Reggie de Costa works on the crime beat for a local Melbourne, Australia newspaper in the early 1920's. As an investigative reporter he always has his nose where it typically doesn't belong. He is 40-ish and considers himself to be quite dapper, in his nice suits and bright yellow car. He lives with his mother and his job is his life. His mother, despite her sordid past (a philandering husband that left her destitute) she still keeps within a wealthier circle of friends. One of her friends asks Reggie to investigate a suicide, seeing as he had success solving the Death Mask Murders, and while he is doing so, he discovers a body, hidden in an old trunk, in a dank old basement. Turns out to be the body of a wealthy missing man.
They story is full of twists and turns as Reggie starts to see that this wealthy missing man is but one of many. Almost all of whom had been poisoned with rat poison. He starts digging into the backgrounds of each man and starts to find a common denominator to all the men, a tawdry woman named, Rita Savage. Reggie often works with the police, sort of a tit for tat when it comes to information, but the new detective isn't very fond of outsider help. He decides to go it alone and ends up almost becoming a victim himself. Can Reggie find out who the killer of all these men is before it's too late?
I really liked this story overall. There were a couple of chapters that were a little long due to deep descriptions of scenes that I felt weren't necessary, but the majority of the book is so fantastic that I can overlook that. I love the world building this author brings to the table and I always love a good period piece. Being that its set in the 1920's, we get a glimpse into a different time for everyone, a time when wearing something as innocent seeming like red lipstick was scandalous. My only hope is that Reggie will find someone that will make him happy and perhaps help him grow up a bit. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.
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