Thanks to Severn House Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. Scandal in Babylon by Barbara Hambly is set in 1924 Hollywood. Young British widow Emma Blackstone, whose husband died in the war and parents in the flu epidemic, is rescued by her husband’s sister, Kitty Flint, from a deplorable situation and brought to California. Kitty is a silent film star and she hires Emma to pay her bills and take care of her three prized Pekingese dogs. The academically minded Emma was raised as an assistant to her father, an archaeologist and authority on ancient history, and soon finds herself asked to rewrite scenes from Kitty’s movies, and is dismayed at the historical inaccuracies. But against all expectations she finds herself liking her glamorous and scatterbrained employer very much. When one of Kitty’s ex-husbands shows up unexpectedly and is murdered in her dressing room, Kitty finds herself the lead suspect. All of the evidence points to Kitty, but seems so obviously a setup, that Emma wonders what the real reason behind the murder could be. Could it be one of Kitty’s jealous lovers, or perhaps one of her rivals in a movie magazine’s search for the top screen goddess, a title worth it’s weight in gold in the highly competitive movie business. Filled with well drawn and likable characters the mystery also provides an interesting look at the early film industry. I highly recommend it.

The year is 1924. Emma Blackstone was barely married to her husband when he was shipped off to war and was killed. Followed by her brother and more tragedy with her parents' deaths. So young for so much death.

Emma is a curious and scholarly sort. She cringes at the inaccuracies in the Roman piece they are filming.

While Emma is getting an education in America and Hollywood in particular, she has nothing to go back to in England. And things could be worse.

Such as Kitty’s first husband, Rex showing up unexpectedly in her dressing room with a bullet through the head. Kitty may be flighty and naughty but a killer she is not.

This being the twenties in Hollywood, there are gangsters, slick movie producers, shady cops, and insane competition for the title of IT girl. Is that what this is about? A frame? Or has Kitty dallied with the wrong man?

I loved all of the old Hollywood gossip and petty jealousy. These women were so young and vulnerable. They worked hard hours and partied the rest of the time.

I enjoy Hollywood Historical Fiction. I liked Emma, although there was a bit too much quoting of Latin phrases. And I just didn’t feel we really knew her. I am sure she will grow and entertain us as the series goes on.

NetGalley/ September 7th, 2021 by Severn House Publishers

A flimsy murder mystery encased into a dazzling piece of historical fiction, a marvellous portrait of the motion picture industry at the beginning of the Roaring Twenties, a terrific Hollywoodian tapestry full of fat & greedy producers, beautiful but often lethal actresses, hysterical directors, sleek mobsters turned bootleggers and lots of verbal pyrotechnics. I just simply loved this richly detailed whodunit redolent with the smells of outrageous opulence and the boozy devil-may-care attitudes forever attached to the Los Angeles of the Silent Era.
A fabulous fictional treat that should be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Canongate/Severn for this wonderful ARC

The start to an exciting new series by the ultra prolific Barbara Hambly. In this series, an academically oriented widow needs to uncover the plot to frame her employer -- and rescuing angel sister-in-law in a 1920s Hollywood setting. It's hard to beat Benjamin January as a main character, but Emma Gladstone is worth a second look!

The author clearly loves this period and the book demonstrates the depth of her research, while not letting it over power the crime story. Full of old Hollywood glamour, and perfect for fans of Agent Carter!

1924 Widow Emma Blackstone is working for her sister-in-laws, actress Kitty Flint aka Camille de la Rose in Hollywood. When the man Kitty married at 15 arrives on set. But not for long as he is found shot. Emma decides to investigate, and continually show off her intelligence.
A cozy historical mystery
The story was not really for me, as I found the characters unlikeable and not a style of writing I enjoyed reading.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very easy read! This was pretty fun, but think of it as all style and no substance. The characters were certain interesting and I look forward to getting to know them better in future books, but a lot of info was missing; you learn Emma was previously married, but besides the husband’s name, you don’t get much else. It’s very much a guessing game as to how everyone connects to each other. I do hope things will be clearer as the series progresses. Also, don’t except the historical portion to be written seriously; it very much seemed like it was a hodgepodge of what they thought. And, they seemed pretty fixated on Chinese things; Pekingese dogs, Chinese food, and the Chinese servants. Complete with bound feet; I could have done without that.

