For an intriguing historical feminist mystery, I recommend A Murderous Business (publication day September 16, 2025) by Cathy Pegau, which I hope becomes book one of a series!
It’s 1912, and Margot Harriman is running her father’s business empire after his passing–a canning company on Long Island that also manufactures and sells other prepared foods. It’s unusual for a woman to be in this position, but she has earned the trust of the shareholders–to a point. When she finds her father’s former secretary dead in the accountant’s office, with a note directed to her, Margot turns to her trusted driver to find a discreet investigator to help her figure out why the retired secretary was there. The police believe it was natural causes, but Margot isn’t convinced of this, and she wants to keep things as quiet as possible given her tenuous acceptance by the shareholders.
So Margot meets Loretta “Rett” Mancini, a private investigator working for her own father, a former cop. Rett takes Margot’s case without telling her father, as he’s not always with it anymore, and she’s tired of being under his thumb. So begins a friendship as Rett, with Margot’s help, investigates what is going on. The rot runs deep, but together, and with the help of some of Margot’s other associates, they figure it out.
They also figure out that they have more in common than they think–Rett lives with her girlfriend, a nurse, and introduces Margot to another friend who is a skilled lock-picker and performer, who hits it off with Margot. Historical mystery featuring lesbian/ queer characters, yes please!!
It was also completely weight-neutral, with no negative descriptions of body sizes.
Reading While Fat 