Some things never go out of style. Gorgeous clothes. A really well-made cocktail. And paranormal romance that's actually romantic. It's no secret that I'm a harsh judge of the genre. By definition, it should be everything I love. And yet, it often seems to lead readers—young readers in particular—down a nasty path of dubious consent and unhealthy patterns.

And then there's Murder for the Modern Girl, which is criminal only in the best of ways. No bad relationship templates here: just good old-fashioned vigilante justice with a dash of flapper flair.

Our heroine is Ruby: the flame-haired, partygoing eldest daughter of the State Attorney. While she's everything grown-ups consider "wrong" with the Roaring Twenties on the surface, she's more than most give her credit for. She has aspirations of passing the bar and becoming a lawyer herself, fighting for people who can't defend themselves. Until she makes it to law school, though, she's fighting the good fight another way: with homemade poisons administered to the bad guys around town.

How can our merry murderess trust herself to be this good a judge of character? Simple: she can read minds. It's not a talent she can cite to police or city officials, of course; hence her stealthy kills. And her next target hits close to home: a corrupt higher-up who made an attempt on the life of her father. Her search will take her from opulent parties to seedy hotel rooms, in and out of danger at every turn.

Narrating every alternate chapter is Guy: a strange young man working as a janitor at the morgue. In actuality, Guy isn't his real name. Nor is his face his real face. He's a shapeshifter, hiding from a shameful past and attempting to get close to the one scientist who believes his strange affliction might be real.

Guy's medical knowledge does indeed get him close to the gentleman in question—who happens to be researching a string of murders committed by a mysterious person dubbed the "angel killer." This killer is believed to be a woman, and seems to be targeting men who have targeted women and children. As Ruby and Guy continue to cross paths, growing ever closer, their respective supernatural talents and eventual goals intertwine. If they're not careful, Ruby could end up in prison, Guy in a laboratory, and the innocent people of Chicago under the thumb of a corrupt government.

Kendall Kulper displays many talents in Murder for the Modern Girl, chief among them being actually differentiating her characters' voices. This is hard enough in dialogue, and harder still when a book traders narrators every other chapter. Ruby's effervescent slang swaps effortlessly with Guy's awkward prose, setting each chapter apart to the point that one doesn't really need a chapter heading to know who's steering.

Similarly, our romantic leads are beautifully balanced. Even their abilities are complementary: a man who can hide his face, and a woman who can see straight through anyone. It's a beautiful metaphor for their blossoming relationship, in addition to being quite real.

The worldbuilding is fascinating, too. Both Ruby and Guy have limits to their abilities, and these limits matter. Guy finds certain forms harder to maintain, while also holding himself to certain standards while borrowing the faces and voices of others. And Ruby's mind-reading isn't perfect. Some people are excellent at shielding their thoughts, and there are Certain Circumstances that could make the practice dangerous for her. Well, dangerous in addition to her vigilante actions.

The book is a superb page-turner: sweet, funny, and intriguing in equal measures. It's a perfect read for fans of Jazz Age book and film, and one that will leave you wanting more from this setting. And there just so happens to be more from this setting... which I will be reviewing next week!

Murder for the Modern Girl is available now from Holiday House.