Renting Silence

I really enjoy Mary Miley's writing. She is excellent at period fiction, often including real historical figures in her stories, and always does her research to throw in the little details - product brands, clothing, advertising of the day - that fully immerse the reader in the setting.
I'm a big fan of her character in this series, Jesse. Jesse is sassy and street-smart. She's been in the vaudeville business longer than most, having grown up on the stage. She's also recently discovered a talent of investigating, and this latest book follows Jesse as she takes a second look at a closed case to find the truth behind a murder before an innocent woman swings for it.
For any fans of the golden age of film, fans of 1920s fiction, this series is a must-read.

I absolutely adore the Roaring Twenties mystery series by Mary Miley, and Renting Silence is an entertaining addition. The silent film era fascinates me, and Miley has clearly done her research. The main character Jessie Beckett, a former vaudeville performer, works for Douglas Fairbanks at Pickford-Douglas Studios (which will eventually become United Artists). At the behest of Mary Pickford, Jessie investigates the murder of a small-time actress, Lila Walker. The police charged another actress with the crime immediately following the murder and accordingly never did any further investigating. Mary Pickford and several others believe that the actress charged, Ruby Glynn, is innocent and want to clear her name. Jessie’s inquiries lead back into the world of vaudeville as she attempts to figure out who really murdered Lila Walker.

My favorite parts of the book by far were those relating to the silent movie business in the 1920’s, particularly all of the fascinating details about Mary Pickford. The book takes place as Pickford is filming Little Annie Rooney in which she plays a twelve-year-old girl (Pickford was 33 at the time). When playing young characters, Pickford would only work with tall actors and altered her on-set furniture to make it larger so she would appear smaller on set and onscreen. I spent as much time reading the novel as I did looking up the various real life actors and studio details because I found it all so intriguing. I also plan to track down Little Annie Rooney and watch it after reading so much about the filming of the movie. As Jessie heads out on the vaudeville circuit, she encounters a young Bob Hope, before he has even adopted that stage name – he is still going by Les Hope. One more fun addition that Miley includes is having Myrna Loy as one of Jessie’s roommates before Loy becomes a famous actress. She has also references Jack Warner, Rin Tin Tin, the KKK, and Rudolph Valentino.

The resolution of the mystery is a bit drawn out, and there is a train scene that lasts way too long. Also, the inclusion of Jessie’s potential love interest David seems forced and does not really fit well into the rest of the story. Other than those small details, Miley has crafted an engaging tale weaving the historical details seamlessly into Jessie’s world.

Mary Miley maintains a Roaring Twenties blog where she periodically posts interesting articles on various aspects of that era such as how to make a phone call in the 1920’s and popular poisons of the time period. The blog can be found at http:/marymiley.wordpress.com. After reading Renting Silence, I really enjoyed perusing her various blog posts.

I definitely recommend Renting Silence, and her two prior installments in the series. The first book, The Impersonator, remains my favorite, but the next two are great reads too. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book! It took me to a time and place I've never been. I love the character descriptions and loved reading about what it was like to work in vaudeville. I'll definitely read more by this author

While I was aware that I’d once more crashed midway into a series, this isn’t a major deal as Miley is far too adept for keep her readers floundering. Instead I quickly bonded with Jessie, a sparky character with plenty of spirit who is embracing the opportunities Hollywood has presented for her. It is also the perfect setting for all sorts of mayhem and murder.

As with all the best historical whodunits, Miley uses the adventure to present us with a slice of Jessie’s life. While I cared about seeing the mystery solved, I was every bit as involved with Jessie’s ongoing concerns, such as her wardrobe choices, her problematic romance and interest in the Hollywood gossip. Miley vividly recreates the 1920s world for us, from the clothes and the Hollywood glamour and the thrill of drinking forbidden alcoholic drinks.

However what makes this stand out for me is her clear depiction of the darker side of the era – the edgy lawlessness as crime gangs, emboldened and funded by the massive sales of moonshine, battle amongst each other for territory and the casual, everyday racism that condemns anyone of colour to a second-rate existence. That, coupled with the sexism that also downgrades women’s prospects makes me very glad that I’m alive now, rather than back then. One quibble – when she spends a couple of nights with her lover, there is no mention of any contraception. I’m sure someone as worldly wise as Jessie would have insisted on her partner using a condom to prevent pregnancy in an era when a baby out of wedlock brought shame and disgrace to women, but there is no mention of it.

That doesn’t prevent me thoroughly enjoying this engrossing and well written mystery, which twists off into all sorts of directions and I certainly didn’t see exactly who the perpetrator was until Miley wanted me to. All in all, while I was in bed with a heavy cold, this was the perfect book to get lost in. Highly recommended.

While I obtained the arc of Renting Silence from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
9/10