NEW ADULT Jazz Age
Mystery
Date Published: July
2012
Synopsis:
"Boardwalk
Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled
historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over
booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin
City of the Southwest." Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society
reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy
speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the
Galveston Gazette.
During a night out with her best
friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly
owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a
big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies,
she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit?
Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent
James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy
doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz but, despite her mixed
feelings, she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between
two real-life Galveston gangs, Sammy is accused of murder.
Jazz must risk her life and career to find the killer, exposing the
dark side of Galveston's glittering society.
EXCERPT
Why in the world was Fed Agent Burton here?
Everyone stopped working to watch him make his grand entrance. People
don't usually parade around in a newsroom: They sort of shuffle or
stumble or stomp—unless a story's really hot, then they'll run. I
felt like running away too, but I stayed glued to my chair,
pretending to work, my heart racing.
Burton seemed to enjoy the attention as he headed
my way. He was hard to ignore: Standing before me, all six feet-plus
of golden skin and hair, he towered over my desk. Looking up, I
noticed the curious eyes watching us in the too-quiet newsroom. The
reporters stopped typing, fingers poised over keys, hoping for a
scoop. My boss stared with unabashed interest.
"To what do I owe this disturbance?" I
adjusted my cloche cap, acting nonchalant.
He grinned at me, then looked around the suddenly
still office. "I need to ask you a few questions. Can we go
somewhere private?"
"What do you want?" I put on a brave face
so the newsboys wouldn't see me sweat.
Burton scanned the hushed room. "You really
want to discuss it here, out in public?"
He had a point. Did I want the whole staff
listening in on my private conversation? He probably wanted to
discuss Sammy, who was no one else's business.
"Let's go outside," I agreed. Head down,
I followed him past a leering Hank, feeling like a naughty kid going
to the principal's office.
Nathan entered the newsroom, a camera slung over
his shoulder, stopping to stare at Burton. "Jazz, is everything
jake?"
"Everything's berries." I smiled to
pacify him but, I admit, I had the jitters.
"I remember him. Your boyfriend?" Burton
seemed amused.
"He's the staff photographer." I ignored
his crack. "And a good friend."
Outside, I felt safe among the throng of people and
automobiles passing by in a rush. The hustle and bustle of the
streets and sidewalks seemed almost comforting. I looked around for
Golliwog, our resident stray cat, but she must have been making her
daily rounds for scraps.
"How was lunch?" In broad daylight,
Burton didn't seem quite as menacing or intimidating. Besides, a
group of hard-boiled reporters peered out the newsroom, spying on
us.
"Fine." I covered my growling stomach.
"What brings you here?"
"Sorry to barge in that way." He smiled,
tugging on his hat. "But I had to get your attention. You
wouldn't give me the time of day the other night."
"Can you blame me? A raid isn't exactly the
best way to meet new people."
"I think we got off on the wrong foot."
He stuck his hands in his pockets, jingling some change. "Perhaps
we can talk over dinner, instead of standing out here on the
sidewalk?"
"Dinner?" Was he serious? "Just like
that?" I snapped my fingers. "You waltz in as if you owned
the place—like you did at the Oasis—and expect me to dine out
with you, a total stranger, because of your badge? You've got a lot
of nerve, mister."
"I wouldn't be a Prohibition agent if I
didn't." He looked smug. "How about tonight?"
Links to Buy
About the Author:
Ellen Mansoor Collier is a
Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays
have been published in several national magazines including: FAMILY
CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY
ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories (both mystery
and romance) have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD.
A flapper at heart, she’s the owner
of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items (www.art-decodame.com).
Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising
sales and public relations. She graduated from the University of
Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism. During college,
she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience
since she was clueless about cocktails. Flappers,
Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel,
inspired by real people and places. Currently, she’s working on the
sequel.
"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. I love the glamour and excitment of The Jazz Age, but Prohibition was also such a dark and dangerous time in American history. Jazz isn’t a debutante or socialite, she’s a reporter caught in between the two halves of Galveston society, struggling to do the right thing despite all the temptations and decadence of the era."
TAGLINE:
“Boardwalk Empire" meets "The
Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled historical mystery, set during
Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the
Southwest."
Many thanks for featuring FLAPPERS today! Ellen
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