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Kitty Pangborn #1
Death Was the Other Woman
As the lawlessness of Prohibition pushes against the desperation of the Depression, there are two ways to make a living in Los Angeles: join the criminals or collar them. Kitty Pangborn has chosen the crime-fighters, becoming secretary to Dexter J. Theroux, one of the hard-drinking, tough-talking PIs who pepper the city's stew. But after Dex takes an assignment from Rita Heppelwaite, the mistress of Harrison Dempsey, one of L.A.'s shadiest—and richest—businessmen, Kitty isn't so sure what side of the law she's on.
Rita suspects Dempsey has been stepping out and asks Dex to tail him. It's an easy enough task, but Dex's morning stroll with Johnnie Walker would make it tough for him to trail his own shadow. Kitty insists she go along for the ride, keeping her boss—and hopefully her salary—safe. However, she's about to realize that there's something far more unpleasant than a three-timing husband at the end of this trail, and that there's more at risk than her paycheck.
Richly satisfying and stylishly gritty, Death Was the Other Woman gives a brand-new twist to the hard-boiled style, revealing that while veteran PIs like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe spent their time slugging scotch and wooing women, it may well have been the Girl Fridays of the world who really cracked the cases.
Rita suspects Dempsey has been stepping out and asks Dex to tail him. It's an easy enough task, but Dex's morning stroll with Johnnie Walker would make it tough for him to trail his own shadow. Kitty insists she go along for the ride, keeping her boss—and hopefully her salary—safe. However, she's about to realize that there's something far more unpleasant than a three-timing husband at the end of this trail, and that there's more at risk than her paycheck.
Richly satisfying and stylishly gritty, Death Was the Other Woman gives a brand-new twist to the hard-boiled style, revealing that while veteran PIs like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe spent their time slugging scotch and wooing women, it may well have been the Girl Fridays of the world who really cracked the cases.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2008
About the author
Linda L. Richards
18 books160 followersLinda L. Richards is the award-winning author of fifteen books. The founder and publisher of January Magazine and a contributing editor to the crime fiction blog The Rap Sheet, she is best known for her strong female protagonists in the thriller genre. Richards is from Vancouver, Canada and currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Her latest book, ENDINGS, was published by Oceanview Publishing in 2021. A PW starred review said that this “harrowing tale of love, loss, and the value of life is not to be missed.” A sequel, EXIT STRATEGY, was published May 2022 and DEAD WEST, the third novel in the series, will be published September 2023. Linda’s 2021 novel, ENDINGS, was recently optioned by a major studio for series production.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 3, 2011
Audio DL from the Library. Sometimes when I get an audio of a book I know I could breeze through much faster in print, it annoys me. Not so in this case. Linda Richards fills her book with fun noir 30s slang that is best when heard rather than read.
Death Was the Other Woman is an interesting twist on the hardboiled 30s LA noir. We see the world through the eyes of Kitty, a 30s Girl-Friday who takes matters into her own hands. Kitty Pangborn was a 21 year old child of privilege who lost everything in 1929 when her father did a swan dive out of an 8-story downtown LA office building. She now works for a PI who has spent two years teaching her on-the-job life skills. Dexter Theroux holds a genuine appreciation of her intelligence, independence and curiosity. There is a noticeable (and from a 2011 POV - welcome) lack of misogyny in this. Sometimes it comes across as a bit apocryphal, but its explained that she reminds Dex of his (ex? dead? wife).
This is Kitty's coming of age tale. Dex now suffers from periodic bouts of depression (PTSD) he acquired in WWI and has been looking at the world through the bottom of a glass of Rye. Clients are few and far between. There's a Depression on and Kitty needs to eat. However, '30s LA is one of the most corrupt and dangerous places on Earth and isn't where she wants to be naively poking her nose into.
Fun quick twist on the mystery noir trope.
Death Was the Other Woman is an interesting twist on the hardboiled 30s LA noir. We see the world through the eyes of Kitty, a 30s Girl-Friday who takes matters into her own hands. Kitty Pangborn was a 21 year old child of privilege who lost everything in 1929 when her father did a swan dive out of an 8-story downtown LA office building. She now works for a PI who has spent two years teaching her on-the-job life skills. Dexter Theroux holds a genuine appreciation of her intelligence, independence and curiosity. There is a noticeable (and from a 2011 POV - welcome) lack of misogyny in this. Sometimes it comes across as a bit apocryphal, but its explained that she reminds Dex of his (ex? dead? wife).
This is Kitty's coming of age tale. Dex now suffers from periodic bouts of depression (PTSD) he acquired in WWI and has been looking at the world through the bottom of a glass of Rye. Clients are few and far between. There's a Depression on and Kitty needs to eat. However, '30s LA is one of the most corrupt and dangerous places on Earth and isn't where she wants to be naively poking her nose into.
