annieb123
Written on Aug 3, 2020
Passing Fancies is the second Julia Kydd mystery by Marlowe Benn. Released 2nd June 2020, it's 331 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the first in the series) is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a competently written period murder mystery set in NYC in 1925. The protagonist is a (recently) independently wealthy young woman who is a publisher of small run special edition art books. In her search for new authors to publish and promote, she moves in social circles with artists, writers, and musicians. The avant garde attend the same parties without regard to race or to the segregation laws of the time and she meets and befriends an author whom she is surprised to find out is of mixed race background. How their friendship develops is central to the plot. Much of it turns on themes of sexism, racism, rape, segregation, and rigid patriarchy in addition to the murder and subsequent investigation.
Although this is the second book in the series, it works well enough as a standalone. The necessary backstory is given in the narrative and I never felt lost or had trouble keeping the characters straight in my head as I was reading.
Although it seems to mostly be a light period mystery, there's a fair amount of graphic violence, racism, discussion of rape, etc etc. I found myself uncomfortable with some of the discussions as well as the relentless racism (especially in the context of "that's the way it is"). The author is unquestionably a competent writer and I love books with a bibliophile theme. I'm motivated to at least read the next book in the series. I also found the denouement rather tough going and the resolution left me somewhat dissatisfied.
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.