Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2022/04/foodfic-please-welcome-michael-murphy.html

Historical mystery set in 1933 Manhattan, the era of speakeasies, Prohibition and Babe Ruth. This book was enjoyable and I will probably pick up the sequel at some point. The only caution is there were a lot of actual historical figures that seemed to be shoehorned in to the story. It didn't bother me much but I know it bothers some readers. Personally I think they were more of a distraction and the story didn't need them. 3.5 stars. ( )

The Yankee Club by Michael Murphy is a 2014 Alibi publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical mysteries, especially those set in the thirties and forties, which captures that glorious age of old school detectives like Jake Donovan and his fictional character/alter ego, Blackie Doyle. So, with the cool breeze coming through the windows, I settled back on the sofa and drifted back in time to the prohibition era where Jake Donovan is returning to New York after a two- year absence.

Jake’s former gal, Laura, is now a big Broadway star, and had announced her engagement to a millionaire banker. Faced with losing Laura, the love of his life, Jake hopes to win her back, but a stop at the Yankee Club with his old pal and former partner, ends with Mickey’s death. Jake once more puts on his old detective cap determined to seek justice for his friend and win back his girl in the process.

The author did a fabulous job of recreating the atmosphere of New York City in the 1930’s, as well as paying homage to the noir style with snappy, but not overdone, dialogue, while also giving the story a whimsical quality, by incorporating real life characters like Dashiell Hammett, Cole Porter, and Joe Kennedy into the story.

The plot is convincing and well thought out, and might even give you pause, as the probability of the situation would have any conspiracy theorist frothing at the mouth.

The dynamic between Laura and Jake is complicated, as all the reasons behind their initial split are rather vague, but it’s game on now and time to face the future… but first they must save our country from a diabolical plot and hopefully live to tale the tale.

If you like stories with a noir quality to them, with the stylish polish of the detective stories written in the thirties and forties, and a dash of romance, I think you will really enjoy this story. I am really looking forward to Jake and Laura’s future adventures! ( )

I enjoy a noir mystery every once in a while and certainly enjoyed this one. Set in 1930’s NYC, it deals with former cop turned mystery writer who comes home to finish the last chapter of his current book. He meets up with his former partner who is then murdered and he gets involved in the investigation. Rich with what it was like to live in that era and filled with enough suspense and romancer to make it a true noir story. I will continue to read this author’s books. ( )

We recently reviewed All That Glitters by Michael Murphy, knowing it was Book #2 of a fun historical detective mystery series (link at the end of this review). I loved it so much that I immediately went in search of Book #1, The Yankee Club. Now normally when I do that, I don’t review those out of sequence novels on this web site but I couldn’t resist with this one. Michael Murphy has captured a Great Depression era mystery style that’s an homage to Dashiell Hammett’s phenomenally popular The Thin Man novels and films, yet with Murphy’s own unique take on things.

The Yankee Club is one of those reads that is perfect for a cold winter night’s reading by the fire – or to take on the plane during your next vacation. And its price makes it a real bargain. If you’re a detective story, an entertainment industry, or a mystery fan – or you just like good old fashioned stories about relationships, I think you’ll get a real kick out of this series. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8120. ( )