To be honest, I found there to be too much going on in this book and too many characters. I think that it was over done - but if simplified a little it would have been incredible. My favorite part of the book was the history of the Hollywood Canteen. I found that the drama, secrets and lies from the characters were often annoying and not realistic. It was also difficult to like the majority of the characters, which may be way I found their drama annoying. All that being said, the book kept me entertained and I truly enjoyed the historical piece of it.

In 1943, Annie Laurence, a new in town, murder mystery play write, finds herself at the Hollywood Canteen - a club for servicemen staffed by those in show business. But when her new friend, and despised critic, Fiona Davis is found dead in the kitchen, Annie finds herself a suspect. Will she be able to help catch the killer among Fiona's bitter, unhappy and cynical friends?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Annie Laurence is a New York playwright, but when her long-term relationship is terminated and her lead actors move to Hollywood, she finds herself desperate enough to take a job at the third-tier movie studio. Wanting to meet Fiona Farris, a critic who reviewed her New York play, Annie meets the whole Ambassador’s Club. She believes that she finally has met people who could assist her with her career and help her move on from her failed relationship.

Then Fiona is murdered and one of the Club have been implicated. The more Annie investigates, though, the bigger a target she has on her back.

I really did not like the characters! I was hoping that I could start cheering on Annie, but then she would do something so stupid that I just couldn’t keep reading. Obviously, I hated Adam and Beverly Cook. I really wanted Annie to punch one of them. When the Ambassador Club was introduced, I really was hoping they would bond and make one or two of them better. Unfortunately, they were all “woe-is-me” crybabies, and I just couldn’t bring myself to pay much attention.

There are plenty of suspects, and many motives as Fiona was not a nice individual. However, the general landscape of Hollywood, the Hollywood Canteen, the people including the sailors, and the overall political atmosphere are so well written that the reader feels like they are there.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

I'm not really sure what to think of this one. I didn't dislike it but I also didn't quite love it.
The premise was super interesting to me: I love a story of old Hollywood and I love a murder mystery! I also really enjoy historical fiction, typically.
Unfortunately, I feel like this book just took too long to really start. The first half felt like it dragged on and on without much actually happening, but when the story finally picked up I enjoyed it a lot more. That made me a bit sad, because I think if the pace were fixed this could have been a much better read in my eyes.
The characters were all rather unlikable, which might have been intentional but left me, at times, completely disinterested. Maybe more likable characters, or at least characters we could more easily connect with, would carry the reader through that slow first half more efficiently.
I did enjoy the author's writing style though and would still be interested to read more from her. I think with better pacing and characters that feel closer to the reader, she could deliver a great story.

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen is set in the 1940s during the war. I must admit that the author did a wonderful job of setting the Old Hollywood scene. I enjoyed the trip to past. I really enjoyed that the story takes places in some locations that really existed in the 1940s.

Fiona, who is a play critic is poisoned. Her death is ruled a suicide, but her friends (who to be honest feel quite insufferable) don't believe this is the case. They set out to figure who her murderer is, and to me, it gets a little chaotic.

I was really hoping that I was going to LOVE this book, but honestly I just didn't. Like I mentioned before, I found the characters pretty insufferable. They complained so much about their own lives and were so self centered. Maybe this is on par for celebrities (I don't personally know any).

Sarah's writing style is good. I would absolutely read another book of hers. I feel like there will be plenty of people who will actually enjoy this book. I just found myself getting really annoyed with some of the "woah is me" whining that some of the characters displayed and too much drama between them.

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen is available on November 7th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a bit of a meandering trainwreck from the first page but I could see it being a very clever movie with a star studded ensemble cast. I love the time period and would love to read more about the Hollywood Canteen but this book just felt so disjointed. There was a lot of whining and a lot of red herrings to get to nowhere fast. Hope you have better luck!

