I enjoyed Poppy's adventure of finding a job at a local paper and investigating an old mystery. The time period is the Roaring 20s, with fun cars, jazz music, and when women are starting to work in more arenas. The characters were interesting and the plot was good. I'm looking forward to more in this series. ( )

Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a free copy of the Jazz Files!

This is a very enjoyable book that combines a good old fashioned mystery with the excitement of the roaring twenties, feminism (including a character who won't take any nonsense or lesser-than treatment from anyone), and a career as a journalist. Poppy is a spirited, bold, engaging, funny character. She's so much fun to read about, and her reactions to the sexism that she encounters are probably my favourite parts of this book.

What I liked, though, is how the Jazz Files delved into some more serious issues of the time period as well. It's not just about an independent young woman responding to sexism with a good amount of sass (although that is definitely in there and delightful to read). It's also about the horrors of war, living in the shadow of the Spanish flu epidemic, and the forced institutionalization of women.

I should probably mention the mystery, too, which was quite enjoyable and kept me guessing. This almost feels secondary, though, to how much I enjoyed Poppy as a main character.

The one thing I stumbled over when reading this book was the role of coincidences. I know this is a Christian book, and I know it was making a point, but it didn't work for me personally. It just seemed a little too heavy-handed (especially since I thought that religion was handled really well throughout the rest of the book, woven in to the plot and seeming natural to the characters, which is something that I haven't seen in too many books).

That's a minor thing, though. Overall, this was a very engaging book. Poppy is a fantastic protagonist, I love the suffragette angle, and I'm always a sucker for a main character who works at a newspaper. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for more mysteries in this series. ( )

Reading this book was like stepping back into the “Roaring Twenties”! Twenty-two year old Poppy Denby is a sheltered obedient Methodist pastor’s daughter. The extent of her work and life experience is working in a charity store and food kitchen. Her wheelchair bound aunt, Dot, has requested Poppy to come and be her paid companion. Dot is quite a flashy, feisty lady. She was an actress and radical suffragette in her youth, and her condition and age has not lessened her passion for the cause.
Upon arrival Poppy finds that her aunt already has a dear friend and companion of many years. Grace is totally Dot’s opposite in every way, other than their shared commitment to the women’s movement. The whole job offer was a ruse to get Poppy out from under her parents and start a life and career of her own. She is hired at a local newspaper as the editor’s assistant. Her dream job was to become a journalist. After the death of one of the reporters, Poppy steps into his job. This exposes her to all sorts of danger and wickedness that is out of her experience level and innocence.
I like the way the author alternates between a mysterious events 7 years ago and Poppy’s adventures. It adds to the suspense of the story and made me wanted to hurry it along to learn more about what happened!
Historical fiction is one of my favorites. I have read only one other fiction book about this period. It is a time I did not know a great deal about other than generalities and specific events. Ms. Smith totally changed that! This book was entertaining but it is also packed with details about lifestyle, attitudes, and social issues. I got a fun read and a history lesson too!
I admired Poppy’s confidence and enthusiasm despite her sheltered life and being thrust into so many new situations. Bolstered by her aunt’s belief in her and her youthful zeal, she does not hesitate to face everything head on! The author brought to life the struggle of society to cope with so many changes in all areas. I was amazed at the expectations and roles of women. How strange to think of a time when a woman wanting to vote or have a career was considered almost immoral and unacceptable! All the characters are interesting and well developed. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Smith’s books!
I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated here are my own. ( )

Set in London during the 1920s, The Jazz Files is sure to appeal to fans of the classic era of mystery fiction. Poppy Denby, newly arrived in the city, yearns to become an independent woman. Her natural nosiness and her quest for truth leads her to a job at a newspaper. Her job straightening out the files of the editor soon leads her to a decade old case that becomes very personal. This British whodunit with all the flavor of the Jazz Age will have you guessing along with Poppy as she investigates from London to Paris and back again.

Setting sets the tone of The Jazz Files. The Great War is over — women are more independent, the night life is filled with music, and the old is shaken off. Careful attention to detail, including fashion, entertainment, and the politics of the day, brings London of 1920 to life. Smith takes a few liberties with the timeline (as explained in her Historical Notes) but readers will be quick to overlook those as they become immersed in the twisting mystery Poppy investigates. Poppy is a character to love. A determined young woman, she brings a freshness to the cynical news business. A Christian, she is often confronted with ethical dilemmas in her quest for the truth. Her struggle with means and ends is very realistic and relevant for today. Her questions and doubts about the workings of God are very natural. Supporting characters are equally interesting and do not fall into the stereotypes so common in the mystery genre.

The Jazz Files is a quick and entertaining read, and I am hopeful that Poppy will return soon with more investigations. Please note: The Jazz Files was published in England and contains some language and situations usually not included in American Christian fiction.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Kregel and Lion Hudson for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Title: The Jazz Files (Poppy Denby Investigates #1)
Author: Fiona Veitch Smith
Pages: 319
Year: 2015
Publisher: Lion Fiction
Poppy Denby has received a letter from her disabled aunt, asking her to come live with her in London as a paid companion. Upon her arrival, Poppy learns that her aunt has no need for a companion, but wrote that letter just to appease Poppy’s father. Her real motive was to get Poppy to the big city of London to give her the opportunity for a career, which she knows her father would never agree to. She has an interview at a newspaper, gets a job as an editorial assistant and is sent out to confirm some facts on a story after the untimely death of another reporter.
As Poppy follows up with her sources, she uncovers more and more information relating to her story as well as several other possible supporting stories. However, her questions gain the attention of an unwanted assailant, putting Poppy’s life in danger. Poppy refuses to give up on her story, continuing to dig deeper and deeper. What she uncovers causes her to wonder if she really knows her aunt.
I just couldn’t believe that her first day on the job Poppy is sent out on a story. She was hired as an editor’s assistant not a reporter. This young woman from the British countryside with no training then proceeds to interview people, follow up on clues and go undercover to get a story. It just wasn’t realistic to me. How would she even know how to begin? Poppy also is seduced by the world somewhat as she lies and breaks the law, going against her upbringing. She learns to drink champagne, dress more provocatively and gets a bit of an attitude. I just couldn’t see a naïve Methodist minister’s daughter acting the way she did during the course of her reporting or doing some of the things she did. There were also two females in the story who are portrayed as having feelings of more than friendship for one another. This is the second book in two weeks from this publisher that has had homosexuality in it, which I don’t want to read about. I will not be reading any more books in this series.
My rating is 2 stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )