One lethal shade of rouge. One cold glass of champagne.
Chicago, November 1924. For Kit Ashworth, walking back into the Drake Hotel is harder than facing down a gunman. Once a society darling, now a "fallen" secretary, she is invisible to her former friends—until society queen Vivian Merrick drops dead after a toast.
The police call it suicide to keep the peace. Kit smells murder.
Joined by her partner Paddy O’Malley, Kit uncovers a deadly link between the glittering Gold Coast and the Torrio gang’s ruthless expansion. With a corrupt detective blocking their path and the mob cleaning house, they must expose a killer who uses etiquette as a weapon.
In a city of secrets, they realize the most dangerous poison isn't in the glass—it's on the lips of the people you trust.
A gripping 1920s historical noir about secrets, survival, and the high price of silence.
Mystery
Detective
Crime
Slow Burn
Noir
Conspiracy
Thriller
Revenge
Protective
Friends to Lovers
Political Intrigue
Historical Romance
Identity
Family
Psychological
Audiobook details
GenreDetective and Crime, Mystery and Thriller
Length1 hr 57 mins
Publish dateJan 19, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
87. Blood Ties
21. A Bitter Vintage
98. Breaking Point
32. Just the Secretary
109. The Cut Direct
43. Polite Fictions
1110. Stage Makeup
54. Bad Spirits
1211. The Official Record
65. Accounts Payable
1312. The Parting Glass
76. Rouge and Ruin
1413. Next Appointment
About the author
Daniel Pelfrey
Daniel Pelfrey writes thrillers, crime fiction, alternate history, and urban fantasy with a crime fiction twist. A former Air Force member and TSA employee who once dealt blackjack and substitute taught, Daniel draws on his diverse life experiences to craft character-driven narratives. When he's not building intricate story arcs from his home in Medora, North Dakota, he's busy being a reader himself—occasionally remembering there's a world outside his books.View all audiobooks by Daniel Pelfrey
