Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Anaïs Flogny (2024) 240 pages 

Cinematic and expansive. Parallels some of the Godfather trilogy organized crime milieu, but with a gay man at the center. Closeted gay men, who are both immigrants in America, find the underworld of importing and selling alcohol and, later, other drugs to be their way to success and power. Jules, the younger protege, and Adam are scrappy. The story moves from 1930s Chicago to 1940s New York. Eufrasio is a more violent and ambitious partner from the Mafia family in New York who comes between Jules and Adam. Jules begins to hate himself as he confronts betrayal and guilt.

My Vampire Plus-One

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (2024) 368 pages

Amelia is an accountant who knows and appreciates the definitiveness of the IRS tax code. She has given up on romance: she's happy with her job and her friends and her cat, and doesn't want to go through another breakup. The only problem is that her mother keeps pressuring her to date. When Amelia hears that yet another one of her cousins is getting married, and that her invitation will include a plus-one, she tells her mother that she is dating someone, to get her to stop harping on her lack of relationship. But now she needs to find someone willing to pretend to be dating her.

Who else besides Reginald, who appears as the annoying (but funny) dude in Levine's first vampire mystery, My Roommate Is a Vampire. Amelia makes Reginald's acquaintance when he plows into her on the sidewalk outside her office. When she sees him again at a coffee shop, in spite of the fact that she doesn't know him, she asks if he will help her out.

Thus starts their fake dating relationship with the twist: Reginald is a vampire. He actually tells her about it, but she thinks he's joking. Oh, and Reginald is on the run from a gang of vampires who want to kill him for a crime that they think he committed 150 years ago. This novel is a fast and funny read.

The Case of the Missing Maid

The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler, 320 pages

It's 1898 and Harriet Morrow has just left her secretarial job to become the first female detective at the prestigious Prescott Agency. Her first assignment is something of a throwaway: go visit the boss's batty neighbor, who seems to have misplaced her maid (much like she did with the jewelry and silver that was later found exactly where it belonged). But when Harriet arrives, she discovers the maid's room in disarray, and after conversations with other employees and the maid's family, it's clear that the she is indeed missing. Harriet is given one week to track her down, and puts her fledgling investigation skills to the test in what feels like a fruitless search.

Harriet is a lesbian who is still getting comfortable with herself and her desire to wear men's clothing instead of the elaborate dresses popular at the time (which make riding her trusty bicycle much more difficult), and that, more than anything else, is the most compelling part of this book. I loved seeing her become herself, which helped when the plot lagged or felt repetitive (which happened a lot when discussing Harriet's parents' political activism for women's rights and unions). The one thing that really bugged me was that Harriet has a 16-year-old brother who goes to high school and doesn't have a job to help contribute to household expenses, which seems really strange and unlikely given their reduced means and the era in which this book is set. However, the book was decent, and I'd recommend it for fans of Jacqueline Winspear or Amy Stewart.

Between Friends and Lovers

Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi, 357 pages

Dr. Josephine Boateng has thousands of social media followers who tune in for her humor and candid attitude toward health and self-love. While she's super-confident in front of the camera, her off-screen life is much more complicated, with a long unrequited crush on her rich playboy best friend, Ezra, keeping her from dating seriously. But when Ezra takes his new girlfriend's side when Jo calls her out as her high school bully, Jo has had it and decides to plunge into a new relationship with shy novelist, Mal. Mal's dealing with his own issues (among them: impostor syndrome when his debut novel gets picked up for screen adaptation and baggage from a long-term toxic relationship), but as a longtime Instagram follower of Jo, he's willing to give this a try, especially when he finds her as charming in real life as she is online. But will Jo be able to let go of Ezra's hold on her so that her relationship with Mal can flourish?

This is a winning romance with plenty of clear communication (what?? that never happens in romance novels!) and a distinct lack of guys fighting over the girl. Honestly, my one complaint about this book is that Mal is just too perfect a guy, though that's probably not a bad thing for a romance novel. Well worth a read.

When Among Crows

 When Among Crows by Veronica Roth, 166 pages.

In modern Chicago the Holy Order hunts monsters from Slavic folklore with swords made from there own souls. These monsters are mostly just normally communities of people, who happen to do things like eat fear and pain. Dymitir is seeking Baba Yaga, the oldest witch of all, and dragging Ala along for the journey. She is has a bloodline curse that will one day kill her, just like her mother, and Dymitir has the cure, if she's willing to help him on his mission. They have only one day before the cure fails, and their adventure will take them all over a fascinating supernatural city.

