NetGalley ARC | The Secret Investigator of Astor Street

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐

I thought this was a cute cover so I snagged it before realizing it was book two in a series. I thought it would be just a quick, cute cozy, but that's not what this is. And since it was book two, I had to find book one at the library. That also a two-star read for me.

In book one, eighteen-year-old Piper's best friend Lydia disappears. Piper is convinced that the police are looking in the wrong direction, so she begins an investigation of her own. I really struggled with that book, and I not so nicely called Piper an 'absolute moron' in my quick review of it. She was so naive and honestly, a bit of a brat throughout much of the book.

The second issue was that the book did not feel like it was taking place in the 1920s. It felt very forced, like dropping in a bunch of words used in the 20s would create the feel of the decade, but it didn't. It felt awkward and like we had to constantly be told over and over, we're in 1920s Chicago through the vocabulary choices of the characters.

These same issues continued in the second book. It still doesn't feel natural, the decade doesn't feel like the 20s, until Piper is saying trilby or cloche, or telling us she is grabbing a beaded bag to take out with her.

Piper has now graduated from high school and doesn't really know what she is doing with her life. She's slowly recovering from Lydia's death and the solving of that case, when a new case is brought to her attention by a friend. Recently the girl's brother died and it was ruled a suicide. She insists he would not have killed himself, and Piper takes the case.

I feel like this story could take place in any city, in any time period. And that is my biggest complaint, because it does not feel like the 20s. This is one of my favorite eras to read about, fiction or non-fiction, and it makes me so sad this series is not working for me.

I also take a major issue with this book being billed as a good one for fans of Agatha Christie. Absolutely not. That's actually offensive.

I will not be reading any more in the series.

Give it a try if you'd like, but I can't recommend it.