The Jade Tiger
2021 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Mystery
2020 BookLife Prize Finalist, Mystery/Thriller
"Set in 1928, Cooper's promising debut and series launch introduces aspiring opera singer Penelope Harris...Cooper reveals intriguing secrets about her lead that make the prospect of future books welcome. Fans of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher will enjoy Penelope's adventures." —Publisher’s Weekly
"…an engrossing and polished historical mystery that wins high marks for authentic settings, a multi-layered plot, and vibrant characters enhanced by clever dialogue and differentiating voices. Set in 1928, descriptions and vernacular phrasing reminds the reader of time and place but never gets trite.” —Mary Amati, BookLife
"The Jade Tiger transports the reader to the 1920s, when opera singers and adept piano players graced high-end social events...The 1920s atmosphere, the well-developed characters, and the murder-mystery thread make this novel a worthy read." —InD'Tale Magazine
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 1928. The Big Apple teems with the glitter of Bright Young Things, Prohibition, and scofflaws—the perfect place for Penelope Harris to start her life over.
As a former opera singer turned Shanghai nightclub owner, she's seen and done a lot, maybe too much. With any luck, she'll leave more than The Jade Tiger casino behind her—a murdered husband, a blackmailing torch singer, and Thom Lund, the ex-cop who stole her heart. But Penelope has never had that kind of luck; her past is already waiting for her in New York.
When someone murders her chiseling blackmailer at an out-of-control party and Thom is accused of the crime, Penelope must face down her darkest memories to prove his innocence. Is the murderer her cousin Charles, suckered into a hasty marriage by Penelope's blackmailer? Or is it Penelope's over-protective mother, who can't remember a thing after a blow to the head? Or was it Thom after all, ready to commit murder to save Penelope from the blackmailer's wicked plans?
Among the opulent mansions of the obscenely wealthy and the grit of a Hell's Kitchen speakeasy, Penelope and Thom must navigate double-crosses, bad liquor, bootleggers, and dark, obsessive love to find the murderer before the past reaches out to put a noose around both their necks.
Author Bio:
E.W. Cooper is the author of the award winning Penelope Harris historical mystery series—The Jade Tiger and Murder at the Met. A lifelong fan of classic whodunit mysteries and Grand Opera, Ms. Cooper lives quietly with her partner, children, three dogs, and one cat in a very noisy house in South Texas.