Smoke & Cracked Mirrors

York Detective Ladies' Agency Mysteries Series, Book 1

By: Karen Charlton

Narrated by: Corrie James

York, England: 1940

"An unsuitable job for a woman...."

When her husband goes "missing in action", Jemma James returns to the city of her birth to set up a private detective agency with her best friend, Roberta "Bobbie" Baker, with whom she shares a passionate love of Golden Age crime fiction.

These two enterprising young women soon find themselves embroiled in a series of mysterious cases, shadowing blackmailers and bigamists, and investigating the perplexing history of a wealthy young woman who seems determined to wipe out her past. And it's not long before they stumble across an unsolved murder.

But the dead don't stay dead for long in historic York.

As the "phoney war" draws to a close, and the sky above the soaring twin towers of the twelfth century Minster darkens with menace, Jemma learns that even she is not above suspicion in wartime Britain.

©2022 Karen Charlton (P)2022 Tantor

An atmospheric historical mystery

There were times the narrator failed to distinguish between voices and her male voices could have used a deeper voice.
The plot I figured out right away with the main mystery. I did enjoy the various characters, however.

Living history through Smoke & Cracked mirrors

Well written and great inclusion of war time living. Easy listening and great storyline descriptions.

great new series.

I've been an avid fan of Karen's other series and was disappointed when it seemed to end; very happy to see she's put her talents into a new series about women detectives in the 1940s England.

Very frustrating

Enjoyed the characters but the obviousness and hackneyed solution to one of the main “mysteries” drove me crazy. I hesitate to continue with the series, although the premise is fun, and I love Karen Charlton's Inspector Lavender series.

I was so looking forward to a new series from Charlton, because not only is she amusing, but she has a real gift for seamlessly placing her characters into history. I greatly admire any writer who can do that!