I didn’t know that this book was the third book in a series. It read great as a standalone, but I’ll probably go back and read the other two after this!

I don’t normally reach for historical fiction type books. But the fact that this one had a mystery element to it intrigued me and made it more enjoyable!

Also Vivian was a great main character! Highly recommend picking up this book!

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC of The Last Note of Warning! All opinions in this review are my own.

The Last Note of Warning is easily my favorite book in the Nightingale series so far! Each book gets better and has more twists than the last! I already can't wait for the next one.

The Last Note of Warning is the third book in Katherine Schellman's The Nightingale series. Set in the 1920's this book was full of adventure and suspense. It kept me engaged from page one and I didn't want it to end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Solid 4 out of 5 stars.

The Last Note of Warning is the third installment in the Nightingale Mysteries series by Katharine Schellman and it was easily a 5 star read.

Let me start by saying that I haven't read the first two books in this historical cozy mystery series. I did feel like I had missed out on a little bit of backstory with Vivian's relationships, but it didn't interfere with my understanding of the story. However, I would recommend starting at the beginning, not only for all the backstory, but because this was a great read, and I'm sure the others are as well!

I would put this squarely in the cozy mystery genre, as there isn't any gore, etc., surrounding the murder, and of course our main female protagonist is suspect number one and has to try to solve the crime herself. These books are a mix of genres, being set in Manhattan's Jazz Age during prohibition and the time of speakeasies, which isn't something you see a lot in cozies, but they blend together well.

Vivian is a strong, queer protagonist who isn't afraid to go where she isn't wanted to get what she wants. She's currently in a relationship with Leo, nephew to the Police Commissioner trying to arrest her for murder, but it seems she had been in a relationship with her boss and friend, Honor Huxley, who runs the speakeasy she works at. The historical aspects seemed to be very well-researched to someone who doesn't know a whole lot about the time period. (Definitely read the Author's Note at the end, as it will be very educational.) Vivian has a strong support group, with many people willing to help her in her time of need, even putting themselves in harm's way for her.

The mystery itself was interesting and the story wasn't drawn out too long. Viv only has a week to clear her name, so the plot moves at a good pace while leaving small little bread crumbs for you to follow. I wouldn't say this was a twisty suspense novel, but the pieces are there if you can find them with maybe a surprise or two thrown in.

All in all, this was a wonderful story of found family and queer history with a mystery thrown in. If you enjoy historical fiction, cozy mysteries, or a quick read with a great ending, then definitely give this series a try!

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Vivian is accused of murder after stumbling on a dead husband after delivering new dresses to his new wife. The dead man was considerably wealthy, and the family and its servants are quick to point the finger at Vivian, with the police happy to take the easy route and arrest an innocent, much less well-off woman.

Leo, her sort of boyfriend, helps get her out, but his police commissioner uncle gives her a week to find a more credible suspect, or she’s back in jail.

Thinking Honor might be able to help her, Vivian relays what happened, and then is shocked when Honor says she can’t help Vivian. Using what few, other connections she has, Vivian begins digging into the dead man’s family, looking for someone who might have hastened the man’s death. The man's will exposes a secret leading back to the Nightingale, but also gives Vivian a better picture about the dead man and his avaricious family.

The world author Katherine Schellman show's us in this series is wonderfully fleshed out, and each new installment set in 1920s New York City just keeps getting better.

Vivian continues to be an appealing main character, using her intelligence to navigate both the world of the Nightingale, but also that of the rich women she delivers dresses to daily.

The dangerous situation Vivian finds herself in has her dealing much more closely with police than she likes; it's not safe dealing with police as a poor woman of Irish descent, but Vivian keeps her head, and bargains for information from her few allies as she investigates who really had it in for the wealthy man so she can stay out of jail.

I also liked the progression of Vivian and her sister's relationship. They're on a much better footing than in book one, and it's great to see another side of the city in the life Florence and Danny are making together.

I was disappointed in Leo, but, there is a slight change in Vivian's and Honor's relationship, and I'm interested in where this might go.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Last Note of Warning is the third book in a Prohibition-era murder mystery series set in New York starring Vivian Kelly, who works for a dress shop making deliveries and at a jazz club at night as a waitress. While making a delivery she stumbles across the body of a murdered man and is promptly arrested as the suspect. Vivian along with a cast of recurring characters (her sometimes sweetheart Leo, sister Florence, co-worker/BIL Danny, best friend Bea, and club owner Honor Huxley) need to find the real killer and make sure Vivian doesn't go to prison for a crime she didn't commit.

