Everything Glittered

Society girls try to find a murderer in a city filled with secrets and stunted by shame, in this queer historical thriller by award-winning author Robin Talley, perfect for fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

EVERYTHING GLITTERED will be released on Sept. 24, 2024. Preorder now

What really happened the night Mrs. Rose died?

That’s what seventeen-year-old Gertrude and her best friends, Milly and Clara, can’t stop wondering, especially as news articles and gossip about their headmistress’s demise fill the nation’s capital. Each story is more scandalous than the last, and Gertrude is done with rumors.

With the help of Milly and Clara, Gertrude vows to clear her beloved mentor’s good name – even if it risks her own. But it’s 1927 and the strict laws of Prohibition have done little to keep the streets clean. Grifters, bootleggers, and shady federal agents keep sidling up alongside Gertrude’s investigation – as do the pesky feelings she’s kept at bay for her two best friends.

A proper, upscale life is all Gertrude has ever known, but murder sure makes a gal think: Is all that glitters really gold?

Cover illustration by Kamin.
Designer: Gabrielle Chang
Art Director: Karina Granda

Praise for The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre

Melody McIntyre's love of theater is entirely infectious… Talley's latest will instantly hook theater kids as well as readers who've never even heard a track from Les Mis glancing at their drama club sign-up sheet.

Booklist

Drama abounds—onstage and off—in this spirited tale of high school love and angst. ... An ultra-modern fiesta of theatrical joie de vivre.

School Library Journal

Talley ... divides the story into acts and scenes, studding them with funny tech memos, and has fun portraying the details of running tech, the divide between techies and actors, and the teamwork that theater requires. Mel’s efforts to cope with her feelings and stage emergencies make a story that will entertain both true theater geeks and readers who’ve never considered life onstage or backstage.

Publishers Weekly

The book is structured like a play with a prologue, scenes, and an epilogue, and the pacing is well done with a good mix of humor and romance. ... A love letter to high school theater.

Kirkus Reviews

Any theater nerd, especially those who enjoyed the epic highs and lows of high school theater, will gobble up this book and enjoy every second. Everything rang so true and felt incredibly real! I adored every character — and found myself listening to the Les Mis soundtrack while reading!

Abby Bennsky

Old Town Books, Alexandria, VA