This is a solid mystery novel that involves 1920s Hollywood and the silver screen. I found the book to be very well written and rich in historic detail. Characters are well developed and relatable. The mystery itself is a classic whodunit that contained many twists and turns and kept me guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author and highly recommend this novel!

Emma Blackstone finds herself in California after a string of family tragedies. Her husband dies in WWI after only weeks of marriage, her brother dies after suffering injuries in the same conflict, and her parents die of influenza shortly after the war. Having lived in Oxford, with her academic father, financial issues led her to have to take a post as a companion and so she is grateful to her sister in law, Kitty Flint, stage name Camille de la Rose, who offered her a position as secretary and general helper.

Kitty is acting in the, "Temptress of Babylon," while Emma does her best to avert her eyes from the historical inaccuracies and smooth her sister in law's path. When Rex Festraw, Kitty's first husband, turns up out of the blue, she immediately hustles him into her dressing room and sets out in search of her - when they make it back, it is to find Rex shot dead and Kitty as the suspect.

With Emma's beloved Aunt Estelle, who has just heard of Emma's difficulties, planning to swoop down and carry her back to Oxford, she finds herself torn between her old life and the new. Along with cameraman Zal, Emma sets out to find out who murdered Rex and rescue her sister in law from suspicion.

This is a fairly gentle mystery, with gangsters, bootleggers, contracts and religious fundamentalists all involved, as Emma tries to untangle the truth. It was an enjoyable, if undemanding read, but I did find that there was little real feeling for the historical period. Although it was set in early Hollywood, the characters themselves seemed fairly modern and as though they had simply been transplanted there. However, a fun read, which I received from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. Rated 3.5.

Tuned To Perfection…
Murder mystery, 1920’s set Hollywood, the world of the silver screen. Emma Blackstone, a British widow working for actress and sister-in-law the flighty Kitty Flint, finds herself not only amidst a murder investigation but also desperate to clear Kitty’s name. Nicely written and tuned to perfection with a wholly credible cast of characters, a well described backdrop and an atmospheric, solid sense of place. Engaging, escapist and entertaining reading.

Barbara Hambly has been a favorite author of mine for many, many years, and I am happy to say Scandal in Babylon is typical of her excellent writing and plotting skills.

The main character of Scandal in Babylon is Emma Blackstone, the British-born widow of an American military officer. Emma was raised in the rarified atmosphere of pre-WW I Oxford by her archaeologist father. Emma had anticipated in following his footsteps, continuing to live and study in Oxford, assisting other Etruscan/ancient Rome archaeologists piece together and decipher the detritus of those ancient civilizations. Then she met Jim Blackstone who asked her to help him pick out a present for his sister back in America. Now the war has ended, Jim is dead and her father, mother, and brother died of the Spanish Flu, leaving her impoverished and homeless. Then her sister-in-law, an American movie star, sweeps Emma away from the misery of being an underpaid, overworked governess to live with her in Hollywood.

Emma's sister-in-law works hard, parties hard, and is up on every scandal that ever was or will be in the hot house atmosphere of the silent movie world. Emma settles in to tidy up behind this fire cracker and care for her three Pekinese dogs, all the while dreaming of returning someday to Oxford to resume her former life. But in the middle of an extremely important movie shoot, her sister-in-law's thought-to-be-divorced, long forgotten ex-husband is murdered in her dressing room. The police seem to not look any further than the woman in whose dressing room the man was murdered. Drawing upon the skills she developed while working with her father, Emma sets off to clear her sister-in-law.

Emma and the rest of the cast of Scandal in Babylon are well developed characters. Even the minor, minor characters are given quick descriptions that make them more than cardboard cutouts. Hambly skillfully exploits the Hollywood of the 1920s and many of the real people who inhabited it, making them a fun and interesting part of the story. The mystery is nicely twisty with a couple of surprises along the way. An excellent beach read, something lighthearted to pass away a few pleasant hours.