Harlem After Midnight

* LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD *

'Perfection … this is a story about family, friendship, love, and sacrifice … with a big dose of jazz! I loved it!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Louise Hare is becoming one of my must-buy must-read authors and this novel is every bit as compelling as her previous two … I can't wait to read her next’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I devoured Harlem After Midnight in a few short sessions. I was very quickly drawn into the world of Lena Aldridge in Harlem and loved all the Jazz references … Loved it!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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1936, September 17th, 1am…

In the middle of Harlem, in the dead of night, a woman falls from a second storey window. In her hand, she holds a passport and the name written on it is Lena Aldridge…

Nine days earlier…

Lena arrived in Harlem less than two weeks ago, full of hope for her burgeoning romance with Will Goodman, the handsome musician she met on board the Queen Mary. Will has arranged for Lena to stay with friends of his, and this will give her the chance to find out if their relationship is going anywhere. But there is another reason she's in Harlem – to find out what happened in 1908 to make her father flee to London.

As Lena's investigations progress, not only does she realise her father lied to her, but the man she’s falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And those secrets have put Lena in terrible danger…

* * * *

Praise for Harlem After Midnight

‘A sultry, immersive exploration of 30s New York with a taut plot and a vivid soundtrack. The perfect escape – evocative, smooth prose’ Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times bestselling author

‘[A] tightly plotted adventure that brims with atmosphere’ Best magazine

‘An achingly evocative rendering of 1930s New York and all its glamour and grit … An intriguing mystery’ Kia Abdullah, author of Those People Next Door

‘Louise Hare is a must-buy author for me, and this is her best yet – a brilliantly seductive mystery set against a glamorous backdrop that completely comes alive’ Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man

‘Mystery, drama, murder, all wrapped up in a story sublimely told’ Louise Fein, author of People Like Us

Reviews

Praise for Lena Aldridge:

‘Charming characters, a cross-Atlantic setting, jazz, cocktails, sex and a brilliant murder mystery. You couldn’t ask for more! I loved it’ Harriet Tyce

‘This is a cracker. A thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking historical crime novel that oozes glamour’ Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Last Act of Love

‘An engrossing read’ Guardian

‘Oozes glamour . . . Did someone mention Agatha Christie? Yes, but with the bonus of subtle reflections on race and class’ Observer