“I never said I was nice. But I would never hurt you, you know that, right?”

“No, I don’t know that.”

It’s 20s New York City, and Vivian Kelly is living two lives. The life of a poor, dress shop worker who shares a small apartment with her sister, and a glamorous baby vamp who hits the dance clubs nightly, escaping to a world of excitement. But then, she discovers a body behind her favourite night club and her whole world gets turned upside down as she gets ensnared in the dangerous side of Prohibition-era dance halls and has to find a way to navigate through before her two worlds collide with fatal results…

The cover and synopsis drew me in, I mean what’s not to like about a prohibition-era amateur sleuth? But I could not get into this book!

This is a fast-paced, plot-based, which really came at the expense of a more in-depth characterization of the main character Vivian—I didn’t really get her and thus my investment in her story was diminished. Which meant that I was mostly disengaged from Vivian’s story, and then when the stakes got higher, I just couldn’t bring myself to care as much.

I think part of the reason why I couldn’t connect to this one was the narrator. It’s set in 20s NYC, so having a narrator that sounds not so different than me just did not fit with the diction of the time and took me out of the story. I don’t know if my perspective is just coloured by seeing so much media from around that time or what, but the narration choice did not work for me.

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately, I was just not engaged.

This book might be for you if you enjoy:
- Going dancing
- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
- Noir fiction

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE is an intriguing Jazz age mystery with memorable characters. The author did a great job bringing a diverse cast of characters to life and I stayed up late reading more than once because I couldn't put the book down. The romantic tension between Vivian and her two love interests was well done kept me wanting more. I hope there are future books with these characters.

Vivian Kelly is a woman in the 20s, trying to find her place as she balances her life with her sister, working as a seamstress, and the captivating glitzy nightlife of the illegal speakeasy the Nightingale. But when she discovers a dead body behind the club, her life spirals into intrigue, secrets, and danger. I loved the writing style throughout this! It’s captivating and such an interesting view of the 1920s, showing so many angles of life— the struggle of the old and new life coming into the twenties, the differences in upper and lower class, and the search for freedom in a traditional society that’s evolving. And I loved the dance hall. I think there were some character developments that weren’t fully fleshed out and some of the reveal felt a little anticlimactic but I think I’m used to more thriller energy and this was a mystery so it did feel different. But the chemistry and life in the Nightingale between characters and the tension build is really good and and I loved the cast of characters and the drama and the mystery of it all. It’s such a vibrant book and a dynamic mystery! And I loved the narrator! They did great at building Vivian’s narrative and really made for an enjoyable audiobook.

This was a fun departure from a lot of the historical fiction I’ve read recently. Set in New York city during the prohibition era, the story takes us in an adventure with Vivian Kelly, working girl, party girl, and lost girl. Her day life is dull but her nightlife is spent in the exciting world of a speakeasy, full of a wide variety of customers - from debutantes to mobsters. The characters are diverse - sometimes it feels a little forced, to be honest … token black, check; token Asian, check; token LGBTQ, check; but that doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable.
Vivian gets caught up in the seedy underworld after becoming involved in a murder outside the speakeasy.
I appreciated the voice actor doing the narration, some of her voices were definitely caricature, but it didn’t bother me - it felt like I was listening to an old Dick Tracy episode.
There is some slightly graphic violence and an allusion to some horrible behavior from the character who is killed , but otherwise, the story is pretty tame. I think if even consider including it in a high school classroom library. Depending on the students, I think some of the sexual innuendo would be lost on them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fun Jazz age mystery with plenty of suspense and seedy plots. Even a little hint at romance. Vivian works a full-time job by day and occasionally working at a nightclub as a dancer (not the exotic kind) Seems harmless enough in 2022, but I’m Vivian’s time a dancing and drinking can have heavy consequences.

We are swept up in a fast paced Mystery in which a club owner and many other unknown characters are mixed in with Vivian. The real secrets revealed are not the ones that you think they would be.

I gave this book 3 stars as I enjoyed the fast paced story as well as the many surprises placed into the plot. The author did a really great job connect the reader with the characters, also ensuring that each interaction was detailed and rememberable. This is a good read or listen for anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery.

In 1924 New York City, Vivian Kelly spends her days working as a dressmaker for too little money and respect. Her nights, however, she spends at the speakeasy dancing, drinking, and getting wrapped up with some dangerous people.