Fun quick twist on the mystery noir trope.
October 25, 2015
I love the feel of this book. A depression era/hard boiled detective read told (and solved) by "Girl Friday." The main character, Kitty, is a strong female lead. I got a irritated with the continual references to her father. Sometimes it added to her psychology but mostly it added a heavy, depressing element. Otherwise, Kitty is great. I like her relationships with those around her (especially the half-flirty, half-business attitude of a certain boss...)
Sometimes the book felt like it wanted to be historical fiction, other times it plays up the fictional element. Occasionally feels a little cross-purpose.
A fun read, however, with a good mystery.
Sometimes the book felt like it wanted to be historical fiction, other times it plays up the fictional element. Occasionally feels a little cross-purpose.
A fun read, however, with a good mystery.
January 26, 2017
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5
So, what were the plucky secretaries of rye-guzzling PIs doing while their employers moped about gorgeous women and betrayal? They did the actual detective work around the office, apparently.
DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN is a feminine take on the hard life of a struggling P. I. and his assistant during the harsh years of the beginning of the Depression before the Prohibition repeal. Both the investigator and the crime are pure throwbacks to classic hard boiled crime: a glamorous woman walks into a P.I.’s office and pays the investigator for some simple work, which inevitably leads to dead bodies and danger. What makes the story stands out is that it is told from the perspective of said investigator’s secretary, a young woman named Katherine “Kitty” Pangborn.
I freely admit that I’m a snob when it comes to neo-noir and hardboiled crime. It’s not uncommon to see writers capitalize on the style without an inkling of how the dark themes of classic hard boiled crime related to the American world at large. What might be portrayal as “tough” or “cool” in another book is shown in a harsh light, especially alcoholism and the cultural despair created by the Great Depression. Huge swathes of the book are spent with Kitty’s inner thoughts on the economic devastation underlying the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles. As Kitty herself went from the ideal American heiress to a penniless working girl after the stock market crash, she adds unique commentary that isn’t often found in a genre dominated by male/middle class attitudes.
The mystery itself is underwhelming. The setup is cliché as hell, and the book does little to make it stand out against the grain. Much of the detective work is buried underneath Kitty’s day-to-day social life, and there are only a handful of moments where Kitty’s ingenuity shines. Too many of the plot twists are saved for the last couple chapters, leading the book to feel unbalanced in consequence. The ending likewise feels too abrupt, as if watching a movie that ends with the second act. None of the characters are given substantial arcs, and we don’t even see any aftermath in the office after the whodunit is revealed.
Whether the reader likes DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN depends entirely on if the Depression Era setting of Los Angeles appeals to them. To that end, it’s a solid read. Noir buffs might get a kick out of the story, otherwise, there are better books for mystery lovers out there.
So, what were the plucky secretaries of rye-guzzling PIs doing while their employers moped about gorgeous women and betrayal? They did the actual detective work around the office, apparently.
DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN is a feminine take on the hard life of a struggling P. I. and his assistant during the harsh years of the beginning of the Depression before the Prohibition repeal. Both the investigator and the crime are pure throwbacks to classic hard boiled crime: a glamorous woman walks into a P.I.’s office and pays the investigator for some simple work, which inevitably leads to dead bodies and danger. What makes the story stands out is that it is told from the perspective of said investigator’s secretary, a young woman named Katherine “Kitty” Pangborn.
I freely admit that I’m a snob when it comes to neo-noir and hardboiled crime. It’s not uncommon to see writers capitalize on the style without an inkling of how the dark themes of classic hard boiled crime related to the American world at large. What might be portrayal as “tough” or “cool” in another book is shown in a harsh light, especially alcoholism and the cultural despair created by the Great Depression. Huge swathes of the book are spent with Kitty’s inner thoughts on the economic devastation underlying the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles. As Kitty herself went from the ideal American heiress to a penniless working girl after the stock market crash, she adds unique commentary that isn’t often found in a genre dominated by male/middle class attitudes.
The mystery itself is underwhelming. The setup is cliché as hell, and the book does little to make it stand out against the grain. Much of the detective work is buried underneath Kitty’s day-to-day social life, and there are only a handful of moments where Kitty’s ingenuity shines. Too many of the plot twists are saved for the last couple chapters, leading the book to feel unbalanced in consequence. The ending likewise feels too abrupt, as if watching a movie that ends with the second act. None of the characters are given substantial arcs, and we don’t even see any aftermath in the office after the whodunit is revealed.
Whether the reader likes DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN depends entirely on if the Depression Era setting of Los Angeles appeals to them. To that end, it’s a solid read. Noir buffs might get a kick out of the story, otherwise, there are better books for mystery lovers out there.
