Sirens- Janet Fox

Unexpectedly fantastic- an electrifying coming of age tale combined with a mesmerizing setting and studded with mystery and romance

With the captivating and beautiful background of New York during the roaring 20’s, Janet Fox’s new novel, Sirens, offers everything readers could want. Women have recently gained the right to vote, and with that independence the desire for more freedoms than they ever had before. Seventeen-year-old Josephine “Jo” Winters is about to graduate high school and has plans to attend college and make a name for herself as a writer. But her father has other plans, and suddenly sends her to live with her aunt and uncle in New York with the objective of finding a husband. Between her father’s mob involvement in a bootlegging operation, and her brother Teddy’s disappearance, Jo realizes that there is more to this sudden move than fatherly concern for Jo’s future.

Unfortunately, Jo’s aunt and uncles home may not be as safe as everyone thinks. Jo’s cousin Melody also has a secret, one she hides behind a “flapper” lifestyle of drinking and partying. Teddy, a war veteran has been gone for a year, suicide, or so everyone believes. Everyone that is, except Jo. She knows his secret, and when Jo gets ahold of Teddy’s journal, as the secrets it holds are revealed, the truth turns dangerous for Jo and everyone she loves.

Louise “Lou” O’Keefe, has fallen in love with mobster Danny Conner. From a life of poverty, as Danny’s “moll”, Lou suddenly has an upgrade in life. The newest clothes, a mansion to live in, all the money from his “bootlegging” operation a girl could desire, and the man she loves. Lou is determined to keep Danny and insure her lifestyle, even if it means eliminating any threats. When Lou and Jo’s path cross, their two lives become tangled in unexpected ways.

Written in alternating chapters from Jo and Lou’s perspective, the truth behind Teddy’s disappearance, a violent political bombing, and Jo’s cousin Melody’s secret slowly unfold. Readers will be enchanted by the brilliant 1920’s New York lifestyle and setting, captivated by the characters, and addicted to the ever twisting plot. Filled with love, loss, and loyalty and an impressive look into the worlds of “flappers” and “mobsters,” Fox weaves a fascinating coming of age tale that speaks to the ever changing role and rights of women during the early 1920’s.

Recommended for readers age 12 and up. Sirens is scheduled for release November  8, 2012.