I’m a history nut, so I really enjoyed the setting and the details that the author wove into the story. The story itself was interesting enough, but nothing extraordinary.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A great thriller! Set in speakeasy days with those who have and those who don’t, this story explores family and coming of age, all around a few murders along the way.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I enjoyed this one a lot- nice mix of intrigue, some history, some romance. It was a fun read/listen, and I thought the narrator did a good job. I will definitely keep my eye out for more!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying I really liked this narrators voice and enjoyed how she got into the characters. I would definitely like to listen to other books read by Sara Young! The story itself felt a little lackluster to me. I did really enjoy the concept of a murder mystery set in a speakeasy prohibition, but I didn’t feel very connected to any of the characters. Maybe because I didn’t have much of a backstory for them, I felt it just started and went directly into a whodunnit. It was still interesting and I listened the whole way through.

I am SPEECHLESS. Let me just say I am so happy to learn that we will be getting more Nightingale mysteries, because this one left me utterly in love with the characters and that speakeasy.

The ending was wrapped up in a perfect bow as a standalone, with delightful teases of the possibilities that the future might bring. Completely satisfying as a voracious lover of mysteries.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

Languidly paced, Last Call at the Nightingale immerses the reader in the feel of 1920's New York City. Prohibition is in full effect and heavy divides in racial and ethnic classes reign supreme--until one enters the Nightingale, where the booze flows freely, the music of jazz fills the air, and there is room for all on the dance floor. An interracial cast with queer representation sets apart this novel from other historical fiction of the age, and makes for a much more interesting tale. The unhurried pace might throw off some readers, but I found it befitting the era and the storyline itself; it helps set the mood, even as the main characters race to find the source of a murder and unwind the twists that are tying them all, and the Nightingale, together. The narrator is also a solid choice for this tale, and overall all the elements come together for an enjoyable experience.

<I>My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.</I>

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Katherine Schnellman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Last Call at the Nightingale coming out June 7, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story takes place in New York in 1924. Vivian Kelly and her sister work in a dress shop where the hours are long and boring. At night she goes to the Nightingale, which is an illegal underground club. She can forget about her troubles. I love stories from the roaring 20s. I just think it would’ve been an interesting time to be alive. There were so many modern advancements like the automobile, medicine, music and speakeasies. The United States was in an economic boom. There was prohibition, but it just caused even more illegal activity in distributing alcohol. I can imagine times were mostly good.

However, Vivian finds a dead body in the alley behind the club. Soon after, trouble arrive at her doorstep. She meets people who have killed others in self defense. She meets bad guys who come after her. One of the people she meets is Danny who she forms a romantic attachment to. To be honest, I didn’t get a real sense of Danny’s character besides him wanting to have fun and he was also caught up in some drama of his own.

Overall, I liked the book. Some of the characters weren’t my favorite. I think I was expecting a little something more like Vivian’s life would improve considerably after she started going to the club. She did meet new people and start new relationships. And I think there was the possibility of a new job, so there were some good things to come out of it. Her sister was safe, so that was also a positive. I just don’t think I connected to the characters as much as I would’ve liked to.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the roaring 1920s and speakeasy fun.

Jazz and Murder

Fast moving, exciting murder mystery set against the backdrop of a 1920's speakeasy named the Nightingale.

Vivian is a seamstress but she likes to dance. She hangs out after work at the Nightingale where her friend Bea works. It is all fun and games until it isn't. When she discovers a dead body behind the Nightingale odd and dangerous things begin to happen.

With so many people coming and going how will it ever become possible to know who the killer is? However, Vivian sees someone enter the bar right before she discovers the body. Was it the killer or not?

When the speakeasy is raided and Vivian ends up in jail the owner of the club bails her out, but that leaves her indebted to the woman that owns the Nightingale. She is drawn into a sinister murder and shady characters in order to repay this debt. Will she solve the murder? Will she come out alive, and is the new handsome man she meets somehow involved?

A delightful murder mystery in the era of illegal bootlegging, undercover clubs and a time when Jazz music blared.

The narrator did a great job on the narration of the audio book. It was very easy to understand and the voice very pleasing to listen to .

I did enjoy listening to this audio book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Katherine Schellman for writing a great story, to Dreamscape media for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.

LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE was one of those books that started off really strong for me but kind of lost its steam at the end. I probably would have done better with it if I had just stuck to reading my physical ARC as opposed to just the audiobook. That has more to do with my attention span than it does the quality of the audiobook. I really loved the setting of this book. Schellman does a fantastic job capturing the world of 1920s Prohibition era New York, with all the glitz, good times and flappers. I loved the Nightingale and how it serves a safe place for marginalized folks during this time period. There is such a romantic feel to the setting which I could not get enough of. I also really enjoyed the characters, who were all multi-faceted and interesting to read about, as well as their romantic entanglements and connections to each other. I like Vivian as an MC a lot and enjoyed seeing different sides of her throughout the book. The murder mystery of the book was promising but it just lost that gripping feeling as we approached the end. But if you enjoy interesting characters, historical fictions and murder mysteries, this is a read for you!

