thought the author took the time to give them their own personalities while also giving us strong female characters and a nostalgic vibe。 The mystery was great to， it kept changing with plenty of different suspects。 I enjoyed the ending to。 Overall I really enjoyed this cozy mystery， it was a great setting， fun to read， and had great characters。 I would definitely recommend grabbing a copy of this one！ 。。。more
Rachel
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Loved this who done it set in the 20’s。 The scene is set so it is very easy to imagine the Nightingale and all the characters。 It will keep you guessing。 But nicely tied in a bow， with room for another book！ While I liked the narrator， I’m not sure her voice was the best fit for this tale。 Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Schellman for allowing me and early edition of this audiobook！
Emily Waller
，
Last Call at the Nightingale is an atmospheric Jazz age mystery featuring our seamstress-by-day main character， Vivian。 Nighttime is when she truly comes alive， in true spirit of the age， drinking and dancing the night away at an underground dance hall called the Nightingale。 One night， expecting a carefree， reckless night， Vivian instead finds a body behind the hall and her life is turned upside down。The Nightingale is a fun Prohibition-era read with a "whodunit" mystery。 I love the entire atmo Last Call at the Nightingale is an atmospheric Jazz age mystery featuring our seamstress-by-day main character， Vivian。 Nighttime is when she truly comes alive， in true spirit of the age， drinking and dancing the night away at an underground dance hall called the Nightingale。 One night， expecting a carefree， reckless night， Vivian instead finds a body behind the hall and her life is turned upside down。The Nightingale is a fun Prohibition-era read with a "whodunit" mystery。 I love the entire atmosphere created around this time period in New York， and it made for a fun read。 Vivian was a great character to go alongside with while solving the mystery， and the supporting characters were really unique and added to the story really well。 The audio is fantastically narrated by Sara Young and I highly recommend it if you're into audiobooks！Thanks to Minotaur Books for the ARC！ 。。。more
Roz Gay
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"I'll dance till last call。"Vivian is an orphaned seamstress living with her sister in NYC during the heigh of prohibition。 She escapes to a dance hall called the Nightingale to dance， drink and have fun。 One night Vivi witnesses a murder and gets tangled up in a mystery。I'm a sucker for the roaring 20s and this one delivered that。 I loved the jazz club setting， the dancing， the （illegal） drinking and the band of misfits that have found a home at the Nightingale。 This was a cozy mystery with not "I'll dance till last call。"Vivian is an orphaned seamstress living with her sister in NYC during the heigh of prohibition。 She escapes to a dance hall called the Nightingale to dance， drink and have fun。 One night Vivi witnesses a murder and gets tangled up in a mystery。I'm a sucker for the roaring 20s and this one delivered that。 I loved the jazz club setting， the dancing， the （illegal） drinking and the band of misfits that have found a home at the Nightingale。 This was a cozy mystery with not a lot of suspense but plenty of who-dun-it。I'm not sure I totally even understood what happened in the end but it didn't really even matter to me and that's what I love about cozy mysteries！ This was definitely set up to a be a series as you can tell Vivian is going to get tangled up in more trouble and more love triangles。 I hope we get to see more of her sister in future books！If you like cozy mysteries and prohibition era stories， this could be a fun rainy day read！Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Soph the Oaf
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Enchanting。
Delaney mybooksandkidsbooks
，
Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman This book was so fun！ Set in the 1920s in New York City， the atmosphere of this story is spectacular。 Vivian is a seamstress living with her sister， but by night she frequents the Nightingale， an underground dance hall。 One night at the Nightingale she discovers a dead body in the back alley and quickly gets swept up in the mystery of this man’s death。 This is a mystery with a bit of romance and a bit of family drama。 The characters， especially Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman This book was so fun！ Set in the 1920s in New York City， the atmosphere of this story is spectacular。 Vivian is a seamstress living with her sister， but by night she frequents the Nightingale， an underground dance hall。 One night at the Nightingale she discovers a dead body in the back alley and quickly gets swept up in the mystery of this man’s death。 This is a mystery with a bit of romance and a bit of family drama。 The characters， especially Vivian， were well developed and complex。 I loved the mystery and never guessed the ending。 But what I loved most about this book was the atmosphere。 I love the 1920s and the writing was so descriptive。 So fun and lively！ Thank you to @minotaur_books for my advanced copy。 This one is out today！ What’s your favourite drink to order at a bar/restaurant？#lastcallatthenightingale #katharineschellman #minotaurbooks #gifted #books #mystery #fiction #1920s #bookish #mybooks #reading #bookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations 。。。more
