Thank you to NetGalley and team for an audio ARC of Last Call at the Nightingale in exchange of my honest review. It was such an entertaining listen and I really enjoyed the narrator (Sara Young) and how she helped interpret the story.

Last Call at the Nightingale takes place during the prohibition era and features a speakeasy where the main character Vivian frequents to dance and get some free drinks. One night Vivian discovers a dead man outside of the speakeasy and that begins a whirlwind of events for Vivian where she tries to help figure out who the man is, who killed him and why.

I really enjoyed learning more about speakeasy's and how they were this secretive and comforting place to go to and be yourself (Ex. lesbian, bi-sexual, whatever you wanted to be) without judgement of the outside world, especially during this time. I was engaged with the story and wanted to continue listening to learn more about the characters. For me, it really became more about the character history and development, rather than the actual solving of the murder, which is odd because i'm a huge mystery/thriller reader. If you enjoy character development, and can look past a not so entertaining murder, then you will definitely enjoy this book!

I loved this book with the history of prohibition, upcoming New York City and speakeasy where Jazz is playing strong with booze and dancing! However, there's a murder that happens in a speakeasy club where a dressmaker Vivian is caught up in the investigation. She meets Leo who she doesn't know if he's involved or not in the murder of this heavy hitter bootlegger.

I was captivated by the story line and what was happening as the story unfolds.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy for my unbias review

If you’re in the mood for some mystery, historical fiction, and just a hint of prohibition fun this ones for you! The roaring 20’s are in full swing and the place to be is The Nightingale the coolest underground dance hall that let’s everyone come as they are. This is where you find Vivian every night after work dancing the night away…until she stumbles upon a dead body in an alley and the fun mysterious bootleg life becomes a little more toxic than she originally thought.

This was definitely outside my normal historical fiction era but I was enthralled by all the things that were going on and the twists and turns that the story took!
Review will be posted to @literarylu_ on June 6

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital arc of this title. This story is set during the Prohibition/Jazz Age NYC. Vivian spends her free time and a club called the Nightingale where her best friend, Bea works. One night Vivian discovers a body in the alley behind the club and the plot builds around trying to find out who committed the crime.

What worked for me:
- A main character, Vivian, who is spunky and adventurous.
- Strong, female characters and a sweet friendship between Vivian and Bea
- Likable supporting characters
- an interesting mystery to solve
- strong setting, a fun time period and a jazz club

What didn't work for me:
- I felt the plot dragged just a bit at times. I was ready for it to be solved and finished.

All in all I enjoyed this one. I would give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Last Call at the Nightingale. Usually I loooooove anything set in old New York, but I couldn't get into this one. The mystery was good enough, but it was dull and I was bored. The narrator was too "amateur" for me and I just struggled to get through. This is a YA novel if anything.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my e-arc of and ALC of LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE by Katharine Schellman! This one publishes June 7!

My rating: 📚📚📚.5 (rounded up to 4)

This book was so fun! I really enjoyed the audiobook version. I don’t think I have ever really read a historical thriller/mystery, but it’s safe to say I’m a fan. Especially if it takes place during the Jazz era!

Vivian was a great female lead character. She was strong, fierce, knows what she wants, stubborn, and not afraid of anything- even if it’s dangerous and gets her thrown in jail. She also is determined to look after her sister- they are on their own after all, so she feels a responsibility.

This book also takes place during the Prohibition era in New York - so there’s the added danger of getting caught, especially when Vivian is at the undergoing speakeasy- The Nightingale.

I really enjoyed how everything tied together, the murder investigation, keeping things under wraps at the nightingale due to it being illegal, and then the dual lives Vivian lives. Her day job life sewing dresses and looking after her sister, and her night life having fun at the nightingale where she can dance and forget about all of life’s problems.

This was my first book from this author, and apparently this book is the first in a new series! Looking forward to reading more from this author!

A fun, inclusive mystery that keeps the reader entertained but is not to "fluffy." The narrator felt a little too amateur but still kept the reader engaged.

