A Kiss Before Chaos Book Two of The Velvet Noir Files Boston, 1933. The city’s colder than New York, but the streets are just as mean. Jack Calloway was supposed to be gone for good — a ghost on the rails, leaving the war between Gray and Kessler behind. But Ruby has other plans, and they all lead to Vince Carrow, the South Side’s kingpin with a handshake as dangerous as his smile. What starts as a quiet arrival turns into a city-wide squeeze. Gray’s men lock down the east, Kessler’s take the west, and Vince owns the middle. And everyone’s convinced Jack has the real Havana shell — the key to ending the war or starting one big enough to swallow three cities whole. As Ruby plays her double game and Vince pulls Jack deeper into Chicago’s shadows, old enemies close in and new threats move into place. Trust runs thin, blood runs hot, and one kiss could be the spark that burns it all down. A Kiss Before Chaos is a razor-edged noir thriller full of femme fatales, mob rivalries, and the kind of deals that always end with a bullet. Perfect for fans of Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, and smoky, double-cross-laced historical crime. Some kisses are worth the risk. This one could kill you.