Amanda
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I received the audiobook via the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review。Last Call at the Nightingale is a murder mystery set in prohibition era New York。 There is a rich cast of characters including various races and sexuality。 The main character， Vivian， is visiting her best friend Bea at the Nightclub Bea works at when the find a man's body behind the club。 Vivian gets drawn in to the mystery of who this man was and who would have wanted him dead。I really enjoyed this audiobo I received the audiobook via the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review。Last Call at the Nightingale is a murder mystery set in prohibition era New York。 There is a rich cast of characters including various races and sexuality。 The main character， Vivian， is visiting her best friend Bea at the Nightclub Bea works at when the find a man's body behind the club。 Vivian gets drawn in to the mystery of who this man was and who would have wanted him dead。I really enjoyed this audiobook。 The characters were interesting and I also enjoyed the setting。 I guess one of the books twists but did not guess a few of the others， so even if you think you have everything figured out， you probably don't。 。。。more
Kat
，
I just love Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler series， so I was excited to read a new book that was totally unrelated to that series。 Last Call at the Nightingale is set in the exciting world of New York in 1924， which is the Jazz Age and the Prohibition Era。 I admit I didn't like a number of the characters; however， the storyline was engrossing and I didn't want to put this book down until I figured out "whodunit"。Vivian Kelly lives in a tiny tenement with her straight-laced sister Florence。 The I just love Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler series， so I was excited to read a new book that was totally unrelated to that series。 Last Call at the Nightingale is set in the exciting world of New York in 1924， which is the Jazz Age and the Prohibition Era。 I admit I didn't like a number of the characters; however， the storyline was engrossing and I didn't want to put this book down until I figured out "whodunit"。Vivian Kelly lives in a tiny tenement with her straight-laced sister Florence。 The two work for hours every day at a dress shop lorded over by a holier-than-thou woman， and it's a dreary life。 However， Vivian comes alive when at night she goes to The Nightingale， an underground dance hall where the music is intoxicating， the dancing exhilarating and the illegal liquor pours non-stop。 This is the place where Vivian truly feels at home。 No one cares about her status or whether she flirts with men or women， just as long as she knows how to shake a leg。 But one night Vivian discovers a body in the alley behind The Nightingale， and things suddenly become dangerous。 First she is caught up in a raid and brought to jail; then she discovers that the deceased man at the club was not some nameless bootlegger， but a wealthy man。 Bad people seem to think she knows more than she actually does， and she becomes stuck between the city's underground and its wealthiest citizens。 Will Vivian survive to discover what really happened？The mystery which started off at The Nightingale was an extremely thrilling one。 There were many twists and turns， and red herrings flying all over the place。 Just when I thought I had it all figured out， another layer of the onion was peeled away and another clue revealed。 I was completely dumbstruck when the killer was revealed！ The Jazz Age setting was something different， though the slang at the time drove me nuts。 Many characters I loved， but some I just didn't。 Unfortunately， I didn't care for Lily。 I know she was young and seemed confused in life。 I just didn't care for the way she seemed very self-centered; she could have treated her sister Florence， who was just trying to help them survive， better。 Lily had a flirtation and obvious attraction to Honor Huxley， the owner of The Nightingale， which was returned。 However， Honor was older and wiser; I know a woman in the business world of 1920's had to be ruthless， but she put Lily， whom she seemed to adore， in dangerous situations。 There were characters who I loved， though。 Waitress Bea， Lily's best friend， was a young Black woman who worked to support her family and looked out for Lily。 Bartender Danny， a young Chinese man， was kind but tough and could kick some serious butt。 Leo Green， a mysterious man who came to The Nightingale and was a friend of Danny's， admitted he was not a good man， but he was deeply drawn to Lily and it was obvious he truly cared for her。 And then there was Florence。 Poor， put upon Florence。。。。who turned into a tigress when she believed her baby sister was in danger。 Loved her！ I don't know if this is a planned series， but I would definitely like to revisit The Nightingale and all its characters。 Lily is sure to grown on me when she matures， and I would love to see Bea have a storyline of her own。I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 I received no compensation for my review， and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own。 。。。more
Kaileigh Wenglikowski
，
