Absolutely fabulous. Ah, the Golden Age: ritzy duds, sneaky gays, and the devil him…or herself. This book had it all, with the perfect cherry of a swamp drama on top of this delightful thriller-noir sundae. I love a tough ‘n’ plucky lady detective narrator as much as the next guy, and Russell didn’t hold out on fleshed out supplemental characters either. Tons of hat-tips to old-school Hollywood drama and rumors. Chock full of terrifying imagery, tangible atmosphere, creeping mysteries! It’s showbiz, baby.

I have literally one complaint: the dialogue got a little too “the bad guy monologues at the end to explain the entire story” for my tastes. Gimme a little more show, not tell.

4.5/5 I support women’s rights and also women’s wrongs.