June 2013 Debut of the Month.
Be transported back to prohibition New York in this intoxicating, creepy and at times funny story of misplaced friendships and shifting truths that will have you hooked. Rose is a respectable lady working as a police stenographer and typist until Odalie arrives and and draws her into her Roaring Twenties web of speakeasies, gangsters, illicit sex and murder, where no one can be taken at face value. With the confident writing style and tight plotting it’s hard to believe this is a highly recommended debut novel.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Other Typist a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell is an astonishing debut which had me gripped from the first page...Be prepared for an amazing read.' - Francesca Ashurst. Scroll down to read more reviews.
A 'Piece of Passion' from Juliet Annan, Publisher Fig Tree/Penguin...
'I am very, very keen on this wonderful debut: The Other Typist is a wonderful, creepy, funny edge-of-the seat thriller combined with period romp. Set in Prohibition New York, it tells the story of Rose, an orphaned, mousy-looking hard-working secretary who works in the typing pool at the police precinct and her growing friendship with the new -- other -- typist. Glamorous Odalie mesmerises Rose and draws her into her roaring twenties web of speakeasies, gangsters, illicit sex and murder where everyone is telling stories about each other (none of which quite match up). It's not long before the identities of the two girls become inextricably entwined, until it is almost impossible to tell one from the other. It is the most beguiling and page turning novel, where the reader is never quite sure of their footing, and I'm thrilled that early online reviews have described it as The Great Gatsby meets Gone Girl.'
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
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Win an Escape Challenge and a copy of The Spy and the Snake by M J Robotham
Closing date: 02/08/2026
New York City, 1924: the height of Prohibition and the whole city swims in bathtub gin. Rose Baker is an orphaned young woman working for her bread as a typist in a police precinct on the lower East Side. Every day Rose transcribes the confessions of the gangsters and murderers that pass through the precinct. While she may disapprove of the details, she prides herself on typing up the goriest of crimes without batting an eyelid. But when the captivating Odalie begins work at the precinct Rose finds herself falling under the new typist's spell. As do her bosses, the buttoned up Lieutenant Detective and the fatherly Sergeant. As the two girls' friendship blossoms and they flit between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night, and their work at the precinct by day, it is not long before Rose's fascination for her new colleague turns to obsession. But just who is the real Odalie, and how far will Rose go to find out?
The Other Typist features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Debut Books of the Month, Historical Fiction, eBooks of the Month, Crime and Mystery, Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, Fiction, General Fiction, Recommendations, Romance / Relationship Stories
The Other Typist is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Other Typist was written by Suzanne Rindell and published by Fig Tree an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