AHH， this mystery was so incredibly fun！ I loved this very detailed environmental thriller！ In this story we are introduced to Vivian- an Irish women and her partner in crime Bea。 They are always at the nightingale and dancing and drinking illegibly at the time。 One night Vivian stumbled on a dead body in the alley， and the owner of the club does not want to get the police involved because they would then look into more of the operations of the nightingale and discover their is alcohol。 I will s AHH， this mystery was so incredibly fun！ I loved this very detailed environmental thriller！ In this story we are introduced to Vivian- an Irish women and her partner in crime Bea。 They are always at the nightingale and dancing and drinking illegibly at the time。 One night Vivian stumbled on a dead body in the alley， and the owner of the club does not want to get the police involved because they would then look into more of the operations of the nightingale and discover their is alcohol。 I will say， at times I wanted more of the 1920's vibe and a little bit more of the suspense， this felt a little more watered down than I wanted it to be。 。。。more
Brittnie Maker
，
This was an adventure that takes you back to the 1920's。 From the first page the story left out and transported me to another time。 This story takes you on a journey as you try and figure out what happened to a murdered man that was found in an alley。 This was an adventure that takes you back to the 1920's。 From the first page the story left out and transported me to another time。 This story takes you on a journey as you try and figure out what happened to a murdered man that was found in an alley。 。。。more
Devon
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1920s。 Jazz。 Murder。 Did I want to read this because of the cover？ Yes。 Because it was set during the Jazz Age at a jazz club？ Yes。But I don’t regret it！ This is a slow burn， character study that reads like a Raymond Chandler detective novel。 We follow Vivian who spends her time after working in a dress shop all day， dancing and drinking at the Nightingale。 She gets caught up in a murder investigation and the dangerous side of 1920s New York。 Schellman writes tension really well and creates an i 1920s。 Jazz。 Murder。 Did I want to read this because of the cover？ Yes。 Because it was set during the Jazz Age at a jazz club？ Yes。But I don’t regret it！ This is a slow burn， character study that reads like a Raymond Chandler detective novel。 We follow Vivian who spends her time after working in a dress shop all day， dancing and drinking at the Nightingale。 She gets caught up in a murder investigation and the dangerous side of 1920s New York。 Schellman writes tension really well and creates an incredible atmosphere。 The plot is really character focused so know that going in。 But the characters are diverse and great so you will love them。 4。25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks ro @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the ARC。 If you’re looking for a book club book， especially if you want to theme it， this would be great。 For fans of noir， historical fiction， stories set in New York。 There’s also queer representation if you’re looking for something different to read during June。 。。。more
Leslie Hagel
，
Fans of both historical fiction and mysteries will love the first in this new series from Katherine Schellman。Last Call at the Nightingale is a new mystery series set in New York City during the Jazz Age。 In 1924， Vivian and her sister， Florence spend their lives living in a tenement and working in a sewing factory all day。 To escape the daily grind of this life， Vivian discovers the nighttime world of dancing and illegal drinking at a speakeasy called The Nightingale。 Thrust into a world full o Fans of both historical fiction and mysteries will love the first in this new series from Katherine Schellman。Last Call at the Nightingale is a new mystery series set in New York City during the Jazz Age。 In 1924， Vivian and her sister， Florence spend their lives living in a tenement and working in a sewing factory all day。 To escape the daily grind of this life， Vivian discovers the nighttime world of dancing and illegal drinking at a speakeasy called The Nightingale。 Thrust into a world full of temptation and questionable choices， Vivian finds her nights of dancing and flirting interrupted by a murder in the back alley。 Vivian develops her detective skills along with dancing skills to help find the murderer。Danny， the bartender， Bea， the server and Honor Huxley， the owner， are each written with such detail portraying their unique personalities。 The reader becomes invested in each character and feels like a part of the whole Nightingale crew。 The setting of the novel becomes another character in the book with 1920s jazz details and New York City references。Katherine Schellman's Last Call at the Nightingale sets up perfectly for this mystery series。 I cannot wait to read the next one！ Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book before its release。 。。。more
Lindsay
，
