The Double Vice

The 1st Hidden Gotham Novel

De: Chris Holcombe

Narrado por: Joel Leslie

Decadent. Duplicitous. Deadly.

Welcome to the Queer World of the Roaring 20s

It wasn’t how gay speakeasy owner Dash Parker’s birthday was supposed to go. But this was New York City at the height of Prohibition, and everything—and everyone—can turn on a dime.

When one of Dash’s club patrons is murdered, Dash and his friends must discover the killer while also outwitting a devious blackmailer. Together, they navigate the shadowy world of drag queens, cabaret performers, gangsters, mob molls, lesbian lawyers, and a mysterious but dangerous “Baroness of Business.” Men and women who have everything to lose—and some of whom will do anything to keep their secrets hidden.

A trail of clues leads them from Greenwich Village to Harlem and back again. But time is running out, and a ruthless killer’s next victim might very well be Dash himself…

©2021 Chris Holcombe (P)2024 Chris Holcombe

Historic but not Tragic

I love a good mystery, and I love the 20s as a setting.
But I usually avoid queer titles under the historic genre because they are always so sad it's genuinely painful.
the author won my taking a chance on this series both with witty 20s slang translations on tiktok, and because own voices representation of mlm relationships is incredibly hard to find in print let alone audio.

things aren't perfect for the characters of double vice by any means, and there are the kind of heavy moments that bring gravitas to a mystery and make the reader care for the victim, curious about the suspects, and wary of the crime crawling big city streets of 20s new york.

But our main cast is alive, they have friends, lovers, and feelings that aren't limited to a grief for who they are that is so familiar when other people tell historic queer stories.

further appreciated is the mindful use of terms and their meaning to the community here and now, while still representing the time of the setting.

all in all
a solid first book, and I hope each new title will grow and improve.
I'm off to dive into #2 right now.

love the characters and humor.

Chris Holcombe is a new to me author and I love each of the characters and how the story developed. Joel Leslie Froomkin always narrates with perfection. i can't wait for the next in the series!

Great characters

I really enjoyed the historically accurate take on the characters and the situations they live in. I love a gay MM mystery, hope the other books come to Audible.