Set in the 1950’s, Josie lives in New Orleans above a bookshop. What sets her apart from regular girls is that her mother works as a prostitute, and Josie cleans the house her mother works from. However, this is not the life that Josie wants for herself. She wishes to go to college and have a happier future than she would if she stayed in New Orleans. Unfortunately, this all changes when a wealthy man is murdered and Josie’s mother is involved with the case. Josie ends up having to deal with her job, escaping the Mafia, trying to get into college, worrying about her friend’s father, and solving a murder all at once. Thankfully, the woman in charge of the house, named Willie, helps Josie get through her troubles even though her mother abandoned her.
I loved this story because of how unusual the characters were, and that it was set in the 50’s where the subject of prostitution was not as openly discussed as it is today. The characters in the book developed well, and the ending has some unexpected events happen. Lastly, this book stays on perfect pace to keep the reader interested in the story, but does not rush the storyline so that details are hard to follow.