It Girl by Allison Pataki

January 5, 2026

It Girl by Allison Pataki

Evelyn Talbot is a poor girl working for pennies at a Pittsburgh department store when an artist asks her to model for her. This leads to more modeling jobs, until Evelyn and her mother move to New York where Evelyn secures bigger modeling jobs and a chance for parts on Broadway. But Evelyn soon finds herself pursued by wealthy and powerful men who think it is their right to take advantage of women seeking to advance their careers or support their families.

Loosely based on the life of Evelyn Nesbit, the original Gibson Girl, whose jealous husband shot her former lover, New York architect Stanford White. But this version gives Evelyn the triumphant ending that she didn't get in real life. It pissed me off the way the men in Evelyn's life treated her, just like the sexual predators today treat vulnerable young women, men like Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Cosby, and others like them. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction about the Gilded Age.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Evelyn Nesbit

Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

August 1, 2023

Broadway Butterfly by Sara DiVello

Set in 1923 in New York, flapper/model Dot King is a fast-living Broadway girl with several sugar daddies supporting her lifestyle, found dead in her 57th Street apartment. Homicide detective John Coughlin in assigned to the case and immediately sets about identifying Dot's gentlemen friends. Over at the Daily News, Julia Harpman is one of the few women reporters in New York, and the only one covering the crime beat. When it becomes apparent that several influential men were involved with Dot, the police allow the case to go cold. Julia is determined to secure justice for Dot and begins her own investigation.

True crime fiction based on an actual murder case. The story is told from three POVs: the detective, the reporter, and the wife of one of the sugar daddies. The story is well-researched and the author gathered the facts from a variety of sources. I love true crime cold cases so this one should have ticked all the boxes for me. But the story seemed to drag - maybe it was the author's writing style. It was disappointing that the case has never been solved.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dot King, murdered in 1923, never solved

Hilda Ferguson, Dot's ex-roommate 

Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

May 9, 2022

Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

Since the death of her mother during the Spanish flu pandemic, Lillian Carter's life has fallen apart. Once the most sought-after artist's model in New York, demand for her services has dried up. Fortunately, she secures a position as a private secretary at the Frick mansion, where statues of her ironically decorate the facade. Working for the demanding family, Lillian is soon drawn into the family's dramas. Fifty years later, another model named Veronica finds herself trapped overnight in the Frick mansion, now the Frick Museum. She discovers a series of hidden messages that may help solve a decades-old murder.

I've read several of Fiona Davis' previous books that I feel were much better (notably The Dollhouse, about the Barbizon Hotel, and The Address, about the Dakota building). Didn't care for this one that much, although I enjoy her writing enough that I'll continue reading her books.

The Frick Museum in New York City - I couldn't find any pictures of statues on the exterior of the building