Description
Book SynopsisCrimereads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction 2023, Hey Alma’s 23 Jewish Books in 23 Selection, Featured in ITW’s Big Thrill Magazine, Book Riot’s 12 New Mystery & Thrillers To Get Sleuthing After her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Billie Levine revamped her grandfather’s private investigation firm and set up shop in the corner booth of her favorite North Jersey deli hoping the free pickles and flexible hours would allow her to take care of her mom and pay the bills. So when Tommy Russo, a rich kid with a nasty drug habit, offers her a stack of cash to find his missing girlfriend, how can she refuse? At first, Billie thinks this will be easy earnings, but then her missing person's case turns into a murder investigation and Russo is the detective bureau’s number one suspect. Suddenly Billie is embroiled in a deadly gang war that’s connected to the decades-old disappearance of a famous cabaret dancer with ties to both an infamous Jewish mob and a skinhead group. Toss in the reappearance of Billie’s hunky ex-boyfriend with his own rap sheet, and she is regretting every decision that got her to this point. Becoming a P.I. was supposed to solve her problems. But if Billie doesn’t crack this case, the next body the police dredge out of the Hudson River will be hers.
Trade Review"A page-turning PI mystery with depth and heart."
"An absolute must read!"
"I can't wait to dive into Billie's next case.”
"With whip-smart prose, and a plot that will keep you guessing, you won’t set the book down until the very shocking and satisfying end!"
"A knockout.”
"a noir lover’s dream!"
"A thoroughly modern, socially conscious new private investigator for the twenty-first century, "
" I couldn't get enough of this slick, sharp thriller."
"Readers will want to see more of Billie."
"A gripping mystery novel,"
"...A fun, fast-paced mystery... a spunky take on hard-boiled detective drama."
"Giarratano capably keeps a plethora of balls in the air in the suspect- drenched, tangled plot, but the real draw here is Billie, her family, and the sundry, offbeat characters in their orbit—all fully fleshed and filled with infectious spirit."
"What a joy to keep readerly company with Billie Levine, the newly-minted (and somewhat reluctant) private detective who takes her bow in Death of a Dancing Queen."
"[Billie] displays some true grit and some impressive detective chops along the way;"