This was a really neat little novella. To be honest I picked this book up because the cover was gorgeous, but I would say I wasn't disappointed by the interesting little adventure story inside. Roth's version of Chicago was very interesting, and I learned a lot about a branch of folklore I don't know well. I also thought it had some interesting thoughts about the nature of guilt and duty. The characters were all good, and I enjoyed seeing them interact. Overall, this is a short, exciting book that's easy to tear through, and definitely worth the time. 

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, by Jessica Hopper, 426 pgs 

Much of the time, reading criticism of someone else's artistic work is pure drudgery, but this book is just the opposite. Jessica Hopper's glorious prose is witty, hyperbolic and aggressive--just like a rock critic should be. This book is essentially a collection of articles and interviews from the last twenty years of the author on a band circuit in Chicago, where she built her own career without any schooling or professional network--a monumental task for anyone in this field. She wrote her heart out for music, chronicling the rise of Chance the Rapper, lamenting the capitalist take-over of meaningful punk rock venues and applying feminist theory to outdated ideas of rock music--the lack of inclusion and tearing down the punk rock "boys" club--band by band. Particularly fascinating is her transcription of an interview with Jim Derogatis, a fellow music critic working at the Chicago Tribune, who details how his investigative work led to R. Kelly being prosecuted for sexual assault. Each essay is more or less a memoir of Hopper's fixation on music and how it helps her learn more about herself and ourselves. The great thing about reading music criticism is getting to listen to the music after you've read something--try to hear what Hopper is hearing--and in so doing, you become a more involved listener. 

My Roommate is a Vampire

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (2023) 

I got caught by the catchy title while I was looking for some light reading, and I found it in this romance novel. Cassie has a Master's degree in art, but her specialty is creating art using trash, which doesn't attract the job she wants as an art teacher. She has pieced together an existence with a couple of part-time gigs, but living in Chicago is expensive and she's about to be evicted when she decides to consider an sharing an apartment with very cheap rent. What's wrong with the place? Nothing, if you don't mind living with a vampire named Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, who had spent the last one hundred years in a coma and now wants to learn how to fit in in the modern world. It was fun to see where the author went with this idea in her debut novel.

My Roommate is a Vampire

 My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine, 341 pages.

Cassie Greenberg is really struggling to make ends meet living in Chicago with an MA in art. She's on the cusp of eviction (again) when she sees a roommate wanted ad for a ludicrously low price in a suspiciously nice neighborhood. Then she meets her new roommate, one Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, who is both very attractive and astoundingly weird (I'm sure we can all guess why). Turns out Frederick needs a guide for life in the 21st century (he's been asleep awhile), and Cassie really needs the cheap rent. Plus, he's not so bad once you get to know him.

This book was exactly as cute as the cover promised (and that's a really cute cover). It was also hilarious, up there with the funniest romantic comedies I've read. This was a really delightful book to break up some of the darker Halloween-themed books I tend to read in October. There were a few plot hooks that felt like they sort of came out of nowhere and went nowhere, but I wouldn't say that that really detracted from my enjoyment at all.

Dear Mr. Knightley

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (2013) 325 pages

Samantha Moore spent years of her life at Grace House, a place for children who have been removed from their families. After graduating from college, Sam had worked for a large company, but had lost her job, and at age twenty-three, she decided to see if a benefactor who had offered to pay her way through graduate school was still willing to fund her, and he was. The requirement for her funding in the journalism program was that she write letters regularly to the benefactor, who used the pseudonym Mr. Knightley, after a character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

The book is comprised almost entirely of Sam's letters to the benefactor, with a few exceptions. Sam is a great fan of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, among other authors, and at a young age had found escape, solace, and coping mechanisms in their books, often hiding behind the words of their characters in her own life.

The book follows Sam's life from about the time of her application to get into grad school through to the end of the program, showing how her life, her writing, and her relationships change over time. Dear Mr. Knightley is the author's debut novel.

The Family Remains

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell (2022) 371 pages

Human bones are found in a bag in the Thames River, and are eventually linked to the deaths of three people in a mansion in Chelsea thirty years ago. Meanwhile, a woman‒Lucy‒is reunited with Libby, a daughter she had in her teens, while she and her two younger children are living with Henry, her very odd brother. When Lucy and Henry were young, they lived in that mansion in Chelsea, and fled, and are now using different names. Meanwhile, Libby's boyfriend is a journalist who has tracked down Phineas, the man who is Libby's father, and Henry (who sometimes calls himself Phineas) is obsessed with wanting to see him again. In yet another related side story, a woman named Rachel falls for a man named Michael, who had been married to Lucy at one time.

The setting moves between England and Chicago and France. The time shifts between 2017 and 2019. The well-drawn characters include the very odd, the very sweet, the very bad, a young computer sleuth, a motorcycle tour guide, and more. The detective on the case is Samuel Owusu, and he tallies up all the lies that keep coming. But what has really happened? I found this a compelling read, with lots of surprises.

