Kate BelliCritiques
Auteur de Deception by Gaslight
Critiques
Deception by Gaslight: A Gilded Gotham Mystery par Kate Belli
New York 1890
The wedding of Genevive and Daniel is only weeks away, and they are excited for that day to come. They are working on separate projects. Genievive is looking into a suspicious fire at a boarding house for black women who have escaped to New York City for a better life. This interview will lead Genevieve to a midwife dispensing information on birth control and whom the police have under constant observation. On a second visit, Genevive gets locked in the basement, and the house is set on fire; luckily, she can escape with only smoke inhalation.
Daniel is working with a photographer, Dagmar, and together, they are investigating young boys' workhouse conditions. While Daniel and Dagmar are developing the day's photographs, someone sets the studio on fire. Daniel can get them out; he only suffers minor injuries, whereas Dagmar requires that he go to the hospital.
Then Genevive goes missing. Daniel is beside himself and starts to scour the streets of New York City, looking for Genevieve. He calls on her family for help. Daniel also calls on his old friends from the Five Point area. Daniel is forever hopeful that he will find Genevive unharmed and they can proceed with their marriage. In addition, a man who claims to be his brother has arrived in town, but is he really?
This series is one of my favorite historical cozy mysteries. The stories are well-written and seem to be historically accurate. The characters are well-developed, very believable, and engaging. There were enough red herrings that I was guessing until the end as to the identity of the killer.
I can’t wait for the next book in this exciting series.
I love this series! I was intrigued by the photographer who might have been patterned after Jacob Riis.
Genevieve and Daniel are my heroes and since I geek history and enjoy NYC...
The publisher's blurb is a good hook so there is no need for recap and spoilers are just wrong. Fascinating characters, twisty plot, red herrings that would frighten a fish monger, and a truly riveting story. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
It’s July 1898, and New York is experiencing a streak of sweltering weather. Genevieve Stewart has headed for Newport for the summer, where she will be covering the season’s social events. Genevieve is looking forward to spending the summer visiting with her friend Esme, her husband Rupert, and her friend Daniel. Her close friend, Callie, has come out of hiding and has asked Genevieve to investigate the murder of a fellow model, Bea. Bea had been modeling for an artist in the Tenth Street Building, where several artists have studios. Callie relates that the police called Bea’s death suicide, even though Bea’s throat had been cut. Genevieve and Daniel return to New York City, where they will encounter their nemesis Detective Longstreet, who warns them away from any investigation on their own. A second model suffers a similar fate, and even though the police don’t let the deaths be known, a reporter learns of the deaths and writes an article wondering if Jack The Ripper has come to the United States. Much to their dislike, Genevieve and Daniel realize that they need to get Longstreet to agree not to let any more information get to the press while they continue their investigation. Their investigation will lead them from members of society to some prominent artists and to the seedy Five Point area to seek help from some mobsters. Every lead they follow seems to end up turning into a dead end. When Genevieve reviews pictures taken at the crime scenes, she knows who the killer is, But will they get to the killer before any other models are killed?
I always look forward to reading the latest book in this exciting series. The books are well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. Ms. Belli also provides readers with engaging, believable, and well-developed characters.
I’m looking forward to the next book to see what adventures Genevieve and Daniel will have and if there will be a romantic interest for this duo.
When their investigation leads to a second murdered young artist's model, they have a host of artists and male patrons of art as their suspects. The police are willing to let Genevieve and Daniel investigate though they are trying to keep their investigations quiet. The police are concerned that the public will be needlessly frightened especially since some of the newspapers are saying that Jack the Ripper has made his way to New York.
When a third artists' model is also murdered while with Genevieve, Daniel and other friends at Coney Island, fears rise that Genevieve's friend Callie might be next.
This was an entertaining historical mystery set in New York in 1889. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. I liked the way Genevieve and Daniel's romance is progressing toward marriage. I liked the way he supported her in her quest to become an investigative journalist. There was a lot of action and a lot of suspects for Genevieve to investigate.
Fans of the series will enjoy this episode.
A Jack the Ripper copycat picking out single women in NYC in the hottest days of summer and they have tenuous connections to our main protagonists!
I had read book two, but this one would have had me doing my binge-read if I hadn't, and not because I would have felt lost but would have been so intrigued!
