Smoke in Her Stockings Book One of The Velvet Noir Files New York City, 1932. The city’s a restless beast, all jazz and shadows, and Jack Calloway has learned how to walk in both. A down-on-his-luck investigator with a knack for staying alive, Jack knows better than to get between mob boss Gray and his rival Kessler. But when a stolen Havana shell lands in his lap — and Ruby steps out of the fog with danger in her eyes and secrets on her lips — he’s suddenly the man everyone wants to find. From smoky speakeasies to rain-slick alleys, Jack is pulled deeper into a web of double-crosses, where every drink might be poisoned and every smile hides a blade. Ruby says she’s on his side, but loyalty is a currency in short supply — and in this city, debts are paid in blood. As Gray and Kessler’s war boils over, Jack must decide who to trust, who to betray, and whether the Havana shell is worth the price of his life. Because in New York, the only thing more dangerous than knowing too much… is knowing just enough to get killed. Smoke in Her Stockings launches The Velvet Noir Files trilogy with a tale of grit, lust, betrayal, and the fine line between love and survival. Perfect for fans of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and smoky, slow-burn noir with a dangerous edge. Step into the shadows — the first drink’s on the house, but the bill will kill you.