Ellen_B

A Pair of Aces recounts the take down of renowned gangster Lucky Luciano. The main characters, an unlikely duo of a Jewish Madam, Polly Adler and a black, female Assistant District Attorney, Eunice Carter. The chapters alternate between the POV of the two women with the backstory for each woman woven into the main plot of building a case for DA Thomas Dewey against Luciano. The story was engaging and the characters sympathetic. I felt that some of the historical references were forced, and unnecessary when the radio station was changed because the announcer switched to reporting the addition of the new Yankee Joe DiMaggio. But otherwise, a good book that held my interest. I was disappointed that my copy did not have author notes so I had to google to find that the story was highly accurate.

The Insomniacs, by Alison Williams Scotch is an engaging mystery that grabs you and doesn't let go. Set in New York City, three insomniacs, Zeke, Sybil and Julian, meet first online and then in person at a diner to escape the loneliness of being awake all night. Here they meet the waitress, Betty, a young troubled fellow insomniac.

It's clear from the start that both Julian and Betty have secrets that keep you guessing until the truth is slowly revealed, perhaps too slowly. Relationships deepen as a mystery evolves involving a Megachurch with a corrupt leader and the FBI. An improbable romance develops between Zeke, a renowned superstar Major league pitcher and Sybil, a frustrated housewife and would-be gifted surgeon, who is married to a cheating husband.

Sybil aptly summarizes The Insomniacs when she says " this whole thing was meant to be a quiet cadre of friends who could calm each other's anxieties…None of this was at all what she imagined it would be." This reader agrees.

In Midnight Taxi, Yosha Gunasekera creates a twist on the locked room mystery concept. The crime in this novel occurs in a taxi driven by a Sri Lankan woman named Siriwathi, who narrates the book. Siri's descriptions of New York City, the unique personalities of true New Yorkers and the many local (i.e. non-touristy) eateries gave what could have been a dry mystery, an added layer of color and depth. As a former New Yorker, her commentary was both humorous and accurate.

The other main characters, Amaya, a Sri Lankan public defender and Alex, Siri's childhood friend are all believable and likable. There are also numerous other characters to keep track of, at times too many!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to a sequel.