Maggie Sullivan, a Depression-era P.I., is hired to assist two sisters their father's so-called death. The two spinsters claim he disappeared twenty-six years before during the Dayton flood of 1913. Just as she takes on the case, the prime suspect commits suicide and Maggie is called before the police chief, who could revoke her license, to warn her that she has complaints about her from City Hall. As As Maggie pursues the case which has been all but been obliterated by the passage of time, she finds herself mixed up with ambitious politicians, thugs, and plenty of secrets and crimes from the past.

I've always enjoyed noir with a tough-talking private investigator and Don't Dare a Dame by M. Ruth Myers is no exception. This novel is bursting with atmosphere and everything I love about the genre. I completely agree with the main character's nickname, "Sam Spade in a skirt". I could really root for her character - she one smart-mouthed, tough, and clever sleuth. The setting's also one of note for me as it's set in my home state, and I've always been fascinated by the era. Myers does a fantastic job of making everything come together. I believe I'll have to try the first two books in the series, No Game For a Dame and Tough Cookie.