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    Bathing Beauties, Booze And Bullets (A Jazz Age Mystery #2)
    Gold-Diggers, Gamblers And Guns (A Jazz Age Mystery #3)
    Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play (A Jazz Age Mystery #1)
    Ebook series5 titles

    A Jazz Age Mystery Series

    By Ellen Mansoor Collier

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this series

    When young Galveston Gazette society reporter Jazz Cross hears rumors of grave robbers at the Broadway Cemetery, she and photographer Nathan Blaine investigate, hoping to land a scoop. The newshawks witness meetings held by clandestine gangs and enlist her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, to help catch the hoods red-handed.

    Meanwhile, the supernatural craze takes Galveston by storm, and Jazz is assigned to profile the society set’s favorite fortune teller, Madame Farushka, yet one more fluffy puff piece for the aspiring journalist. Sightings of a ghost bride haunting the Hotel Galvez intrigue Jazz, who sets up a Ouija board reading and séance with the spiritualist. Did the bride-to-be drown herself—or was she murdered?

    Luckily, Sammy Cook, her black-sheep half-brother, has escaped the Downtown Gang and now acts as the maitre d’ for the Hollywood Dinner Club, a swanky speakeasy owned by rival Beach Gang leaders. During a booze bust, Downtown Gang mob boss Johnny Jack Nounes is captured and Jazz worries: will Sammy be forced to testify?
    Worse, when a mystery man turns up dead, Sammy is framed for murder and Jazz must solve both murders and help clear Sammy's name.

    As the turf war between rival gangs rages on, Jazz relies on her wits and moxie to try to rescue her brother and friends before the Downtown Gang exacts its revenge.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEllen Mansoor Collier
    Release dateMar 18, 2013
    Bathing Beauties, Booze And Bullets (A Jazz Age Mystery #2)
    Gold-Diggers, Gamblers And Guns (A Jazz Age Mystery #3)
    Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play (A Jazz Age Mystery #1)

    Titles in the series (5)

    • 1

      Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play (A Jazz Age Mystery #1)
      Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play (A Jazz Age Mystery #1)

      Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play (A Jazz Age Mystery #1)

      Ellen Mansoor Collier
      4/5 - 1 rating
      4/5 - 1 rating

      "Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette. During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit? Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but despite her mixed feelings she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

      "Boardwalk Empire" meets "The Great Gatsby" in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette. During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit? Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but despite her mixed feelings she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. To find the killer, Jazz must risk her life and career, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

    • 2

      Bathing Beauties, Booze And Bullets (A Jazz Age Mystery #2)
      Bathing Beauties, Booze And Bullets (A Jazz Age Mystery #2)

      Bathing Beauties, Booze And Bullets (A Jazz Age Mystery #2)

      Ellen Mansoor Collier
      5/5
      5/5

      (Sequel to Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play) It’s 1927 in Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who tries to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.” She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant. Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton: He wants Agent Burton to raid the Hollywood Club during the bathing beauties dance routine--or risk revenge from the Downtown Gang leader. Her loyalties torn, Jazz is faced with an impossible task that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. Meanwhile, Jazz fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events.

      (Sequel to Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play) It’s 1927 in Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who tries to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.” She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant. Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton: He wants Agent Burton to raid the Hollywood Club during the bathing beauties dance routine--or risk revenge from the Downtown Gang leader. Her loyalties torn, Jazz is faced with an impossible task that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. Meanwhile, Jazz fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events.

    • 3

      Gold-Diggers, Gamblers And Guns (A Jazz Age Mystery #3)
      Gold-Diggers, Gamblers And Guns (A Jazz Age Mystery #3)

      Gold-Diggers, Gamblers And Guns (A Jazz Age Mystery #3)

      Ellen Mansoor Collier
      4/5 - 1 rating
      4/5 - 1 rating

      During Prohibition in 1920s Galveston, the Island was called the "Free State of Galveston" due to its lax laws and laissez faire attitude toward gambling, girls and bootlegging. Young society reporter Jasmine (Jazz) Cross longs to cover hard news, but she's stuck between two clashing cultures: the world of gossip and glamour vs. gangsters and gamblers. After Downtown Gang leader Johnny Jack Nounes is released from jail, all hell breaks loose: Prohibition Agent James Burton’s life is threatened and he must go into hiding for his own safety. But when he’s framed for murder, he and Jazz must work together to prove his innocence. Johnny Jack blames Jasmine’s half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis speakeasy, for his arrest and forces him to work overtime in a variety of dangerous mob jobs as punishment. When a bookie is murdered, Jazz looks for clues linking the two murders and delves deeper into the underworld of gambling: poker games, slot machines and horse-racing. Meanwhile, Jazz tries to keep both Burton and her brother safe, and alive, while they face off against a common enemy.

      During Prohibition in 1920s Galveston, the Island was called the "Free State of Galveston" due to its lax laws and laissez faire attitude toward gambling, girls and bootlegging. Young society reporter Jasmine (Jazz) Cross longs to cover hard news, but she's stuck between two clashing cultures: the world of gossip and glamour vs. gangsters and gamblers. After Downtown Gang leader Johnny Jack Nounes is released from jail, all hell breaks loose: Prohibition Agent James Burton’s life is threatened and he must go into hiding for his own safety. But when he’s framed for murder, he and Jazz must work together to prove his innocence. Johnny Jack blames Jasmine’s half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis speakeasy, for his arrest and forces him to work overtime in a variety of dangerous mob jobs as punishment. When a bookie is murdered, Jazz looks for clues linking the two murders and delves deeper into the underworld of gambling: poker games, slot machines and horse-racing. Meanwhile, Jazz tries to keep both Burton and her brother safe, and alive, while they face off against a common enemy.

