—Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author
“In Murder at the Flamingo, McMillan, author of the Herringford and Watts Mysteries, offers us a new generation of sleuths. And in her skilled hands, 1937 Boston comes to life with rich sensory detail and clever winks to books and films. You’ll love the happening and opulent nightclubs, the fast-paced dancing and daring, and especially the two sleuths who will steal your heart.”
—Katherine Reay, author of Dear Mr. Knightley and A Portrait of Emily Price
“On its surface, Murder at the Flamingo is a fun and engrossing prewar murder mystery that will keep readers turning pages. It’s beautifully atmospheric, taking us to late 1930s Boston in such vivid detail you can almost taste the decadent cannoli cream so beloved by McMillan’s amateur sleuth protagonists. The pacing is taut without sacrificing development of the endearing cast of characters. But more significant than this, McMillan gives us a story that highlights the struggles of people living with anxiety and panic disorders long before the conditions were properly understood. Her portrayal of Hamish’s challenges is sympathetic and uplifting, and only serves to make his character richer. This delightful series is one I will be following for what I hope is a very long time.”
—Aimie K. Runyan, internationally bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky and Promised to the Crown
“A perfectly flawed hero and a liberty-seeking lady are the backbone of this delightful and lively mystery novel. Grounded in a city that is no stranger to independence, Hamish and Reggie seek what it means to be free beneath the lights of Boston’s glitziest nightclub . . . and a murder that taints its opening night. Fast-paced and at times humorous, the satisfying ending leaves the reader content and anxious for more all at the same time.”
—Heidi Chiavaroli, award-winning author of Freedom’s Ring and The Hidden Side
“Adventure—the very thing both of Rachel McMillan’s lovable characters seek is exactly what she delivers, sucking the reader back to the ’30s with distinctive style. Fans will be clamoring for the next installment!”
—Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of the Shadows Over England series
“Boston comes roaring to life with fullness and flair, a character in its own right. Endearing protagonists carry the tale with wit, charm, and struggles that make them human. Bursting with rhythm, Murder at the Flamingo is a toe-tapping, heart-pumping immersion into the world of Reggie and Hamish. A delightful experience.”
—Jocelyn Green, award-winning author of A Refuge Assured
“You will want to add Reggie Van Buren and Hamish DeLuca to your circle of friends when you’ve read this book. This highly original story is a delight. Excellent historical detail and setting.”
—Maureen Jennings, author of the Detective Murdoch series, which inspired the Murdoch Mysteries TV series
“With a crowded mystery and suspense market, it’s hard to stand out from the pack. Rachel McMillan manages to do just this. She revives the classic 1930s-era amateur detective–whodunit set in a gloriously atmospheric Boston nightclub—The Flamingo . . . [Murder at the Flamingo] manages to cross the bridge between ‘issue fiction’ and ‘commercial fiction’ seamlessly. It’s an immensely enjoyable and important read that I can’t recommend highly enough. I simply loved this book!”
—Tall Poppy Writers
“A delicious mystery chock-full of 1930s charm and romance. I can’t wait to find out what Reggie and Hamish get up to next!”
—Cheryl Honigford, award-winning author of the Viv and Charlie Mystery Series
“Murder at the Flamingo sweeps the reader into a world of liquid-silk gowns, snazzy gangsters, smoke-filled dance floors, and star-crossed romance. Not to mention a bit of murder. Rachel McMillan breathes life into a cast of characters that defy the clichés of the genre: a rich girl who isn’t spoiled, a leading man plagued with anxiety, a mob boss with a heart, and others who bring twists with each turn of the page. McMillan crafts Hamish, Reggie, Luca, and Nate with enough dimension for the reader to inspect each with a slow turn—strengths, flaws, frustrations. Nothing is absolute. The story plays out with the grit and humor of an RKO picture show, with the author’s love for the time and place evident with each nod to detail. McMillan gives us a new Nick and Nora, sharing a bicycle and cannoli—and maybe a little bit more.”
—Allison Pittman, author of Loving Luther
“Rachel McMillan is a refreshing, talented writer who has created an original and appealing hero in Hamish DeLuca. Enjoy!”
—Julie Klassen, Christy Award–winning author
Also by Rachel McMillan
Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries
Murder at the Flamingo
Murder in the City of Liberty
Herringford and Watts Mysteries
The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder
A Lesson in Love and Murder
The White Feather Murders
Three Quarter Time Series
Love in Three Quarter Time
Rose in Three Quarter Time
Of Mozart and Magi
A Rainer Carol
Nonfiction
Dream, Plan, and Go
A Picture-Perfect Christmas
Copyright
The London Restoration
© 2020 by Rachel McMillan
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon 97404.
Lyrics for “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” by Eric Maschwitz.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: McMillan, Rachel, 1981- author.
Title: The London restoration : a novel / Rachel McMillan.
Description: [Nashville] : Thomas Nelson, [2020] | Summary: "From author Rachel McMillan comes a richly researched historical romance that takes place in post-World War II London and features a strong female lead"-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020007618 (print) | LCCN 2020007619 (ebook) | ISBN 9780785235026 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780785235033 (epub) | ISBN 9780785235040 (audio download)
Subjects: LCSH: Cold War--Fiction. | London (England)--Fiction. | GSAFD: Historical fiction.
Classification: LCC PR9199.4.M4555 L66 2020 (print) | LCC PR9199.4.M4555 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020007618
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020007619
Printed in the United States of America
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