The plot was complex with lots of hidden secrets and relationships revealed and suspects with murky motives. The setting of 1920s NY with its crime, corruption, and also excitement was well-portrayed, along with its racial, class, ethnic, and sexual divides. I think it's helpful to read the earlier books in the series to understand the relationship development. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

I really love this series. The characters are well-developed, and the world-building is quite strong. I will definitely continue to read this series to keep up with how the storylines evolve.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books , for the free book for review.

This fast-paced historical mystery, set in 1920s New York City, is a real page-turner. Vivian Kelly, our protagonist, is someone you can't help but root for. She's likable and always seems to be in the wrong place at the right time. With just a few friends and the clock ticking, she must uncover the murderer before she gets arrested. The author spices things up with political intrigue, social class, and a tangled relationship. I love the twisty plot, the dead-end suspicions, and the ultimate revelation. It's a compelling read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

The Last Note of Warning is the third book in a Prohibition-era murder mystery series. By day, Vivian Kelly works as a shop delivery girl, and by night, she works in a fashionable speakeasy, the Nightingale, where the booze flows freely, dancing lasts all night, and people don't have to hide their true selves. In the first two books, Vivian helped to solve two murders connected to the Nightingale. In the Last Note of Warning, Vivian becomes the main suspect in the murder of a wealthy man. She only has one week to find the true killer before she is arrested for a crime she didn't commit.

I have to admit I struggled with this book a little. I didn't love it as much as previous books. Even though the stakes were higher, with Vivian being the suspect, the story was not grabbing my attention. Maybe I was just not in the right mood for a murder mystery. I thought the mystery was compelling, but the pacing was slow. I also was left unimpressed with the romance. Vivian has two love interests, and I found both lacking. I did appreciate queer representation. I would recommend The Note of Warning to readers who enjoyed previous books or those looking for a queer historical mystery/fiction.

Prohibition is a dangerous time to be a working-class woman in New York City, but Vivian Kelly has finally found some measure of stability and freedom. By day, she’s a respectable shop assistant, delivering luxurious dresses to the city’s wealthy and elite. At night, she joins the madcap revelry of New York’s underworld, serving illegal drinks and dancing into the morning at a secretive, back-alley speakeasy known as the Nightingale. She's found, if not love, then something like it with her bootlegger sweetheart, Leo, even if she can't quite forget the allure of the Nightingale's sultry owner, Honor Huxley.

Then the husband of a wealthy client is discovered dead in his study, and Vivian was the last known person to see him alive. With the police and the press both eager to name a culprit in the high-profile case, she finds herself the primary murder suspect.

She can’t flee town without endangering the people she loves, but Vivian isn’t the sort of girl to go down without a fight. She'll cash in every favor she has from the criminals she calls friends to prove she had no connection to the dead man. But she can't prove what isn't true.

The more Vivian digs into the man’s life, and as the police close in on her, the harder it is to avoid the truth: someone she knows wanted him dead. And the best way to get away with murder is to set up a girl like Vivian to take the fall.

Can the next book focus on Vivian’s investigation of their mother and potentially their father? PLEASE! I’m ready to know more about Florence and Vivian. I also want to see where Vivian’s relationship with Honor goes from here. While I like their chemistry, I would also like to see Vivian make a final choice, Honor or Leo.

The commissioner makes a great villain. I would like to see more from Leo’s family, but also for someone to put the commissioner in his place. Maybe make him the next suspect?

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

The Last Note of Warning is the third historical mystery featuring the prohibition era jazz club The Nightingale written by Katharine Schellman. Released 4th June 2024 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a well written historical cozy(ish) mystery with an ensemble returning cast of characters and based on a fictitious New York City speakeasy during prohibition. There are a number of gender-fluid, bi-, and otherwise non-traditional presenting characters which was nice to see. The cast is also racially diverse and the story is blissfully without "token" representations. It might not be, strictly speaking, historically accurate, but it was refreshing to read. Other than the kindly wishful anachronistic diverse cast, the book seems to do a good, relatively accurate job with the official/police and political corruption of the time.

There's a significant romance subplot, so readers who enjoy romance and mystery will find a lot to love here. There is never much security or stability in the main characters' lives, and eschewing society's rigid standards means that MC Viv is again in the crosshairs of lazy/incompetent/corrupt cops when circumstances mean that she is the prime suspect in a high profile murder. She and her allies are forced to band together to clear her name and find the real culprit.

Despite being the third book in the series, it works well enough as a standalone, and the main mystery is resolved in this volume. The language is mostly accurate to the period and adds a lot to the read. It should be noted that the characters do develop over the series and there are references to events from the earlier books which will be spoilers if read out of order (nothing super major, but they're there).