    • 4

      Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville (A Jazz Age Mystery #4)
      Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville (A Jazz Age Mystery #4)

      Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville (A Jazz Age Mystery #4)

      Ellen Mansoor Collier
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      In 1920s Galveston, society reporter Jazz Cross is in for a surprise when she attends a traveling vaudeville show with her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, and discovers that an old flame acts in the production. That night, they find a stabbing victim behind the Oasis — her half-brother Sammy’s speakeasy — who’s identified as an actor in the troupe. When the victim disappears and later turns up dead, Jazz must help prove that Sammy wasn’t the killer. After a second vaudeville actor is found dead, Jazz realizes that the events behind the scenes are much more interesting than the outdated acts onstage. To make matters worse, Sammy’s old nemesis demands that he settles a score and forces him into yet another illegal scheme involving the troupe’s money-making ventures. Can Jazz help solve the murders and prove her brother’s innocence—so he can escape the Downtown Gang for good? A historical Jazz Age mystery inspired by real-life Galveston gangs and local landmarks.

      In 1920s Galveston, society reporter Jazz Cross is in for a surprise when she attends a traveling vaudeville show with her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, and discovers that an old flame acts in the production. That night, they find a stabbing victim behind the Oasis — her half-brother Sammy’s speakeasy — who’s identified as an actor in the troupe. When the victim disappears and later turns up dead, Jazz must help prove that Sammy wasn’t the killer. After a second vaudeville actor is found dead, Jazz realizes that the events behind the scenes are much more interesting than the outdated acts onstage. To make matters worse, Sammy’s old nemesis demands that he settles a score and forces him into yet another illegal scheme involving the troupe’s money-making ventures. Can Jazz help solve the murders and prove her brother’s innocence—so he can escape the Downtown Gang for good? A historical Jazz Age mystery inspired by real-life Galveston gangs and local landmarks.

    • 5

      Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (A Jazz Age Mystery #5)
      Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (A Jazz Age Mystery #5)

      Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (A Jazz Age Mystery #5)

      Ellen Mansoor Collier
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      When young Galveston Gazette society reporter Jazz Cross hears rumors of grave robbers at the Broadway Cemetery, she and photographer Nathan Blaine investigate, hoping to land a scoop. The newshawks witness meetings held by clandestine gangs and enlist her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, to help catch the hoods red-handed. Meanwhile, the supernatural craze takes Galveston by storm, and Jazz is assigned to profile the society set’s favorite fortune teller, Madame Farushka, yet one more fluffy puff piece for the aspiring journalist. Sightings of a ghost bride haunting the Hotel Galvez intrigue Jazz, who sets up a Ouija board reading and séance with the spiritualist. Did the bride-to-be drown herself—or was she murdered? Luckily, Sammy Cook, her black-sheep half-brother, has escaped the Downtown Gang and now acts as the maitre d’ for the Hollywood Dinner Club, a swanky speakeasy owned by rival Beach Gang leaders. During a booze bust, Downtown Gang mob boss Johnny Jack Nounes is captured and Jazz worries: will Sammy be forced to testify? Worse, when a mystery man turns up dead, Sammy is framed for murder and Jazz must solve both murders and help clear Sammy's name. As the turf war between rival gangs rages on, Jazz relies on her wits and moxie to try to rescue her brother and friends before the Downtown Gang exacts its revenge.

      When young Galveston Gazette society reporter Jazz Cross hears rumors of grave robbers at the Broadway Cemetery, she and photographer Nathan Blaine investigate, hoping to land a scoop. The newshawks witness meetings held by clandestine gangs and enlist her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, to help catch the hoods red-handed. Meanwhile, the supernatural craze takes Galveston by storm, and Jazz is assigned to profile the society set’s favorite fortune teller, Madame Farushka, yet one more fluffy puff piece for the aspiring journalist. Sightings of a ghost bride haunting the Hotel Galvez intrigue Jazz, who sets up a Ouija board reading and séance with the spiritualist. Did the bride-to-be drown herself—or was she murdered? Luckily, Sammy Cook, her black-sheep half-brother, has escaped the Downtown Gang and now acts as the maitre d’ for the Hollywood Dinner Club, a swanky speakeasy owned by rival Beach Gang leaders. During a booze bust, Downtown Gang mob boss Johnny Jack Nounes is captured and Jazz worries: will Sammy be forced to testify? Worse, when a mystery man turns up dead, Sammy is framed for murder and Jazz must solve both murders and help clear Sammy's name. As the turf war between rival gangs rages on, Jazz relies on her wits and moxie to try to rescue her brother and friends before the Downtown Gang exacts its revenge.

    Author

    Ellen Mansoor Collier

    Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD. A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of MODERNEMILLIE on Etsy, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items. Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor, and in advertising and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and was active in WICI, serving as President her senior year, as well as the campus magazine UTmost. During college, she worked as a cocktail waitress one summer, a short-lived experience. FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY is her first novel, followed by BATHING BEAUTIES, BOOZE AND BULLETS, GOLD DIGGERS, GAMBLERS AND GUNS and VAMPS, VILLAINS AND VAUDEVILLE, inspired by real-life rival gangs, historical events and Galveston landmarks."When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. Finally I had to stop researching and start writing, trying to imagine a flapper's life in Galveston during Prohibition."

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