Book Review: North End Girl by Karen A. Romanko

Reviewed by Shelby Zwintscher

In 1949 Boston, a young elevator operator’s secret mind-reading abilities get her tangled up in a whirlwind mystery.

Nicole has a secret: she can read minds. Her mother warned her not to share her special ability and never to use it as a favor to someone, but after confiding in Philip, a coworker and potential beau, all that is about to change.

Nicole, an elevator operator, and Philip, a bellhop, work at the swanky Hotel Manger in 1949 Boston. When famous singer Teddy Messina and his wife Pat are due for a visit, Philip asks Nicole if she’ll use her mind-reading abilities to learn what Teddy likes. He hopes that Nicole can learn something that will give Philip an edge on his service to Teddy and earn him a good word to the hotel manager from the celebrity.

It’s a dangerous risk to use her powers in public, but Nicole, anxious to help Philip and curious to use her little-known powers, decides to read Teddy’s mind. As soon as she begins, Nicole is noticed by a spotter, a person with an ability to detect mind readers. Nicole hurries away and spends the rest of her evening and her next shift anxious and restless about what will come of this.

The next day, Nicole operates the elevator for many guests with no issues, even operating for Pat Messina, who Philip says looks just like her. Perhaps nothing would come of the spotter, and things would get back to normal.

Lila Laroche, as she’s known in crime circles, needs a mind reader to help her get the details of an incoming shipment of diamonds. She’s got a tip about a mind-reading girl at Hotel Manger, but in an unfortunate twist of fate, her goons kidnap Pat instead of Nicole.

Nicole quickly finds herself wrapped up in a mystery, her gut telling her Pat’s kidnapping has to do with her power and the spotter. Nicole offers this idea, and her mind reading, to Lieutenant Jack Fitzgerald, the detective in charge of the case.

North End Girl follows Nicole as she navigates her blossoming secret relationship with Philip, her expanding mind-reading abilities, and the mess that this power has gotten her, Pat, Lila, and Lieutenant Fitzgerald into.

North End Girl transports the reader back in time. It’s rich with the history and culture of 1940s Boston. Both the era and setting are fully immersive with references to real films, celebrities, and local businesses. Locations such as Gentles Baking Company, the Paramount Theatre, and even the hotel, Hotel Manger, are historically and geographically accurate to Boston in 1949.

Just like the setting, North End Girl has a rich cast of characters. The story does a wonderful job of balancing everyone; each character is easy to differentiate, with their own clear characteristics from the moment you meet them. The level of detail makes each character easy to invest in, especially with the tidbits of off-page relationships.

The mystery of North End Girl is straightforward, and while the stakes are high for the characters, it’s a relatively modest book. Though there is some action, like quick getaways through secret tunnels and kidnapping, the tone is quite even-keeled. This works to make the story cozy and match the era, but at times it did leave me wanting more range in the tone.

North End Girl is a delightfully charming mystery with a sweet romantic side plot and a cast of strong characters, elevated by its time period and setting. Fans of cozy mysteries and readers looking for a humble, quick read will appreciate this story.

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