I was so impressed with Mary Miley’s first historical mystery set in 19201s Chicago, The Mystic’s Accomplice. I seldom say the second in the series is even better, but Spirits and Smoke is rich in historical detail. What can be more fascinating as a timeframe than Chicago with gangsters and Prohibition? Add a medium with the popularity of spiritualism at that time, and Miley has a perfect background for her fast-paced series with an intriguing young sleuth.

Maddie Pastore is a young widow whose husband worked for Al Capone’s gang until he was shot by rival bootleggers. After struggling to find a place to live with her baby, Tommy, Maddie has finally moved in with her employer. Madame Carlotta Romany is a medium who works with Maddie and a sixteen-year-old orphan, Freddy. Maddie is her investigator and shill, while Freddy is her “invisible” assistant.

When Carlotta has a new client, Maddie heads out to read obituaries and wills, where she can uncover information about the deceased that the client wants to contact. Samuel Quillen says he wants to reach his brother Herman. But, Maddie’s research only turns up two sisters. She even tracks down one of the sisters, another widow, who truly mourns her brother who helped her with money for her eight children. But, Herman didn’t have a brother. During a session, Madame Carlotta accuses Herman’s “brother” of being a fake. It’s only afterwards that Maddie discovers he’s Louis Roth, part of the North Side Gang. What does a gangster want with a deceased bank teller?

Gangsters and Prohibition. Herman Quillen died of “wood smoke”, drinking poisoned liquor. Maddie suspects he was murdered. And, her job as a mystic’s accomplice makes her a target for Roth who claims Herman took money belonging to the gang, and Roth wants it back. He even threatens Maddie and her baby, Tommy.

Maddie Pastore is streetwise and shrewd. Although she’s terrified of Chicago’s gangs, she’s still determined to find answers for Herman’s sister. Relying on her own wits and allies such as Officer Kevin O’Rouke, Freddy, and a new reporter friend, Maddie sets out on her own journey to truth in 1924 Chicago.

Mary Miley’s Spirits and Smoke is a fast-paced mystery with an engaging amateur sleuth. It’s rich in details that will appeal to fans of historical mysteries. It deserves a wider audience who will appreciate the intriguing possibilities of Chicago in this time period.

Mary Miley’s website is http://marymileytheobald.com/

Spirits and Smoke by Mary Miley. Severn House, 2022. ISBN 9780727850430 Ohardcover), 224p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley in order to review the book for a journal.