Series: Soho Noir #2
Published by Red Dog Press on June 4 2019
Pages: 95
Amazon UK
Goodreads
Also by this author: Tainted Love, Careless Whisper, Crazy for You, Killer Queen, Smalltown Boy
A DEAD CABARET HOST. A BROKEN STILETTO AND A FEMME FATALE WITH A POINT TO PROVE.
It’s the summer of 1985 in London's Soho, and Joe Stone is settling in in his new home at the heart of London's developing gay scene.
When Danny Devraux—the compère they've hired to host their charity ball, The Frock Show—is found dead backstage, it falls to Joe and his friend Russell to figure out what happened.
All they have to go on is the broken-off heel of a stiletto found near the scene, and the briefest glimpse of a mystery woman fleeing the scene. But who was she?
Past secrets, bent coppers, drag queens and old lovers play their part in this noirish murder mystery.
✮ My Review ✮
Since I have started reading this I have been throwing myself back into the 80’s music! I mean I spent the afternoon reliving my youth listening to Erasure doing the housework, happy times! Safe to say though Eurythmics have been on repeat in my car, I adored Annie Lennox growing up so this was the perfect excuse to get those tunes playing!
I am back with my friends, in such few pages in Tainted Love I met and fell in love with Joe and Russell and in this book it just re-confirms how much I do adore these two! They just work and fit together so well. Joe has to take some social cues from Russell as he is still a bit fiery!
Again, the cover for Who’s That Girl? fits perfectly with the story and the title again is spot on! I can not explain why, but when you have read the novella, you will see the jigsaw pieces slot together perfectly. What Hunter has created not only with this series but the titles, the covers are all in sync and work in such epic proportion.
This small tale is a bittersweet tale. Again, I can not talk about why in too much detail, but Danny, an old friend of Ron the pub landlord of the Red Lion from Tainted Love, is the compère for an evening in the pub for a charity ball to help raise money to save the community centre mentioned in the first book, when he is stabbed in the heart….by a stiletto shoe! The only witness an unknown woman who has run away.
Skinner’s ugly head rears again but he does not have much screen time, enough to rile some people but Russell, like normal, knocks him back a peg or two. Joe and Russell begin their own investigation to Danny and his life, estranged family, debts and an ailing wife are at the forefront of this story and the ending is wrapped up and we have in front of us a bittersweet yet a slightly sad tale.
I would advise picking up Tainted Love so you can get the history of Joe and Russell because only a couple of lines are mentioned to recap you, there is no time to waste! We have a murder to solve!
Hunter does not mess about with these novellas, it is tight, compact writing. No wishy-washy writing here, he has a story and he has told it. You care about the characters, you despise others and at the end of it, you want to pull up a barstool, sit down and have a beer with them.
I am so excited for the next book because Careless Whisper is one of my favourite 80’s track, plus it is sung by a legend who I absolutely adore!
?And I’m never gonna ?again
Guilty ?have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool ??
Because the song is stuck in my head….it can be stuck in yours too!
Thank you to Dylan at Red Dog Press for gifting me a copy of this book in order to catch up for the Soho Noir tour!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
nickimags @ The Secret Library Book Blog says
Fab review! I do like the sound of these and I loved The Eurthymics too, especially their Revenge album which me and my friend had on in the car nonstop when we used to go clubbing. Xx
Zoé says
Thanks lovely! I’ve just been blaring out the 80s none stop since reading these. I need to listen to that! I had Erasure blaring out this morning! Xx
Melanie says
80’s was the best decade bring back big hair
Zoé says
Oh god yes! Loved the hair x