Dead in the Frame

A Pentecost and Parker Mystery, Book 5

De: Stephen Spotswood

Narrado por: Kirsten Potter

The most dramatic installment yet in the Nero Award-winning Pentecost and Parker series, as Will scrambles to solve a shocking murder before Lillian takes the fall for the crime.

NEW YORK CITY, 1947: Wealthy financier and ghoulish connoisseur of crime, Jessup Quincannon, is dead, and famed detective Lillian Pentecost is under arrest for his murder. Means, motive, and a mountain of evidence leave everyone believing she’s guilty. Everyone, that is, except Willowjean “Will” Parker, who knows for a fact her boss is innocent. She just doesn’t know if she can prove it.

With Lillian locked away in the House of D—New York City’s infamous women’s prison—Will is left to root out the real killer. Was it a member of Quincannon’s murder-obsessed Black Museum Club? Maybe it was his jilted lover? Or his beautiful, certainly-sociopathic bodyguard? And what about the mob hit-man who just happened to disappear after the shots were fired?

With the city barreling toward the trial of the century, each day brings fresh headlines and hints of long-buried scandals from Lillian’s past. Will is desperate to get her boss out from behind bars before her reputation is destroyed. Because the House of D is no kind place, especially for a woman with multiple sclerosis. Or one with so many enemies. Her health failing and being targeted by someone who wants her dead, Lillian needs to survive long enough to take the stand.

With time running out on both sides of the prison walls, Will and Lillian must wager everything to uncover who put their thumb on the scales and a bullet in Quincannon’s head. Before Lady Justice brings her sword down, ending Pentecost and Parker's adventures once and for all.

©2025 Stephen Spotswood (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Spotswood’s newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to listen."—Library Journal, starred review

"One wild ride . . . The satisfying wrap-up includes the promise of a follow-up investigation that Lillian feels compelled to undertake. Kudos to Spotswood for highlighting the realities of both women and transgender women in the justice system."—Booklist, starred review

“As always, Spotswood pairs voicey narration (especially in Will’s chapters) with a briskly satisfying fair-play whodunit. Series fans will be satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly

Fast-Paced, Fun Listen

This was my first Pentecost and Parker mystery, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator was fantastic and made the story easy to follow. The plot is a bit over the top at times, but it remains fun and fast-paced. I also appreciated how the author incorporated social issues without making it feel heavy-handed. It didn’t leave me rushing to start the rest of the series, but it was definitely an entertaining and worthwhile listen.

Great story

Loved the story, I guessed the ending but could not figure how it was done. Love the stories and the characters. I can see the types of characters(the asholes, the whitemen who cannot accept that a women just might be better than them, keep writing these stories, i cant wait for the next one) in today's world, and unfortunately that sucks. The U.S. is walking backwards and that truly sucks. Keep kicking ass ladies, I see you, we see you and we sit in awe of you.

Another home run

I can't figure out why more people don't know about this series. This entry, like the other four, is outstanding. Likeable protagonists, snappy dialogue, touches of humor, clever plot, great narration. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a mystery series that has touches of Nero Wolfe, Sherlock Holmes, film noir, Mickey Spillane and more.

amazing series

I particularly love this series. Clever. Well written. Extremely well done audio book. A great listen all around.

Great as always

I’ve loved these characters from book one, and am so happy to see them continue being themselves and being a source of inspiration.

great detective work

the story takes you through many many twists and turns and in the end it is all revealed

Intelligence

I liked everything. The writing was superb, the story interesting, the performance exquisite. Can’t wait for next book. Thank you

Spectacularly original story; amazing narration

I figured out the whodunnit fairly early and yet was absolutely riveted to the twists and turns.
Even better: the premise of Lillian being stuck behind bars throughout was unique, compelling, traumatizing and full of suspense. The climactic reveal had the kind of punch you get from the best
Perry Mason or Agatha Christie stories, only with the stylish cut of Knives Out.

The characters chew the scenery and Lillian Pentecost is a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps some might say the connecting mysteries were too contrived, or the ending was too far fetched, but I loved every moment, especially with the phenomenal narration of Ms. Potter.

I’ve listened to these in order and this is now my favorite of the bunch. There are a few characters and scenes that are best heard with the backstories in the previous books, however thanks to a summary of characters in the beginning, I can recommend this as a standalone.

This is a classic cozy mystery, in the sense there are no F bombs and fade to black sex scenes.
At the same time, the tone can get dark, with powerful themes like the trauma of incarceration,
the failings of the justice system, and LGBTQ life in 1947.

Derivative and preachy

There seems to be a requirement that every mystery series have at least one installment where the protagonist is being framed for the crime. As seen in the cliffhanger that ended the previous book, this is that installment.

First, let me say that the actual mystery is done fairly well. (It would be better if at least some of the information needed for the reader to have an inkling of the actual murderer had been hinted at before the big reveal at the end.) But using essentially all of the time spent on Pentecost to pound the pulpit about how horrible the legal and penal system in New York was in 1947 was a waste of my time.

We are left, then, with an investigation almost entirely executed by Willowjean Parker, and she is not enough to hold the core of the story together. While Watson is a great character in his own right, a Sherlock Holmes story without recourse to the great investigative mind just isn't the same.

The story would also be better if one of the crucial clues to the solution were not provided entirely randomly by a person uninvolved in the actual investigation. Oh! What is this? This entirely unrelated case, which came up by complete chance, is the key to the whole mystery? Who could possibly notice this deus ex machina?

I do appreciate that Spotswood did not make all the people trying to convict Pentecost into villains. It was refreshing to see characters who had formerly been the usual bumbling, self-centered, uncaring caricatures of public servants actually showing some humanity.

But ultimately, this book was by far the worst book yet written in this series. The series has solid characters (if more than a bit derivative of Rex Stout's work), and Spotswood can pull you into an environment and atmosphere quite well. But he has a real problem with creating a mystery that feels to the reader as though it should have been solvable, having characters whose development seems organic, and writing social commentary without preaching.

The series started very well. It's a pity that the author hasn't been able to maintain that level of writing.