Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Midnight, New York Harbor, 1949. Cantor Gold, dapper dyke-about-town, smuggler of fine art, waits in her boat under the Brooklyn Bridge for racketeer Gregory Ortine. In the shadow of the bridge, he’ll toss Cantor a satchel of cash, and she’ll toss him a pouch containing a priceless jewel. But the plan, and the jewel, sink when a woman in a red sequined dress drops from the bridge and slams onto Cantor’s boat. She is Opal Shaw, Society Page darling and fiancée of murder-for-hire kingpin Sig Loreale. Through a night of danger, desire, and double-cross, Cantor must satisfy Loreale’s vengeance, stay ahead of an angry Ortine, and untangle the knots of murder tightening around Opal’s best friend and keeper of her dirty secrets, Celeste Copley, a seductress who excites Cantor’s passion but snares her in a labyrinth of lies. The lies explode in a collision of love, loyalty, lust…and death.

 

Book Review

This story starts a month before my actual birth month...March 1949. That certainly put me even more in the mood for this astoundingly delightful *tangy variety of historical crime fiction* as stated in Ms. Aptaker's author bio. Additionally I found myself even more on track since I was not only linked by the date but the setting. New York City is my birth place! This book is much more than tangy, it is palpably edgy, filled with rich period characters, an amazingly intense scenario taking place in fewer than twelve hours, with gobs of action, and really tender and sensual allusions that are spicy and delightful. Delectably delicious!

Cantor Gold is definitely a rough cut star who shines in the slithery underworld of criminal doings. She is noted for her adept acquisitions for wealthy clients of smuggled art or priceless treasure into the Port of New York. Her demeanor, personality, and presence are basically a major affront to society as she proudly proclaims herself a dame tagged butch. Nevertheless she has not only built a very successful business but occasionally she drolly muses about her contribution to the war effort by providing a soft shoulder and a little companionship to all those lonely ladies needing help to get them through those scary, empty nights. I so adored Cantor and certainly wished I had been one of those ladies and not a babe in my mom's womb. Entrancingly seductive!

Celeste Copley is a complicated and difficult lady to easily grasp. She mixes truth and lies so effortlessly that one is never sure where she stands or where she is coming from. Cantor needs to work overtime to keep from being caught within Celeste's web. However Celeste is key to Cantor's unraveling all the intricacies that need to be revealed to uncover Celeste's involvement, responsibility, and entanglement to all the requisite pieces involved in the death of her best friend. Celeste is a very classy, sexy woman who seems to understand what she needs to do to stay alive and in the game. Her interplay with Cantor is a most intriguing subplot. Yet I found myself nearly moved to tears by the final expression of Cantor's feelings for her. Startlingly pleasurable!

I find this a truly wondrous first book from an author who hopefully will present many, many more. I have already noted that the second book about Cantor will be available fairly soon. Even though I had historically personal connections to the time and location of this book, that was simply extra icing on the cake. I definitely recommend this book to everyone but especially fans of what Ms. Aptaker calls her *tangy variety of historical crime fiction*. I simply could not resist re-stating that wonderful phrase. Fantastically felicific!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 240 pages/69600 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-November-2014
Price	$9.99 ebook, $16.95 paperback, $19.99 bundle
Buy Link	http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/9781626392168B.html