May 9, 2009
Twenty-three-year-old secretary, Katherine (Kitty) Pangborn, isn’t impressed with her boss’s new client, but private investigator, Dex Theroux, can’t afford to turn business away. Rita Heppelwaite’s hired Dex to find out if her rich boyfriend, Harrison Dempsey, is cheating on her. Needless to say, things don’t go well. Kitty discovers Harrison’s body in a bathtub. The next day, she and Dex learn that his body’s disappeared and there’s no trace of a murder at all.
This is one of many plot twists in Linda Richards’ terrific new series, Death Was the Other Woman. The story’s set in Los Angeles in the early 30’s, and while this setting might seem overdone to some mystery readers, Richards puts a modern spin on the classic detective novel by having Kitty do most of the sleuthing. But then Kitty doesn’t have much choice. At age thirty-four, Dex is an alcoholic war vet struggling with personal demons.
Kitty Pangborn is a delightful character: smart, educated, and raised in a wealthy environment until the stock market crash of 29 tore her world apart. Now on her own and poor, she’s slowly adjusting to a working-class life filled with uncertainty while coping with moments of profound sadness and a longing for the past. But Kitty’s determined, resourceful, protective, and above all, interesting. I can’t wait to read more of her adventures.
June 23, 2019
DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN is perfectly realized, smart, deep surprising and delicious hard boiled fiction. The seamlessness, depth and delicacy with which Richards realizes Depression-era L.A. is wonderful and masterful and is one of the great pleasures and triumphs of the novel, i.e. tea sweetened from honey in the San Gabriel valley evokes the acres of orange trees that once occupied southern California; the scent of oil wells in the air; the Zebra room, Venice, Court Flight, the cost of everyday items, the way people talk, the things people feel.
Richard's protagonist Kitty Pangborn is always alive and interesting. Hers is just the right consciousness through which to experience a Los Angeles that mirrors her own loss and her own transformation. Oh and don't me started on Dex or Mustard. Richards' succeeds in realizing men of their period, but irresistibly more than that with wit and anguish of their own.
The surfaces––gritty or glossy––of depression era Los Angeles are a constant pleasure but the novel is about much more and is resonant reading during a time when L.A. has never been richer or poorer.
Richard's protagonist Kitty Pangborn is always alive and interesting. Hers is just the right consciousness through which to experience a Los Angeles that mirrors her own loss and her own transformation. Oh and don't me started on Dex or Mustard. Richards' succeeds in realizing men of their period, but irresistibly more than that with wit and anguish of their own.
The surfaces––gritty or glossy––of depression era Los Angeles are a constant pleasure but the novel is about much more and is resonant reading during a time when L.A. has never been richer or poorer.
May 26, 2016
Some decent ideas and the writer seems to really be trying, but this is a mess.
Lots of exposition dumps, telling us stuff and most of the time it's more than we need.
Especially since it seems to clash with what we are shown. We are told Dex is charming, good-looking and a great detective, but we are shown an alcoholic chucklehead, who doesn't seem to accomplish much or do much to move the plot along.
His girl sidekick does most of the work and even she doesn't actually do much detecting.
Maybe that's the problem, the heroes don't seem to do much to solve the case, they seem to be a mix of greek chorus and observers.
The plot moves along without them and I wonder if the outcome would have been much different if they'd just stayed home.
Lots of exposition dumps, telling us stuff and most of the time it's more than we need.
Especially since it seems to clash with what we are shown. We are told Dex is charming, good-looking and a great detective, but we are shown an alcoholic chucklehead, who doesn't seem to accomplish much or do much to move the plot along.
His girl sidekick does most of the work and even she doesn't actually do much detecting.
Maybe that's the problem, the heroes don't seem to do much to solve the case, they seem to be a mix of greek chorus and observers.
The plot moves along without them and I wonder if the outcome would have been much different if they'd just stayed home.
January 23, 2009
This was good enough entertainment especially on audio. Thirty's slang is always better spoken, at least for me. It looks cold and funny on the page, my brain spending too much time deciphering the word and less letting the story give the meaning. So, I'm glad I picked this one to listen to on my mp3 player. As mysteries go it was a little light, I never really felt the danger. I liked the world well enough, though I'd have like to see more of it. Not a longer story, just more meat. I think I'll try book two and see if Kitty comes into her own on her second outing.
October 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this and the second in the (what I hope is a long) series. Sometimes, mystery series become just a little formulaic - so much so that you can pick out the culprit in the opening chapters. This throwback to the hardboiled detective genre is convincing, even while it seems a little tongue-in-cheek.
This book brought a little light into my reading life, helping me break through a loooooong reading drought. The sequel was very good too.