The Brontë Plot

The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay (2015) 332 pages

I found The Brontë Plot to be a lovely book, laced with finding oneself, redeeming oneself, and yes, some romance as well. Lucy Alling lives in Chicago and has a great job in a antique shop that also functions as a design store. Her boss, Sid, treats her like a daughter and loves and trusts her. Lucy helps a customer, James, and is asked out to dinner on his second trip to the shop, starting what seems to be a great relationship, until it isn't. Many of Lucy's issues can be attributed to the personality traits of her long-absent father, who had been somewhat of a conman in his youth. 

When James' grandmother, Helen, comes to meet her, all sorts of strange connections ensue. Lucy feels that Helen doesn't like her, but when Helen insists Lucy accompany her on a trip to London, the character development really takes off and the story grows into a most fulfilling book that I didn't want to put down. References to the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, and many more British authors abound.

Even Though I Knew the End

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk, 136 pages

Helen is an augur who uses her magical abilities to track murderers, kidnappers, and all manner of lowlifes through 1940s Chicago. When she's not doing that, she's spending her time with Edith, the saintly love of her life. However, Helen has a secret that not even Edith knows: Helen's soul is not hers, and in just a few days, the demon who owns it is coming calling. But if she can manage to catch Chicago's most notorious serial killer, there's a chance she can keep that soul, and her life, a bit longer.

In this short book, Polk creates a rich world of angels, demons, magic, and hidden lesbian nightclubs. It's wonderfully told, and just the perfect length, and I can see why it has received so many accolades. However, angels and demons books aren't really my cup of tea, and having read Rebecca Roanhorse's Western-set Tread of Angels fairly recently, I felt like this one was just OK. But if demons, angels, and soul bargains are your jam, by all means, read this, as it's a great addition to that fantasy subgenre.

(Also: let's judge this book by the cover for a minute, because that is GORGEOUS.)

As the Wicked Watch

I didn't read the
large-print version, but
that's the image I found.

As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall, 388 pages

Chicago TV news reporter Jordan Manning is getting sick and tired of her producers and managers overlooking and downplaying the stories of missing black girls. But when one of these girls turns up dead, Jordan is able to convince her bosses to let her do a bit of investigative reporting, diving deep into the community surrounding the dead teenager to search for an answer. But can she do it without getting drawn into the emotions and danger surrounding the girl?

It's nice to read a mystery that really shows how hard reporters work, and this one definitely did that (of course, having an Emmy-winning reporter for an author helps). It's a thrilling story, and I'm looking forward to other Jordan Manning stories in the future.

Clark & Division

Clark & Division by Naomi Hirahara, 305 pages

Aki Ito always idolized her older sister, Rose, even if the two of them were as different as night and day. So when Aki and her parents arrive in Chicago after leaving Manzanar, they're shocked to find that Rose died the day before, supposedly killing herself after an illegal abortion. But Aki doesn't believe that Rose would ever do that, much less just before her long-awaited reunion with her family, and begins investigating Rose's death, even as the Itos attempt to settle into their new freedom.

This is a wonderfully woven tale of post-Manzanar life wrapped around a beguiling mystery. It's obvious that Hirahara did a ton of research while writing this novel, though it's equally obvious how well she's woven that research into her captivating plot. Aki, her parents, and her friends are incredibly well-drawn and alive. An excellent book for fans of historical fiction and mystery novels.

Wild Women and the Blues

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bruce, 377 pages

In 1925, chorus girl Honoree Dalcour is ready to move on up from dancing at the neighborhood speakeasy to performing at the Dreamland Cafe, the hottest black-and-tan club on Chicago's Stroll, where she has the opportunity to meet some of the most influential Black voices of the era, including Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Ninety years later, film student Sawyer Hayes is finishing his thesis on Micheaux when he ends up at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree, hoping that she can tell him a bit more about her experiences. But what she slowly reveals over the course of many interviews is not at all what Sawyer was expecting.

It's hard to believe that this well-researched, tightly-woven tale of gangsters, chorus girls, gambling, and ambition is a debut novel. While I have a few quibbles (the historical part is MUCH more compelling than the modern stuff), overall it's fantastic. I can't wait to see what Bruce brings us in the future.

In the Garden of Spite

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce, 465 pages

When she was a teen in Norway, Little Brunhilde was brutally beaten by a man who had impregnated her. Since she was a servant at his fancy home, she had little chance for retribution. Except, that is, to slowly poison him to death, which she did while waiting to immigrate to America. Once she arrived with her kind sister Nellie (formerly Big Brunhilde), Little Brunhilde renamed herself Belle and hoped for a fresh new start with a wealthy Christian man. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to her standards, and she returned to her old method of dealing with unpleasant men. And then, well, she developed something of a taste for murder, though she convinced her foster children and her sister that all was well, despite their suspicions.

