The Last Drop of Hemlock is the second book in Katherine Schellman's Nightingale series. It would make the most sense to the reader if you read her first book before starting on this one. In this novel Vivian and Florence are back, now living in slight poverty in NYC during the Prohibition years. Vivian is just as involved in the Nightingale Club, a thriving speakeasy that comes with its own cast of characters.

In The Last Drop of Hemlock, a new mystery is blowing in as various people are receiving threatening notes and if the instructions aren't followed exactly they are mysterious killed (mostly by poison). Vivian and her friends are determined to find out who is behind these actions before more people get hurt, or worse the Nightingale comes into the crosshairs.

Katherine Schellman's characters feel more comfortable in their skin in this second book. The personalities are more flushed out and there is more of a natural progression to the story that was not as present in the first novel. Strong female characters take the lead, and it speaks to the struggles of the time with regard to gender inequality as well as race inequality. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this time period of American history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this novel.

I enjoyed the characters, their sleuthing, and the setting of the Jazz age. However it felt like it was missing something.

Jazz Age Harlem and its Nightingale dance club are the lively locale for Katharine Schellman's "The Last Drop of Hemlock" (Minotaur, 336 pages, $28). But all's not Champagne cocktails and Conga lines in this sequel to Schellman's "Last Call at the Nightingale."

Uncle Pearlie is dead, and the loss of their bouncer shakes up everyone at the club, especially Bea, the niece with whom he recently reunited. The police say Pearlie took his own life, but Bea believes he was murdered.

Vivian Kelly, the seamstress-sleuth from the first book, now works at the Nightingale and jumps in to help her friend Bea, the band's singer. Their investigation finds them in trouble much more quickly and deeply than they'd expected.

The puzzle is engaging enough, but Schellman's real strength is the rich sense of time and place she creates. We might wish we could slip into the Nightingale for an (illegal) highball and a fast tango, just once. Minus the mobsters

Anyone who read and enjoyed Last Call at the Nightingale will be delighted to get their hands on this next in the series. It is set within the speakeasy culture of Jazz Age/Prohibition New York, a time and place that are vividly brought to life in these pages.

Vivian, who is of working class background, thinks that she has finally found a way to improve both her own life and that of her sister. However, when a friend’s relative, a club bouncer, dies, Viv will risk so much to try to get to the bottom of things…and readers can feel pretty certain that she will. Still, on the way,Vivian will have to understand what happened to some missing money and will be forced to contend with mob bosses and more.

This is a novel that does a terrific job with its characters and setting. The people and times come to life. The plot is also involving. Recommended for those who enjoy historical mysteries and strong female protagonists.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

4 1/2 stars. This historical mystery set in a 1920s speakeasy in New York City is rich in the atmosphere, the energy, diversity, possibilities and struggles of this city. Vivian Kelly, part time employee at a dressmaker shop and delivering drinks at a jazz-filled, thriving speakeasy, is determined to find out who killed her best friend's uncle who works as the doorman at the Nightingale. Does it have anything to do with the blackmailing of many of Vivian's neighbor's of their most valuable possession that promises poison if they don't pay up? But she will have to be careful that she doesn't end up the latest victim of a desperate killer...

I love to see 1920s mysteries that involve speakeasy. There was so much energy and lawlessness in them. They make an ideal setting for a mystery. Also, there can be such a mix of upper, middle and working class people that really shows off what made New York City so exciting during this time. And so dangerous.

The characters are interesting, diverse and very human. Things aren't so clear cut when you are struggling for survival and not everything is black and white when you are worried about your loved ones. It adds dimension to the story and some unexpected twists in the mystery that I didn't see coming.

The middle dragged a bit and Vivian did some foolish things. But, overall, I was very happy with mystery and look forward to going back and reading the first in the series. Sit back, enjoy a cocktail, the Charleston and this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Sleuthing a Dead Man’s Past..

It’s the Jazz age, the time of speakeasies and waves of immigration. Vivian Kelly, who is Irish is the main character, works at the Nightingale at night. Vivian’s sister is Florence; they were brought up in an orphanage. They live in almost-poverty, renting a decrepit apartment. In their spare time, Vivian and Florence are helping neighbors bringing them food and solving their problems.

All of this was status quo until Bea, a black friend of Vivian’s is distraught when her uncle Pearlie died. When it was discovered that it was not suicide and he was poisoned, the direction of the novel changed. Prejudice takes center stage and then comes death. Mob bosses rule and the poorest are targeted to pay off the crime group with their valuable possessions, however small.

Stopping a killer is the gist of the plot enhanced by the Jazz Age. The sharp demarcation of the classes and the segregation of some immigrants is a sad commentary. Not much has changed in many ways.

