A delightful and romantic sapphic noir


A supernatural noir whodunit, with a queer female protagonist — a magical detective — working for “Marlowe”, a rich, queer female client, in 1940s Chicago. We see a glimpse of the underground queer club scene and of involuntary confinement in an asylum of another queer woman (CN), as well as of a loving fulfilled relationship between the protagonist and her religiously-devoted girlfriend that is key to the protagonist and her motivations, while the characters navigate both the societal expectations of women in the real-world as well as those of the magical society of Polk’s worldbuilding.

Despite its short length, this novella took me by surprise so many times. The noir plot and theme blended with the Supernatural urban fantasy seamlessly and the pre-Stonewall queerness reminded me pleasingly of both [b:Last Night at the Telegraph Club|35224992|Last Night at the Telegraph Club|Malinda Lo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593457992l/35224992.SY75.jpg|56568979] and [b:Out of Time, Into You|59427925|Out of Time, Into You|Jay Bell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1634855266l/59427925.SY75.jpg|93606013].

Clearly I need to read a lot more of Mx Polk.