It’s early spring in 1948 when private eye, Max Dexter, attempts to help a young boy abandoned by his mother. Her name is Ida Lucas and she’s a doozy: sleek and ambitious, Ida is a hostess at the classy Royal Connaught Hotel where she’s often seen in the company of Hamilton’s well-to-do gents who are anxious to show their appreciation for her attention.
After Ida’s abrupt disappearance, Max and his partner, Isabel O’Brien, make arrangements for Ida’s neglected young son to live with friends while they attempt to find his mother. At the same time they’re investigating a divorce case involving a prominent Hamilton businessman and race-horse owner whom they learn is leading a secret, after-hours life that brings them all into contact with the city’s new mob boss, Vincenzo Belcastro.
Post-war Hamilton is in the grip of Spring Fever while Max and Isabel are on the case of this Devious Dame.
“Laing has a deft ear for Forties lingo and a great eye for the small details that make a historical novel truly great. Anyone from Hamilton will get a kick out of the old places and name along with the really solid historical feel. If you like this one there are three earlier Max Dexters also available.” Margaret Cannon, 'The Globe and Mail'.
The Max Dexter Mystery Series includes: 'A Private Man' (2012), 'A Deadly Venture' (2014), 'A Family Matter' (2017) and 'A Devious Dame' (2019).