Good mystery but very slow-moving for me.

My gratitude to NeGalley and Minotaur for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wonder if maybe this book it would’ve been better for me if I had read the first book in the series. I wasn’t a big fan of the main character, and it was a little slow for me, even though I really liked the suspense and magical elements but again, not really understanding the characters from the first book really threw me off.

The Last Drop of Hemlock is the second book in Katharine Schellman's historical mystery series Nightingale Mysteries. I enjoyed the first one, Last Call at the Nightingale, but I liked this one even better. Ms. Schellman brings 1924 Jazz Age New York and Prohibition to life with a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Vivian Kelly is now serving drinks at the Nightingale, a speakeasy in New York. She lives in a small, dingy tenement with her straight laced older sister Florence, but they're getting by and are able to keep a roof over their heads. Things were better, however, before Bea's Uncle Pearlie, a doorman at the club, died after being poisoned. Bea, Vivian's best friend for as long as they can remember, doesn't believe the ruling of death by suicide. Besides, there have been rumors of a mysterious letter writer who is blackmailing Vivian's neighbors for their valuable possessions, threatening poison if they don't comply. Bea is set on proving her uncle was murdered, and Honor Huxley, the enigmatic owner of the Nightingale, is worried about the safety of her employees...so of course Vivian digs into Uncle Pearlie's past to stop a killer.

Vivian Kelly wasn't my favorite character in the first book...and she still isn't... but I must admit she's grown on me a bit here. Vivian loves working at the Nightingale, serving drinks and dancing with the customers. She especially likes working with her best friend, Bea. A young Black woman, Bea was formerly a waitress like Vivian, but she is an extremely talented singer and now performs at the club. Vivian likes to have a good time, but she cares deeply for her friends and sister. She and Honor, the club's owner, have a definite attraction to one another, though Honor seems to blow hot and cold at times. I'm not a big fan of that possible romance. Honor put Vivian in danger in the past, but she was a bit more likable this time around. Rather, I'm rather partial to Leo Green, a mysterious man who appears to have connections to both the police and the underworld. He's charming and seems quite taken with Vivian. Seriously, the man is willing to go to jail in order to protect her! Who wouldn't love a guy like that? Vivian and her sister Florence get along much better now, though Vivian seems jealous of her sister's budding romance with bartender Danny Chin, who I adore. Florence has turned out to be one of my favorite characters so far. The mystery of this story was quite thrilling; it had many twists and turns that kept me guessing. I never would have figured out whodunit! There is also a side mystery regarding Vivian and Florence's mother, and I can't wait to see how that pans out. I'm eagerly awaiting my next visit to the Nightingale.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

DNF. I really, really tried to get into this book but could not. It was too slow for me and I did not care about the characters. I did not know Pearlie enough to care about his death and I wasn't given enough information about what was unfolding to be interesting. I made it about halfway through the book with an honest try. I wish I would have enjoyed this book because it appeared so interesting. Thank you to the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this visit to Prohibition era New York and getting to know Vivian and all the people in her world. Most of the historical fiction books I've read are either about the very very wealthy or the very very poor and so it was interesting to see this book set a bit more in the middle. Vivian and her sister and many of their friends are definitely poor and have been desperate but they're getting by. It made for an interesting perspective and provided different motivations than I've come across in the past. As well, the difference between how Vivian and Bea have to approach how they investigate based off the difference in their skin color was interesting and frustrating.

There are really two mysteries going on in this book. Was Pearlie murdered and if he was who did it and then who is the blackmailer stealing from people who have very little left to lose. The investigation was a group effort through legal and illegal channels. I really enjoyed seeing the speakeasy and bootlegging world and how tightly things must be controlled. While the mysteries are both resolved nicely there are some threads involving the characters and their pasts and secrets that definitely have me curious and looking forward to the next book.

This was the second book in the Nightingale series but the first that I have read. While there are a few things alluded to from the first book several times in this book I had no problem jumping in here and figuring out the whos and the whys.

If you're looking for a historical mystery with an intriguing setting and relatable characters this is a great choice!

I liked this one more than book 1, but it still fell flat in parts for me. I am not exactly sure what it is that I am missing in this series, but there is just something that keeps them from being more than just an average read for me. I don't dislike them [and I really liked the narrator MUCH more this time around; this could be due to me having so many really awful narrators as of late, who knows] and I find, after this one, that I do want to keep reading them [once I am invested in a story, look out]. Maybe by book 3, I will be able to figure out why.

