A Girl Like You

Michelle Cox

Apr 2016 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

“Mixing Romance and Mystery in a Fizzy 1930s Cocktail!”

“Henrietta and Clive are a sexy, endearing, and downright fun pair of sleuths. Readers will not see the final twist coming.” ―Library Journal, starred review

“Fans of spunky, historical heroines will love Henrietta Von Harmon.” ―Booklist, starred review

“Henrietta and Inspector Howard are the best pair of sleuths I’ve come across in ages. A fantastic start to what is sure to be a long running series.” ―Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author

Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago’s northwest side. It’s 1935, but things still aren’t looking up since the big crash and her father’s subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings.

Henrietta is eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall―and just when she’s beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene, Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him―and is plunged into Chicago’s grittier underworld.

Meanwhile, she’s still busy playing mother hen to her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe―even from the Inspector, if need be. Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant for messing up the Inspector’s investigation, the lovely Henrietta and the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most unsuitable ways.

Ratings and reviews

I think that the research behind the story is exceptional, the characters are very well drawn (even the truly irritating), and the plot is different from the ordinary even though it lacked the urgency often found in many mysteries. The publisher's blurb is somewhat informative and there is no need for spoilers, but the writing is better than indicated, and that's what makes this worthwhile. I requested and received a free copy through AudioBookBOOM.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from the author, Michelle Cox. Thank you, for sharing your hard work with me. I apologize for the delay in this review. My Kindle file branched off and I had trouble locating older books, but now my Kindle Tree is whole, again. Michelle Cox writes an excellent historical novel. This one, 1930's Chicago, puts you right there, right then, with all the perks and detractions of that age, that time. Henrietta is an excellent protagonist, doing the best she can with what she has to work with, aiding her Mom and siblings and Chicago weather as she works her way through life. Her relationship with Inspector Howard is interesting, as is her work for him, and the look into her home life and the depression in the big city of Chicago are eye-opening. I am very attached to Henrietta and Inspector Howard. This is the first of the series, but there are several more now, ready and waiting.

About the author

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.