Secrets Typed in Blood

A Pentecost and Parker Mystery, Book 3

By: Stephen Spotswood

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR • In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Pentecost & Parker Mystery series, Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction.

The Pentecost & Parker series "takes gritty 40s noir, shakes it up, gives it a charming twist, and serves it up with unforgettable style" (Deanna Raybourn, author of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries). From the author of Fortune Favors the Dead and Murder Under Her Skin.

New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost.

The pair are handed the seemingly impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse.

But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?

With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.

©2022 Stephen Spotswood (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR • A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE • EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE

“This mystery, the third in a series, is as winning as its predecessors. Here, the famous P.I. Lillian Pentecost and her spiky junior partner, Willowjean 'Will' Parker, immerse themselves in the seedy milieu of pulp magazines, circa 1947. The novel reads as easy as fine whiskey goes down.”—The New York Times Book Review

"Slick and exciting . . . Spotswood's third Pentecost and Parker adventure is a constant delight. . . The dialogue crackles, the mysteries intrigue and there is an abundance of wit and grit."—The Minneapolis Star Tribune

"You can’t get much better at honoring the golden age of pulp than Stephen Spotswood’s historical mysteries . . . In Spotswood’s latest, set in 1947, Parker and Pentecost are on the trail of a copycat killer getting all their ideas from the diabolical pages of a notorious pulp fiction writer. With dialogue and descriptions straight out of Chandler, and spunky heroines with plenty of pizzazz, Secrets Typed in Blood is not to be missed."—CrimeReads

The best part

I get to read the other books in the series. I like the characters and how they work together.

I love this series

Such a great series with two powerful women fighting crime. I love the inclusion of chronic illness and how well the author handles its ups and downs. The audiobook narrator does a fantastic job of bringing the character voices to life.

Suspenseful and Thrilling!

Loved this mystery! I am hooked on this series and can’t wait to see how the next book is.

Love a spotswood story!

I listen to a lot of mystery stories and these keep me really engaged and the characters are fun and smart!

Wonderfully fun!!

Spotswood really creates such interesting characters and packs her mystery with fun historical details. Potter’ narration brought it all together. Delightful.

Creative third plot unlike others

Loved the narrator with her varied but down to earth character voices. I get a kick out of street smart Will and found the plot of the nervous pseudonym author excellent. The time an atmosphere in the 40’s is also fresh.

Outstanding

Great addition to the series - love the entertaining sense of humor and great story plot.

Stylish and sharp

With this book I’m all in; from here, I’m willing to spend a credit without question. While there’s a summary of the cast of characters at the beginning of this book, it really helps to have heard the prior two books because there’s now a small group of series regulars and it plays best when you’ve got all of their backstories and entanglements, particularly for the Moriarty-like character, Ms. Waterhouse, who appears in each book as part of a steadily building bonus mystery.

This series is chock full of sharp women with quirks, flaws, and most importantly hutzpa. Yes, the number of strong, respected women in a series set in the 40s may seem unrealistic. And yes, the number of LGBTQ positive versus traditional relationships that pop up is also unrealistic. But I didn’t find them to be any more incredible than the unrealistically high number of murders in any murder mystery series (are we to fault Hercule Poirot for the number of murders he stumbles across?) I found these slight liberties with the overall 1940’s scene to be deftly handled and not at all strident or in your face as some feminist stories can be.

The biggest thing for me to gush over, however, is the narration. Kirsten Potter is outstanding. Her range of voices, accents and emotions is impressive. Even with the huge cast of characters, I had no trouble differentiating people. She just made the story come alive in my mind.

Fun Feminist Detective Story

This is a like able mystery set in NYC in the glamorous 30’s. Characters are well developed and interesting. Plot full of intrigue. Narrator adds much as her voice changes with each character.

Excellent series

Narration as talented as ever. I took one star off on the story simply cuz this story in the series seemed a little more gruesome or maybe just more creepy than the others. I’m squeamish. The character of the awkward, introverted author was relatable and amusing. Maybe, she has ADHD. I have ADD. Anyway, I’m a huge fan of the series and have preordered the next book.