This book brought a little light into my reading life, helping me break through a loooooong reading drought. The sequel was very good too.
September 15, 2015
i was captivated by the cover - so very noir. Enjoyed the descriptions of an early Los Angeles - a place i've spent too much time in - and the characters were a delight to meet.
September 29, 2024
The twist of telling a detective story from the POV of his "Girl Friday" is the only attempt at originality in the book. All the other noir cliches are played annoyingly straight, and the historical inaccuracies and anachronisms were distracting.
Of the cliches, the most eye-rolling was Rita Hepplewhite, the curvy, buxom, 1940s-styled femme fatale...in 1931. This seductress character is a literal whore, professionally speaking. And she's described as a dead-ringer for Jessica Rabbit. You'd think this was a parody, but nothing funny ever happens.
Besides Rita's 1940s hair and curves in a time when "sexy" women were still tubular with bobbed hair, other distracting inaccuracies include the "businessmen jumping out of skyscrapers" myth as part of the heroine's backstory, and no less than three uses of the word "gunsel" to mean a gunslinger, in 1931.
It was enough of a page-turner to keep me reading, but I wasn't ever too invested.
Oh, and if you're wondering what the catchy title refers to? Absolutely nothing, bar the vague "it was all over a woman" cliche.
Of the cliches, the most eye-rolling was Rita Hepplewhite, the curvy, buxom, 1940s-styled femme fatale...in 1931. This seductress character is a literal whore, professionally speaking. And she's described as a dead-ringer for Jessica Rabbit. You'd think this was a parody, but nothing funny ever happens.
Besides Rita's 1940s hair and curves in a time when "sexy" women were still tubular with bobbed hair, other distracting inaccuracies include the "businessmen jumping out of skyscrapers" myth as part of the heroine's backstory, and no less than three uses of the word "gunsel" to mean a gunslinger, in 1931.
It was enough of a page-turner to keep me reading, but I wasn't ever too invested.
Oh, and if you're wondering what the catchy title refers to? Absolutely nothing, bar the vague "it was all over a woman" cliche.
June 6, 2020
Prim and proper Kitty Pangborn goes to Los Angeles following the death of her father, and unlike her college educated classmates from finishing school, takes a job with hard drinking local detective Dex Theroux. Dex is hired by a swell looking dame to see if her feller is stepping out on her in this period mystery. A stiff (dead person) turns up and they are off to more than they counted on. I liked the period writing. I liked the characters and I liked the twists and turns to the story.
June 7, 2020
This is an historic Los Angeles tale.
We have the PI and his trusty secretary.
There are two cases who inevitably merge, but not until the twists have ended.
Quick read.
We have the PI and his trusty secretary.
There are two cases who inevitably merge, but not until the twists have ended.
Quick read.
December 25, 2022
rounded up to 4 purely because the smokey atmosphere that was this hard boiled, fast talking, girl friday mystery that took me straight to depression era LA and never let me leave
December 29, 2023
A library find.
December 2023.
Interesting.
December 2023.
Interesting.
April 12, 2008
Death Was The Other Woman – 5 Paws
Linda L. Richards
Thomas Dunne Books, 2008, 261 pps.
ISBN No. 978-0-312-37770-0
A couple of twenties, three sawbucks, a fin and a mitt full of singles or the grand sum of $83.00 makes up the retainer paid to Dexter Theroux, Jr. a/k/a Dex by Rita Heppelwaite to check up on her boyfriend who she thinks is stepping out on her. Katherine Panghorn, Dex’s secretary, is pleased with the retainer. Times are hard and Dex isn’t always able to pay Katherine on time.
Katherine’s father lost his fortune in the stock market crash. Katherine was not raised in such a way that she was qualified to step into the business world and earn a living. She lucked into the position at Dex’s private detective agency and although she sometimes waits for a paycheck, she is glad to have the position. Her father had signed the title of their family home over to Marcus and to Marjorie Oleg, the Panghorn’s chauffer and housekeeper. Although the couple has to rent rooms out to make ends meet, Katherine will always have a roof over her head.
Dex insists that he have a car to stake out Rita’s boyfriend’s home. Katherine contacts Mustard, the connection that always seems to be able to provide what is needed. Katherine decides that she will accompany Dex on the stakeout. This will be Katherine’s first step in the roll of female detective. Dex falls asleep on the stakeout. Katherine decides she will enter the residence of Harrison Dempsey, Rita’s boyfriend, and is shocked at what she discovers.
Dex drinks too much and Katherine a/k/a Kitty tries to keep him in line but it is not an easy chore. The case of Harrison Dempsey becomes more and more complicated to the point where Kitty is not even sure if he is dead or alive but she does know someone is dead.
The story takes many twists and turns up and down the California coast. Death Was The Other Woman is a wonderful, exciting book. When you final unravel all of the threads you will find a very surprising ending. I hope here will be future books involving Kitty and Dex. Mustard is a wonderful character that I would like to read more about. The author has captured a real feeling of the world during the 1930’s and gives the reader a peek into what it was like to be young and alive with very little money.
Linda L. Richards
Thomas Dunne Books, 2008, 261 pps.
ISBN No. 978-0-312-37770-0
A couple of twenties, three sawbucks, a fin and a mitt full of singles or the grand sum of $83.00 makes up the retainer paid to Dexter Theroux, Jr. a/k/a Dex by Rita Heppelwaite to check up on her boyfriend who she thinks is stepping out on her. Katherine Panghorn, Dex’s secretary, is pleased with the retainer. Times are hard and Dex isn’t always able to pay Katherine on time.
Katherine’s father lost his fortune in the stock market crash. Katherine was not raised in such a way that she was qualified to step into the business world and earn a living. She lucked into the position at Dex’s private detective agency and although she sometimes waits for a paycheck, she is glad to have the position. Her father had signed the title of their family home over to Marcus and to Marjorie Oleg, the Panghorn’s chauffer and housekeeper. Although the couple has to rent rooms out to make ends meet, Katherine will always have a roof over her head.
Dex insists that he have a car to stake out Rita’s boyfriend’s home. Katherine contacts Mustard, the connection that always seems to be able to provide what is needed. Katherine decides that she will accompany Dex on the stakeout. This will be Katherine’s first step in the roll of female detective. Dex falls asleep on the stakeout. Katherine decides she will enter the residence of Harrison Dempsey, Rita’s boyfriend, and is shocked at what she discovers.
Dex drinks too much and Katherine a/k/a Kitty tries to keep him in line but it is not an easy chore. The case of Harrison Dempsey becomes more and more complicated to the point where Kitty is not even sure if he is dead or alive but she does know someone is dead.
The story takes many twists and turns up and down the California coast. Death Was The Other Woman is a wonderful, exciting book. When you final unravel all of the threads you will find a very surprising ending. I hope here will be future books involving Kitty and Dex. Mustard is a wonderful character that I would like to read more about. The author has captured a real feeling of the world during the 1930’s and gives the reader a peek into what it was like to be young and alive with very little money.
February 17, 2009
From ISawLightningFall.com
Contrary to the popular proverb, plenty of people select books based on the winsomeness of their dust jackets, and if cover content alone counted, Linda L. Richards would rock the bestseller lists. Her hardcover debut, Death Was the Other Woman, not only possesses a killer title, it also has artwork so sharp you could cut yourself on it. The front features a bleary-eyed gumshoe pouring a drink as he stares up at the beauty with bee-stung lips leaning against his desk, a pistol coolly clasped in her hand. Intrigue, gunplay and a hint of romance -- what’s not to love?
This promise carries past the flyleaf and into the first few chapters. Kitty Panghorn was once a high-flying society girl until the Great Depression came down or her family’s fortune like a load of bricks and her father took a short walk out an eighth-story window. Penniless in Los Angeles, Kitty finds the first work she can, becoming the secretary of one Dexter Theroux, private investigator. But Dex spends so much time examining the bottom of the bottle that when a saucy minx strolls into the office with a case, he blows the whole thing by falling asleep on the job. A dead body turns up. Then it disappears. Soon the police take an interest in the mystery -- a mystery only Kitty may be able to solve.
Unfortunately, the set-up soon develops as many holes as a Mafia informant. Prohibition-era crime fiction ought to sound punchy and hard-bitten, but the novel lapses into prose better suited for domestic drama than a detective story. And while mysteries occasionally allow coincidence to connect clues, serendipity becomes both the mortar and masonry of The Other Woman’s action. None of this is helped by a talky, anticlimactic denouement. Still, the characters are interesting and the premise compelling. Here’s to hoping Richards’ future novels eclipse their excellent covers.
Contrary to the popular proverb, plenty of people select books based on the winsomeness of their dust jackets, and if cover content alone counted, Linda L. Richards would rock the bestseller lists. Her hardcover debut, Death Was the Other Woman, not only possesses a killer title, it also has artwork so sharp you could cut yourself on it. The front features a bleary-eyed gumshoe pouring a drink as he stares up at the beauty with bee-stung lips leaning against his desk, a pistol coolly clasped in her hand. Intrigue, gunplay and a hint of romance -- what’s not to love?
This promise carries past the flyleaf and into the first few chapters. Kitty Panghorn was once a high-flying society girl until the Great Depression came down or her family’s fortune like a load of bricks and her father took a short walk out an eighth-story window. Penniless in Los Angeles, Kitty finds the first work she can, becoming the secretary of one Dexter Theroux, private investigator. But Dex spends so much time examining the bottom of the bottle that when a saucy minx strolls into the office with a case, he blows the whole thing by falling asleep on the job. A dead body turns up. Then it disappears. Soon the police take an interest in the mystery -- a mystery only Kitty may be able to solve.
Unfortunately, the set-up soon develops as many holes as a Mafia informant. Prohibition-era crime fiction ought to sound punchy and hard-bitten, but the novel lapses into prose better suited for domestic drama than a detective story. And while mysteries occasionally allow coincidence to connect clues, serendipity becomes both the mortar and masonry of The Other Woman’s action. None of this is helped by a talky, anticlimactic denouement. Still, the characters are interesting and the premise compelling. Here’s to hoping Richards’ future novels eclipse their excellent covers.
May 2, 2011
Set in the Hollywood Hills post-WWI, just as the Depression is hitting and Prohibition is on the rocks, Death Was the Other Woman is the kind of historical fiction I can handle – rich in setting, with enough historical accuracy to feel authentic, but enough fiction to keep the pages turning. Author Linda L. Richards does a fabulous job of setting an authentic tone with her knowledgeable, pithy descriptions of California during that era, as told by her spunky heroine, Kitty Pangborn. Kitty is the daughter of a businessman whose unfortunate decisions before the stock market crash of ’29 led him to suicide – leaving his pampered daughter to fend for herself in a world where single, headstrong career women aren’t exactly the norm yet. As the novels opens, Kitty is working as secretary for Dex, a WWI vet-turned-detective with a haunted past and a tendency to run from his troubles at the bottom of a bottle. A gorgeous and distraught woman comes in and hires Dex to find her boyfriend… From that point on, the novel is a non-stop tangle of love, betrayal, and dead bodies around every corner.
Richards does well at convincingly portraying Kitty’s plight as a young woman raised with few expectations save eventually marrying well and raising a family, suddenly thrust into a world where weightier responsibilities have fallen on her shoulders. The character could easily have come off as weak and one-dimensional, but instead Richards has created in Kitty Pangborn a headstrong, independent young woman whose personal troubles have strengthened both her character and her resolve. The plot is well-imagined and well-paced, the setting entrancing, and the sparks between Dex and Kitty hot enough to make me hope for a sequel down the road. A combination of pulp and noir with a feminist twist, this is the kind of novel that keeps you reading ’til late in the night. If you’re a fan of a tamer brand of noir mystery, I highly recommend Death Was the Other Woman.
Richards does well at convincingly portraying Kitty’s plight as a young woman raised with few expectations save eventually marrying well and raising a family, suddenly thrust into a world where weightier responsibilities have fallen on her shoulders. The character could easily have come off as weak and one-dimensional, but instead Richards has created in Kitty Pangborn a headstrong, independent young woman whose personal troubles have strengthened both her character and her resolve. The plot is well-imagined and well-paced, the setting entrancing, and the sparks between Dex and Kitty hot enough to make me hope for a sequel down the road. A combination of pulp and noir with a feminist twist, this is the kind of novel that keeps you reading ’til late in the night. If you’re a fan of a tamer brand of noir mystery, I highly recommend Death Was the Other Woman.
November 15, 2012
Genre Fiction done right! Loved it, great book that ran all over the pages of Queenspin and then came back for seconds and kicks its ass clean across the sidewalk. Anyway, Kit Pangborn is a chick living in Depression Era LA working a case with detective dreamy Dex (Who I wanted to smooch on all afternoon, he was a great character). This book is written in a style that isn't just genre fiction, it's literary fiction as well. Great descriptions almost what I would compare to the style of James M Cain and the like.
Death was the other Woman is a book you can really get lost into. The California, LA, San Francisco scene is real and gritty. The weather is correct, the types of people. Like a slice of life thrown against a back drop of the thirties.I loved the very real descriptions of California and since I live here, I'm very picky and critical over it. It ain't always sunshine and palm trees, come on kill the cliche, start talking about that nasty rain that seems to stretch form Norcal to Socal at times. The avocado trees, flat looking houses to stop us being crushed from earthquakes. The I-5, cloudy San Francisco.....Her writing was very believable with great plot twists too
! Good job Linda L. Richards. Su-freaking-perb job.
Death was the other Woman is a book you can really get lost into. The California, LA, San Francisco scene is real and gritty. The weather is correct, the types of people. Like a slice of life thrown against a back drop of the thirties.I loved the very real descriptions of California and since I live here, I'm very picky and critical over it. It ain't always sunshine and palm trees, come on kill the cliche, start talking about that nasty rain that seems to stretch form Norcal to Socal at times. The avocado trees, flat looking houses to stop us being crushed from earthquakes. The I-5, cloudy San Francisco.....Her writing was very believable with great plot twists too
! Good job Linda L. Richards. Su-freaking-perb job.
