Echoes of Infamy by Shaina Steinberg

Echoes of Infamy

by Shaina Steinberg

The audiobook version,

narrated by Carrie Coello

Rating: 5 stars rating

I really enjoyed Echoes of Infamy by Shaina Steinberg and narrated by Carrie Coello. Set in 1949 Los Angeles, the book blends historical fiction and mystery in a way that feels both suspenseful and emotionally grounded.

The story follows Evelyn Bishop, now running her late father’s aeronautics company, Bishop Aeronautics. During a groundbreaking ceremony for a new factory expansion, she’s confronted by Billy Takemura, a Japanese American veteran who claims the land belonged to his family before they were sent to the Manzanar internment camp during WWII. His family lost both their restaurant and property while they were imprisoned.

Evelyn immediately stood out to me because she genuinely wants to do the right thing, even when it could damage her family’s reputation and expose possible corruption tied to her father’s business dealings. She asks her husband, Nick Gallagher, a former OSS operative turned investigator, to help uncover the truth. Their investigation slowly uncovers fraud, betrayal, and eventually murder.

The characters were the strongest part of the book for me. Nick isn’t just the tough investigator type; he’s carrying trauma from a brutal childhood and abandonment by his family, which adds a lot of emotional depth to his character. Evelyn and Nick’s marriage also felt realistic and supportive instead of overly dramatic. Billy Takemura was another standout character. His anger, grief, and determination felt believable, especially knowing he fought for a country that had imprisoned his family during the war.

I also appreciated how the novel handled difficult historical topics without losing the momentum of the mystery. The 1940s Los Angeles setting gave the story a classic noir atmosphere, and the emotional stakes made the mystery feel more meaningful than a standard detective story.

The ending tied everything together in a satisfying and emotional way without feeling overly neat or unrealistic. Overall, this was a thoughtful historical mystery with strong characters, real historical weight, and a compelling investigation that kept me interested the entire time.

The audiobook version is narrated by Carrie Coello. She is awesome. She makes every character sound different, so you always know who is talking. Her voice is very smooth, clear, and understandable.

Thanks to NetGalley, Highbridge Audio, Shaina Steinberg and Carrie Coello for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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