Dangerous to Know: A Lillian Frost & Edith Head Novel
by
Renee Patrick
Order:
USA
Can
Forge, 2018 (2017)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
D
angerous to Know
follows
Design for Dying
as the second in Renee Patrick's series about a wannabe actress turned amateur sleuth in 1930s Los Angeles. The first book introduced young Lillian Frost, working as a department store salesgirl to make ends meet. She teamed up with canny costume designer Edith Head to solve her former roommate's murder.
N
ow it's 1938 and Lillian has a new position as social secretary to congenial movie-mad millionaire Addison Rice. Edith is in charge of Paramount Pictures' wardrobe department, a temporary position that she hopes to make permanent. Lillian is dating police officer Gene Morrow, whom she met in the first episode, but wonders why he has to include Abigail Lomax whenever they get together. Lillian likes Abigail, but she's very much a third wheel.
M
arlene Dietrich asks for Lillian's help to track down a young Jewish composer, Jens Lohse, who fled Germany to Los Angeles, but has recently gone missing. Marlene fears Nazi involvement. Of course, Lillian does find him - dead far from home. Gene and his partner investigate, but suspect suicide. Marlene disagrees. Lillian keeps digging and learns that the dead man was a blackmailer, involved with a scary ex-rum-runner.
A
s always, Lillian and Edith work well together, this time lying to the FBI in order to foil a Nazi plot and save Lillian's amiable boss from public disgrace. And Lillian finds a new romantic interest along the way. This series, immersed in Hollywood movie history and big names of the day, is tremendous fun.
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