The Lost Girl of Astor Street

What a wonderful book! I have to admit it was a little slow getting into it, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. Chicago, 1920's, mobsters, and mystery. All the makings of a great read!

Okay, SO I really, really wanted to read The Lost Girl of Astor Street the moment I heard about it and I was savvy to have it on my radar, it turns out, because it exceeded expectations and then some.


If you like Veronica Mars, the Roaring Twenties, plenty of plot twists and knee-buckling romance, then let me invite you into Piper Sail's fully realized world of flappers and mob-men, danger and high-class sleuthery.

Piper Sail is a renowned lawyer's daughter and resident of the upscale Astor Street in Chicago. She does a poor job of avoiding trouble at her prestigious private school but is tempered by the influence of her sweet friend, Lydia. Also peppering her world are her brothers, a rakish journalist named Jeremiah Crane ( you might want to start writing that name in your notebook and drawing hearts around it) and her long-time baseball-playing friend Walter ( ditto with the heart drawing).

When Lydia is reported missing, Piper learns that her friend was a pivotal aspect of a world now seeming to fray at the seams. Nothing is as it seems and with her amateur investigation into Lydia's whereabouts, she is springboarded into a season of self-realization.

While confronting the uneasiness of a world shrouded with privilege and slowly eking out shades of darkness in her own family, Piper is joined by the absolutely swoon-worthy young detective, Mariano Cassano.

And here, fair readers, I will go tangential with cheeks blushing and fingertips tingling....

MARIANO is a friggin' dreamboat. He respects Lydia and treats her as an equal as they launch each step of their sideline informal investigation. He has a dark, broody past that only reconciles with the tenacity and virtue of his present and he is dedicated to his job. He has a winning smile, a lanky build and every time he tipped his trilby or fingered his suspenders ( maybe I wrote that in..... I don't know if he fingered his suspenders but you all know I think suspenders are hot), I went to lala land ( now playing at a cinema near you).

The chemistry between Piper and Mariano snap crackles and pops from their first meeting when (SIGH) he arrives to calmly question her about Lydia ( DOUBLE SIGH) while, of course, being all dark-haired and olive-skinned and handsome as all get out.

( Later they dance under the stars after eating pizza in the park, I kid you not).

Mariano and Piper's relationship was, to me, the center of this well-spun tale but the romance does not overcrowd the mystery. As I preambled, there really are several twists---one that happens early on in the story and that earned my respect as a discerning reader. Chicago becomes a character---from its speakeasies to the L to the high townhouses and manicured streets owned by those who are willing to play into the powerplay world of two magnanimous families: the Cassanos and the Finnegans.


Another highlight of this excessively-readable book was Piper herself. Unlike Veronica Mars ( who I mention because there are several shout-outs to the tiny blonde one), Piper showcases a realistic insecurity. For as often as she straightens her shoulders and plunges in to danger for the sake of her friend, so she is uncertain in herself and the deductive abilities she is just beginning to find sure footing in. It was Piper's normalcy that jolted this story with a little something extra for me. She is winsome in her relatability.


The pages turned easily and while I sometimes found myself assaulted by a modern verve of speech or nuance, I was for the most part transplanted to a vintage whirlwind of murder, flappers and a sort of easy grace of a time past--- a world that doesn't quite know that while it speeds hastily to outdo itself, it is spinning itself on a dangerous axis.


I so hope that we get more of Piper's adventures. And more of Mariano. Because MARIANO is just music.

Music, I tell you.


With thanks to BLINK for the review copy.

This story is superbly researched. The author has included the prejudices of the era, the way people spoke, the fashions of the day and even the social and societal norms of the 1920s and has done so in a way that comes across as completely natural.

With multiple twists and turns and a varied cast of interesting and compelling characters, THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET is a must read novel.

For anyone who has ever viewed the 'Roaring Twenties' as an era of freedom and has thought about it with romanticized notions, this book will both reinforce and shatter those notions.

The central mystery of this book will have readers guessing who and why Lydia was taken and every time they think they have it all figured out, a new twist or piece of evidence will be discovered and readers will have to rethink their views.

This is literally a page-turner that will not only keep readers guessing but will also be impossible for them to put down.

I rate THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET as 5 out of 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A really enjoyable read. An old fashioned murder/mystery story. Piper's friend goes missing, so she sets out to find her and to find out what is going on. Her search takes her into the more shady parts of 1920s Chicago, into a speakeasy and the company of gangsters. The characters are well written and believable, you connect with them and are keen to find out what will happen.
Nothing too horrific or scary in this book, but it does contain one or two surprises! Recommended read.

Why I Choose this Book:

This is at least the fourth post in which I've talked about The Lost Girl of Astor Street in the last month, so you probably are getting tired of hearing how excited I am about it. The solution? Just read the book for yourself and see how cool it is. =)

Quick overview though: I've been wanting to read this book ever since Stephanie first mentioned she was writing it in 2014. I was intrigued right away, and the book did not disappoint.
What I Thought about this Book:

It was a total surprise. I'm not sure what I expected, but Lost Girl blew my ideas out of the water and pretty much amazed me. I was sucked into the world, intrigued by Piper's point of view, and throughly enjoyed getting to know the characters better.

And, on the subject of characters, let me talk about them for a bit...

Piper - First of all, she has an incredible name, so cute. Second of all, I was pretty impressed with how very different she was from Stephanie's other main characters. Piper was unique, experienced growth, and although I couldn't always relate to her personally, I felt like I understood her. She was also very realistic, so yay!

Lydia - Lydia is a rather uncommon name in books, so it was a little bit weird to be reading about one (since I share the name). I'll have to say, the plot twists with her were a total surprise to me. I liked her character, she was a good balance for Piper. It makes sense that the two of them would be best friends.

Walter - Goodness! I was caught between wishing the plot would go somewhere that it didn't, and thinking YES! Finally, a book that gets it right! In the end, my happiness for the part Walter played in the story won out. I liked him a lot, and could relate to the relationship he had with the other characters quite well.

There are obviously a lot more characters I could talk about, but those were my top three I felt like discussing. On to the plot....

It's a mystery. I knew that, but somehow I sorta forgot that when I began reading the book (probably because the other books Stephanie has written aren't mysteries). It didn't take long for the mystery part to erupt though, and erupt it did. The pacing of the book was really well done. The plot had twists. The mystery was intriguing. Altogether it was a fantastic book, and one I'm looking forward to re-reading after I receive the hardback copy I bought.
Conclusion:

I don't condone all of Piper's actions by any means, and there was some violence, etc.... For the most part though, it was kept vague and I was happy with it. Way to go, Stephanie!

Rating:

I’m giving Lost Girl of Astor Street 4 out of 5 stars, and 8 out of 10.

*I received this book from the author

Another excellent piece of clean YA fiction from Blink publishing! The plot is compelling, all the way to the end, and the romance is interesting but not overwhelming. I did question whether the book really reflected the dating practices of an upper-class girl in the 1920s, but a little bit of informal research indicated that this was, in fact, becoming the new norm in the 1920s. The protagonist is interesting and believable, even if she isn't a new type of character (Nancy Drew? Mother has died, daughter of a lawyer, gets herself into messes by snooping around as an amateur detective? I loved Nancy Drew as a girl -- a repeat isn't necessarily a bad thing!) I can't wait to read more from the Blink authors!