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Whodunits often feature strong, confident men who swoop in to solve the mystery and save the day—and they usually get the girl in the process. But Murder at the Flamingo, the first Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery by author Rachel McMillan, pairs an anxious young man and a girl on the run.
The story follows young Toronto lawyer Hamish DeLuca as he runs away from his family and his sometimes debilitating anxiety to find his beloved cousin, Luca Valari, in Boston. Luca is about to open a fabulous new nightclub, and he’s happy to have his cousin join in the excitement. He’s also taken in another runaway: receptionist Reggie Van Buren, who’s escaped her high-society life in Connecticut. Determined to break free and find her independence, she’s found an unlikely home in Boston’s North End. But Reggie and Hamish soon discover that something deadly is going on at the Flamingo.
This first installment in a new mystery series introduces a likeable—and unlikely—pair of sleuths. Hamish is shy and withdrawn—a smart young man who’s always been taught to hide his anxiety. But when it gets to be too much, he runs from his family and escapes to a completely different life, where he begins to discover that he doesn’t need to hide.
Reggie, on the other hand, is bold and confident. Trained to be strong and proud, she often uses it to her advantage. Though she finds herself in a completely unfamiliar place—away from the garden parties she grew up attending—she handles everything with poise.
Of course, the two quickly build the typical will-they-or-won’t-they relationship. And, at the same time, they begin to realize that there’s something not quite right about Luca’s business and the people who come and go from his office. When someone is killed at the club, it causes them to dig even deeper for the answers.
Admittedly, this isn’t an action-packed mystery. McMillan takes her time in introducing the characters and setting up the story—a story that never feels especially solid. And the titular murder doesn’t take place until nearly 200 pages in. But what it lacks in action, it makes up in ambience. The Depression-era setting, the energy of Boston’s North End, and the elegance of the high-end night club alone make it worth the read.
With its charming characters and its fascinating setting, Murder at the Flamingo is a promising start to a new mystery series. Once you get to know the characters and their neighborhood, you’ll be eager to spend more time with them.
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