"Murder in the City of Liberty" by Rachel McMillan

 

Reggie Van Burden and Hamish DeLuca have continued their amateur sleuthing adventures ever since the events of Murder At The Flamingo two years prior. When pranks on an African American minor league baseball player turn foul, Reggie and Hamish plunge into the darker corners of Boston politics to uncover the source.

I really like these two main characters. They are strong and unique, and Reggie's waffling between her privileged socialite upbringing and her desire for independence rings true. Hamish is lovable, and I appreciate the author's desire to bring awareness to the anxiety that hounds thousands of people every day, and in an accurate historical setting for these novels.

This story lacked quite a bit in terms of plot. The mystery was hard to follow, and I agree with other reviewers who have said the scenes were not written in such a way that the reader could visualize what was happening. There were also some interesting choices like giving characters very similar names (Reid and Reis), or names similar to places when there was no connection between the two (Parker and the Parker House Hotel). It was also confusing as to what exactly was going on with Cousin Luca. He was not there but very much there at the same time.

The long and short of it: I loved every scene which focused on Hamish and Reggie, and I made it through the rest. The last few scenes with Nathaniel were adorable as well. This author's strengths are definitely in characterization and setting!

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