In this debut historical mystery, an intrepid reporter traces a kidnapping victim from Harlem speakeasies to the dazzling world of the theater, all while grappling with a forbidden passion.

Ambitious advice columnist Ginny Dugan knows she’s capable of more than solving other people’s beauty problems, but her boss at Photoplay magazine thinks she's only fit for fluff pieces. When she witnesses the kidnapping of a famous singer at Harlem’s hottest speakeasy, nobody takes her seriously, but Ginny knows what she saw—and what she saw haunts her.

Guilt-ridden over her failure to stop the kidnappers and hard-pressed for cash to finally move out of her uptight showgirl sister’s apartment, Ginny resolves to chase down the truth that will clear her conscience and maybe win her a promotion in the process. She manipulates a brooding detective into a reluctant partnership and together they uncover a sinister plot that pulls them into the dazzling yet dangerous world of the Ziegfeld Follies. Meanwhile, Ginny grapples with a secret of her own—she's fallen for Gloria Gardner, the star of the show. In the Roaring Twenties, their love isn't just scandalous; it’s illegal.

But when a brutal murder strikes someone close to her, Ginny realizes the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. This glamorous world has a deadly edge, and Ginny must shatter her every illusion to catch the shadowy killer before they strike again.

Olesya Lyuzna's profile page

Olesya Lyuzna is a historical fiction writer with a passion for queer noir. Her debut novel Glitter in the Dark was selected for a 2020 Pitch Wars mentorship by Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton. She lives in Toronto and spends her free time hosting murder mystery parties and scouring the archives for unsolved crimes.