Fun mystery set in Chicago during the days of Prohibition

Murder Knocks Twice: A Mystery (Speakeasy Mysteries)

By: Susanna Calkins

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a mystery which is set in the roaring Twenties and is primarily situated in a speak-easy in Chicago. It is the first in a series.

Gina is a young woman who needs a job so that she can help her father who has increasingly been unable to make a living. Her friend tells her about a job in a speak-easy and suggests that Gina should apply for the job. Gina does and takes right to the work.

When a murder occurs, Gina is drawn to solve it because of who the victim is as well as having seen the crime.

The language is what we currently accept as that of the time. It is what I have seen from movies from the period and may very well be exactly how people spoke.

Crime boss Al Capone is mentioned numerous times. There are historical references to individuals and to events and to the individuals who wanted Prohibition to continue. It was a fairly quick read and the “dialect” was not difficult to follow. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and look forward to other books by this author.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.