1924-NYC-Vivian and Florence Kelly share a tenement. Vivian is a seamstress, and life is not very exciting, until she starts toing to The Nightingale, and dance hall where liquor is served during prohibition. She dances the Charleston, drinks and loses herself in this world.
One day Vivian discovers a body, and her world is turned upside down. She also gets caught in a police raid, but is freed from jail. Everyone feels she knows more about the body and knows more than she really does. Or does she? Crime, corruption, illegal activities, murder, a sisters bond and this era make this novel a fun read.
This was my first book by this author. Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Katharine Schellman for this advanced audio. This novel is due out June 7, 2022. The narrator is amazing and brings this novel alive. Play some light Jazz, get a light drink and curl up with this novel.

1920’s with dancing and morally grey figures??? Sing me up!! I loved the world of this novel, however I often struggle with audiobooks and someone setting the pace for me, I think it could be great if I read it in print! Will definitely pick it up once it’s released!

During the long, dreary days, Vivian Kelly is not enjoying life in the Roaring Twenties in New York City, but at night, all thoughts of her soul crushing job and lodgings disappear under a rosy haze of illegal booze and dancing at the Nightingale Club. This is the only place Vivian feels any joy, but her enjoyment ends the night she finds a body behind the club. Prohibition has seen a spike in organized crime and it’s assumed the victim was a bootlegger caught in rival gang warfare. When Vivian is caught in a raid of the club, the police, and the local mob bosses think she knows a lot more about the murder than she does. I really enjoyed this book, my grandmother was a flapper in 1920’s Chicago and I pictured her in many of the scenes of this enjoyable mystery

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for letting my listen to this audiobook arc.

Alcohol. Dancing. Danger. Murder. This book seemed to have it all for me which is why I requested it. I love a good mystery. This however was not it for me, mainly because this book is very... teen-ish. I don't know if this is mislabeled or just not labeled at all but I assumed this was an adult mystery. But the feel of this book is extremely YA. Now I am not expecting romance or sex when it comes to mystery but I do expect an adult tone.

The tone of this book reminded me heavily of the YA book Stalking Jack the Ripper, but with younger characters. I don't know how old these characters were supposed to be but I could not get past teen. I don't read teen. I don't read YA. So because this was giving me such YA vibes, I DNF'd it at about 43 % . I just couldn't connect. The story seems good and like it would be a nice book for someone who likes YA.

Since I did not finish I am basing my rating on what I did read.

A mystery set in 1920s New York, Last Call at the Nightingale comes with intrigue, secrets, and glitzy nightlife scenes. I love books that include prohibition speakeasies and the often blurry lines between the different social classes.

I really enjoyed so many aspects of this book! While it was a murder mystery, it wasn’t so much a thriller. While the plot obviously started and ended with the murder and solving of said murder, the character development and relationships were even more important. I was able to guess the culprit early on, but because the characters were at the forefront, it didn’t really bother me.

Some other things I enjoyed:
🍸 The inclusivity - even though the book is set in the 1920s, there are diverse and interesting characters that are important to the plot and not just throwaway characters.
🍸 The moral gray-ness to almost everyone in the book.
🍸 The complicated relationship between the protagonist and her sister - y’all probably know by now that I love a good sibling story.
🍸 Everyone has secrets up their sleeves, and figuring out what they were was fun.



Some things I wanted:
🍸 More backstory with the protagonist and her best friend.
🍸 More family information - though I think more will come if there is a sequel!
🍸 I felt something was missing from the narration, but I can’t quite place what it was. I think I would have liked more info on why some of the side characters made some of the choices or had some of the views that they did. I especially wanted some perspective from the protagonist’s sister!

Overall this was a fun, character-centered murder mystery with a gorgeous 1920s setting! If there is ever a sequel, I’ll definitely be picking it up!

I loved the setting of this book. It took place in New York in 1924 and followed Vivian through her days working as a seamstress and her wild and crazy nights at The Nightingale during the prohibition era. It was fun to imagine them all having a blast and dancing together and I could picture it all!

Everything changes when a body is found and that's when the book really starts getting interesting! I don't want to say much more as you should go in this as blind as possible. I loved discovering all the secrets and watching everything unfold. It did drag on for a me a little in the middle, but the ending definitely picked up and made up for it.

I think this will be a big hit for a lot of people. Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this audiobook prior to release. This will be available for purchase on June 7th.

Last Call at the Nightingale, Katherine Schellman, narrated by Sara Young.