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Last Call at the Nightingale” is a jazz age mystery set in Prohibition-era New York City in 1924. The story follows the protagonist, Vivian Kelly, as she struggles to get by as a seamstress living in tenement lodging with her sister, Florence. While Vivian’s days toil along, her nights are full of glitz and glamour as she escapes to The Nightingale, an underground dance hall where liquor is still kind despite Prohibition. Vivian dances the nights away amidst a cast of interesting characters she befriends along the way.

While Vivian’s nights at The Nightingale revitalize her otherwise dull days, everything is thrown into a tailspin when Vivian discovers a dead body in the alley behind the club and is thrown into a murder mystery. Quickly on the heels of the discovery, a police raid of The Nightingale catches Vivian by surprise. The raid propels her right into the heart of the mystery, and Vivian finds herself on the hunt for a killer. However, she realizes she is not only the hunter, but also the hunted. Will Vivian be able to find the killer before the killer finds her?

This story hooked me right from the beginning and pulled me along for the ride. The characters were gloriously brought to life, and both the dark days and bright nights are brought out in vivid detail. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end, which caught me by pleasant surprise. I loved the characters and related to Vivian and her tumultuous journey through the Prohibition-era underground. While there were moments where I wanted to kick Vivian for both silly mistakes and missed clues, it did not pull me out of the story. The entire story from start to finish was brilliant, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I must also comment on the narrator, as my ARC copy was an audiobook. I thought the female narrator did a great job with both the female and male voices, keeping me engaged in the story. Only one character, Honor, was a bit too gruff in my opinion. As a whole, I think the narrator did an excellent job.

Overall, this book was absolutely fantastic! I was caught up in the bright lights and seedy underground of this enthralling murder mystery. I highly recommend this book to both fans of murder mystery and fans of fiction in general. I loved this book so much that I will be looking into this author’s back catalogue for other books to be taken away in. Grab a copy of this book now and enjoy the ride!

Name of Book: The Last Call at the Nightingale
Author: Katherine Schellman
Narrator: Sara Young
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 Entertaining Swell Stars!

Setting: New York City during the 1924 Jazz/Prohibition Era. ‘The Nightingale’ is a glamorous speakeasy that asks no questions.

Vivian Kelly is a young seamstress who wants to have some fun dancing etc. and soon realizes that “The Nightingale’ is being raided.
Story has a cast of fun characters who all know that the Nightingale doesn’t tell secrets and everyone is welcome (rich, poor, l etc. ~ all fun characters) and then there are the not so nice characters ~ yep there is a murder.

Love this era ~ anytime there is a costume party my go-to costume party theme is ‘the Roaring 20’s’ and me dressed as ‘a Flapper’ I love to dance and actually wore a Bob for years ~ well not the 20’s Bob.
I was a disappointed with Sara Young’s performance of some of the characters but others she was right on!
It was still entertaining!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 17, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook! I am extremely grateful for these early access opportunities.

Last Call at the Nightingale transports readers and listeners to America's murky prohibition era in the most charming way. We meet Vivianne and her wide cast of characters, all involved in New York's seedy, underground booze scene. As we sift through which characters Vivianne can trust as she explores a whole new world, she finds herself caught up in a swept-under-the-rug murder investigation. Now, her loyalty and trust will be vigorously tested as she deciphers between friend and foe, all while seeking answers to this mysterious murder.

Schellman does a fantastic job of interlacing historical fact to the prohibition period in American history while creating the thrilling underground club scene that federal law just couldn't prosecute. Her characters are polarizing: there a plenty we absolutely love and plenty we loathe, yet very few we trust have Vivianne's best interest at heart. It's a fantastic story that weaves in life for immigrants, the face of feminism, and corruption in law enforcement that dominated this era. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story.

I will comment that the audiobook I listened to was a bit distracting, but it's more due to a personal preference. Narrators who change their voices for different characters have to be top tier for me, otherwise I end up fixating more on the poor voice choice than the content itself. Some of the narrator's male character voices took away from the plot points. I recognize this is a personal preference, so if you find yourself like me, I would recommend reading the book rather than listening to this version of the audiobook.

This is set during the prohibition era in New York with the Speak easy
A mystery with twists,intrigue and romance
Good interesting characters.
Was a little slow reading but good.
Narrator was okay.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! It was an author I had never heard of and I loved it so much! Her writing style is amazing and her character arcs are incre.

I could not continuing listening to this. The narrator just doesn’t work for me and made the main character see really juvenile, much younger than in her 20s.
I have the physical book as well and found I liked it more than the audio so I am going to try and continue with that route.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the alc in exchange for an honest review!