Harlem After Midnight

A woman falls from a window and lands heavily on the ground below. She’s alive, but her chances don’t look good. There’s a chance she could have fallen accidentally, but from the height of the windowsill, it’s more likely she was pushed.

A few days before, Lena Aldridge arrived in New York from London. After a fraught voyage with more murders than anyone would like, she’s looking forward to spending some time with a handsome musician she met on board and finding out more about her father’s past in America. Unfortunately, she will wind up tangled up in yet another murder, because the woman fell out of the window clutching her passport.

I found the book mostly enjoyable. Hare has a charming, breezy style that nevertheless feels delightfully human. Her characters are compelling, from Lena to the characters who appear in scenes set years in the past. The only problem I had was that the mystery seemed to take third place in the story. It not only fell flat, but it also felt rushed at the end.

This was an enjoyable book, but it could have been better structured.