Murder on a Hot Tin Roof by Amanda Matesky

Since there are other mystery fans around here, I thought I'd mention this book, the fourth in the series. The first is Murderers Prefer Blondes. The protagonist is Paige Turner, who works for Daring Detective magazine in New York in the 1950s. She is underpaid and stuck with chores like making the coffee ("woman's work," don't you know), but she has the opportunity to do some investigating of her own when murder crosses her path. The time period really distinguishes this series from other cozy mysteries, which are almost all set in the present day. There are fun references to the McCarthy hearings, Marilyn Monroe movies, beat poetry, you name it--everything you learned about in history class about the 50s. My only complaint (if it can even be called a complaint) is that some of the elements seem like stock 1950s necessities (like her Jewish sidekick who sprinkles her speech with both Yiddish and rhyming slang of the "it's a plan, Stan" variety and has a boyfriend who's a Beat poet and frequents jazz clubs) that she's trying to cram in. But the atmosphere is fun, and the mysteries are well-developed and interesting, plus Paige herself is an enjoyable heroine.

In the fourth book, Paige tackles the world of Broadway theater when an actor friend is murdered. This book also brings in the homosexual community that thrived underground in New York. I actually guessed the murderer and the motive, which is unusual for me, but there were enough elements to the mystery that I wasn't positive until the end. If you're looking for another cozy mystery series to dive into, I would recommend this one.