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen comes out next week on November 7, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

The article was full of one ridiculous detail after another, the least of which was that the Hollywood Canteen had been completely scrubbed from the situation. The way Variety reported it, Fiona may as well have died in the back room of some seedy nightclub, surrounded by gangsters and criminals. God forbid Hollywood's bastion of patriotism be tainted with the truth. There was also the suicide note, allegedly found in Fiona's pocket: Please forgive me. I can't go on like this. The pain is too much. Fiona Farris would never have written anything so hackneyed, so vague and unspecific.

Someone poisoned Fiona and it wasn't Annie. This historical mystery takes you back to 1944, the The Hollywood canteen that served members of the military, and to a group of failed actors who console one another, even while nursing grudges. Annie is new to town and Fiona was the one who introduced her to the Ambassadors club. She knows Fiona wasn't well liked but not how badly someone wanted her gone. This is almost a cozy given the plot elements but it's got a little more bite. Annie's an interesting character and the setting is fun. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen was a fun blast back to 1940s Hollywood with an interesting murder-mystery twist. The novel centers around Annie, a struggling playwright, who is hired by a third-tier film studio as a script writer. Annie seizes the opportunity and flees West, where she finds herself entangled in lives of a group of fledgeling writers, actors, a producer, and composer. Just as Annie was forging a place for herself in the group, one of its members is murdered leaving the friends in a tailspin of doubt and shifting blame.

Sarah James does a wonderful job of diving into the painting the landscape old Hollywood studio system while crafting characters with sardonic wit. I was left wanting more in terms of the timing and pacing of the book. Annie's relationships with her new friends felt sudden and rushed, yet it also seemed like nothing was happening in the first half of the book, just meandering conversations that lead to nowhere. When the pace finally picked up, James tied the novel up neatly with a clear, concise resolution.

Ultimately, I am not sure if I actually liked any of the character in Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen but I almost think that was the point?

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and Sarah James for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

‘Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen’ really appealed to me in terms of my love of murder mysteries and 1940’s cinema.
Overall I enjoyed the pacing and the way James writes in first person from the MC’s, Annie, point of view. The whole novel has an ease and a cosiness to it which I feel is sympathetic to the traditional murder mysteries synonymous with this era, such as those of Agatha Christie. However it still felt modern through Annie’s eyes, she is coming out of a complicated breakup and is trying to find her identity as a writer in this glitzy but often dark era of Hollywood. There were moments when I was really rooting for Annie as a main protagonist and others where I got so frustrated with her, but for me that is not a negative whatsoever. For me James constructed Annie with so much care and vividity that I couldn't help but feel real emotions to her as the novel and the mystery played out.
The murder and the set suspect list felt very in line with traditional mysteries I have read and enjoyed, so although at times it read a little formulaic the details and glamour that James has tied in kept me turning the pages.
This is one of the thrillers that has enough wit and humour to feel very fresh but enough of the warmth and familiarity of a perfect who-dunnit to curl up and get utterly lost in. Definitely a perfect winter ‘it’ read- Loved it!

I enjoyed some elements of this book more than others. The historic Hollywood setting is what originally drew my interest, and I felt that was the strongest part of the book. The intrigue and machinations going on within the studio system can barely be believed, but this was the sort of thing going on in the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood.

I had never heard of the Hollywood Canteen but it was real institution run by volunteers from the various movie studios, with the intention of entertaining servicemen on their last nights on US soil before they shipped off to war. Stars such as Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra performed there over its three years of operation. So I enjoyed what the book could teach me about history.

I actually liked the resolution/solution to the murder. It seems ridiculous and over the top, but it fits right in with that time and place. People were ridiculous and over the top in 1940s Hollywood.

However, there were two major aspects that let me down. The first was Annie, our main character writer-turned-investigator and first person narrator. As a general rule, I don’t have a problem with first person (even though I prefer third), but there was just something about the way Annie was written that annoyed me that I couldn’t really put my finger on. That combined with the fact that she would jump to a new conclusion every time some new information came to light was really frustrating to me!

