It's July 1936 and Toronto is under a record-breaking heat wave. Charlotte Frayne is the junior associate in a two-person private investigation firm, owned by T. Gilmore. Two events set the book’s plot in motion: an anti-Semitic hate letter is delivered to Gilmore, who up to now has not acknowledged his religion, and Hilliard Taylor, a veteran of the First World War requests the firm’s assistance in uncovering what he believes is systematic embezzlement of the Paradise Café, which he owns and operates with three other men, all of whom were prisoners of war. The two events, although seemingly completely unrelated, come together in this wonderful novel that brings to life characters who are as real to the reader as those of the Murdoch series.
Maureen Jennings is best known for the Detective Murdoch books, which have been adapted into the long-running television series, Murdoch Mysteries. This has now aired in over one hundred and forty territories. She is also the author of the Tom Tyler series, the Christine Morris series, and the Paradise Café series. This, the most recent work, features her latest protagonist, Charlotte Frayne. Her books have been translated into many other languages, including Polish, Korean, French, German, Italian, and Czech. Jennings was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from Heritage Toronto in 1998 and the Grant Allen Award for ongoing contribution to the genre in 2011. She was awarded the 2024 Crime Writers of Canada’s Grand Master Award and has received eight nominations, for best novel and best short story of the year. Jennings was born in the UK and now lives in Toronto with her husband, photographer Iden Ford, and her dog, Murdoch.
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