Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald E. Westlake

Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald E. Westlake – 254 p.

This early Westlake crime caper introduces New York cabbie Chester (call me Chet, please!), who loves (lives) to gamble. Chet gets a major tip on a long shot horse that comes in a winner. But when he pops over to his bookie for the payout, the bookie has been shot dead and Chet finds himself running for his life, the target of rival gangs, crooked police and an angry wife. Dated and a bit less polished than later books but still a fun read. Ebook available on Libby.

A New York Christmas by lingeAnne Perry

A New York Christmas: A Novel by Anne Perry --- 164 pages

This is the twelfth in Perry's series of Christmas novellas, featuring supporting characters from her two Victorian mystery series. In this book, set in New York City in 1904, that character is Jemima Pitt, the 23-year-old daughter of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. Jemima has been hired to be the companion and chaperone of British heiress Delphinia Cardew, traveling across the Atlantic to her wedding with Brent Albright.  Delphinia is head-over-heels in love with the handsome Brent, giddy with excitement over  her high society wedding --- the event of the New York social season --- and too accustomed to having the best of everything and everything her own way, to be aware of the feelings of other people.

But Jemima suspects that the Albrights are more concerned with the merger of the Albright and Cardew international financial empire this marriage represents than with the personal happiness of the young bride-to-be. Jemima's also surprised to discover that Delphinia's mother Maria, whom she assumed was dead, is actually very much alive. According to Brent's older brother Harley, Maria enticed Edward Cardew in marrying her, then abandoned her husband and baby to pursue her own pleasure. Now Harley asks Jemima to help him find Maria and prevent her from showing up at Delphinia's wedding and creating a scandal.