Wow， was this a fun change of pace or what！？ I read so many mysteries， thrillers， and the like， so throwing a Jazz Age historical mystery into the mix was so fun， effervescent and invigorating！ Last Call at the Nightingale takes place in the Nightingale speakeasy， a place where people of all walks of life go to unwind during prohibition。 Not only was this naught foray into NYC underground life so fun and scandalous， it was also heartwarming。 This was a place where people could go to be there tru Wow， was this a fun change of pace or what！？ I read so many mysteries， thrillers， and the like， so throwing a Jazz Age historical mystery into the mix was so fun， effervescent and invigorating！ Last Call at the Nightingale takes place in the Nightingale speakeasy， a place where people of all walks of life go to unwind during prohibition。 Not only was this naught foray into NYC underground life so fun and scandalous， it was also heartwarming。 This was a place where people could go to be there true selves and Schellman did a good job of describing the plights that the speakeasy guests were escaping from， be it racial inequality or an unaccepted sexual orientation （at the time） or just people down on their luck。 The author's note at the end further explains these difficult struggles during the 1920's。 Vivian was a great main character， she was fun and whip smart， yet realistic and relatable。 She wasn't a damsel that needed saving and she didn't make foolish choices that make you roll your eyes。 Her natural curiosity aided itself well to moving the plot of the mystery along。 I loved all of the diverse cast of characters from Bea， to Danny and Ms。 Huxley！ And I just saw that this is the first in a series and I will definitely be jumping back in when book two comes out！ I loved this novel so much and recommend it to all mystery and historical fiction lovers'！ I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Beth
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The jazz era。。 a time when alcohol was illegal， music was changing， and speak easies were part of the night life。 Last Call at the Nightingale is a wonderful novel that transports the reader back to this time period with the wonderfully descriptive prose。 Vivian and her sister Florence work as seamstresses to try to survive but at night Vivian spends her time dancing away at The Nightingale。 One night she finds a body in the alley and soon becomes immersed in a world that’s filled with secrets a The jazz era。。 a time when alcohol was illegal， music was changing， and speak easies were part of the night life。 Last Call at the Nightingale is a wonderful novel that transports the reader back to this time period with the wonderfully descriptive prose。 Vivian and her sister Florence work as seamstresses to try to survive but at night Vivian spends her time dancing away at The Nightingale。 One night she finds a body in the alley and soon becomes immersed in a world that’s filled with secrets and crime。 I felt that the author did a great job with being true to this time period and the story moved enough that I stayed invested。 Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this book。 。。。more
Leila Coppala
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3。5 stars rounded up to 4I'm a sucker for anything 1920s， and this beautiful cover sucked me in。 I also love mysteries， so this was a no-brainer for me。 Prohibition is in full swing in NYC， so what's a working class girl to do when she wants to kick up her heels and forget the worries of everyday struggle？ For Vivian Kelly， after a mind numbing day of sewing her fingers to the bone with her killjoy but loving sister Florence， the Nightingale， a speakeasy and dance hall where all are welcome and 3。5 stars rounded up to 4I'm a sucker for anything 1920s， and this beautiful cover sucked me in。 I also love mysteries， so this was a no-brainer for me。 Prohibition is in full swing in NYC， so what's a working class girl to do when she wants to kick up her heels and forget the worries of everyday struggle？ For Vivian Kelly， after a mind numbing day of sewing her fingers to the bone with her killjoy but loving sister Florence， the Nightingale， a speakeasy and dance hall where all are welcome and she can spend time with her friends and dance her cares away is the answer。 Vivian and Bea， her best best friend and waitress at the Nightingale， discover the body of a well-to-do but not very nice guy in the alley behind the speakeasy and tell Honor Huxley， the owner of the club。 She tells them to forget about it， that she will take care of things。 Soon after， the club gets raided and Vivian ends up in the pokey。 Honor bails her out but says Vivian now owes her a favor。 Honor wants Vivian to keep her eye on a new patron who showed up the night of the murder， which shouldn't be too tough since he's clearly got a thing for Viv。 Vivian can't help but try to figure out what happened to the dead guy， and that of course puts her in danger。I definitely enjoyed the book and it did take me a bit of time to figure out who the murderer was， but I wish there had been a bit more atmosphere and more time spent fleshing out the characters。 I listened to the audio book and felt the narrator did a good job of adding feeling to the words， and did especially well with her voicing of Honor Huxley。 If there is a another book in the future featuring these characters， I will give it a read as well。 Thank you to Netgally and Dreamscape Media for an eARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Sasha
