The Mayor of Maxwell Street
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
When a rich Black debutante enlists the help of a low-level speakeasy manager to identify the head of an underground crime syndicate, the two are thrust into the dangerous world of Prohibition-era Chicago.
The year is 1921, and America is burning. A fire of vice and virtue rages on every shore, and Chicago is its beating heart.
Nelly Sawyer is the daughter of the “wealthiest Negro in America,” whose affluence catapulted his family to the heights of Black society. After the unexpected death of her only brother, Nelly becomes the premier debutante overnight. But Nelly has aspirations beyond society influence and marriage. For the past year, she has worked undercover as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements and tribulations of everyday Black people living in the shadow of Jim Crow. Her latest assignment thrusts her into the den of a dangerous vice lord: the so-called Mayor of Maxwell Street.
Born in rural Alabama to a murdered biracial couple, Jay Shorey knows firsthand what it means to be denied a chance at the American dream. When a tragic turn of fate gave Jay a rare path out, he took it without question. He washed up on Chicago’s storied shores and forged his own way to the top of the city’s underworld, running Chicago’s swankiest speakeasy, where the rich and famous rub elbows with gangsters and politicians alike.
When Nelly’s and Jay’s paths cross, she recruits him to help expose the Mayor and bring about lasting change in a corrupt city. But Jay also introduces a whole new world to Nelly, one where her horizons can extend beyond the confines of her ivory tower. Trapped between the monolith of Jim Crow, the inflexible world of the Black upper class, and the violence of Prohibition-era Chicago, Jay and Nelly work together and stoke the flames of a love worth fighting for.
Debut author Avery Cunningham’s stunning novel is at once an epic love story, a riveting historical drama, and a brilliant exploration of Black society and perseverance when the ‘20s first began to roar.
Reviews with the most likes.
This book was so good! I really enjoyed the era and the wonderful story building that the author managed to capture. I loved the character development and the witty banter between them.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this one was very well written and a pleasure to read.
4 stars
I'm feeling indifferent to this book. It wasn't bad, but I didn't find it particularly good, either. The premise is solid and promises a lot. Sadly, so much of it falls flat. Nelly is an heiress living in Chicago who is writing anonymous articles about the lives and perspectives of Black Americans. While she's content with her dreams of being a journalist, her family expects her to marry and produce children. She soon finds herself involved in a high-risk investigation. I found this book to be far too long for the plot. So many scenes dragged on. There are some nice quotes that I saved, however, I noticed more cliched phrases than I could count. I'm not usually too bothered by those in moderation but they became distracting here. Aside from this, the writing was good. Had I realized this was being marketed as a romance, I probably would have passed on it. Glancing at the Book of the Month summary, I assumed it would be a mystery. While there are some mysterious elements, I would use the term loosely. I really wanted to love the story. It's ultimately on me for not doing my research.
I'm a bit torn on this one. I think the author's prose is lovely, and she did a good job of bringing us into 1920s Chicago. However, the plot got a little convoluted at times and the ending fell flat. I feel like not enough was done to convince us that the Mayor of Maxwell story was worth pursuing, and the mystery wasn't built up or fleshed out as well as it could have been. I think there are some great details and insights in this book, but they unfortunately are not enough on their own, and as a whole the book is not as effective as I was hoping it would be.
