Chicago Fiction

"On the last day of summer, a young college grad moved to Chicago and rented a small apartment on the north side of the city, by the lake. This is the story of the five seasons he lived there, during which he meets gangsters, gamblers, policemen, a brave and garrulous bus driver, a cricket player, a librettist, his first girlfriend, a shy apartment manager, and many other riveting souls, not to mention a wise and personable dog of indeterminate breed....

Every year, Lydia hosts a party for six women friends who treasure the midwinter bash. Over a table laden with food and wine, they'll revel in newsy updates, simmering secrets, and laughter. We follow the flawed but lovable characters through their party preparations and share stolen moments of meditation on their lives. But as this particular evening unfolds, Lydia prepares to make a shattering announcement that will change them in unexpected ways....

Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's...

"Electrifying ... a rollicking nineteenth-century thrill ride."--Amy Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of Girl Waits with Gun Inspired by the real story of investigator Kate Warne, this spirited novel follows the detective's rise during one of the nation's times of crisis, bringing to life a fiercely independent woman whose forgotten triumphs helped sway the fate of the country. With no money and no husband, Kate Warne finds herself with...

The son of a grieving Jewish family in jazz age Chicago impresses patrons of a mob-controlled saloon with his piano talents, which become subject to a changing music era, his need to survive, and exacting mob demands.

-The rise of the Chicago Blues scene fairly shimmers with verve and intensity, and the large, diverse cast of characters is indelibly portrayed with the perfect pitch of a true artist.---Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue The bestselling author of White Collar Girl and What the Lady Wants explores one woman's journey of self-discovery and love set against the backdrop of a musical and social revolution....