The second thing was… it just wasn’t that exciting for a thriller? I read 30% in one night and all that really happened was that the characters cleverly found a way to get their hands on the murdered person’s work files, and then… spent the night going through them and speculating. The climax was… satisfying, but even as everything came to a head, I was more just thinking, “Ah, yes, this makes sense” than dying to turn the page to make sure the main characters came out the other side.

That said, the writing style is quite readable, and I never even as I felt nothing much was happening, I equally didn’t feel like the book was necessarily dragging. I am sure for the right reader, this will be an enjoyable historical mystery!

The Hollywood Canteen, 1943 and murder. A great noir story takes us back to the era of movies and magic. A historical fiction with a classic whodunnit murder mystery.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen was an all engrossing can't-put-it-down book. This was such an enjoyable read! It had mystery, celebrity gossip, romance, friendship, and all sorts of drama. This is the perfect book for a book club to read as it really does have something for everyone. I loved the character development and all of the settings in the book. I felt as if I was truly at the Hollywood Canteen doing the jitterbug with all the 1940's stars!

Fascinating murder mystery set against the backdrop of WWII Hollywood. Playwright Annie heads to LA after a difficult breakup only to befriend the gossip columnist who may have been the cause of her heartache- only to wind up at the center of the intrigue when said gossip columnist is murdered!!! Engaging historical fiction with compelling characters and a twisty story that keeps you turning pages.

In the 40s, a playwright moves to Hollywood to try to get her play turned into a movie and finds herself investigating the murder of a critic. Annie must enmesh herself among Fiona (the critic)'s friends to try to figure who wanted her dead.

I wanted to like this one but I feel like it couldn't decide how serious it wanted to be. The structure with the protagonist not being a detective felt more like a cozy but the tone and setting, etc. felt more serious. I also just couldn't get into Annie's voice. Others might enjoy this more though!

I love historical fiction, is what after all got me into reading. And this is not any less. I found myself very enjoying the book. Engaged from start to end. enjoyed this book.

Takes place during WW2, and it follows a screenwriter from New York to Hollywood, who finds herself first in the world Hollywood. But, life takes a turn for the worse when something happens to her new friend. I’m definitely interested in buying the paper copy.

I enjoyed this book.

Set in 1943 during WW2, it tells a fictional tale, following a screenwriter from New York to Hollywood, who finds herself first in the excitement of the Hollywood scene but life quickly takes a turn when one of her new friends is found dead. She sets out to prove what happened to her.

This story was good, a relatively quick read despite its length. The characters were interesting, although very troubled. For people looking for a bit of historical fiction, some mystery, some humor, this would be a great read.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley.

*Thank You to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review *

Historical fiction mixed with murder mystery; how could you not be curious? I haven’t read many of those, but I have read a few. It was mostly the title that had captured my attention and the cover. I’m so glad that I decided to check this book out. Last Night At Hollywood Canteen had everything I love about historical fiction and mysteries. There was a slow start initially, but turning the pages didn’t take long, making me wonder what would happen next. Like everyone else, I asked who was behind the murder of Fiona and their reason behind it; what was their motive? I wondered if Fiona’s friends from the Ambassador’s Club could be responsible for her murder. Every page made it harder for me to put the book back down. I would have read all night if it wasn’t for work the following day.

I enjoyed reading about most characters, but Annie was my favorite. In my opinion, she had the most character development throughout the book. Sometimes, I thought that Annie was the only one who wanted to know what happened to Fiona. Others seemed to want to believe what the cops said when Fiona was first discovered. I wondered if someone would get angry, Annie, to be different in this case. I was afraid that there was a chance that Annie might be next. There was another part of me why Annie wanted to figure out what happened that badly, considering what she said about her. I did feel that Annie got close to Fiona’s friend too fast. The Ambassador’s Club had known each other for years, and Annie just met them, and they all acted as if they had been best friends for years.

