Review: It's the bees' knees!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 16, 2013
Welcome to Galveston!  It's 1927 and the Jazz Age is going strong.  The joints are jumpin', the booze is flowin', and Prohibition hasn't slowed it down.  If anything, it's made things livelier.  The two rival gangs, the Beach Gang and the Downtown Gang, control the alcohol distribution and the speakeasies.  Jasmine, a society reporter with dreams of being the next Nelly Bly, is enjoying a night out at her half-brother Sammy's  speakeasy, the Oasis, when she witnesses a man's death.  The new Prohibition Agent in town, handsome James Burton, threatens to shut down the Oasis if Sammy does not cooperate with his investigation.  After  Sammy is accused of murder, Jasmine is determined to clear his name.A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Ms. Collier's second book, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, and enjoyed it. She was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to review the first in the series.  I enjoyed seeing how the characters were introduced.  Jasmine is a wonderful example of a 1920s modern woman who is enjoying the new freedoms available to women and still wanting more.  While she is happy to have landed a job at the local newspaper, she wants to be taken seriously as a reporter.The setting and dialogue are half the fun in this novel.  The descriptions of the speakeasies, dances and the clothing bring the story to life.  The mesh bags, compacts, and perfume lamps sound like great accessories and the 1920s slang is entertaining.  In other words, it's the bees' knees!5 starsDisclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."