Set in New York, Prohibition-era 1924. The Nightingale - an underground dance hall where illegal liquor and champagne flows. The band plays for the crowd to dance with either reckless excitement, or perhaps a passionate waltz. Women dance with men to get free drinks, and it's an not uncommon site to see a woman dancing with a woman. But at the Nightingale, it's private, it's secluded, and "Honor", the female savvy proprietor, keeps tabs on everyone in the club and makes it her business to be respected in and out the club.

One night, Vivian, (just a girl who goes to the club to dance and get a free drink) goes out the backdoor to the ally to have a cigarette and discovers a dead man there. Who is the man? Did someone from the club kill him? No one seems to have any idea.

Soon after discovering the body, Vivian tells Honor about it, but the club is raided and Vivian finds herself in jail. Honor does a favor for Vivian and expecting the favor to be paid back, Honor approaches Vivian with a deal. Vivian agrees to gather information on a certain gent who has been frequenting the club. Vivian doesn't realize her own life will be turned upside down, balancing her kid sister, her sewing job, and the club... she's about to encounter danger she never expected. In fact, it's a journey she doesn't realize that is going to expose a lot of secrets and information. Information is deadly, in more ways than one.

Kudo's to the audio book narrator Sara Young. She does a good job of emotion and enthusiasm. I especially appreciated the voice she provides for the character, "Honor", sultry and sexy just as you imagine the character to be.

Note: This book does contain lesbian, bi-sexual content.
4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Katharine Schellman for an AAC in exchange for my honest review.

Great historical mystery. Vivian is a great character. She is like able with great depth. I enjoyed all of the supporting characters. I hope this turns into a series.

Thank you to Netgalley- Goodreads- Minotaur Books- and Katharine Schellman for giving me opportunity to read and listen to this book. I found it an amazing book. I had a hard time putting it down! I finished this book within twenty four hours. Katharine has a way to really capture you the reader and holding your interest. She did a very good job at researching the time era in wich this book is set. You could almost see- feel- and smell what she was writing about. I love that you the reader thinks you have the mystery all figured out then all the sudden its a plot twist that is spectacular! Have fun reading this one- as I did!!

Topic warning: sexual assault.

The beginning of this book was on par for a five star rating, but the last 3/4 of the book took a turn I wasn’t ready yfor, and that felt slightly unnecessary.
This book follows an young woman named Vivian, who was raised in an orphanage with her sister Florence. Florence and Vivian are complete opposites. Florence has her life together and is considered the goody two shoes of the family. Vivian is the wild child.

Set in the 1920s prohibition, Vivian chances the law to dance her worries away, and get a few free drinks from other patrons of the Nightengale.

The book does a great job of setting the scene, of a true illegal dance hall. It also does a good job showing how queer love was gaining acceptance in the 1920s. Vivian is obviously a bisexual character, who longs for the touch of both men in women. Because of Vivians longing to be of use to the woman she is falling for, she sets out to learn more information about a murder that happened behind the Nightingale.
During Vivian‘s investigation, she ends up falling for the target she is asked to learn about.

If you like murder mysteries, historical fiction, or what a good book about a young queer girl, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you Net Galley for the audio ARC Last Call at the Nightingale by Katherine Schellman. This was a fun one. the characters were very interesting. Great storyline.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I *did* enjoy it, and I'm grateful that the publisher allowed me access to an early copy on Netgalley (two, actually! Audiobook and ebook!), but something just never quite clicked over to love for me. I really liked the writing. Vivian was a great character (and definite bonus points for bisexual representation). But at times the mystery parts seemed tacked on and unnecessary. The nightclub, the people who went there, Honor, etc, they were all much more fascinating than the body in the alley. In fact, I wish the book had been from Honor's point of view (in fact, that might help explain why she handpicked Vivian to be her eyes and ears, which wasn't a plot hole, just something I found odd. Maybe she just found her pretty...?)

All that said, it was a solid read, and I will definitely read more of Katharine Schellman in the future. The narrator is fantastic, both in terms of voices and emotional weight given to the right points. It seems like a minor thing but, if a book says "(character) sighed" in relation to dialogue, I like it when the narrator actually goes to the trouble of... you know, doing that. Just a chuckle here, a sigh there, it really enhances the performance. Sara Young did an excellent job straight through.

I really enjoyed this book! I really liked how it kept me hooked, and I loved the storyline and the characters. All in all, great book.