I loved the descriptions of old Hollywood. I was always fascinated with how different Hollywood was from what it is now. I had also wondered how the writing behind shows and plays was during those days. I felt as if I was transformed into Hollywood along with Annie and all her friends. Most of the time, I couldn’t pull away from the books; I fell in love with the characters and the plot. This was the first book I have read by Sarah James , and now I wonder what adventures await us next.

Hollywood. 1943. Glamourous Club. Murder Mystery.

You could tell me those few words and I already know I'll enjoy it, but Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen blew my expectations out of the water! Annie, a mystery playwriter, teams up with the self-titled Ambassador's Club (read as: a group of cynics unhappy with their careers), to solve the mystery of film-critic, Fiona Ferris' murder.

Coming off of historical fiction reads like Evelyn Hugo and Kitty Karr, I was looking forward to reading Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen and it did NOT disappoint!

This has two of my favorite elements--a historical fiction with a taste of thriller.

Meet Annie, a screenwriter. After dealing with a breakup and closing of the theatre, Annie moves to Los Angeles to renew her career. The year was 1941 when the world was at war. She meets Fiona, who is a critic and who seem to criticize on each and every one of the movies and plays. At the Hollywood Canteen one night, Fiona was found murdered and someone was responsible for the murder. Annie along with few others, calling themselves as Ambassador's Club set off to find the murderer as they know that LAPD are incompetent to find the culprit.

I actually enjoyed reading this thriller. This was a fast paced thriller, there were some twists and turns along the way and the story is mainly told from Annie's POV. Reading this book gave me the feeling of being in the 1940's and got a glimpse of what the life was like back in the early 1940's. Of course, there's weren't any DNA testing or forensics at the time so the story was set realistic as possible. The author must have done some research on what the life was like in Hollywood during the 1940's during the war period. Overall, this was to me an enjoyable read although there were some parts in the book where it kind of dragged a bit, which lowered my rating overall to a four star reading. Overall this book worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Souce Landmark for the ARC. The book is based on my honest opinion only.

Murder Mystery play write Annie Lawrence is new to Hollywood. It’s 1943 and the place to be each night is The Hollywood Canteen - a night club filled with servicemen letting off some steam and staffed exclusively by the stars. It’s the place where Annie finds herself a new group of friends. Before long one of those friends, ruthless movie critic Fiona Farris is found dead in the kitchen of the Canteen. Everyone at the club that night is a suspect, particularly Annie and her new friends as they each have a motive to want Fiona to stop writing rumours about them.

This one started out a bit slow but by halfway it had really drawn me in to the mystery and I was hanging out to find out who the killer, or killers were. I liked the historical setting of WWII Hollywood and the ins and outs of the movie industry really added an exciting backdrop the the story. Annie’s group of friends were all interesting with their own quirks and flaws. This is a character driven mystery and while there were a fair few side characters to keep track of it didn’t feel like too many. Overall this was an entertaining read and one for people looking for a murder mystery with some flare and pizzazz.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Perhaps the best place in 1943 Hollywood to see the stars is the Hollywood Canteen, a club for servicemen staffed exclusively by those in show business. Murder mystery playwright Annie Laurence, new in town after a devastating breakup, definitely hopes to rub elbows with the right stars. Maybe then she can get her movie made.

But Hollywood proves to be more than tinsel and glamour. When despised film critic Fiona Farris is found dead in the Canteen kitchen, Annie realizes any one of the Canteen's luminous volunteers could be guilty of the crime. To catch the killer, Annie falls in with Fiona's friends, a bitter and cynical group - each as uniquely unhappy in their life and career as Annie is in hers - that call themselves the Ambassador's Club.

Solving a murder in real life, it turns out, is a lot harder than writing one for the stage. And by involving herself in the secrets and lies of the Ambassador's Club, Annie just might have put a target on her own back."

A real showstopping Hollywood mystery!