The Masquerades of Spring, Audio Book

The Masquerades of Spring, Audio Book (2024) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London)

Set in New York City in 1926

(B)ecause the landlords knew that the coloured folk couldn’t get lodgings in the white neighbourhoods, they could charge more than twice the normal rent. Since coloured folk mostly got paid half of what a white worker got, people in Harlem were nearly always short on the rent. To bridge the gap, the good citizens of Harlem had taken to holding rent parties in which private homes were turned into temporary nightclubs, at 25 cents per guest.

“I’ve never really understood what you might call physical love,” said Nightingale. “But I do understand the bonds of friendship and family.”

“But my name is Thomas Beresford, and this is my associate Bertram Wilberforce. We’re musicologists from the Royal College of Music in London.”

Characters: Augustus Berrycloth-Young, Lucien Gibbs, Thomas Nightingale, Maximillian Beauregard, Sergeant Bracknel, Laurence Ellwood, Gladys Bentley, David Edwards, Purlie Edwards, Mark Harper, Lloyd Beaumont, Mr. Steven Baker III, Cocoa/Amelia, Johnny Black, Old Fat Sam Milovic, Charles Jaeger, Mr. Clydesdale, Madame Zaza, A’Lelia Walker the Queen of Joy, David Mellenby, Harry Walter, Maurelle, Oriande

Cover by Stephen Walter

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Rating: 9.5/10

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