I’ve always been drawn to stories of crime and mystery, but lately I’ve been reading more books shelved in those categories. Beware Beware by L.A. writer Steph Cha is a classic mystery inspired by Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe with a feminist twist.

Much like her fictional forebear, Philip Marlowe, Song drinks heavily, smokes like a chimney and calls Los Angeles home. Unlike Raymond Chandler’s famous private investigator, Song is young, female and Korean-American. In other words, she’s not like Marlowe at all.

I don’t want to say too much more than what’s in the review, but I will say this: the ending really flattened me. I don’t read a lot of series fiction, but I’m definitely looking forward to Juniper Song’s next adventure.