What I really did like about this book:
* Vivian and Florence. The way their relationship has grown is fantastic to see. The first book was rough since the sisters were so at odd all the time. I really like how Florence has loosened a little bit and how the sisters now work together as much as possible. I also love the relationship that Flo has developed with Danny and it will be interesting to see how that progresses, especially with Danny's parent's not loving the idea of a white girl dating a Chinese man [it is the 1920's; their concern is not unwarranted].
* The setting. You really feel that you are in the middle of NYC in the 1920's. I love the accuracy and descriptions of both the city [and places like where Viv and Flo live] and the clubs.
* The people at the Nightingale. They are chosen family and they all work so well together and have each other's backs. It is so glorious to see.
* The overall mystery. THIS. WAS. SO. GOOD. I never saw coming what happened and it was all just so good. And that end...whoosh. I can see why it happened, but gosh my moral compass was totally FREAKING out and had me asking "what would I HAVE DONE if I had been in the same situation?".

What I didn't like:
* The pacing. I think that is some of my problem with these books; they do seem to drag in the middle and I tend to wander and want it to move a bit faster. It could just be me, but regardless, it is something that I wish would change.
* Honor. I 100% DO NOT LIKE how she treats Vivian. Totally led her on only to decide she couldn't "risk" getting involved with someone. IF you make that decision, you don't get to be mad when the person you have "dumped" gets involved with someone else. I was fuming though most of the scenes with her and Viv. While I somewhat understand why she cannot be emotionally involved with people who work for her, I hate how she strings people along. UGH.
* I *KNOW* you are not supposed to love Viv and Flo's sewing boss, but MY GOSH she is awful. UGH. And she just doesn't get better. Even after having something traumatic happen doesn't soften her a little bit. She is such an unpleasant character and she was in this a lot more than I enjoyed.
* All the parts that fell flat for me. I will say there was less of that this book than book 1, but it was still there and I can only hope that some of that is resolved by book 3 [WHICH I will be reading because like I said before, I am TOTALLY invested in these characters].

I was lucky enough to get an audiobook ARC of this book and this was something that DID work MUCH better for me than the first book. I enjoyed the narration MUCH more than in book 1 [same narrator; go figure] and I really got into the book because of how well it was narrated. I am so glad that I was able to listen to this one and it turned out as well as it did. I will say that I don't love all the voices she does [the generic side characters tend to all sound a like], but all the main characters are really well done [she really captures Alba's whining] and really helps draw you into the story.
Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katharine Schellman, Sara Young - Narrator, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and Dreamscape Media for providing both the eARC and the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Drop of Hemlock is a captivating mystery that exudes a cozy feel. The novel is set during the Prohibition era, where the mob and a host of shady characters add to the intrigue and excitement of the story. The historical setting is expertly crafted, immersing readers in the era's atmosphere and culture. Schellman's writing style is smooth and engaging, with cleverly placed red herrings that keep readers guessing until the very end.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this arc.

Last year in “Last Call at the Nightingale,” readers were introduced to Vivian Kelly, a young woman hanging on to the edge of survival in 1920s NYC who dances away her blues at “The Nightingale” a speakeasy where the employees take care of each other. She solved a murder, renegotiated the terms of her employment for herself and her older sister at the (basically sweatshop) dress shop where they work and was also able to pick up a side hustle at “The Nightingale.” With the (somewhat) easier hours and (a little) extra cash, Vivian and Florence can breathe a bit easier. But when Vivian’s friend Bea’s uncle is found dead, sorrows appear to be back.

The coroner has ruled that Bea’s uncle Pearlie’s death is suicide. Bea isn’t convinced and begs Vivian to help her. Vivian in turn asks Leo Green, with whom she worked earlier, to help her search Pearlie’s room and then asks Leo to use his connections to get her in to talk to the chief medical examiner at Bellevue. Sure enough, the bottle of top drawer booze they found was dosed with enough arsenic to kill a man quickly and there’s an odd letter in the room.

That isn’t the only mystery that Vivian, Leo, and Bea are trying to solve. Someone has been sending people in their neighborhood extortion letters. The victims have to leave a valuable object – often the only one they own – at a certain place at a certain time or they risk “unfortunate things” happening to their family. When Vivian’s sister Florence gets such a letter, Vivian has to decide what she’ll do to keep her sister, and herself, safe.

As I did last year, I devoured the book in two days. The world that the sisters and their friends live and work in is just as dark and just as hard as it’s always been. The poor eke out a living, are stuck in crowded tenements, and know that the police don’t work for people like them. Now that Vivian is an official employee at the speakeasy, she learns firsthand that owner Honor – a tough woman with whom Vivian shares some dances and kisses – takes care of her own but, if Vivian initiates an interaction with a powerful bootlegger, then Vivian will be the one to steer the conversation and must stand up for herself.

