The Yankee Club

In Michael Murphy's The Yankee Club, the first installment in the Jake and Laura historical mystery series, get ready to jump back in time with a blast from the past. For Jake Donovan, it all started for him in 1930s New York, when he returns to New York City as a mystery novelist from his trip in Florida. He meets an old friend of Mickey O'Brien at his office to do some pressing detective business. But before he could find out more, his friend gets killed. Now it's up for Jake to find out who killed his friend and why. While he returned to his old roots, he hooked up with his childhood friends and later reunites with his old flame, Laura Wilson, a Broadway actress, in Mickey's office. When they meet, sparks do fly, but he couldn't help to notice her engagement ring on her finger. While old flames do die hard for them, Jake has to put his feelings aside for her when he had to deal with corrupt cops on his tail, a smitten female fan, and Laura's fiancé Spencer Dalrymple giving him a hard time. As he puts together the pieces of this massive jigsaw puzzle, he would have to have to connect the dots to the assassination attempt on Roosevelt and who was behind it. But before they can get together, they would have to stop an evil coup before it could ruin America for good by pulling the brakes on it before it was too late.

This was a good historical mystery debut since it dealt with real life historical events that happened in the 1930s across America and not just in New York. I did like the ambiance of the time period that painted a picture for the settings and for the post-war era to set the scenic locations around New York well. I did care for Jake and how he made a name for himself writing novels and talking with Ethel Merman and Cole Porter among other historical famous names. I also thought Laura was a charmer and had to do what he had to do undercover, though it was a ruse. This would transport you back to time with non-stop action, plenty of suspense, a dollop of intrigue, and lots of drama on every page.

Will you go back time to read the Yankee Club today?