Passing Fancies

(Paperback)

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Julia Kydd returns in a new mystery set in the beguiling world of the Harlem Renaissance, where reckless revelry leads to devastating crimes.

When stylish young bibliophile Julia Kydd returns to 1920s New York, she's determined to launch her own private press. Julia's aspirations take her into the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary movement unlike any she's known where notions of race, sexuality, and power are slippery, and identities can be deceptively fluid.

At a risqu soire, Julia befriends singer Eva Pruitt, whose new book is rumored to reveal lurid details about the Harlem nightlife. But Leonard Timson, a local nightclub owner, is furious when he suspects he's the inspiration for a violent character in the book. By morning, Timson is dead, and both Eva and her manuscript are missing.

Julia finds herself immersed in a case as troubling as Jazz Age race relations. More questions than answers surface about Eva's mysterious world, and powerful interests conspire to protect dangerous secrets. Still, no man can stand between Julia and the truth: appalled by violent injustice, she must use her wit and guile to find the killer.

Reviews

Readers who enjoy mysteries set in the 1920s will enjoy the return of the spirited and independent Julia. Library Journal Passing Fancies features a remarkable protagonist in stylish, smart, and compassionate Julia Kydd, and I was riveted by her story and by the mystery that unfolds. Highly original characters and a fascinating time and place of Jazz Age New York pulled me in and kept me turning pages. Underlying social issues evoke some strong parallels to today, making this a must-read novel. Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue and Dreamland An intelligent, likeable heroine, New York City, and the Harlem Renaissance combine to add vibrancy and complexity to a finely wrought historical novel [written] with depth and style. Megan Chance, author of A Drop of Ink

Author Bio

Born near Boston, Marlowe Benn grew up in an Illinois college town along the Mississippi River. She holds a masters degree in the book arts from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in the history of books from the University of California, Berkeley. A former editor, college teacher, and letterpress printer, Benn lives with her husband on an island near Seattle. Passing Fancies is the second novel in the Julia Kydd series.