Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray return with a fascinating 1930s-set historical novel about two very different women taking down a common enemy. Assistant District Attorney Eunice Carter is the only Black woman on an elite team targeting organised crime in New York. Largely ignored by her colleagues, she sees an opening they don’t: mob boss Lucky Luciano’s increasing grip on the city’s prostitution racket could be the way to take him down. Polly Adler, Russian immigrant turned high-end madam, has built a thriving business while protecting the women in her employ, and Lucky’s rise threatens everybody’s safety. Together, the two women start building a case that could go very wrong for them both. Like Benedict and Murray’s previous bestseller, The Personal Librarian, A Pair of Aces seamlessly blends deep historical research with vivid, energetic storytelling. The uneasy collaboration between two formidable women feels courageous and real, and we loved the rough-edged post-Prohibition Manhattan setting. Two award-winning narrators in the form of Robin Miles and Barrie Kreinik help to bring this listen to life. It’s a smart tale with plenty of moxie.

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