Fortune Favors the Dead

Fortune Favors the Dead (2020) Stephen Spotswood (Pentecost and Parker)

Set in New York in 1945.

Will Parker ran away to join the circus, to escape her abusive father. But an event one night in 1942 in NYC changes everything, and she ends up working for Lillian Pentecost, a private investigator.

“I trust you to use your best judgment. Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.”

“You realize I used to dress up like a showgirl and have knives thrown at my face. My threshold for uncomfortable is pretty high.”

Lillian Pentecost is very good at what she does, but she is no longer able to easily do all the more active parts of her job.

I’d had a cousin who got that kind of hitch in her voice. Had a limp, too, though hers was a lot worse. I suspected that leaping up and clubbing a man wasn’t in Lillian Pentecost’s repertoire.

A year previously, Al Collins committed suicide. Now his widow has been murdered–and found in a locked room.

It’s 1945, and although Ms Pentecost and Will are good at their jobs, they are still in a male-dominated world.

I crossed my legs, and he glanced down to take in an eyeful. He wasn’t quick about it either. When he looked back up, our eyes met, and he knew he’d been caught. He didn’t even blink. Just gave a little what-are-ya-gonna-do smile.

It’s a decent mystery, and a fascinating look at that time period. I’ve read mysteries written in that time period, and I the language differences are very interesting. It’s got the language of the time, but the story has things you would not have found in a book written then–primarily LGBT characters and a somewhat frank attitude towards sex.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but it is interesting.

Publisher: Vintage Crime
Rating: 7.5/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• “Asil and the Not-date” » »
• « « Network Effect