I absolutely loved Bruce's chilling and haunting You Let Me In, and was hoping for a similar atmospheric creepfest here. Unfortunately, the attempt at providing empathy for the actual real-life serial killer Belle Gunness falls flat for me. Instead, it comes across as a justification for her cruelty and the gaslighting of her sister. It was chilling, yes, but with the slow dreadful march toward the inevitable finish, this wasn't quite the historical thriller I thought it might be.

Hope Rides Again

 Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer (2019) 285 pages

The second in a mystery series whose fictional main characters are Joe Biden and Barack Obama, this book was the perfect antidote to a rainy winter day. The book, written from Biden's point of view, takes a moment at the beginning to give his thoughts about the first book in the series: "What a bunch of malarkey...Some two-bit hack had written a potboiler starring yours truly, Joe Biden." 

This story finds Biden in Chicago to see Obama and to meet Caruso, a former rapper who's now a social justice activist, a man whose endorsement would be useful if Biden decides to go ahead with another bid for president. Along the way, Obama's Blackberry is stolen, leading Biden on a mission to track it down, bringing him to a crime scene at the railyards. Shaun, a teenager in Obama's Rising Stars Program which fosters the next generation of community leaders, has been shot. Over the course of the long day, Biden hops all around Chicago to find out who shot him, sometimes alone and sometimes with Obama (and Obama's long-suffering secret service detail, Steve). 

One never knows which pol's name will be dropped next. Sometimes the former partners keep secrets from the other, and sometimes they think they can read each other's minds, with almost disastrous results. Whatever, this mystery/bromance is a quick, entertaining read.

The Fate of a Flapper

The Fate of a Flapper by Susanna Calkins, 311 pages

Gina's a cigarette girl at the Third Door, a well-known speakeasy hidden under a Chicago pharmacy. One night in fall of 1929, a couple high-on-the-hog stockbrokers come in, flashing money and getting the attention of a pair of flirty young flappers. After getting thoroughly soused, the quartet leaves together — but the next day finds both a stockbroker and a flapper dead. Is it a case of bad liquor or something more sinister that killed the pair? Gina and her police officer cousin, Nancy, are on the case to find out.

The atmosphere of the Third Door and the classic cocktails provided therein were spot-on in this story. I loved Gina and Nancy as characters, and would have happily followed them around rough and tumble 1920s Chicago. Perhaps I was a bit *too* taken with the atmosphere though, as I found the plot a bit lacking, with few clues leading to the eventual solution. Ah well, it was bubbly, fizzy fun!

Gotta Go Gotta Flow: Life, Love, and Lust On Chicago's South Side From the Seventies

Gotta Go Gotta Flow: Life, Love, and Lust On Chicago's South Side From the Seventies poems by
Patricia Smith, photographs by Michael Abramson, 191 pages.
Michael Abramson a photographer whose work appeared in Time, Newsweek and other publications, started documenting the visitors, regulars, drinkers, dancers, and musicians at several Southside Chicago night clubs in 1974.
Patricia Smith, renowned poet from Chicago wrote the poems that accompany the photos in this book.
It's unclear to me whether the poems were written when Abramson was alive. The book jacket lists them separately and indicates that the photographer died five years before the book was published. A bio of Smith on the Poetry Foundation website indicates that the two "collaborated" on the project. The essays in the book don't really clear that up, but it's not that important. Both the photographs and the poems along side them bring the places and the people to life. Sometimes you look at the photo and the poem explains the man, the woman, or the mood in a straightforward but beautiful way.  Other times you think you see the photo and understand it, but the poem shifts your focus to a frown or a smile on the person behind the person, and your perception shifts. A wonderful book.
I picked up this book because it stood out; a large format, coffee-table book among the slim volumes in 811.6.

Everywhere You Don't Belong

Everywhere You Don't Belong by Gabriel Bump, 264 pages


After his parents abandon him, Claude lives with his grandmother (who everybody just calls Grandma) in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. It's a rough area, and when an unarmed kid is shot by the police just down the street from Claude's house, tensions get even worse. The local gang, the Redbelters, starts fighting the SWAT team, and riots ensue. But Claude continues drifting along, as everything happens around him, as he worries that he'll be abandoned again by the few people he cares about, as he makes vague plans for the future.

In his debut novel, Bump has created a sharp, witty, insightful novel with the most realistic protagonist I've read in ages. I can't wait to see what else Bump has in store for us.