Never Try To Catch A Falling Knife by Skye Alexander

Never Try To Catch A Falling Knife by Skye Alexander

Blurb:

In the summer of 1925, ambitious and beautiful New York jazz performer Lizzie Crane and her troupe land a plum job that could give them their big career break: a week-long engagement celebration for the daughter of a wealthy (and shady) industrialist to a Russian count. But Lizzie barely has time to enjoy her good luck––which includes the amorous attentions of the heir to her employer’s vast fortune––before the group’s saxophonist is stabbed to death. The local police suspect her and her musician friends and place them under house arrest, where they’re at the mercy of the very people who have the most to lose if the murder is solved. As Lizzie delves into her slain colleague’s mysterious past, she discovers secrets worth killing to protect and risks her own life in the process.

My Thoughts:

Never Try To Catch A Falling Knife is the first book in Skye Alexander's historical mystery series featuring Lizzie Crane.  Set in the 'Roaring Twenties', it's a fun and intriguing beginning to a mystery series.  Lizzie Crane is part of a group of performers - singers, musicians, actors - that have been hired by a wealthy family to entertain for their daughter's engagement party.  It's a party that is intended to last a week and Lizzie and her friends have many things planned.  However, a death occurs and lives are put into a tailspin.  

This book was published last year and I read it in late fall.  The author, Skye Alexander, resides in my area and I was happy to get to talk with her about her writing and research process.  She had a very nice event at our local library, dressed in 1920's style.  Her picture is below.  

I did enjoy Never Try To Catch A Falling Knife and could tell that Skye had done a lot of historical research.  This book is set in Ipswitch, Massachusetts and 'Prohibition' is in full swing.  The characters include 'upstairs and downstairs' individuals that are part of or work for the wealthy family.  Lizzie's coworkers are also interesting and references to books, music, and fashion of the '20's was well done.  I'm looking forward to the next book and hope this is a series that will go on for a long time.  

The next book, What The Walls Know, is scheduled to be published by Level Best Books late this summer.  Come back tomorrow and I'll have a guest post by Skye  about 'where characters come from'.