Summary
Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice.
A ravishing young mind reader stalks the streets at night in kitten heels, prowling for men to murder.
A soft-spoken genius toils away in the city morgue, desperate to unearth the science behind his gift for shapeshifting.
It's a match made in 1928 Chicago, where gangsters run City Hall, jazz fills the air, and every good girl's purse conceals a flask.
Until now, eighteen-year-old Ruby's penchant for poison has been a secret. No one knows that she uses her mind-reading abilities to target men who prey on vulnerable women, men who escape the clutches of Chicago "justice." When she meets a brilliant boy working at the morgue, his knack for forensic detail threatens to uncover her dark hobby. Even more unfortunately- sharp, independent Ruby has fallen in love with him.
Waltzing between a supernaturally enhanced romance, the battle to take down a gentleman's club, and loyal friendships worth their weight in diamonds, Ruby brings defiant charm to every page of Murder for the Modern Girl -not to mention killer fashion. An irresistible caper perfect for fans of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, in an exquisite hardcover package with rose-gold foil.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Named to the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice List
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Ruby Newhouse, living in Chicago in 1928, uses her reputation as a carefree flapper and her ability to read minds to hide her secret life--she kills men who mistreat women. Ruby's father is Cook County's state attorney. He's been combating corruption in City Hall and, after several attempts on his life, Ruby is focused on finding out who's behind it. Guy Rosewood can shape shift, changing all aspects of his physical appearance, which had devastating consequences in the past. He takes a job in the Cook County morgue to connect with a doctor there who's done research on his condition. Ruby and Guy cross paths when Ruby visits the morgue in search of information, discovering his ability in the process. Ruby enlists him to help her unravel the conspiracy against her father. As they work together and grow closer, they struggle to decide if they can trust each other with their secrets. The plot is an interesting blend of historical fiction, crime drama, and fantasy, steeped in danger and scheming. However, it lacks strong worldbuilding. Characters tend to be clearly good or bad with little depth. Ruby's murders are presented without question. Ruby is cued as white; most characters aren't described and are assumed white. VERDICT The intriguing premise of this genre-bending novel would benefit from stronger worldbuilding to add life and cohesiveness to the narrative.--Carla Riemer
Publisher's Weekly Review
In 1928, Ruby Newhouse--the 18-year-old daughter of an anticorruption state's attorney--likes to pretend she's a flighty flapper, but she's actually a shrewd vigilante who reads minds to identify and then poison "killers, monsters, abusers." Ruby usually targets women-harming men whom few will miss, but when someone tries to assassinate her father, she shifts her focus to Chicago's power players. Evidence points to mob boss Herman Coward, but Ruby suspects he's being framed by a crooked politician angling to run the city. After she discovers that a morgue employee known as Guy Rosewood, 18, can morph his appearance to resemble nearly anyone, she agrees to keep his secret--and then solicits his assistance. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Ruby, Guy is investigating a string of poisonings to curry favor with medical examiner and cellular metamorphosis expert Gregory Keene, hoping to learn more about his own abilities. Ruby and Guy co-narrate, tension mounting as they work at cross-purposes while falling in love. Several characters are Prohibition-era stereotypes, and the inclusion of 1920s slang can feel a bit shoehorned, but on the balance, Kulper (the Salt & Storm series) delivers a glitzy, adrenaline-fueled crime novel brimming with formidable women. All characters cue as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (May)
Horn Book Review
There's an "angel killer" stalking the streets in this flapper-era dark fantasy set in late-1920s Chicago. Ruby Newhouse only strikes men with bad intentions, and since she happens to have telepathic abilities, she's able to enter the dark minds of her victims. She kills for fun, because she's a girl after a good time, but never anyone innocent. Shapeshifter Guy, seemingly meek and mousy, works at the city morgue and is doggedly determined to catch the angel killer. But sparks fly between Guy and Ruby before either of them learns the other's secrets, changing the course of their plans. With a dangerous criminal conspiracy targeting Ruby's beloved father, she and Guy must pursue the truth at all costs, even if it means their own identities might be exposed. Secondary characters add even more zing to the story: a flinty reporter makes an unlikely ally, as does a gorgeous socialite with more depth than meets the eye. As the bodies pile up, readers will be breathless to witness the final showdown. Fast-paced; glamorously chaotic; and, with its grisly undertones, somewhat uncomfortably unforgettable. Sarah Berman July/August 2022 p.126(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Is she a glam, airhead flapper--or a serial killer of wicked men? It's 1927, and 18-year-old Ruby, the daughter of the state's attorney, is known as someone who's always up for a good time, a gorgeous party girl who dances with all the fellows. Nobody knows that Ruby can read minds, so none of her many casual beaus can guess that Ruby knows exactly who the unredeemable characters are. Certainly nobody has any idea that sometimes Ruby dons a wig and secretes about her person some arsenic (or cyanide, strychnine, belladonna, or chloroform--she's not choosy!) in order to remove some extremely dangerous character from the scene. Enter Guy, 18, a morgue employee who can transform his appearance to look like anyone. All he wants is to learn enough about his special ability to control it, but in order to do that, he might have to solve a string of mysterious poisoning murders across the city. Can the would-be detective, doomed to perpetual disguise, have a romance with a sexy murderess? In a vivacious, corrupt, Prohibition-era Chicago where everyone appears to be White, characters speak in smart-alecky slang, and tropes collide chaotically to diverting effect. At times, the dependence on genre conventions results in stereotyping, for example around weight and social class. A femme fatale heroine, a crime that mustn't be solved: noir turned merrily upside down. (Noir paranormal. 13-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Eighteen-year-old Ruby waltzes around 1920s Chicago in fabulous evening gowns, frequenting gin joints and dancing till dawn. She seems like any other gorgeous good-time girl, but Ruby has a secret: she's a mind reader. Determined to put her power to good use, she eavesdrops on the thoughts of abusive, corrupt gentlemen and dispatches them with her poisons before they can harm again. She's secure in her choices (and anonymity), until a brilliant morgue employee, Guy, sets about bringing the culprit to light. Guy is concealing his own astonishing ability, and a chance meeting between the two sparks a series of events that will transform their lives--and hearts. It's a dazzling, dramatic story, conjuring up glittering parties and intimate encounters, and narration duties are split between Ruby and Guy. The liberal use of entertaining slang from the '20s may initially distract, but the story settles in and unfolds at a breathless pace, asking questions of the importance of morality and intention along the way. An effervescent champagne cocktail of a novel that packs a delightful punch.
