A DEADLY GAME

A secret life exposed

Melbourne, 1925. Reggie da Costa, The Argus’s celebrated crime reporter, takes a break from investigating gangland crime to assist Ruby Rhodes, whose identical twin sister has died in mysterious circumstances. Together, they investigate how Katherine could afford a house, motorcar, expensive jewellery and a wardrobe of the latest fashions on the wages of a museum assistant. With Reggie’s assistance and protection, Ruby assumes her sister’s identity and infiltrates the illegal gambling dens and risqué social clubs of 1920s Melbourne to uncover the truth.

. . .

“Laraine Stephens’ third Reggie da Costa novel, A Deadly Game, is a delight. Set in 1920s Melbourne, it is a wild ride from beginning to end. Full of exquisite historical detail, flashy real-life characters and an engaging detective in the form of Reggie, it is an entertaining and very interesting historical mystery. Historical crime fiction does not get much more enjoyable than this.  A terrific, fun read!”

~ Jeff Popple, Murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

“Author Laraine Stephens has the knack, and the characters, to bring 1920's Melbourne to life. From the seedy back streets, to upper-crust nightclubs, crime reporter Reggie da Costa leads the charge, ably assisted by brother and sister combo Dusty and Ruby, in the third novel in this excellent series.”

~ AustCrimeFiction