Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City’s five largest organized crime families. Other prosectors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they’ve all focused on the crime syndicate’s traditional businesses—bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing—or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the Mob through its role in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can’t get Luciano alone.
Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all.
Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they’re trying to convict. It is this very alliance—of two women from vastly different worlds—that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen.
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What a powerful and inspiring novel!
I have so much to say about this book. I have been excited about this book since Victoria announced at the book signing I attended; that she and Marie are writing a new book together. I was even more excited once the title and the cover were revealed. I have read Victoria Christopher Murray & Marie Benedict ’s The Personal Librarian and have read their individual novels as well. I fell in love with that story, and A Pair Of Aces wasn’t any different; the way their writing flows together makes it impossible not to fall in love with the story, especially the characters. I loved escaping into the world of Polly and Eunice and watching how their stories intertwined.
I wasn’t sure about Polly when she was first introduced, but as the book progressed; I found myself rooting for her. Polly was a strong woman because, despite everything that she was facing, she didn’t give up. You could tell how important her girls were to her, and how she would do anything to protect them. Eunice, I loved her determination, her courage. The elements, the details in this book, are phenomenal. Once I finished the book, I wanted to go back and read it again. The dual perspective gives the reader a glimpse into two very different women. I liked the way the relationship between Eunice and Polly transformed throughout the story. There is part of me that wonders what happened after.
A Pair Of Aces is a story that you won’t forget, and a story that will have you on edge of your seat until the end. I wondered about the title, and once I read the book – it made the perfect sense. Victoria and Marie are amazing at the historical details and pulling the reader into the story. This is their third collaboration. They make a great team. Highly recommended. I’m already eager to see what they have in store for us next.
