Seventeen-year-old Gertrude "Gertie" Pound comes from a socialite family during the Prohibition era, attends an all-girls finishing school, and has the rest of her life planned out by her domineering mother. Ravenous to experience life, Gertie and her two friends (and love interests), Milly and Clara, sneak out of their seminary to visit a speakeasy. What should be a night of levity turns into devastation. After a scuffle at the bar from the dry squad, they return to school only to learn their beloved headmistress is dead. Aware of the unreliability of the "coppers," the girls decide to do their own sleuthing to uncover Mrs. Rose's murderer. As the story progresses, Gertie wonders whom to trust and questions whether she can learn to be honest about her true feelings. In this historical mystery, Talley explores the fears of being queer during the 1920s. Readers will appreciate the sapphic bond among the trio as well as the importance of being an ally. A thrilling and romantic read about challenging the status quo.

A Prohibition-era murder mystery with queer coming-of-age themesGertie is a senior at the Washington Female Seminary, a finishing school for the daughters of political bigwigs located in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle. One night, alongside her friends Milly and Clara, Gertie sneaks out to a speak-easy, which is promptly raided by officers from the dry squad. The girls escape, and when they return to the seminary, they find that their beloved headmistress, Mrs. Rose, is dead, reportedly from consuming liquor tainted with poisons by federal agents to discourage drinking. Now the seminary may be closed due to the scandal, and Gertie is determined to clear Mrs. Rose's reputation and save her school. The streets of the nation's capital in 1927 come alive through Talley's well-researched descriptions. Gertie and her friends navigate streetcars, cabs, and wintry walks while trailing a slew of mysterious characters across historic neighborhoods. Amid these investigations, Gertie often finds herself distracted; she can't help contemplating the behaviors of certain speak-easy patrons, the so-called pansies and violets. Perhaps more distracting are Milly and Clara, the friends Gertie has suddenly realized are both quite alluring. Fans of Talley's lesbian histories will enjoy her latest, and the page-turning mystery will appeal to new readers. Most characters are white; the story explores Clara's Jewish identity in a predominantly Christian environment.A compelling mystery grounded in a well-developed setting.(Historical mystery. 14-18)

Gr 10 Up —A 1927 look inside a Washington, D.C., girls' finishing school with murder, a queer love triangle, and secret escapades to speakeasies. Gertie is a senior at a finishing school that caters to high society white girls. When Gertie and her friends and schoolmates Clara and Milly sneak out to a speakeasy, they are nearly caught in a Prohibition raid that may have also been a raid to catch LGBTQIA+ folks. Upon their return to school, they learn their beloved headmistress Mrs. Rose was found dead—but they suspect foul play. Encountering queer people at the speakeasy helps Gertie realize she has feelings for some of her female classmates. The story is more plot-driven with an emphasis on the mystery over the characters. Due to the time period, there is description of violence, corruption, institutionalization, and use of what are now slurs for LGBTQIA+ people as it was illegal to be queer at the time. Talley provides a great reflection of coming of age at a time when young girls, especially those of high society, were taught and expected to become society wives, while showing hope for a new generation with new ideas about a better future. VERDICT Give to readers who like Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club . Hand to fans of historical fiction, especially those looking for LGBTQIA+ identities in the past.—Taylor Skorski