This book recently toured with Great Escapes Book Tours.
I was unable to post my review on my assigned date.
Today, I am posting the review I should have posted on that day.
Murder on the Steel Pier: A Tess Mancini Time Travel Mystery
Historical Mystery
1st in Series
Setting -1955 Atlantic City
Publisher : Two Roses Books (March 31, 2025)
Print length : 321 pages
Digital ASIN : B0DS934RJL
Greetings from the Nifty Fifties…
The morning after a blowout birthday celebration in Atlantic City, crime reporter and party girl Tess Mancini wakes up in an unfamiliar place—1955. Bread is eighteen cents a loaf, Ike occupies the White House, and the Boardwalk is crawling with vintage cars and vintage wise guys. A bewildered Tess is sure of only two things: One, she’s not crazy, and two, the clothes are fabulous. Somehow, she’s living the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa, who disappeared decades before Tess’s birth.
In her 1950s existence, Tess is a reporter at the local newspaper, living at a boarding house owned by her Zia Antonetta, an Italian immigrant with a big secret. It turns out Theresa has a kid brother, teenaged troublemaker Val Mancini—aka Tess’s paternal grandfather. Though determined to return to her own time, Tess’s curiosity takes over. What happened to the first Theresa Mancini? And is Tess’s trip through time connected to her aunt’s fate?
But when young Val is accused of murdering a boarding house guest, a Nazi in hiding, Tess ends up with two investigations on her hands—and is now stuck in time until she can prove Val’s innocence. As she searches for answers, she finds allies in a dishy police detective and a suspiciously charming fellow reporter. The clock is ticking for Tess to find a way home, but first, she has to keep her grandfather off Death Row.
Because before Tess can get back to the future … she needs to make sure she has one.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tess Mancini’s birthday party was a doozy. So much so, she not only wakes up in a strange room but a different decade! It’s 1955! She has now stepped into the life of her Great-Aunt Theresa and is living at her Zia Antonetta’s boarding house along with Theresa’s 19-year-old brother, AKA her paternal grandfather. She has also had to fill Theresa’s shoes as a cub reporter for the local newspaper. Theresa disappeared way before Tess was even born so what is she doing here?
While trying to figure out how to return to her own time, her brother/grandfather gets into a bunch of trouble. He is the prime suspect in the murder of one of the guests at the boarding house, a suspected Nazi in hiding. Afraid that her presence in the past could change the future, she is aware she needs to be careful while making sure her brother/grandfather is cleared of the crime. While she investigates, she gets help from a co-worker and a police detective. Both attractive and interesting, but she isn’t sure if one or both have ulterior motives in helping her. Her main focus is proving her grandfather’s innocence and getting back to the future. Where is that darn DeLorean when you need it?
Time travel isn’t usually my genre, but having read Ms. Genova’s previous cozy mysteries, I had to read this one, and I am so happy that I did.
The story immediately pulled me in. Waking up, back in time, a time so different. A time when women were very restricted, being a black woman even more so. A divorced man could be shunned by his church and unable to pursue the woman he cares about. People were suspicious of Italian families, Nazi’s hiding in plain sight, anti-Semitism was prevalent. This all hit me in the face, as this is when the current U.S. administration thinks our country was great and is working diligently to take us back to it.
All the characters in this story resonated with me. They continued to develop as the story continued. Tess was so well-written. While the future always filled her mind, she also had Theresa’s thoughts and skills. She could type like a whiz and could read shorthand. She could speak and understand Italian and drive a car with a manual transmission. She could also hear her Great Aunt Theresa’s voice in her head, and sometimes Theresa’s words just came out of her mouth. She also had to be able to keep her thoughts and actions in check while meeting members of her family whom she had only heard stories about. She got a little overzealous a time or two, but was able to cover her actions quickly. It takes time to create characters with so much depth and layers. This author did that so well.
Ms. Genova also plotted out a great mystery. Tess’s curious nature really took over, and she wished for her cell phone and the internet several times. She had to do some old-fashioned legwork, and she was up for the task. Theresa’s connection with Detective Joseph O’Brien, who had the looks of an old-time movie star, helped her to stay out of too much trouble. The mystery is complicated with several viable suspects, but it always came back to Val. Tess dug up several good tidbits of information, some making the case bigger than anyone thought. The author served up a good share of red herrings amongst all the twists and turns, which made following Tess through her process quite entertaining. The story ends fascinating way and with a little cliffhanger.
I appreciated Ms. Genova’s attention to detail in describing Atlantic City in the 50s. The boarding house, the newspaper office, and everywhere Tess traveled about the city were crystal clear. A trip through Theresa’s closet and drawers was a real treat, especially all the hats. Funny though, Tess and Theresa were not the same size in one area, so Tess got to do some shopping while doing a little sleuthing.
Murder on the Steel Pier sets this new series off to a fabulous start. A historical cozy with a bit of the feel of a noir novel, with an appealing protagonist, and an intriguing mystery that will keep readers guessing and entertained. It was especially timely with things that are happening in the world today.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Rosie Genova
Proud Jersey girl Rosie Genova is a multi-genre author. Her work includes a Jersey shore cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries, and The Tess Mancini Time Travel Mysteries, set in 1955 Atlantic City. She is also the author of standalone suspense and a couple of rom-coms that presently live in her computer files (but are longing to be released into the wild). A former teacher and journalist, Rosie’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Entrepreneur magazine and The New York Times. The mother of three sons, Rosie still lives in her favorite state with her husband, too many dusty antiques, and a charming mutt named Lucy.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. 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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.”
, comes from her deep appreciation for Italian food, her affinity for the New Jersey seaside, and her love of classic mysteries from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. A former journalist and teacher, Rosie also writes women’s fiction and suspense. The proud mama of three grown sons, she still lives in her favorite state with her husband and a charming mutt named Lucy.