Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match" where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It's our great pleasure to present Jackie McMahon!
Writes:
My debut novel, THE CLOAK AND DAGGER CLUB, is a Golden Age-style, fair play mystery, set in London, 1930. The idea came from a real-life group called the Detection Club, a crime writing club that still exists today. It’s the first in a new series, with a sequel coming next year.
THE CLOAK AND DAGGER CLUB follows Lucy, a debut novelist who is invited to the titular, exclusive mystery writers’ group. She accepts the invitation, even though Frank - a rising literary star and her ex-fiancé - is also a member of the club. When the club’s tyrannical president is murdered, Frank becomes the police’s prime suspect, and Lucy believes he’s innocent. The two crime writing exes team up to find the real killer, while fighting their lingering attraction.
About:
Historical mystery author seeks historical mystery readers. I’ve been a voracious reader since childhood and posted about books on Instagram and YouTube long before I became an author myself. In addition to writing, I love spending time with my two cats, going down historical research rabbit holes on Google, and planning my next vacation.
You might be the perfect match for my novel if…
• You love Agatha Christie, the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, and historical mysteries with a healthy dose of romance
• You enjoy playing armchair detective and trying to solve mysteries from the comfort of your own home - perhaps you even think that, should someone you know meet a heinous end in real life, you’d be able to solve the case
• Your romantic fantasies include solving murders with a handsome, dark-haired British man who is secretly in love with you, and exchanging longing looks and witty banter as you parse through the clues
What to expect if we’re compatible:
• A brand-new historical mystery series to enjoy
• A cast of characters you can connect with and a second chance romance you’ll be rooting for
• Excerpts from the Cloak and Dagger Club’s books, touching on many enduring mystery tropes, and meta references
• 1930s atmosphere and glamour
• Plenty of updates on my next novel and insights into my process on my YouTube channel
Inspired by Agatha Christie's real-life Detection Club, a murder among a group of golden age mystery writers meets a second chance romance in this debut novel from author Jackie McMahon.
London, 1930. Lucy Hubbard is on the cusp of achieving her dreams. With her first mystery novel debuting with strong sales and glowing reviews, she's been invited by Horace Hazelmoor, the king of crime fiction, to join his elite group of writers—the Cloak and Dagger Club.
Thrilled at the opportunity, Lucy finds herself swept up into Horace's glamorous world at the Ritz hotel. She's even willing to put up with the inconvenient presence of her former fiancé, Frank Murray, the club's rising star who is on track to eclipse Horace as Britain's most popular crime writer.
But when Horace is found with a knife in his back, Frank is the police's prime suspect. Despite their complicated history, Lucy knows he's not capable of murder. With suspects galore and the danger rising, these two mystery writers must race to solve the crime—and fight their lingering feelings for each other—before the murderer strikes again.
Mystery Historical | Mystery Woman Sleuth [ Berkley, On Sale: July 14, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9798217189557 / eISBN: 9798217189571 ]
Jackie McMahon writes murder mysteries with history, twists, and perhaps a romance (or two). She currently resides in Florida with her two cats, and in her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and sharing obscure historical facts she has recently learned.
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