There are some unresolved threads from the last book that get carried over and partially dealt with. A co-worker who offers to shelter Vivian and Florence tells, and shows, the sisters the effect of anti-Chinese immigration laws. Bea, a Black woman, and her family know that their concerns are of no importance to most of the police force. And everyone learns that when you ask questions, you must be prepared to learn answers you might not want to hear. The mystery in this book is solved (I tentatively side-eyed one character and ended up enjoying how the clues were there and all put together in the end) but some intriguing developments have me ready and eager for the next installment in the series. B

Book 2 of this series is just as good, if not better, than book 1! I loved that they’re involving Flo more and it’s nice to see that there might soon be resolution to the romantic triangle. The mystery was as page turning as ever with lots of clues and red herrings.

The Last Drop of Hemlock by Katharine Schellman is a a historical cozy mystery set in Prohibition-era New York City, and the second book in the Nightingale Mysteries series.

Vivian Kelly, former seamstress, is now working part-time at The Nightingale, a speakeasy in 1924 NYC where people can drink, dance, and don't have to hide who they are. Things are looking up for her and her sister, Florence, but times are still hard. Pearlie, a doorman at the club and Viv's best friend Bea's uncle, was recently poisoned. The cops say it was suicide, but Bea is certain he wouldn't have killed himself. And blackmail letters have been floating around their neighborhood as well...

Just like the first book in this series, I had a fun time with this one. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and mysteries and this series continues to be a good melding of the two.

As always, the queer representation in this book is pretty good. Vivian is bisexual and has a love triangle with Honor, the lesbian owner of The Nightingale who always wears men's trousers, and Leo, the rough-and-tumble nephew of the police commissioner. Personally, I would love it if this ends up being a why-choose but we'll see!

There's also more discussion of racism and classism, as Viv and her sister are Irish orphans who were raised by nuns (with allusions to her mother having her children out of wedlock, scandalous at the time) and Nightingale songbird Bea is a black woman. We delve even more into Bea's family in this installment, and we also learn more about a Chinese family and a Latina family as well.

CW: murder, death, poison, firearms

Bea doesn't believe her uncle Pearlie, a bouncer at the Nightingale, committed suicide and she convinces Vivian to help her find the truth. What they discover stuns and frightens both of them because it turns out there's a blackmail scheme - and Vivian's sister is on the list. Pearlie had a bottle of arsenic hidden in his room as well as a strange letter a letter that leads the pair, as well as Honor, the owner of the Nightingale, into the world of organized crime. This is an intriguing mystery set during Prohibition - largely because of the characters who are diverse in several ways. It's not too twisty but it is nicely atmospheric. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you missed the first book- this will be fine as a standalone. Looking forward to the next one.

This is book 2 in a series. I did not read book 1, and feel this works fine as a standalone.

We are dropped right into the Nightingale, a speakeasy in New York during Prohibition.

This book is filled with strong women - Vivian is a cocktail waitress at Nightingale, Bea is a singer at the club and Vivian's bestie, Honor owns the club and she was slightly scary!

Pearlie, Bea's uncle, worked at the club as a bouncer. When he is found dead, it is ruled suicide. Bea knows this can't be true and enlists the help of Vivian to help her investigate. Vivian turns to Leo, her firend who is the nephew of the police commissioner, to help.

They find some missing money and a mysterious bottle of alcohol in Pearlie's room. The coroner confirms that the alcohol they found contains a large amount of arsenic.

People are receiving letters demanding money and then some are turning up dead. Florence, Vivian's sister - who is a bit of an innocent - also receives a letter with instructions to steal a jewel covered dress from her place of employment.

Vivian continues to investigate and takes us along for the ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media for an ARC and an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I will admit that the cover and title drew initially drew me to this book.

I didn't realize that this was a series but I didn't feel lost (maybe because I didn't know this had a previous book in the series when I first started reading it) but with that said, I loved this book!

They mystery unraveled at a very satisfying pace, the writing was superb and I really enjoyed the characters.

I will go back and read the previous book now!

Having read the beginning of Last Call at the Nightingale in an earlier Minotaur sampler and subsequently picking up a copy of that book after publication, I was looking forward to reading more about Vivian's adventures in murder at the club. I both read and listened to The Last Drop of Hemlock and found that I preferred the print version since I definitely had my own idea from the first book about the feel of the club and what Vivian and the others were like. I enjoyed the interaction with Vivian and her bestie, Bea and I love that Honor is a strong female character who owns the bar during that period. The murder mystery was good and I'm already looking forward to the next story. Thank you to Minotaur, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fast moving book! I had read the previous one of this series and while I liked that one . I think this one is even better. The mystery was good and I was surprised at the ending. Looking forward to what happens next in this series.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy