What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boy in the Red Dress
A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery in this rollicking romp of truth, lies, and troubled pasts.
New Year's Eve, 1929.
Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers' diamond earrings can't outshine the real star of the the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club's star performer and his fans are legion--if mostly underground.
When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she's just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club's balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he's innocent, but local detectives aren't so easily convinced.
As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie's attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who's offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks..
New Year's Eve, 1929.
Millie is running the show at the Cloak & Dagger, a swinging speakeasy in the French Quarter, while her aunt is out of town. The new year is just around the corner, and all of New Orleans is out to celebrate, but even wealthy partiers' diamond earrings can't outshine the real star of the the boy in the red dress. Marion is the club's star performer and his fans are legion--if mostly underground.
When a young socialite wielding a photograph of Marion starts asking questions, Millie wonders if she's just another fan. But then her body is found crumpled in the courtyard, dead from an apparent fall off the club's balcony, and all signs point to Marion as the murderer. Millie knows he's innocent, but local detectives aren't so easily convinced.
As she chases clues that lead to cemeteries and dead ends, Millie's attention is divided between the wry and beautiful Olive, a waitress at the Cloak & Dagger, and Bennie, the charming bootlegger who's offered to help her solve the case. The clock is ticking for the fugitive Marion, but the truth of who the killer is might be closer than Millie thinks..
368 pages, ebook
First published May 12, 2020
About the author
Kristin Lambert
1 book93 followersKristin Lambert lives in a house littered with the remains of the many craft hobbies she learned just to procrastinate writing. Her husband, two daughters, two cats and a dog live there, too, somewhere. She has a BA in journalism and creative writing, and her most prized possessions are her childhood teddy bear Bubbles and a pair of red cowboy boots. The Boy in the Red Dress is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
Want to read
October 3, 2019From the author's twitter:
"Quick facts about THE BOY IN THE RED DRESS:
🏳️🌈MC Millie is bi (hello bi love triangle!)
🏳️🌈Her BFF Marion is gay & performs in drag
🏳️🌈Her aunt is a lesbian in a committed relationship w/ a woman
🏳️🌈They all work in a queer-friendly speakeasy
🏳️🌈A few people are straight I guess?"
Kristin Lambert
I NEED THIS
"Quick facts about THE BOY IN THE RED DRESS:
🏳️🌈MC Millie is bi (hello bi love triangle!)
🏳️🌈Her BFF Marion is gay & performs in drag
🏳️🌈Her aunt is a lesbian in a committed relationship w/ a woman
🏳️🌈They all work in a queer-friendly speakeasy
🏳️🌈A few people are straight I guess?"
Kristin Lambert
I NEED THIS
December 5, 2020
The Boy in the Red Dress
is a fun, unique, and compelling story about living your life on your own terms—and trying to protect your friends.
It’s New Year’s Eve in New Orleans in 1929. Millie is running her aunt’s speakeasy while she is out of town. Everyone has come to the Cloak and Dagger to see Marion Leslie perform. This “boy in the red dress” is a consummate performer and Millie’s best friend.
That night, though, a young socialite is showing people an old picture of Marion and asking questions. Seeing her has truly upset Marion, as it reminds him of an earlier, horrible time in his life. But he’s also angry that this woman has shown up and he wants her to leave.
Before the clock strikes midnight, the woman is found dead outside the club. It appears she was pushed off a balcony, and her friends immediately accuse Marion of her murder. But Millie knows he couldn’t possibly be guilty, even if the police want nothing more than to accuse a boy who dresses as a woman to be punished.
Determined to clear his name, Millie starts her own investigation. She uncovers secrets, blackmail, illicit love affairs, and people bent on keeping her from the truth, but she doesn’t care. She’ll stop at nothing to figure out what happened, even if it puts her in danger.
As she mounts her own investigation, she has to deal with her own conflicted feelings between Olive, a young waitress at the club, and Bennie, the handsome bootlegger. But romance has to take a back seat until she finds the real killer.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Despite the time period, I love how the book never made a big deal about anyone’s sexuality or how they choose to live. Millie is a conflicted teenage girl unsure of what her heart wants, but she will fight to protect anyone who tries to hurt someone she cares about.
This was a great story, so well-told and poignant at times. I loved these characters and would love to see another book with them!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
It’s New Year’s Eve in New Orleans in 1929. Millie is running her aunt’s speakeasy while she is out of town. Everyone has come to the Cloak and Dagger to see Marion Leslie perform. This “boy in the red dress” is a consummate performer and Millie’s best friend.
That night, though, a young socialite is showing people an old picture of Marion and asking questions. Seeing her has truly upset Marion, as it reminds him of an earlier, horrible time in his life. But he’s also angry that this woman has shown up and he wants her to leave.
Before the clock strikes midnight, the woman is found dead outside the club. It appears she was pushed off a balcony, and her friends immediately accuse Marion of her murder. But Millie knows he couldn’t possibly be guilty, even if the police want nothing more than to accuse a boy who dresses as a woman to be punished.
Determined to clear his name, Millie starts her own investigation. She uncovers secrets, blackmail, illicit love affairs, and people bent on keeping her from the truth, but she doesn’t care. She’ll stop at nothing to figure out what happened, even if it puts her in danger.
As she mounts her own investigation, she has to deal with her own conflicted feelings between Olive, a young waitress at the club, and Bennie, the handsome bootlegger. But romance has to take a back seat until she finds the real killer.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Despite the time period, I love how the book never made a big deal about anyone’s sexuality or how they choose to live. Millie is a conflicted teenage girl unsure of what her heart wants, but she will fight to protect anyone who tries to hurt someone she cares about.
This was a great story, so well-told and poignant at times. I loved these characters and would love to see another book with them!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
June 14, 2020
Uma ótima estreia!
Essa é a história de um assassinato. E de todos os motivos que levaram a isso. É uma história sobre amizade, sobre lutar pelo o que você acredita e sobre nunca desistir de fazer a coisa certa -- mesmo que o preço a ser pago seja alto demais.
Aconteceu um assassinato no speakeasy Cloak & Dagger. Uma garota, ligada ao cantor principal, morreu. Ele jamais faria algo assim, pelo menos é o que Millie acredita. A polícia, por sua vez, parece inclinada a acusar o garoto gay e decidir que o caso está resolvido. Mas Millie não vai descansar enquanto não descobrir a verdade. Ela não vai deixar que seu melhor amigo seja preso por algo que ele não fez.
Esse livro é TUDO o que eu precisava! Temos uma protagonista bi, um triângulo amoroso, um garoto gay que faz drag e se apresenta como uma grande cantora, uma tia lésbica e... não tenho certeza de ter muitos héteros por aqui. A motivação da Millie para fazer o que for necessário para encontrar o culpado foi válida, bonita e preciosa. Para um livro ambientado em 1920, ver a diversidade ser tratada com tanta naturalidade e respeito é um presente. Fiquei pensando em quantas histórias parecidas (não necessariamente envolvendo assassinatos) aconteceram e nunca ficamos sabendo.
Eu gostei de todos os personagens, até do mais chato deles. Ri em algumas cenas, fiquei com o coração apertado em outras. Em outro momento, esse seria um livro que eu daria 4 estrelas, mas eu estou tão feliz com a EXISTÊNCIA dessa história que não posso dar outra nota diferente de 5! Aguardo ansiosamente por qualquer coisa que a Kristin Lambert escrever.
Essa é a história de um assassinato. E de todos os motivos que levaram a isso. É uma história sobre amizade, sobre lutar pelo o que você acredita e sobre nunca desistir de fazer a coisa certa -- mesmo que o preço a ser pago seja alto demais.
Aconteceu um assassinato no speakeasy Cloak & Dagger. Uma garota, ligada ao cantor principal, morreu. Ele jamais faria algo assim, pelo menos é o que Millie acredita. A polícia, por sua vez, parece inclinada a acusar o garoto gay e decidir que o caso está resolvido. Mas Millie não vai descansar enquanto não descobrir a verdade. Ela não vai deixar que seu melhor amigo seja preso por algo que ele não fez.
Esse livro é TUDO o que eu precisava! Temos uma protagonista bi, um triângulo amoroso, um garoto gay que faz drag e se apresenta como uma grande cantora, uma tia lésbica e... não tenho certeza de ter muitos héteros por aqui. A motivação da Millie para fazer o que for necessário para encontrar o culpado foi válida, bonita e preciosa. Para um livro ambientado em 1920, ver a diversidade ser tratada com tanta naturalidade e respeito é um presente. Fiquei pensando em quantas histórias parecidas (não necessariamente envolvendo assassinatos) aconteceram e nunca ficamos sabendo.
Eu gostei de todos os personagens, até do mais chato deles. Ri em algumas cenas, fiquei com o coração apertado em outras. Em outro momento, esse seria um livro que eu daria 4 estrelas, mas eu estou tão feliz com a EXISTÊNCIA dessa história que não posso dar outra nota diferente de 5! Aguardo ansiosamente por qualquer coisa que a Kristin Lambert escrever.
April 23, 2020
4.5 Stars
This book was such a wild ride and I loved it! It has absolutely everything you'd want from an #ownvoices queer historical murder mystery set against the backdrop of a queer-friendly speakeasy in 1920's New Orleans. (If fireworks didn't go off in your mind at least five times reading that sentence, I'm not sure we can be friends.) With a headstrong bisexual amateur sleuth at the helm, this story kept me in its grips from start to finish.
From disguises and half-baked schemes to code-busting and cornering suspects, this mystery kept me guessing through and through. Not only is it a satisfying whodunnit, but it's one of those well-crafted mysteries that deepens your understanding of the victim and the accused with every new development.
Not only that, but it's empowering to see a mystery where the characters' determination to catch the killer stems from a desire to overcome injustice. This story challenges common ideas of who is guilty (the marginalized) and who is innocent (the systemically privileged). It's convenient for the cops to pin a drag queen performer as a murderer, but Millie will do whatever it takes to make those officials eat their words.
This is a story of family, loyalty, and love. It's about Millie and her friends fighting to defend those who cannot defend themselves and those who are silenced beyond measure. It's about rewriting queer people into the history they've been erased from, and giving the reader hope that justice isn't only reserved for those who can afford it.
A darkly charming, intense, twisty mystery until the very end, this is not one I'll soon forget.
This book was such a wild ride and I loved it! It has absolutely everything you'd want from an #ownvoices queer historical murder mystery set against the backdrop of a queer-friendly speakeasy in 1920's New Orleans. (If fireworks didn't go off in your mind at least five times reading that sentence, I'm not sure we can be friends.) With a headstrong bisexual amateur sleuth at the helm, this story kept me in its grips from start to finish.
From disguises and half-baked schemes to code-busting and cornering suspects, this mystery kept me guessing through and through. Not only is it a satisfying whodunnit, but it's one of those well-crafted mysteries that deepens your understanding of the victim and the accused with every new development.
Not only that, but it's empowering to see a mystery where the characters' determination to catch the killer stems from a desire to overcome injustice. This story challenges common ideas of who is guilty (the marginalized) and who is innocent (the systemically privileged). It's convenient for the cops to pin a drag queen performer as a murderer, but Millie will do whatever it takes to make those officials eat their words.
This is a story of family, loyalty, and love. It's about Millie and her friends fighting to defend those who cannot defend themselves and those who are silenced beyond measure. It's about rewriting queer people into the history they've been erased from, and giving the reader hope that justice isn't only reserved for those who can afford it.
A darkly charming, intense, twisty mystery until the very end, this is not one I'll soon forget.
June 25, 2022
3.5 stars
April 25, 2019
I forking love this book. Superb mystery in a setting that you basically smell on the pages. Speakeasies, drag, a sharp-witted heroine, and a twisty mystery. A++++
May 24, 2020
Thanks to my Mum for typing this up for me.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending this book to me in exchange for an honest review.
This book had all the elements that I love but sadly it didn't execute any of them to the standard I'd hoped for.
This story follows the main character, Millie, who sets out to clear her best friends name after he is accused of murdering a girl from his past. Set in the early 30's, and mainly taking place in a speakeasy owned by her Aunt, Millie attempts to investigate anyone possibly connected to the murder to ensure Marion isn't convicted.
What I Liked:
The diverse cast. I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this as it represents a number of different identities that readers may connect with.
What I Didn't Like:
Plot structure. This book is poorly paced, unrealistic and frustrating. Everything Millie "needed" to do was either maddeningly easy, or led to no information. There were no clues to follow throughout the book and therefore the reader was unable to puzzle together the mystery as we were given no pieces.
As an example of how unrealistic the plot was: Millie needed to speak to the most "anonymous" woman in New Orleans, but it took 2 minutes and a phone call to get a meeting with her!
Development. I didn't feel connected with any of the characters in this book. There were a very large number of characters which meant they had little to no character development. The relationships lacked depth which meant the friendships, romances and familial relationships were shallow and unsatisfying.
Detail. Put simply, there was far too little detail that would have added atmosphere, believability and intrigue, and far too much detail about inane and unimportant places and objects. This is probably my biggest gripe with the book.
Overall this was a book with so much potential which just didn't deliver. The ending was satisfactory, but getting there was not enjoyable use of time.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending this book to me in exchange for an honest review.
This book had all the elements that I love but sadly it didn't execute any of them to the standard I'd hoped for.
This story follows the main character, Millie, who sets out to clear her best friends name after he is accused of murdering a girl from his past. Set in the early 30's, and mainly taking place in a speakeasy owned by her Aunt, Millie attempts to investigate anyone possibly connected to the murder to ensure Marion isn't convicted.
What I Liked:
The diverse cast. I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this as it represents a number of different identities that readers may connect with.
What I Didn't Like:
Plot structure. This book is poorly paced, unrealistic and frustrating. Everything Millie "needed" to do was either maddeningly easy, or led to no information. There were no clues to follow throughout the book and therefore the reader was unable to puzzle together the mystery as we were given no pieces.
As an example of how unrealistic the plot was: Millie needed to speak to the most "anonymous" woman in New Orleans, but it took 2 minutes and a phone call to get a meeting with her!
Development. I didn't feel connected with any of the characters in this book. There were a very large number of characters which meant they had little to no character development. The relationships lacked depth which meant the friendships, romances and familial relationships were shallow and unsatisfying.
Detail. Put simply, there was far too little detail that would have added atmosphere, believability and intrigue, and far too much detail about inane and unimportant places and objects. This is probably my biggest gripe with the book.
Overall this was a book with so much potential which just didn't deliver. The ending was satisfactory, but getting there was not enjoyable use of time.
December 24, 2023
I read a lot of mysteries, and many of them tend to have a fairly simplistic view of morality. History can be an ugly thing, so it's always surprising when you get a historical-fiction novel that seems disinterested in exploring everything, warts and all. So it's incredibly refreshing to read one with some nuance. Also, if ever a mystery book needed to be a mystery series, it's this one. Please have a sequel... please!!
May 30, 2020
this was an excellent #ownvoices queer historical! loved the New Orleans setting, and the mystery really kept me guessing at every turn.
June 14, 2020
Did you like the gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue? Do you want a fabulous lgbtqia+ cast of characters who are not defined by their labels mixed with a dash of murder mystery??? How could you say no to that??
After a murder occurs at their speakeasy in New Orleans, Millie is determined to dive into the case and protect her friend Marion; the prime suspect.
This book was simply just a whole lot of fun. I didn’t suspect the suspects, our protagonist Millie was wonderful in guiding us through this world and all the characters were funny and believable.
The romance in the book didn’t overshadow the plot, the plot was funny without being too obvious as some ya’s are and this was just a good time all round.
After a murder occurs at their speakeasy in New Orleans, Millie is determined to dive into the case and protect her friend Marion; the prime suspect.
This book was simply just a whole lot of fun. I didn’t suspect the suspects, our protagonist Millie was wonderful in guiding us through this world and all the characters were funny and believable.
The romance in the book didn’t overshadow the plot, the plot was funny without being too obvious as some ya’s are and this was just a good time all round.
May 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this! I am just an absolute sucker for a historical murder mystery but I don't know that I've read many that have queer characters where we aren't reminded every chapter about bigoted people's thoughts. It was kind of nice to not have a whole book of slurs towards the reps in here. I was NOT expecting the end so lots of guessing the whole way through.
Rep: f/f romance, bi or pansexual, male dressed as female
Rep: f/f romance, bi or pansexual, male dressed as female
March 5, 2020
Welcome to the Cloak and Dagger club! Please come in -- the password is “hijinks.” Okay good, now that you’re here, I can tell you a secret about the good old Cloak. This is one of those places where you feel like you just belong, because whatever brand of weird and wonderful you are slides right in alongside ours. If you haven’t found a place like that in real life yet, feel free to come back and visit us any time you want. While you’re here, let me tell you about the people I love. First, there’s our club owner’s niece Millie; she’s our unofficial emcee, off-the-books bookkeeper, fibber and general nosy pants, and bi disaster who doesn’t think she’s a disaster at all thank you. Her best friend is Marion, the star of our drag show, who sews his own fabulous costumes (half his paycheck goes to adding sparkly bits), has a not-so-secret crush on the piano player, and spends most of his time preventing Millie from making everything worse for herself. Add in quiet-but-fierce piano player Lewis (also secret crushing); savvy waitress Olive, who can spot a lie at twenty paces; and bootlegger Bennie, whose smile can charm almost anyone, and you have a team that can help each other through anything -- even a murder happening right outside the club’s back door. But don’t worry, you’re safe -- we’ve only had one murder here. So far anyway ...
Read
April 12, 2020This was such a delightful surprise with strooooong Iron Cast vibes but not paranormal and of course super queer. If you're into Prohibition fiction this is a really fun one.
May 16, 2020
Excuse me! They said "Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries", and if that doesn't have me scrambling to the buy button nothing will. *fingers crossed*
September 5, 2020
An historical mystery, set in 1929-1930 New Orleans, with a wonderfully, casually queer cast of characters. Despite the homophobic attitudes of some of the supporting characters, the main characters live their lives as they please, with most of the action centred on a speakeasy/night club, the Cloak and Dagger, where the boy of the title sings nightly to a queer audience.
Millie Donovan, the PoV, is prickly and finds it hard to trust others thanks to years spent in a difficult relationship with her mother. She now lives with and works for her aunt Cal, who’s in a long term relationship with another woman. Millie serves drinks at the speakeasy, and works the door. She’s also attracted to Olive, a Black waiter, and to a delivery guy, Benny. Marion Leslie, the singer, escaped from a horrible situation at home, is hiding major parts of his life from everyone at the bar, and is attracted to the piano player.
When a rich girl from his past shows up one night, along with her rich friends, things go south quickly, with Araminta “Minty” dead and Marion accused of her murder.
After seeing how quickly and incompetently the police jump to a conclusion on little though somewhat damning evidence, Millie decides to investigate to save her best friend. She pulls in others from the speakeasy to help her, and uses her smarts, attitude, and relentlessness to track down other suspects, motives and evidence.
The story is fast-paced, and I admit to not figuring out the murderer, as I was spending more time just enjoying this story rather than sleuthing. I liked watching Millie’s efforts to clear her friend’s name. I really liked how even while Millie made forward progress in her investigation, she made plausible mistakes because of her attitude, and lack of experience outside of the speakeasy and its circle of individuals. Millie was believable as a character, and the historical details, including the attitudes expressed by each character, gave great colour to this mystery
Millie Donovan, the PoV, is prickly and finds it hard to trust others thanks to years spent in a difficult relationship with her mother. She now lives with and works for her aunt Cal, who’s in a long term relationship with another woman. Millie serves drinks at the speakeasy, and works the door. She’s also attracted to Olive, a Black waiter, and to a delivery guy, Benny. Marion Leslie, the singer, escaped from a horrible situation at home, is hiding major parts of his life from everyone at the bar, and is attracted to the piano player.
When a rich girl from his past shows up one night, along with her rich friends, things go south quickly, with Araminta “Minty” dead and Marion accused of her murder.
After seeing how quickly and incompetently the police jump to a conclusion on little though somewhat damning evidence, Millie decides to investigate to save her best friend. She pulls in others from the speakeasy to help her, and uses her smarts, attitude, and relentlessness to track down other suspects, motives and evidence.
The story is fast-paced, and I admit to not figuring out the murderer, as I was spending more time just enjoying this story rather than sleuthing. I liked watching Millie’s efforts to clear her friend’s name. I really liked how even while Millie made forward progress in her investigation, she made plausible mistakes because of her attitude, and lack of experience outside of the speakeasy and its circle of individuals. Millie was believable as a character, and the historical details, including the attitudes expressed by each character, gave great colour to this mystery
June 8, 2019
Do you love Veronica Mars? New Orleans? Drag queens? Good. This is the book for you.
Take it with you on a trip to New Orleans (or New York, or London, or your grandma's house, idc TAKE IT WITH YOU) and get ready for a fully immersive historical mystery in one of the most exciting cities in the world.
I can't wait to read the final version!
Take it with you on a trip to New Orleans (or New York, or London, or your grandma's house, idc TAKE IT WITH YOU) and get ready for a fully immersive historical mystery in one of the most exciting cities in the world.
I can't wait to read the final version!
May 15, 2020
This is a fantastic queer debut that kept me guessing at every twist and turn.
November 14, 2020
New Year’s Eve, 1929, and everyone at the Cloak & Dagger speakeasy in New Orleans’ French Quarter is there for one thing: Marion, the boy in the red dress. Especially the beautiful socialite showing his picture and asking questions. Marion’s performance is interrupted by this young lady’s murder and the ensuing investigation pins Marion as the killer. But Marion’s best friend, Millie, knows he’s no killer and decides to solve the case herself.
I was really intrigued by the concept of this book and very excited to receive an ARC. With an intricate murder mystery, the unravelling of dark pasts and queer characters at the forefront, all set against the backdrop of New Orleans’ French Quarter, The Boy in the Red Dress was set up to be a fantastic book. However, I found that it wasn’t very well developed and, for the most part, fell flat for me.
This book’s strength lay in the mystery itself. It kept me guessing right up to the end and I honestly never once suspected the killer. The investigation led to some tense moments as Millie worked against the clock and the police with the high stakes of Marion’s life hanging over her. However, I found that there weren’t many clues or leads for the reader to follow which meant that although the killer’s identity was a surprise, it was largely because I wasn’t actually able to attempt to piece the mystery together myself. I also liked the romance of the book, it played a very small role but added a lot to my enjoyment. The love interests were also some of the characters I liked seeing most, alongside Marion. I also particularly loved that this book was full of very casual queer rep, including a bi main character, a drag performer and more!
My main complaint of this book was the lack of depth and development, which unfortunately covers a few key areas - setting, characters and plot (excluding the mystery itself). Although this book is a mystery and therefore it makes sense for that to be the main focus, I found that much of the rest of the book just hadn’t been developed enough and ended up bringing it down. I felt that the setting, especially, was underutilised which really disappointed me as it was this book’s main selling point for me. I also found the characters, particularly Millie, to be honestly quite bland. The lack of depth to the characters resulted in a lack of investment in the book or the stakes which undermined the mystery itself. Additionally, although I know that this is not the main focus of the book, I would have appreciated a little more discussion on the realities of being queer at this time, especially since the speakeasy and many of our main characters were queer.
Overall, this was by no means a bad book - it was a stellar mystery and great concept. However, the lack of development and depth given to the rest of the book led to difficulty getting invested in and gripped by the mystery. That being said, it did pick up later in the book and I really enjoyed the ending and resolution.
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*physical ARC received in exchange for an honest review via Melia*
I was really intrigued by the concept of this book and very excited to receive an ARC. With an intricate murder mystery, the unravelling of dark pasts and queer characters at the forefront, all set against the backdrop of New Orleans’ French Quarter, The Boy in the Red Dress was set up to be a fantastic book. However, I found that it wasn’t very well developed and, for the most part, fell flat for me.
This book’s strength lay in the mystery itself. It kept me guessing right up to the end and I honestly never once suspected the killer. The investigation led to some tense moments as Millie worked against the clock and the police with the high stakes of Marion’s life hanging over her. However, I found that there weren’t many clues or leads for the reader to follow which meant that although the killer’s identity was a surprise, it was largely because I wasn’t actually able to attempt to piece the mystery together myself. I also liked the romance of the book, it played a very small role but added a lot to my enjoyment. The love interests were also some of the characters I liked seeing most, alongside Marion. I also particularly loved that this book was full of very casual queer rep, including a bi main character, a drag performer and more!
My main complaint of this book was the lack of depth and development, which unfortunately covers a few key areas - setting, characters and plot (excluding the mystery itself). Although this book is a mystery and therefore it makes sense for that to be the main focus, I found that much of the rest of the book just hadn’t been developed enough and ended up bringing it down. I felt that the setting, especially, was underutilised which really disappointed me as it was this book’s main selling point for me. I also found the characters, particularly Millie, to be honestly quite bland. The lack of depth to the characters resulted in a lack of investment in the book or the stakes which undermined the mystery itself. Additionally, although I know that this is not the main focus of the book, I would have appreciated a little more discussion on the realities of being queer at this time, especially since the speakeasy and many of our main characters were queer.
Overall, this was by no means a bad book - it was a stellar mystery and great concept. However, the lack of development and depth given to the rest of the book led to difficulty getting invested in and gripped by the mystery. That being said, it did pick up later in the book and I really enjoyed the ending and resolution.
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*physical ARC received in exchange for an honest review via Melia*
July 10, 2020
4.5/5 stars :)
July 22, 2020
Reasons to read The Boy in the Red Dress:
🕵🏻♀️ historical murder mystery
🥂 set in a speakeasy in NOLA’s French Quarter
🌚 LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness in a historical setting
💕 when Millie’s best friend, Marion, is accused of murder, Millie’s loyalty drives her to investigate and clear his name
💃🏽 Marion stars in the speakeasy’s drag show and makes his own costumes
🖤 Millie has M & F love interests!
This was such an awesome mystery! The setting is brilliant — it opens in an LGBTQIA+/inclusive speakeasy in the French Quarter of New Orleans on New Year’s Eve, 1929. The club is owned and run by the MC’s aunt, who is in a committed F/F relationship. I love that the speakeasy is called Cloak & Dagger and the way it’s written as a safe haven within a larger, unfriendly world. This was both a fun mystery and a beautiful story of friendship and belonging. Highly recommended!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
🕵🏻♀️ historical murder mystery
🥂 set in a speakeasy in NOLA’s French Quarter
🌚 LGBTQIA+ inclusiveness in a historical setting
💕 when Millie’s best friend, Marion, is accused of murder, Millie’s loyalty drives her to investigate and clear his name
💃🏽 Marion stars in the speakeasy’s drag show and makes his own costumes
🖤 Millie has M & F love interests!
This was such an awesome mystery! The setting is brilliant — it opens in an LGBTQIA+/inclusive speakeasy in the French Quarter of New Orleans on New Year’s Eve, 1929. The club is owned and run by the MC’s aunt, who is in a committed F/F relationship. I love that the speakeasy is called Cloak & Dagger and the way it’s written as a safe haven within a larger, unfriendly world. This was both a fun mystery and a beautiful story of friendship and belonging. Highly recommended!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2020
The mystery didn't really pull me in, which is inconvenient in a mystery novel. I feel like this book made some choices, especially in characterization, that ultimately didn't work. For instance, the main character was much less compelling than Marion, the title character. And even then, while Marion was the most interesting character, even he was a pretty flat character.
May 17, 2020
It is really great audio book, it keep me guessing but I kind of figured it out just moments before the mc did but I had fun time beause of the characters I really love them. And I have finsh it in one day (close to 12 hours with breaks in btween)
January 5, 2022
[4.54/10]
This book was ok. It was entertaining in the moment but rather ineffective in delivering impact beyond that. It's always a struggle for me in mystery led books to feel a connection with the characters because, in the mediocre ones, the story is always so focused around delivering on the plot elements of the mystery and there is barely any time spent on me wanting the characters to solve the mystery because of who they are. In books like this the entertainment comes from wanting to get to the whodunnit, but when you can skip everything in between the crime itself and the big reveal, it makes getting there seem a bit pointless and empty in retrospect. I'll give the author their dues though, there were quite a few attempts to make these characters a bit more fully rounded than just cardboard-cut-out-mrs-fisher-vibes-only, but I don't think that it was done early enough to get me to care about them succeeding in the way I have in other mystery books.
I think this would have been better had Marion been the main character and attempting to clear his own name rather than Millie. Millie being the main character made Marion seem a bit passive and like he was allowing his, so-called, best friend to put herself in dangerous situations to get him out of trouble. Yeah, he was in hiding, but there is a version of this story where he is both in hiding and taking a more active role in his own fate. I ended up being more annoyed by his decisions than anything else and that then echoed into how I felt about Millie too, which resulted in me not liking either of them very much.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the resolution to the mystery either. I thought the concept of the possible perpetrators was a good twist but the sensationalist aspect of the actual killer reveal bordered on offensive to me. Especially when the only other major representation of this type of relationship wasn't particularly well done either. I think the authorial intention of these moments was absolutely the opposite to how I read them, but that's how I felt reading them and I can't change that.
A bit of light entertainment that doesn't require much brain power. I think if my expectations had been lower I would have maybe scored this higher, but I was anticipating loving this and I really didn't.
This book was ok. It was entertaining in the moment but rather ineffective in delivering impact beyond that. It's always a struggle for me in mystery led books to feel a connection with the characters because, in the mediocre ones, the story is always so focused around delivering on the plot elements of the mystery and there is barely any time spent on me wanting the characters to solve the mystery because of who they are. In books like this the entertainment comes from wanting to get to the whodunnit, but when you can skip everything in between the crime itself and the big reveal, it makes getting there seem a bit pointless and empty in retrospect. I'll give the author their dues though, there were quite a few attempts to make these characters a bit more fully rounded than just cardboard-cut-out-mrs-fisher-vibes-only, but I don't think that it was done early enough to get me to care about them succeeding in the way I have in other mystery books.
I think this would have been better had Marion been the main character and attempting to clear his own name rather than Millie. Millie being the main character made Marion seem a bit passive and like he was allowing his, so-called, best friend to put herself in dangerous situations to get him out of trouble. Yeah, he was in hiding, but there is a version of this story where he is both in hiding and taking a more active role in his own fate. I ended up being more annoyed by his decisions than anything else and that then echoed into how I felt about Millie too, which resulted in me not liking either of them very much.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the resolution to the mystery either. I thought the concept of the possible perpetrators was a good twist but the sensationalist aspect of the actual killer reveal bordered on offensive to me. Especially when the only other major representation of this type of relationship wasn't particularly well done either. I think the authorial intention of these moments was absolutely the opposite to how I read them, but that's how I felt reading them and I can't change that.
A bit of light entertainment that doesn't require much brain power. I think if my expectations had been lower I would have maybe scored this higher, but I was anticipating loving this and I really didn't.
July 1, 2020
4.5* Kickass teen girls solving mysteries throughout history is one of my favourite 'tropes' and this knocked it out of the park in ALL areas. This was truly the perfect whodunit murder mystery.
- Kristin Lambert did such a wonderful job of painting a picture of the 1930's New Orleans setting. It was captivating, immersive and exciting and the queer-friendly speakeasy at which most of the characters work was wonderful to read about.
- I truly fell in love with the ease of which I got to know and understand the diverse cast of characters. Millie is bi, her best friend is gay and performs in drag, her aunt is a lesbian in a committed relationship with a woman and one of the love interests is a Black lesbian.
- The mystery had me hooked from page one right until the last. I was strung along with the characters and kept guessing throughout, which was so much fun to read.
- I love, love, LOVED Millie's character. Her mission to uncover the truth was enthralling to follow and her courage, wit and persistence made her perspective so endearing to read from.
- Whilst the romance didn't take centre stage, it was ADORABLE and I loved the way in which the kind of a love triangle but also not (?) concluded. The shy pining was too cute.
- The audiobook narration was fantastic and I'm so happy I went down that route to read this.
I had so much fun reading this and I cannot wait to see what Kristin writes next. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a queer historical mystery with a touch of romance.
TW: homophobia, involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation due to sexuality
- Kristin Lambert did such a wonderful job of painting a picture of the 1930's New Orleans setting. It was captivating, immersive and exciting and the queer-friendly speakeasy at which most of the characters work was wonderful to read about.
- I truly fell in love with the ease of which I got to know and understand the diverse cast of characters. Millie is bi, her best friend is gay and performs in drag, her aunt is a lesbian in a committed relationship with a woman and one of the love interests is a Black lesbian.
- The mystery had me hooked from page one right until the last. I was strung along with the characters and kept guessing throughout, which was so much fun to read.
- I love, love, LOVED Millie's character. Her mission to uncover the truth was enthralling to follow and her courage, wit and persistence made her perspective so endearing to read from.
- Whilst the romance didn't take centre stage, it was ADORABLE and I loved the way in which the kind of a love triangle but also not (?) concluded. The shy pining was too cute.
- The audiobook narration was fantastic and I'm so happy I went down that route to read this.
I had so much fun reading this and I cannot wait to see what Kristin writes next. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a queer historical mystery with a touch of romance.
TW: homophobia, involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation due to sexuality
July 14, 2020
If a murder mystery set in a queer speakeasy in 1929/1930s New Orleans doesn’t sound amazing to you then... I don’t know what to say. I enjoyed how even though this was a very difficult time to be queer, and the book does show the unfair way the marginalized characters are treated by the police and other people in positions of power, the story also shows these characters having full lives with joy, sorrow, love, friendship, and found family.
The murder mystery kept me guessing. There were definitely times when I thought I had it all figured out but then I’d be completely proven wrong. It was really fun watching Millie be this badass bisexual amateur sleuth.
My one main complaint is that sometimes I don’t think the writing did enough to make the story seem like it was taking place in 1929/1930. Sometimes the ways the characters spoke to one another felt a little bit too modern to me. I think there could’ve been a little bit more old fashioned slang or words specific to New Orleans just to really emphasize the time period and location.
Overall I think this was a really fun queer YA murder mystery. I’d definitely recommend checking it out.
The murder mystery kept me guessing. There were definitely times when I thought I had it all figured out but then I’d be completely proven wrong. It was really fun watching Millie be this badass bisexual amateur sleuth.
My one main complaint is that sometimes I don’t think the writing did enough to make the story seem like it was taking place in 1929/1930. Sometimes the ways the characters spoke to one another felt a little bit too modern to me. I think there could’ve been a little bit more old fashioned slang or words specific to New Orleans just to really emphasize the time period and location.
Overall I think this was a really fun queer YA murder mystery. I’d definitely recommend checking it out.
January 14, 2021
I loved this book in concept a bit more than in reality. It's absolutely needed in its depiction of queer culture in the early 20th century - it takes place at a speakeasy for the LGBTQIA+ crowd, the heroine is bisexual, her best friend is gay and a drag performer, and there's a lot of mention of how everyone needs someplace to go to just be themselves without judgement. It does feel a little anachronistic at times, and the mystery plot wasn't nearly as all-consuming as I'd have liked, although I do appreciate that Millie really is just a kid trying to out-do the cops, which means that she really can't. It's fun, just not quite as fun as I was hoping, but I'll definitely pick up Lambert's next book when she writes one.
September 28, 2023
4.5
I'm genuinely surprised that this book isn't more popular especially on bookstagram. This is a queer cozy historical murder mystery and it was so good. I can't remember the characters names is because it's been too long since I've read it but you essentially have a girl who works at this speakeasy in the 1920s and one of her friends is a drag queen performer who gets accused of murder and she knows that he didn't do it but the cops don't and the whole story is her trying to figure out who the real killer is and unraveling her friends secret past. It's a little bit dramatic full of a few twists and turns and some nice discussions about queerness and race and wealth in the time period.
I'm genuinely surprised that this book isn't more popular especially on bookstagram. This is a queer cozy historical murder mystery and it was so good. I can't remember the characters names is because it's been too long since I've read it but you essentially have a girl who works at this speakeasy in the 1920s and one of her friends is a drag queen performer who gets accused of murder and she knows that he didn't do it but the cops don't and the whole story is her trying to figure out who the real killer is and unraveling her friends secret past. It's a little bit dramatic full of a few twists and turns and some nice discussions about queerness and race and wealth in the time period.
April 3, 2021
If you liked The Diviners, you will probably like this book.
Teen sleuths solve a murder mystery against a backdrop of prohibition, speakeasies, and late-1920s New Orleans' queer culture.
Teen sleuths solve a murder mystery against a backdrop of prohibition, speakeasies, and late-1920s New Orleans' queer culture.
May 26, 2021
Uma belíssima e divertida surpresa pra mim, que não é tão fã de livros na linha suspense investigativo/detetive. Pela primeira vez (eu acho) não fui feito de trouxa e adivinhei o assassino!
May 26, 2019
Characters you'll love to fall for, witty, dark, and rebellious. I loved this book from the first word to the last. The mystery kept me turning the pages, the characters made me laugh and cry, and the ending is so satisfying, it made me sad when there wasn't anymore left to read. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews