Everybody Goes to Jimmy’s: A Jimmy Quinn Mystery

Set in 1932, Mayo’s fast-paced sequel to 2012’s Jimmy the Stick finds Jimmy Quinn, who runs a speakeasy in Manhattan, dealing with top criminals like Arnold Rothstein, crooked cops, and dames—in particular, a dame from his past, Anna Gunderwald, who challenges him to a foot race. More seriously, a bomb explodes in the alley next to his speak, a mysterious package of four indecipherable ledgers arrives, and suddenly all kinds of people are interested in Jimmy. A crooked cop, Betcherman, wants his share of something, but Jimmy doesn’t know what; a German, Johann Klapprott, wishes to purchase his place on behalf of a second party; and Mercer Weeks, enforcer for numbers boss Jacob Weiss, pays him a call. Basically, everyone is after the pile of money Jimmy is believed to possess. Mayo spins several clever yarns off this premise as the quick-witted Jimmy hustles to keep one step ahead of the crowd. Agent: Otto Penzler. (Jan.)