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  • Published: 14 June 2022
  • ISBN: 9780823449729
  • Imprint: Holiday House
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $45.00

Murder for the Modern Girl




Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice.

Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice.

A ravishing young mind reader stalks the streets at night in kitten heels, prowling for men to murder.

A soft-spoken genius toils away in the city morgue, desperate to unearth the science behind his gift for shapeshifting.

It’s a match made in 1928 Chicago, where gangsters run City Hall, jazz fills the air, and every good girl’s purse conceals a flask.

Until now, eighteen-year-old Ruby’s penchant for poison has been a secret. No one knows that she uses her mind-reading abilities to target men who prey on vulnerable women, men who escape the clutches of Chicago “justice.” When she meets a brilliant boy working at the morgue, his knack for forensic detail threatens to uncover her dark hobby. Even more unfortunately: sharp, independent Ruby has fallen in love with him.

Waltzing between a supernaturally enhanced romance, the battle to take down a gentleman’s club, and loyal friendships worth their weight in diamonds, Ruby brings defiant charm to every page of Murder for the Modern Girl—not to mention killer fashion. An irresistible caper perfect for fans of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, in an exquisite hardcover package with rose-gold foil.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Named to the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice List

  • Published: 14 June 2022
  • ISBN: 9780823449729
  • Imprint: Holiday House
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $45.00

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Praise for Murder for the Modern Girl

Praise for Salt and Storm & Drift and Dagger

  • "Debut author Kulper infuses her atmospheric novel with richly detailed descriptions of whaling in nineteenth-century New England, and through tenacious Avery's lyrical first-person narrative, she explores poignant themes of destiny, sacrifice, and free will."-Booklist
  • "This coming-of-age tale features action, adventure, high seas, magic, betrayals, and danger. Fans of alternate histories will enjoy the author's skillful world-building and fantastic dialogue."-School Library Journal
  • "Kulper creates a vivid, richly detailed alternative world...Characterizations, particularly the angry, afflicted Mal, pop as vividly as the alternative setting, offering readers an absorbing experience. Unusual and highly engaging."-Kirkus Reviews