The Cloak and Dagger Club

By: Jackie McMahon

Inspired by Agatha Christie's real-life Detection Club, a murder among a group of golden age mystery writers meets a second chance romance in this debut novel from author Jackie McMahon.

London, 1930. Lucy Hubbard is on the cusp of achieving her dreams. With her first mystery novel debuting with strong sales and glowing reviews, she's been invited by Horace Hazelmoor, the king of crime fiction, to join his elite group of writers—the Cloak and Dagger Club.

Thrilled at the opportunity, Lucy finds herself swept up into Horace's glamorous world at the Ritz hotel. She's even willing to put up with the inconvenient presence of her former fiancé, Frank Murray, the club's rising star who is on track to eclipse Horace as Britain's most popular crime writer.

But when Horace is found with a knife in his back, Frank is the police's prime suspect. Despite their complicated history, Lucy knows he's not capable of murder. With suspects galore and the danger rising, these two mystery writers must race to solve the crime—and fight their lingering feelings for each other—before the murderer strikes again.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Cloak and Dagger Club

"I was thrilled to have the chance to read Jackie McMahon's The Cloak and Dagger Club, a meticulously crafted fair-play mystery set against a richly drawn 1930s London that glitters off the page. With a charming, witty heroine, a second-chance romance as compelling as the whodunit itself, and a brilliant conceit inspired by the real-life Detection Club, this is a stunning debut and I'll be first in line for whatever McMahon writes next. Fans of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series will find plenty to love here."

- Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Agathas and It Happened One Murder

"Author Jackie McMahon has crafted one of the Golden Age-iest mysteries I’ve had the pleasure of reading by a contemporary author. The Cloak and Dagger Club has it all: a whip-smart detective heroine, an ingeniously clued puzzle, and a brilliant sendup of the real-life Detection Club, in which authors such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers rubbed shoulders. Come for the meta commentary on detective fiction, stay for the multiple swoon-worthy romances and sly Christie (et al!) Easter eggs. What an absolute delight; I can’t wait to read whatever McMahon comes up with next."

- Kemper Donovan, bestselling author of the Ghostwriter Mystery series and host of the "All About Agatha" podcast

“The Cloak and Dagger Club is a stylish cocktail of sharply drawn characters, dry wit, and intrigue, raised in celebration of the genre.”

- Bryn Donovan, author of Her Knight at the Museum

“Who better to solve a murder than a mystery writer, especially when the victim is one of your own? The Cloak and Dagger Club is an elegantly crafted and clever homage to Agatha Christie and the golden age of crime fiction, with an engaging and relatable heroine, a fantastic London setting, and a mystery that truly kept me guessing. A stellar debut by a gifted writer”

- Vanessa Kelly, bestselling author of The Emma Knightley Mysteries

"Inspired by the real 1920s Detection Club (charter members Christie, Sayers, Chesterton, and other Golden Age greats), The Cloak and Dagger Club will bring new fans to the classic mystery-verse. They’ll be itching to follow Lucy and Frank wherever Jackie McMahon takes them."

- Patrice McDonough, author of the Dr. Julia Lewis mysteries