Night Jazz [Paperback]

Jill Shure (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2010

Pink Ladies and Black Velvets wet the whistles of guys and dolls in smokey underground speakeasies and elegant hubs like the Casino in Central Park where anything goes from bootleg whiskey to half-naked chorus girls. Where red hot jazz sizzles through the night. But in October 1929, two events are about to collide: the arrival of Miss Jeri Devlin and the Stock Market Crash. In Jill Shure's new novel, Night Jazz, best described as The Great Gatsby meets Somewhere In Time, the mysterious disappearance of her brother sends successful ad executive, Jeri Devlin, to New York to find him. During her first night in The Big Apple, a strange event transports Jeri back seventy years to a magical time when the black cloud of the Great Depression was just beginning to descend over America, dulling the optimism and high times of the 1920's from the sultry speakeasies to the unimaginable wealth. Forced to adapt to her new world until she can discover a way back to her own time, Jeri absorbs every bit of 1929 from the fashions by legendary designers, to unlawful booze. Her search will ultimately lead her into the passionate arms of a mysterious and handsome gangster, and to the happiness she has always longed for.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

WINNER! Night Jazz has won the 2002 Benjamin Franklin Award in Popular Fiction. CONGRATULATIONS to Jill Shure and her wonderful time travel romance! Definitely should be on everyone's "must read" list!

About the Author

JILL SHURE has written books, screenplays, and television scripts. Finalist in the Academy of Motion Pictures' Nicholl Fellowship for screenwriting, her reminiscences on friendship appear in the Berkley anthology, THE LOVE OF FRIENDS. Ms. Shure lives in Southern California, where she is working on her next novel and a new script.

Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Writers Club Press; 3rd edition (March 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595166865
• ISBN-13: 978-0595166862
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,566,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jill Shure, a New York native, had a creative knack since she was young. Making her stage debut at the ripe old age of 10, she knew she was destined for greatness. Moving became a family pastime and the constant uprooting and changes in her life encouraged her to seek creative outlets in both the theater and writing. Shure majored in Language and Fine Arts at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

After graduating, Shure moved to Washington, D.C., and worked on Capitol Hill. After three years, Shure packed her bags and headed for Southern California where she attended graduate school in San Diego for teaching. She then pursued writing and worked with screenwriter Howard Browne and later on with novelist Joan Oppenhiemer. During this time, Shure kept her foot in the performance arena, starring in a production at San Diego State University and working in Children's Theater.

Shure has written several novels from Young Adult to a Psychological Suspense Thriller. Her first script, "The Levy's Tomb," was optioned by a 20th Century Fox executive. Shure became a finalist in both The Austin Heart of Film Screenwriting Competition and twice in The Academy of Motion's Pictures' Nicholl Fellowship. Shure also studied screenwriting at UCLA, and with such notable gurus as Syd Field and Linda Seger.

Her fiction harvested awards at the Santa Barbara Writer's Conference and twice at the San Diego State's Writers Conferences from editors at Berkley Putnam and Harper Collins. Jill's writings appear in The Love of Friends (Berkley Putnam 1997). In 2002, she won the BEN FRANKLIN AWARD for Popular Fiction for her last novel, NIGHT JAZZ.

Jill is currently active in Sisters-In-Crime, Scripteasers, The Southwest Writers Association, Women in Film, and The National Writers' Association, among others. An avid supporter of animal rights, Jill is a benefactor at The Helen Woodward Center in Fairbanks Ranch, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A travelogue of 1929, August 9, 2001

By 

philip miller (leucadia, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Jazz (Paperback)

Daphne du Maurier (The Birds, Rebecca) wrote a time travel novel, "The House on the Strand" in which drugs transport the heroes back to medieval Cornwall. Night Jazz too, is an exciting romance based around the theme of time travel. It is into the late 1920's that Jeri Devlin is transported as a time traveler in search of her brother. Amidst economic crisis, corruption and politics, she finds her amour, the hardened but principled, Lex Rose.

The novel can also be read as an allegory of the excesses of our dotcom/fin-de-siecle. Historical fidelity to the world of 1929 and the ensuing Depression are among the most interesting parts. The drama depicts several characters slowly evolving an awareness of the depth of the economic chaos.

A fun read with great characters and historical ambiance, I highly recommend Night Jazz.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Night Jazz, December 13, 2001

By 

Linda (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Jazz (Paperback)

The story is about a 90's executive single woman searching for her brother who has disappeared. She gets transported back in time to the days before the Stock Market Crash, and while searching for her brother meets socialites, gangsters and business people. She experiences discrimination for being an intelligent woman and has trouble finding and holding jobs. The relationship that develops between the gangster and Jeri is wonderful and unexpected and what transpires is incredible.

Night Jazz is not a typical romance novel! It is a fantastic journey that takes you away to the roaring twenties. I was so wrapped up in the story that I could smell the fragrances mentioned, picture the fabulous gowns the socialites were wearing and vividly imagine the hustle and bustle of the crowded city streets of New York.

I was hesitant at first - time travel and romance - probably typical girl meets guy, they hate each other, they fall in love - but NO! It was incredible, the surprises, the turn of events, the secrets, the mystery, the gangsters. It was totally romantic, exciting and unpredictable.

I highly recommend it for romance readers and people who like a good story with a little bit of mystery, time travel, history, fun intertwined with a little romance.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful trip in time, April 18, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Jazz (Paperback)

From the moment I started reading this book I couldn't stop. Night Jazz is fun, captivating and a roller coaster of a ride. I wanted to jump into the pages and become Jeri Devlin. Jeri's vulnerability in this world of Gangsters, Casinos and Illegal booze allowed her to succumb to love like she never had before. I can't wait for the sequel.