Book Summary

"You have to look into this. You're the only ones who will."

Life has mostly settled down for burlesque dancer Francesca "Frankie" Strong, and that's just how she likes it. But word of how she handled San Francisco's Chinatown mafia has already made the rounds, and when a showgirl suddenly dies at the club where she works, Frankie finds herself sucked into the investigation.

With growing pressure to keep focused on his assignment, the death of a showgirl is the last thing undercover cop Johnny Marsden needs. Cafe Outré's owner has asked for his help, however, and the chance to be near Frankie again is too tempting to refuse. Working so close together, can they continue to keep the secrets that would destroy their shaky truce?

What starts as a simple case of murder quickly escalates into a whirlwind of lies and jealousy, all revolving around a dangerous new street drug. What Frankie and Johnny uncover is beyond anything they expected, and the deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes.

Something big is happening in Chinatown.

Review

Going into the Devil’s Kitchen, the second installment of Laura Oliva’s series, The Devil’s Playthings, I had an anticipating quench to dig in. After reading the first novel, I had high expectations for it to jump right off and continue with the momentum of the first but I didn’t quite feel that transition. In fact, I felt like it slowed down but not in a bad way. Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too greedy wanting everything in the first novel, right? Laura definitely knows how to tell a story that pulls you into their lives. In this novel I really felt it was a more fulfilling, developed story that slowly built into a fun read bringing back our favs and introducing us to some more interesting characters. Just the right length to read in one sitting and as usual brings a little spice to their lives. So, if you are fans of Laura’s and haven’t read this book yet, you will enjoy where the story leads you. Overall, I think this book was a fun read. If you are new to Laura, this book could stand alone but I recommend reading the preceding first.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles

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