Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets

Ellen Mansoor Collier

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"Boardwalk Empire" meets "Miss Universe" in 1927 Galveston, Texas--the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine ("Jazz") Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who wants to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the "International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue."

She'd rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there's a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant.

Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang's turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton: He wants Agent Burton to raid the Hollywood Club during the bathing beauties dance routine--or risk revenge from the Downtown Gang leader. Her loyalties torn, Jazz is faced with an impossible task that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. Meanwhile, Jazz fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events. (Sequel to FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY, the first "Jazz Age Mystery" in the series.)

Book Details

Publisher: Decodame Press
Publish Date: May 19th, 2017
Pages: 254
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 9.00in - 6.00in - 0.58in - 0.83lb
EAN: 9780989417037
Categories: • Mystery & Detective - Historical• Literary

About the Author

Collier, Ellen Mansoor: - Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor and writer, and in advertising/marketing and public relations. A flapper at heart, she's the owner of MODERNEMILLIE on Etsy and DECODAME (www.art-decodame.com), specializing in Deco to retro vintage items. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism, and lived in a c. 1926 dorm her freshman year. She worked as an editor on UTmost magazine and was active in Women in Communications (W.I.C.I.), serving as President her senior year.

Praise for this book

The plot, the slang, the characters, the details- they swirled together with all the cinematic verve of a Billy Wilder film! Twists and turns in the story definitely had me guessing (and getting it wrong, lol). Jasmine Cross (aka Jazz), the ballsy belle the Jazz Age Mysteries revolve around, continues to be fleshed-out in BBBB and I fell in love with her character a little more. I loved being inside Jazz's head while she schemed all over town and connected overlooked dots.

Jazz is ready to move up from Society reporting and into the big time: Crime reporting. She proves to her fellow male colleagues at the Galveston Gazette that she's got the moxie it takes to investigate big cases.... I really enjoyed the dynamic between Jazz and her love interest and can't wait to see where it goes in the next novel.

The author does a really great job at capturing the cultural climate of Prohibition era Galveston. Everything from the customs, mannerisms, dialogue and gender roles/expectations bring this historical mystery to vivid life. Collier has a knack for describing all the decadence of the era from saloons, to brothels, to dresses, to perfume lamps. It's like walking into a magical transporting antique store when reading the author's descriptions of the 20s. In short, these books have basically made me want to ditch my modern life and become a full-time flapper journalist. Ha! -Regina Reads (2015)

I loved Flappers, and I loved Bathing Beauties even more. Collier did a great job of developing interesting and real characters that I've become hooked on. Mystery, intrigue, suspense, romance, and a great setting...this book has it all and is a fantastic read. Jazz is an unflappable flapper (pardon the pun) and a strong heroine. She keeps getting into hot water, but she can handle herself--she's no shrinking violet. Escape to Galveston! You'll have a blast. -Amy Metz, A Blue Million Books Blog (2014) Author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series

This is the ultimate fun read for the beach or backyard. Jazz is delightful, and her adventures take one back to an earlier age in the lovely city of Galveston. Highly recommended. -Noreen Marcus, freelance reporter and editor (2013)

I was completely charmed by Jazz Cross in Collier's first book, Flappers, but I was totally taken with Bathing Beauties, the second in the Jazz Age series following the spunky, intrepid flapper-reporter, Jazz Cross. Collier combines historical trivia with a cozy mystery beautifully, and I'm falling in love with her 1920s Galveston. Jazz is wonderfully empathetic in a way that felt authentic, not modern, which I always appreciate, and she's a lovely heroine to follow. (She passes my I-want-her-to-be-my-friend test!). Bathing Beauties captures the dangerous allure of glamour, fame and easy fortune. -Audra Friend, Unabridged Chick Blog (2013)

Jazz is a character the reader cannot help but love. She is smart, sassy and humorous. I encourage historical mystery lovers to discover the brilliance of this series...they are so entertaining and rich in historical detail. If you love sassy and quirky characters and a well-researched historical novel, then please do not pass this series up. It was a delight for me to read these mysteries. A fantastic read all-around.

-Kimberlee, "Girl Lost in a Book" Blog (2013)

Bathing Beauties is probably my favourite in Collier's series. The exciting and glamorous setting is hugely beneficial for this colourful and enjoyable novel.... With all its fun, chemistry, authenticity, plotting and ease in style and slang, this is very recommendable. -ChristophFischerBooks.com (U.K., 2014), Top 500 Amazon Reviewer,