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Vivian Kelly spends her days working in a factory， alongside her sister Florence， sewing nice clothes for the rich members of society。 At night she finds escape by going to The Nightingale， a dance hall where the illegal alcohol flows and many people escape the drudgery of their lives through the music and dancing。 The Nightingale is a place where people can find acceptance and excitement regardless of the lives they lead outside。 When a dead body is found in an alley outside the club， Vivian’s Vivian Kelly spends her days working in a factory， alongside her sister Florence， sewing nice clothes for the rich members of society。 At night she finds escape by going to The Nightingale， a dance hall where the illegal alcohol flows and many people escape the drudgery of their lives through the music and dancing。 The Nightingale is a place where people can find acceptance and excitement regardless of the lives they lead outside。 When a dead body is found in an alley outside the club， Vivian’s happiness is threatened， as is The Nightingale。 I absolutely loved this novel: the time period， the characters， the setting， the mystery。 The characters are simply amazing。 I really liked the fact that the main characters， while being the lower members of society， are strong and determined in their individual ways。 I also enjoyed how many of them are females and some are minorities during a time when they were viewed as less-than。 Last Call at the Nightingale grabbed me from the first page and kept me hooked right up until the end。 It also kept me guessing throughout， making it into a real page-turner。I liked the audiobook as well。 Sara Young did a wonderful job narrating this novel; between her tone， inflection and character’s voices I found myself absorbed and lost in the narrative。 I feel that my enjoyment of Last Call at the Nightingale was added to by listening to this novel。 。。。more
Beth Walsh
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I really enjoyed this mystery set in prohibition-era New York City， where a modern girl could visit a speakeasy for a night of music and dancing， as long as she knows the password！ I was really drawn into that world， of jazz and bribes and police raids， the contrast between the poor working class and the ultra-wealthy。 Even the dialogue with its 20s slang was great—just enough to sound authentic but not cheesy。 The mystery itself wasnt super compelling， it was really secondary to the vibrant set I really enjoyed this mystery set in prohibition-era New York City， where a modern girl could visit a speakeasy for a night of music and dancing， as long as she knows the password！ I was really drawn into that world， of jazz and bribes and police raids， the contrast between the poor working class and the ultra-wealthy。 Even the dialogue with its 20s slang was great—just enough to sound authentic but not cheesy。 The mystery itself wasnt super compelling， it was really secondary to the vibrant setting & characters。 。。。more
BookTrib。com
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Set in 1924， Katharine Schellman - Writer’s new novel， LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE （Minotaur Books）， is a world unto itself。 If you love jazz， flappers， bootleg whiskey， the Charleston — iconic images of the Roaring Twenties — you'll love this book。Read BookTrib's Full Review。 Set in 1924， Katharine Schellman - Writer’s new novel， LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE （Minotaur Books）， is a world unto itself。 If you love jazz， flappers， bootleg whiskey， the Charleston — iconic images of the Roaring Twenties — you'll love this book。Read BookTrib's Full Review。 。。。more
Ceylan （CeyGo）
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3。5 ⭐️ ✔️ love the way the author captured Jazz era New York City - the prohibition， the illegal drinking， the fashion ， corruption ✔️ there’s a great representation of #diverstiy in this book and it all comes into play somewhat seamlessly， many topics being explored through the course of the story✔️ good character development and a mystery that somewhat kept me guessing This is the first book in a new #mysteryseries and I’d definitely be interested in reading the next book when it’s available
Sharon
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Trouble at a speakeasy might not be unexpected， but when Vivian stumbles across a body in the alley while getting some air with her friend Bea， it's only the start of how much her life is about to change。 Over the course of just a few days， she finds herself in more new and sometimes dangerous situations。 I enjoyed how the author kept every scene fresh， expertly revealing more about others and herself to Vivian as the story progressed。 Every character is carefully crafted to reflect the ethnic， Trouble at a speakeasy might not be unexpected， but when Vivian stumbles across a body in the alley while getting some air with her friend Bea， it's only the start of how much her life is about to change。 Over the course of just a few days， she finds herself in more new and sometimes dangerous situations。 I enjoyed how the author kept every scene fresh， expertly revealing more about others and herself to Vivian as the story progressed。 Every character is carefully crafted to reflect the ethnic， economic， and gender status represented， and the speakeasy setting provides an effective way for so many paths to cross。 The mystery unfolds at a pace respectful to the reader， with the characters' actions and conversations leading the way。 With some unresolved matters at the end unrelated to the main mystery， I look forward to a sequel。 Thank you to St。 Martins Press， Minotaur Books， Netgalley， and the author Katharine Schellman for early access to this engaging read。 。。。more
Catherine （alternativelytitledbooks）
