Glitter in the Dark

The search for a kidnapped singer in Prohibition-era New York leads an intrepid reporter from Harlem speakeasies to the dazzling world of the theater, all while grappling with a forbidden passion.

Ambitious advice columnist Ginny Dugan knows she’s capable of more than solving other people’s beauty problems, but her boss at Photoplay magazine thinks she’s only fit for fluff pieces. When she witnesses the kidnapping of a famous singer at Harlem’s hottest speakeasy, nobody takes her seriously, but Ginny knows what she saw—and what she saw haunts her.

Guilt-ridden over her failure to stop the kidnappers and hard-pressed for cash to finally move out of her uptight showgirl sister’s apartment, Ginny resolves to chase down the truth that will clear her conscience and maybe win her a promotion in the process. She manipulates a brooding detective into a reluctant partnership and together they uncover a sinister plot that pulls them into the dazzling yet dangerous world of the Ziegfeld Follies. Meanwhile, Ginny grapples with a secret of her own—she’s fallen for Gloria Gardner, the star of the show. In the Roaring Twenties, their love isn’t just scandalous; it’s illegal.

But when a brutal murder strikes someone close to her, Ginny realizes the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. This glamorous world has a deadly edge, and Ginny must shatter her every illusion to catch the shadowy killer before they strike again.

An utterly alluring dance through Jazz Age New York City, Olesya Lyuzna’s GLITTER IN THE DARK seduces you from the minute you meet its heroine, Ginny Dugan, the kind of intrepid, even reckless girl reporter that Barbara Stanwyck might have played. As we follow Ginny through nightclubs and alleys, rooftops and powder rooms, Lyuzna weaves a gold-threaded tale of glamour and danger. A striking debut.”
—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Beware the Woman

A sparkling debut, more fun and sexy than a bathtub full of gin.”
—Lev AC Rosen, author of the Evander Mills mysteries

Sisterhood and a string of suspicious disappearances take center stage in Olesya Lyuzna’s magnetic historical mystery debut. Magazine writer Ginny Dugan believes she’s mastered the art of living dangerously in smoky, champagne-soaked Prohibition-era New York, but a brush with the criminal underworld and a partnership with a secretive private eye will put her grit, wits, and moral code to the test. GLITTER IN THE DARK is first-rate noir fiction that shimmers brighter than the sequins on a chorus girl’s costume, and its mystery will leave you breathless.”
—Tessa Wegert, author of The Coldest Case

GLITTER IN THE DARK is an incredible debut novel. Lyuzna’s meticulous affection for the Prohibition is clear in every word. Wrapped beneath the sparkly cover is a compelling mystery with an intriguing cast of characters, and Ginny Dugan is the heart of it. Ginny is a total spitfire: a true, complex lead. Lyuzna will leave you gasping with her twists. GLITTER IN THE DARK is not to be missed.”
—Nekesa Afia, author of the Harlem Renaissance Mystery series

What Taylor Jenkins Reid did for Old Hollywood with her indomitable Evelyn Hugo, Olesya Lyuzna does for the irrepressible Ginny Dugan in GLITTER IN THE DARK. Ginny is my favorite kind of heroine—a smart woman with a good heart who makes plenty of bad decisions—and I hope she’s back for 20 more books! Lyuzna’s prose is razor-sharp, and she immerses the reader in Roaring 20s New York, full of hot jazz, Ziegfeld stunners, and murder most foul. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a debut!”
—Halley Sutton, USA Today bestselling author of THE HURRICANE BLONDE

This debut turns back the clock with authentic detail and sharply drawn characters and a strong sense of violence and lawlessness.”
—FirstCLUE

Unlikely detective Ginny Dugan shines as she tracks a killer through the glamorous and gin-soaked speakeasies, parties, and bedrooms of Jazz Age Manhattan. GLITTER IN THE DARK is a stunning, sexy, and sparkling debut!”
—Jenny Adams, author of the Deadly Twenties Mystery series

Lyuzna lays on the period detail and springs surprises just where you don’t expect them. A colorful period debut that’s clearly laying the groundwork for a series.”
—Kirkus

Ginny sits comfortably among the ranks of classic private eyes, with all the moral ambiguity and world-weariness noir fans could want—plus a welcome dash of queerness, courtesy of a sapphic romance subplot.”
—Publishers Weekly

Quick-paced and action-packed . . . This is a fun and provocative foray into an intriguing time and place and Ginny is a gal readers will root for even when she makes mistakes. Historical fiction fans will enjoy the cultural references, while mystery fans will relish the intricate and dangerous web Ginny and her loved ones must navigate.”
—Booklist

[An] ideal escape novel.”
—Globe and Mail

Lyuzna brings to life what feels like a true crime caper—or a darn good Netflix series. . . . The plot whips along with plenty of twists and suspense. The glamour and romantic liaisons cover dark secrets. The setting and personal conflicts of the characters ring true and are deliciously detailed. . . . So much fun.”
—Mystery and Suspense Magazine

Olesya Lyuzna is a historical fiction writer with a passion for queer noir. Her debut novel Glitter in the Dark was selected for a 2020 Pitch Wars mentorship by Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton. She lives in Toronto and spends her free time hosting murder mystery parties and scouring the archives for unsolved crimes.