Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Red-Hot Blues Chanteuse: A Viola Vermillion Vaudeville Mystery by Ana Brazil is a twisting, cleverly plotted murder mystery set in the vaudeville theater of post-World War I, San Francisco. Viola Vermillion and her pianist, songwriter, and lover, Stu Wiley, are determined to reach the big time. When Stu is found shot dead by Viola’s gun, in the balcony of the theater, Viola needs to discover who murdered her beloved Stu if she is to stay out of jail herself. It immediately becomes apparent that the Stu Wiley she knew and loved had more secrets about his past than even herself, if that was possible. Viola had a store of secrets tucked away too, like the coded notebook she carried that detailed the corrupt deals of one of America’s biggest businessmen from the war; a munitions tycoon Viola blamed for her sister’s death, and a man who desperately wanted his notebook back. When Jimmy Harrigan, the perfect replacement for her late partner, suddenly shows up out of the blue and begins working with Viola, even more secrets and lies are exposed.

The Red-Hot Blues Chanteuse is an enthralling read. Author Ana Brazil takes the reader deep inside the world of vaudeville at a time when moving pictures were threatening the industry’s very existence. The author uncovers the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog environment Viola worked in; where just moving up a spot or two in the playbill could mean an opportunity to advance the performer’s career. The plot twists and turns artfully, with a plethora of red herrings and dead ends that keep the reader guessing and then second-guessing, along with the characters, which is the sign of a talented author. I particularly appreciated the author’s attention to detail with all the principal characters having detailed and interesting backstories that heightened the suspense of who actually killed Stu Wiley and much more. The setting is wonderfully painted and the social mores of a vaudeville troupe of the time were meticulously laid out, as were the wonderful songs and acts of the era. Although these will no longer stir memories, they certainly bring a poignant nostalgia to a time just as the roaring Twenties were about to kick off in America and the world was finally at peace after the most brutal war in history. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to the conclusion of Viola and Jimmy’s adventures as appears to be foreshadowed in the finale. This is a great read and one I can highly recommend.