January 21, 2015
3.5 STARS
"As the lawlessness of Prohibition pushes against the desperation of the Depression, there are two ways to make a living in Los Angeles: join the criminals or collar them. Kitty Pangborn has chosen the crime-fighters, becoming secretary to Dexter J. Theroux, one of the hard-drinking, tough-talking PIs who pepper the city's stew. But after Dex takes an assignment from Rita Heppelwaite, the mistress of Harrison Dempsey, one of L.A.'s shadiest—and richest—businessmen, Kitty isn't so sure what side of the law she's on.
Rita suspects Dempsey has been stepping out and asks Dex to tail him. It's an easy enough task, but Dex's morning stroll with Johnnie Walker would make it tough for him to trail his own shadow. Kitty insists she go along for the ride, keeping her boss—and hopefully her salary—safe. However, she's about to realize that there's something far more unpleasant than a three-timing husband at the end of this trail, and that there's more at risk than her paycheck." (From Amazon)
This was right up my alley - set in Hollywood during the 1930s - it is very Sam Spade but with the Girl Friday as Spade.
"As the lawlessness of Prohibition pushes against the desperation of the Depression, there are two ways to make a living in Los Angeles: join the criminals or collar them. Kitty Pangborn has chosen the crime-fighters, becoming secretary to Dexter J. Theroux, one of the hard-drinking, tough-talking PIs who pepper the city's stew. But after Dex takes an assignment from Rita Heppelwaite, the mistress of Harrison Dempsey, one of L.A.'s shadiest—and richest—businessmen, Kitty isn't so sure what side of the law she's on.
Rita suspects Dempsey has been stepping out and asks Dex to tail him. It's an easy enough task, but Dex's morning stroll with Johnnie Walker would make it tough for him to trail his own shadow. Kitty insists she go along for the ride, keeping her boss—and hopefully her salary—safe. However, she's about to realize that there's something far more unpleasant than a three-timing husband at the end of this trail, and that there's more at risk than her paycheck." (From Amazon)
This was right up my alley - set in Hollywood during the 1930s - it is very Sam Spade but with the Girl Friday as Spade.
April 14, 2009
As you may have guessed from my love of the Algonquin Round Table folks, I very much enjoy books set between the wars. I thought this one was quite good and I found the character of Kitty (no! Katherine!) Pangborn quite believable and one I'd like to hear more about. In general, I felt Ms. Richards did a great job in giving the flavor of the times. For example, although I've spent time in LA I was really not aware of there having been a lot of oil wells there in the early 30s, but this was the case.
This is in some ways a noir mystery, complete with hard-drinking private detective and other aspects of the genre, but the fact that it's narrated by Kitty moderates the noirishness to a level I could live with. The setting in 1931 Los Angeles is well-researched and the characters are ones I look forward to getting to know better.
This is in some ways a noir mystery, complete with hard-drinking private detective and other aspects of the genre, but the fact that it's narrated by Kitty moderates the noirishness to a level I could live with. The setting in 1931 Los Angeles is well-researched and the characters are ones I look forward to getting to know better.
July 19, 2012
I really loved this contemporary take on a hard-boiled detective novel. Set in Depression-era Los Angeles, it was filled with tough guys and gorgeous bad girls.
What fun for a summer afternoon! The narrator was an elegantly reared orphan whose father jumped from his office tower when the stock market crashed on Black Friday. Leaving finishing school with no money, no prospects, no way to continue her plans to attend Vassar, our heroine stumbles into a job with an attractive (but gloomy) WW1 vet who runs a struggling Private Investigation service.
The mystery was fine, but our heroine, Kitty, was so charming and so engaging that I hope Linda Richards has many more stories to tell. My enjoyment of this was much like when I read the first Maisie Dobbs book (set post WW1 also)-- a frank, fun, refreshing modern girl setting out to find her place in a changing world.
What fun for a summer afternoon! The narrator was an elegantly reared orphan whose father jumped from his office tower when the stock market crashed on Black Friday. Leaving finishing school with no money, no prospects, no way to continue her plans to attend Vassar, our heroine stumbles into a job with an attractive (but gloomy) WW1 vet who runs a struggling Private Investigation service.
The mystery was fine, but our heroine, Kitty, was so charming and so engaging that I hope Linda Richards has many more stories to tell. My enjoyment of this was much like when I read the first Maisie Dobbs book (set post WW1 also)-- a frank, fun, refreshing modern girl setting out to find her place in a changing world.
