The Other Typist

Rose Baker is inexperienced and unworldly. She takes and types criminal confessions of every sordid kind for a New York City police precinct, but her life is otherwise unremarkable. Due to the increase of crime resulting from prohibition (the book is set in 1923), a new typist is hired to help with the workload, and Rose is intrigued. Odalie is beautiful, provocative, and more than a little unscrupulous. Rose gets swept into Odalie%E2%80%99s world of fashion trends and speakeasies, and finds it exhilarating. As she relates her growing involvement with Odalie, Rose becomes as uncertain of Odalie%E2%80%99s motives as she is infatuated. Gretchen Mol is effective in narrating Rindell%E2%80%99s novel. She sounds young, reserved, and thoughtful. And the voices Mol%E2%80%94who turns in an earnest and capable performance%E2%80%94lends the other characters are appropriate. An Amy Einhorn/Putnam hardcover. (May)