Publishers Weekly
03/06/2023
A starlet and a stuntman team up to solve a string of Hollywood disappearances in this fiercely feminist speculative caper by Kulper (Murder for the Modern Girl). It’s 1934, and newly clairvoyant 18-year-old aspiring actor Henrietta Newhouse has just left Chicago for a serendipitous job opportunity in Los Angeles. Elsewhere in L.A., Declan Collins’s manager suggests that the 19-year-old abandon stunt work for on-screen acting, lest someone notice his preternatural invincibility. Henny and Declan meet and butt heads during a joint screen test, but their electric chemistry lands Henny a major role with prestigious Silver Wing Studios and Declan a gig as Henny’s pretend boyfriend, to help elevate her image. The duo bicker constantly until each learns that the other is secretly investigating why Silver Wing actresses keep vanishing: Declan because he’s been hired by a missing girl’s family, and Henny because she encountered the ghost of her friend Miriam after the rising star purportedly quit the business and moved back home. Kulper delivers an action-packed mystery replete with witty dialogue and buoyed by an ardent, slow-burn romance that enthralls while spotlighting Hollywood’s long history of abusing, commodifying, and discarding women. Most characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (May)
From the Publisher
★ "A riveting and suspenseful exploration of the dark, gritty side of 1930s Hollywood. . . . [A] genre-crossing mystery, which has elements of fantasy, romance, and historical fiction."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
"This fast-paced mystery twists and turns, providing snippets of real 1934 history to bring the story to life. . . . the snappy dialogue and a humdinger of a final plot twist offer a satisfying read. . . . An exciting addition to any high school mystery or historical fiction collection."—School Library Journal
"Kulper returns with another gripping mystery novel that also features romance and action among the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood. Readers will find familiar themes of harassment in Hollywood, hearkening to modern-day issues such as the #MeToo movement. The mystery component keeps the pages turning as the two main characters grow closer and work toward a resolution."—Booklist
"An engrossing supernatural murder mystery and a fierce ode to feminism."—BookPage
"Kulper delivers an action-packed mystery replete with witty dialogue and buoyed by an ardent, slow-burn romance that enthralls while spotlighting Hollywood’s long history of abusing, commodifying, and discarding women."—Publishers Weekly
"Full of high-stakes tension, this exploration of what happens when powerful men don’t get what they want will resonate with ongoing conversations about women’s vulnerability in the entertainment industry. Refreshingly, Henny is no damsel in distress, and the simmering enemies-to-lovers romance with Declan, whose hard exterior disguises a heart of gold, is rewarding. . . . An atmospheric page-turner with real-world resonance."—Kirkus Reviews
"Kulper’s follow-up to Murder for the Modern Girl (BCCB 5/22) delivers the same gritty world-building. . . . Henny follows in Ruby’s footsteps as another confident, savvy heroine. . . . Henny and Declan’s sharp, funny banter and earnest chemistry provide the heart and spine throughout the gruesome mysteries and supernatural thrills of another superb novel from Kulper."—The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
School Library Journal
05/01/2023
Gr 9 Up—It's 1934, and Hollywood promises wealth and fame. Henrietta and Declan arrive in Los Angeles, pursuing very different versions of success. Henrietta, an overlooked middle child from Chicago, trades sensible for glamorous, while Declan's hidden past offers scant clues as to why he is so averse to fame and fortune. Both quickly discover that Hollywood is simply a flashy veneer covering dark and dangerous men. Dozens of girls are missing, workplace safety is a myth, and contracts are downright predatory. Hollywood runs rampant with toxic masculinity and casting couches. Henrietta's ambitious acting dreams might implode if she can't keep her mouth shut. But the ghosts of dead girls refuse to stay silent, haunting Henrietta until she helps them find justice. Meanwhile, Declan hides an extraordinary ability, teaming up with a P.I. to find one of the missing girls and hopefully answer a burning question from his childhood. Despite being forced into a sham romance for the cameras, the protagonists combine their unique capabilities to bring justice, accidentally falling in love along the way. Told in alternating chapters, this fast-paced mystery twists and turns, providing snippets of real 1934 history to bring the story to life. While savvy readers will see through most of the red herrings, the snappy dialogue and a humdinger of a final plot twist offer a satisfying read. Most characters are cued white. Best friend Pep Perez is Latino. VERDICT An exciting addition to any high school mystery or historical fiction collection.—Kristen Rademacher
Kirkus Reviews
2023-02-08
A mystical noir romance set in 1930s Hollywood.
Eighteen-year-old Henrietta is determined to make it in Hollywood. After a string of bad luck, she lands a dream contract at Silver Wing Studios. She is paired with surly Declan, a stuntman with the amazing ability to avoid injury even when jumping off buildings or being run over by a wagon, who is to pose as her love interest for media purposes. Henny is thrilled to land a starring role, but tragically her friend Midge, another actor, goes missing. Only Henny knows that Midge is not back home in New York as is being reported but is actually dead: She is being visited by Midge’s ghost. She also sees the ghosts of other young starlets who have disappeared. After a fraught beginning, Declan, who is secretly working with a private eye who’s looking for one of the missing girls, teams up with Henny to figure out what is happening to young women in Hollywood. Full of high-stakes tension, this exploration of what happens when powerful men don’t get what they want will resonate with ongoing conversations about women’s vulnerability in the entertainment industry. Refreshingly, Henny is no damsel in distress, and the simmering enemies-to-lovers romance with Declan, whose hard exterior disguises a heart of gold, is rewarding. Main characters are White.
An atmospheric page-turner with real-world resonance. (Historical paranormal. 13-18)