March 31, 2018
Should have read this one first. A LOT of background on the characters in Richards' delightful (yes, delightful!) noir-ish detective series :-) Some of this would have been nice to know before I read Death Was in the Picture: A Mystery, but no harm. You can see Richards was still experimenting with style and tone here; there are a few moments where Kitty gets a bit too editorial-y. A bit darker, but still fun. I probably would have enjoyed this better if I hadn't read Death Was in the Picture first. (Oops!) Nevertheless, I'm SO looking forward to Richards' next installment of this series :-)
April 6, 2008
Linda L. Richards tells tale of the "girl Friday" in this twist of the typical Depression-era P.I. tale. Richards takes a finishing school doll, whose father committed suicide as his stocks plummeted in the crash of '29-leaving her penniless, and has her get a job to support herself. Her boss is Dexter Thoreaux, a down and out drunk disturbed by his experiences in WWI and not always able to face the day with both feet on the ground. Enter Katharine "Kitty" Pangborn, secretary -cum-sleuth.
It's an entertaining read. The characters aren't too deep, but if you're not seeking life-altering introspection (and, hey, who is, really), then this is an entertaining ride.
It's an entertaining read. The characters aren't too deep, but if you're not seeking life-altering introspection (and, hey, who is, really), then this is an entertaining ride.
February 24, 2011
What attracted to me to pick it up was the cover as it looked interesting.
Kitty (my name is Katherine) tells the story, she works for Dexter Theroux, a heavy drinking PI who has lots of secrets. It is timed in the 1920's. Rita Hepplewaite hires Dexter to find if her boyfriend is having an affair or not, Kitty goes with him because she doesn't trust Dexter to drive because he's been dringking, again. They find a dead body (the boyfriend?) - we find there's a wife and another woman and another man - a little mystery. Kitty does some detective work on her own and ends up on a luxury liner when the end pans out.
Not bad.
Kitty (my name is Katherine) tells the story, she works for Dexter Theroux, a heavy drinking PI who has lots of secrets. It is timed in the 1920's. Rita Hepplewaite hires Dexter to find if her boyfriend is having an affair or not, Kitty goes with him because she doesn't trust Dexter to drive because he's been dringking, again. They find a dead body (the boyfriend?) - we find there's a wife and another woman and another man - a little mystery. Kitty does some detective work on her own and ends up on a luxury liner when the end pans out.
Not bad.
February 9, 2015
Good, old fashioned hard boiled detective story with a twist. It's told from the dame's point of view. The more competent secretary to the P.I. narrates the story and while she is not an experienced detective, she has a different viewpoint than her scotch swilling boss. I wasn't sure about the premise at first, but it works and works well. I went in not expecting to get much enjoyment out of the story, but I was wrong.I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading "Death Was In The Picture", Linda L. Richard's follow up mystery to this one.
June 29, 2013
Katherine Pangborn was born to wealth in Los Angeles but has to leave school to make a living after her father loses everything in the stock market crash. She lands a job as a secretary with the hard drinking detective Dex Theroux. This 1930's noir starts with a dame concerned about a cheating boyfriend and spirals into a murder mystery. Young Katherine transforms from an underworked secretary into a valued investigative partner. The story told from Katherine's perspective and filled with the slang of the period is a satisfying experience.
April 6, 2008
Oh, I'll admit that I picked this book up at the library solely because of its fabulous cover art, but the plot did not disappoint. In fact, I'll even go as far to say that Linda L. Richards is now one of my top 5 favorite new writers. Kitty Pangborn is one plucky heroine and adds a fresh feminine voice to the noir oeuvre. The only thing that prevented this book from 5 stars was the fact that it wasn't as dark as most noir books are - and I missed that darkness.
September 8, 2008
Linda Richard has created a great new crime fiction character in this book. Its right out of the 1930's hard boiled classics-guns and gams, booze and bodies. Kitty Pangborn's on the case. The story keeps you guessing right to the end. And the descriptions of life in the cities during the depression as Prohibition is setting is perfect fro this girl Friday turned private eye in order to turn a dime without turning tricks!
April 11, 2009
I really think that the Girl Friday POV introduced here is a refreshing change of pace to the pulp noir detective story. I read the book following this one first, though, and in comparison didn't like this one quite as much, but I still am quite looking forward to more of the adventures of Kitty Pangborn and Dex Theroux.
August 25, 2024
I don't usually read noir fiction so this was a little outside my wheelhouse, but it was a good story. Plenty of [logical] plot twists, an ending that surprises you without making you throw the book across the room, a likable cast of protagonists, and pacing that carried the story along without making it feel like you were on a roller-coaster. Kitty is a wonderful lead with a heart of gold.
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