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 10 hours, 9 minutes and is well narrated by series narrator Sara Young. She has a warm and rich clear alto voice and does a good job delineating the widely varied accents of a range of characters of all ages and both sexes including elderly and young voices. Sound and production quality are high throughout the recording.

Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This wasn't my favorite of the series but Schellman always does a great job with setting and plot. For my mind, this fell down a little bit on characterization - long time favorites acted inconsistent with earlier actions both in the book and the series. Still very much looking forward to the next one.

I will preface this review by stating that I didn’t realize it was a third book in part of a series. That was one me! However, at no point did I feel behind or left out of certain conversations.

This brought me back to my Nancy Drew loving days where each mystery is self contained and has a strong FMC as a lead. The biggest (and best) difference was the queer rep! I absolutely loved it and was not expecting it—having not read the first two.

The friendships Vivian had were great and I loved the tension between her and Honor, and just how caring and loyal Leo was. A 1920’s mystery with high stakes, parties, secrets everywhere, and you honestly feel like you don’t know if everything will be alright! If I a mystery can get me invested like that it’s a win!

I will be checking out the other books in the series to get caught up and interested to see if Vivian ends up in any other tough jams.

I absolutely love this series. The characters are such a mixed bag of race, gender, class and attitude. I even can respect some of the "bad" characters. Wonderful feel of New York City in the 1920's.

Vivian works late into the night at a speakeasy.....she also works a day job delivering dresses to wealthy clients. No one ever thought that it would be her day job that would land her in trouble.
As she waits for customer the husband is very kind to her. When he is called away by a maid announcing a visitor Vivian falls asleep waiting for the wife. When she wakes her life is changed. She finds the husband and he has been murdered. Since she is the only stranger in the house the police commissioner is set on arresting her.
It is only because of Vivian's boyfriend Leo, the commissioner's nephew, that she is able to get one week of freedom to see what she can find out on her own. Vivian is very good at finding secrets, but this may be more than she can handle.

This is the 3rd book in a series, but read well as a stand alone. I had not read the first books and had no difficulty connecting with the characters. I do have an opinion about Leo, but won't go into more about that, in case of spoilers for readers following the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Book for the opportunity to enjoy this fun, prohibition era, mystery e-ARC

At night she Vivian Kelly works in a speakeasy, serving drinks and dancing until sunrise. It's the 1920s so the drinks she serves are illegal and the stakes are high -- but the trouble she finds herself in stems from her reputable day job, making deliveries and alterations for a dressmaker. I absolutely loved this historical mystery. If Vivian fails to solve the murder, it will be devastating for herself and her family. The risks she is taking are real and the suspense kept me turning pages late into the night. It's the third book in the series, but there's enough backstory woven in that I was never confused (although references to previous events definitely have me wanting to track down the first two books!)

This is a fabulous series that just keeps getting better. Vivian and her friends at the Nightingale Club have to work together to get her out of some very deep trouble. While working at her day job, she wanders in on a newly deceased corpse, and she is an easy target for the police. Warned by the commissioner that she has a week to get herself out of trouble (if she can), Vivian has to figure out how to apply pressure to some unlikely members of the New York criminal underground, as well as rely on some risky behavior on the part of her friends.

The story is well told, the characters are interesting, and the historical setting is intriguing. All of this adds up to a series that I intend to follow closely.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Vivian is back and mixed up in another mystery in this, the third instalment of the Nightingale mystery series!

Set in roaring 1920’s New York, Vivian is a mild mannered dress shop delivery girl by day and a queer speakeasy party girl by night! Usually she finds herself mired in trouble from her evening occupational hazards… but this time her delivery gig has put her in the stew, when she stumbles upon her clients freshly murmured husband! An easy suspect when she is found with the victim’s blood on her hands, the police make it clear that they aren’t going to look much further for another assailant… it’s up to Vivian and her friends to find the real killer after she’s given a week to prove her innocence!

This third book in the series really built upon the background created in the last two books and added some new and interesting layers to the characters and their connections. The high stakes mystery had me on the edge of my seat as Vivian fights for her freedom and on the way finds out who her true friends are!

The Last Note of Warning by Katharine Schellman is available now! Thanks to Minotaur Books for my review copy.

I found this quite an intriguing read. Taken from the time period of the 1920's, the normal cultural mores are at times at a juxtapositon with the rebellion of unconventional types. The mystery will draw you in keep you absorbed until the end. This era was brought to life for me and added so much color to the book.