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**Many thanks to NetGalley， Minotaur/St。 Martin's Press， and Katharine Schellman for an ARC of this book！ Now available as of 6。7！**I visited the Nightingale expecting flappers， moonshine， jazz， mystery， and an aura of danger。。。but what I got was a bit more of your standard 'corner bar and grill full of forgettable regulars watching a boring baseball game on a Tuesday night' instead。Vivian sweeps away the long monotony of days sewing in the workhouse aside sister Florence once night falls at the **Many thanks to NetGalley， Minotaur/St。 Martin's Press， and Katharine Schellman for an ARC of this book！ Now available as of 6。7！**I visited the Nightingale expecting flappers， moonshine， jazz， mystery， and an aura of danger。。。but what I got was a bit more of your standard 'corner bar and grill full of forgettable regulars watching a boring baseball game on a Tuesday night' instead。Vivian sweeps away the long monotony of days sewing in the workhouse aside sister Florence once night falls at the Nightingale， a club featuring the illegal booze， wild dancing， and colorful crowds typical of such an establishment in 1924。 Vivian's best friend Bea is her partner in crime， and the two while away many an hour together。 One night， however， Vivian finds herself in EXACTLY the wrong place at PRECISELY the wrong time: she discovers a body in the alley by the club。 Speechless and horrified， a police raid of the club then occurs， and Vivian finds herself in the whirlwind of this mysterious and ugly crime。 Club owner Honor Huxley begs her to keep quiet， but Vivian can't help investigating， despite her secret affection for Honor AND a new man she has met at the club。 Who is at the center of this ugly storm。。。and has Vivian set herself up to be the next target？ Can the Nightingale keep its doors open。。。and keep its dangerous secrets under lock and key？ And just how well DOES Vivian know the mysterious new man in her life？I'll admit， I was absolutely lured to this book by its stellar and beautiful cover。 I'm a sucker for literature set during this time period， from The Great Gatsby to Beautiful Little Fools， which was a surprise hit for me earlier this year， and I was hoping to strike gold yet again with Last Call at the Nightingale。Unfortunately， the third time was NOT the charm with this read。As much as I felt the cover drew me in initially， this is basically where the atmosphere stopped for me。。。and I picked this book up hoping that would at least account for 50% of my experience。 if you hadn't told me this book was set in the 20's and you'd removed a few context clues， there was little to remind me that's where the story took place， and this setting just didn't come alive。 I kept waiting for that immersive and magical experience where I felt thrust back in time， but there was a lot of telling rather than showing， and I had a hard time even picturing what was going on or the decor most of the time。There's also nothing wrong with the plot， but nothing too memorable about it either。 I usually lean towards thrillers over mysteries， so I knew I was a bit outside of my comfort zone here， but I was hoping to feel a bit more thrilled by the goings on than I was。 Nothing wrong with a classic wjhodunit， and i can't say I guessed the perpetrator， but I wasn't wowed by the reveals either。 The characters also weren't fleshed out enough for my taste， so they were pleasant enough but not as complex as they needed to be for any sort of an emotional connection。 Granted， this IS a mystery rather than a drama， but there's always room for this sort of development in my opinion。Honestly， the author's note at the ending gave some great references to her research， but also explained the the 1920s and the time period as though readers had never heard of it before， so it might feel a bit unnecessary if you're already familiar with the basics， but there are some decent resources listed if you're the researching sort。 Sadly， I wonder if I might enjoy delving into nonfiction about the time period more than I enjoyed this particular book。 I loved what I saw through the window of the Nightingale， but much like a glitzy outfit that looked better from far away， the spangles on this dress were simply a trick of the light。3。5 stars 。。。more
chels marieantoinette
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I love the jazz age and I LOVE New York and as soon as I discovered the LGBT themes in Last Call At The Nightingale I was completely sold on this book AND anticipating more in the series。 Schellman created a well-developed cast of unique characters including all races and sexual orientations in this 1920’s NYC speakeasy and painted a perfect picture steeped in the mystery of the dead man in the alley。 From the lingo to the scenery， this book is fun and quick。 I’d definitely recommend it to fans I love the jazz age and I LOVE New York and as soon as I discovered the LGBT themes in Last Call At The Nightingale I was completely sold on this book AND anticipating more in the series。 Schellman created a well-developed cast of unique characters including all races and sexual orientations in this 1920’s NYC speakeasy and painted a perfect picture steeped in the mystery of the dead man in the alley。 From the lingo to the scenery， this book is fun and quick。 I’d definitely recommend it to fans of the jazz age， New York City， and the LGBT community。 。。。more
Babs | babs_reviews
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