Review: A Poisonous Silence

A Poisonous Silence by Jenny Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars rounded up.

This book was like someone poured me a giant shake of things I'm not going to like. You know -  take some of this, add some of that, throw in some of this, shake it up, and pour. Too many bits and pieces that have nothing to do with the mystery are added to this book. Yes, it did have a twist at the end; I liked that part, but this is common with these sorts of mysteries.

It could have been great as a mystery minus all the side stories, although they did finally blend somewhat. I mean, we deal with PTSD, Drugs, Mafia, migraines, mild lesbianism, love, a whole slew of main characters and secondary/tertiary characters, and many other things besides several people being killed by poisoning. Cyanide specifically.

Perhaps it would have helped me like this book more had I read the first in this series, but if this book is anything to go by, I think not. I found it to be a tedious read, with nothing in it to make me like the characters or to even lose myself in the time period.

Others have liked this book, so I would suggest you take my opinion for what it's worth and go by your instincts.

*ARC provided by the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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DESCRIPTION: "When a film star is poisoned in Prohibition-era Philadelphia, private investigator Edie Shippen is on the case in the second Deadly Twenties mystery, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Rhys Bowen.

Philadelphia, 1921. Edie Shippen has officially started her new career as a private investigator…even though she has yet to book a client. When she runs into an old friend, the film actress Ava Sylvester, Edie is delighted at the chance to rekindle their relationship. But when Ava’s co-star and new husband, Duncan, dies suddenly, all signs point to Ava. Edie’s first official case begins in earnest, desperately trying to clear her friend’s name. 

Gilbert Lawless has carved out a peaceful existence as a coroner’s assistant. The last thing he wants is to jeopardize his position by involving himself with Edie Shippen. But when the body count racks up, Gilbert finds himself drawn into Edie’s investigation on the set of Philadelphia’s most famous film studio, where everyone seems to have something to hide.

As the cameras roll, Edie and Gilbert race to catch a poisoner before one of them ends up being the next body in the morgue.  

With a glittering Roaring Twenties backdrop, Jenny Adams sets the stage for the second charming book in the series for fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Dead Dead Girls."