"Murder at the Flamingo" by Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan burst onto the scene as a fresh new voice in the Christian mystery market a few years ago, and I've been wanting to read one of her books ever since.

"Murder at the Flamingo" is a throwback to the flashy 1930s in Boston - lots of glitz and glamour, but there's plenty to ground it as well. Our main characters are both running away from their pasts and forging a new way in a new city. Hamish DeLuca suffers from what we today would call an anxiety disorder, which has not boded well for him in his budding career as a lawyer. After a particularly bad day in court, Hamish decides to visit his suave and dashing cousin Luca, and finds himself falling in love with Boston.

Also with Luca's secretary, Regina van Buren, a spunky former New England socialite who decided to forsake her upbringing when the expectations began to feel suffocating. Reggie wants to stand on her own two feet, and keeps a Journal of Independence to note down all the new experiences she is having.

Hamish and Reggie are definitely the best thing about this story, even though they aren't introduced to each other until the book is about a quarter of the way over. The plot is wrapped around the new club that Luca is opening, which he fully intends to make the center of Boston nightlife. It's clear that Luca's harboring secrets, but he inspires such loyalty that it's hard to untangle the knots until things come crashing down.

There were some drawbacks to the story, including the long set-up scenes and the wait for the main characters to meet. There are also so many characters that it felt a little burdensome to keep track of them all, and the writing seems scattered at times. Readers might also want to know that there are lots of mentions of drinking, smoking, and swearing. It sets the nightclub atmosphere well, but not everyone would be comfortable with it. Since this is the first book in a series there are also a few things left dangling to keep readers hungry for more. It ends beautifully, and in fact my favorite scene in the whole book was the final one, but it did not wrap things up in one neat parcel. I want to know more about what happens with Hamish and Reggie in the future.





I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.