Well done, Ms Myers, for not only setting the book in an underused period and in a place that does not generally feature in this type of novel, but for providing readers with an unusual and likeable protagonist who makes an excellent narrator. This is the third novel in the series, which seems to get better with every book, and the longest to date. Ms Myers manages to fill the pages not only with incidents pertaining to the murder, but with historical detail, lively characters and another installment of Tito’s private life and love.

This is one of those good-humored books that fall neatly between cozy and gritty, balancing realism with adventure as Tito and Gussie make the most of the hands that fate has dealt them and pitch in with gusto. Highly readable.