The Wrap Party Murder
Bo-Bo and Bobby Mysteries • Book 1
by D.A.E. Jackson
Why You'll Love This
A 1920s Hollywood murder mystery where the prime suspect is a rising star, his scene-stealing Jack Russell terrier, and a supernatural gift nobody asked for.
- Great if you want: cozy mysteries with queer leads, period charm, and an animal sidekick
- The experience: light and brisk — a quick, cheerful read with genuine stakes
- The writing: Jackson leans into the era's voice without it feeling like a costume
- Skip if: supernatural elements in straight mysteries break your immersion
About This Book
When a Hollywood executive turns up dead the night of the wrap party, rising star Bobby Montegue finds himself in the worst role of his career: prime suspect. Set in 1923 Los Angeles, where the film industry is still finding its footing and scandal can end a career overnight, this debut mystery pairs Bobby with his scene-stealing co-star Bo-Bo the Jack Russell Terrier, a budding friendship with Clara Bow, and a mother whose eccentricities run deeper than anyone suspects. The stakes are personal and immediate — Bobby's freedom, his future, and the safety of people he's only just begun to love.
What makes the book genuinely enjoyable is how deftly Jackson balances its competing tones. The golden-age Hollywood backdrop is rendered with period-specific texture rather than nostalgia-soaked cliché, and the supernatural thread woven through the mystery adds intrigue without overwhelming the puzzle. The prose moves quickly without feeling rushed, and Bobby himself is a protagonist worth rooting for — charming without being shallow, vulnerable without being passive. For readers who like their mysteries warm but not toothless, this is a promising start to the series.