The publisher's blurb is a good hook so there is no need for recap and spoilers are just wrong. Fascinating characters, twisty plot, more red herrings than a fish monger, and a truly riveting story. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Esmie and Rupert have exchanged their marriage vow and are now ready to leave on their honeymoon to Europe. Genevieve and Daniel are at the docks to see the newlyweds off. Shortly after, Esmie and Rupert head for their stateroom; there is an ear-shattering scream that Genevieve is sure it’s coming from Esmie. She and Daniel take off at a run to find the source of the screaming. They soon find their friend’s stateroom and see them standing over the body of a young man who was highly intoxicated and had entered the stateroom shouting about ghosts and demons. Daniel inspects the body and finds a medallion in the victim’s hand from Boyle’s Suicide Tavern. Daniel will share that the medallions are given to those that stay until the next morning in the supposedly haunted tavern.
The following day, unbeknownst to the other, Genevieve and Daniel find themselves outside the home of Frank Westwood. Westwoods wants to hire them to find his 18-year-old daughter, Nora. Westwood is concerned that his daughter has run off with a young man and doesn’t want the police involved. When another death, similar to the first young man, they will center their investigations on the seedy, Five Point area. Their quest will also take them to the Garcia mansion that has been uninhabited for many years and is in a state of disrepair. The mansion is supposedly haunted and reputed to have a dungeon.
The series is well-written, historically accurate, and quite enjoyable. The characters are well defined, engaging, and believable. There’s no romance for Genevieve and Daniel yet, but it looks like there is some interest from both.
I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderful series.
Detective Aloysius Longstreet is the man who draws the case. All four of them have run into him before in the first book. He has a tendency to rush to judgment and not look at other options. In this case, he is sure the Rupert must have something to do with this death. Stuck in New York, the four of them must find out what happened because they can be sure that Longstreet isn't looking.
Genevieve and Daniel's search takes them into the Bowery and a saloon where gentlemen earn a coin if they manage to survive the night. Such a coin was found in the victim's pocket. It is also a saloon where young women often go to commit suicide which fits in with the second investigation Genevieve and Daniel are conducting.
Frank Westwood has invited them to his Fifth Avenue mansion and asked them to try to locate his eighteen-year-old daughter Nora who has supposedly run off with her unsuitable beau. Looking for Nora has quite a bit of overlap with their first investigation and the overlap grows when a second young man from high society also kills himself in their presence after raving about demons.
Besides the visit to the Bowery which almost results in their deaths, Genevieve and Daniel also find themselves searching an old, abandoned mansion and its secret tunnels and confronting on old enemy of Daniel's who was also a villain in the first mystery.
The story was fast-paced and intriguing. It was filled with danger for both Genevieve and Daniel. I liked the relationship between Genevieve and Daniel who were rebuilding their friendship after Genevieve's refusal of his proposal in the first book although I didn't really understand why she refused. Admittedly, society's expectations for married women would seem stifling to a woman who craved independence and adventure, but Genevieve didn't seem like someone who would let society's expectations rule her life.
The ending leads right into another mystery and I can't wait to read it.
Unfortunately the story just didn't catch my imagination. I tend to find journalists annoying and Genevieve aka Polly Palmer was really no different and I found her somewhat unlikable.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had not read the earlier book, but that did not matter at all. The publisher's blurb is a good hook so there is no need for recap and spoilers are just wrong. Fascinating characters, twisty plot, more red herrings than a fish monger, and a really riveting story. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
Gilded Gotham Mystery #1
Mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the beginning…great introduction…then enjoyed the next scene, too, but for some reason I was not hooked enough to read every word. That said, I did skim quickly because I wanted to find out what would happen. I had the sense of watching a movie set in the period while also remembering books I read long ago that were of that era. Why I wasn’t invested in the characters might have had to do with Genevieve, in her mid-twenties, being at times incautious and actually making dangerous life-threatening decisions while chasing a story.
The writing flowed and descriptions appealed to all five senses giving a good feel for the time, clothing, etc. and I felt that I was there in some scenes. In some ways the story read like a penny dreadful and in others…not quite.
There were murders, thefts, news stories to follow, social issues relevant to the times, newsworthy happenings, stories given to men that Genevieve wanted, and a bit of romance. I am not sure how I feel about this book and though I didn’t read word for word might give book two a chance to see what Genevieve and Daniel get up to and whether or not their relationship will develop.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC – This is my honest review.
2 for my interest in the story
3 it is in the middle
4 Stars as I believe it has merit and will appeal to more readers than it doesn’t appeal to
This book’s setting is the winter of 1888 and the middle of the Gilded era in New York City.
Genevieve Stewart is a reporter for the NewYork City Globe. Genevieve is getting tired of covering society balls and cutest baby contests. Genevieve is sure getting one big story; the editor will assign her to more newsworthy stories. One day she hears of some society matrons have been robbed of their valuable jewels and that the thief has sent letters citing these people’s misdoings and signing them Robin Hood.
Genevieve has gone to the Lower East Side’s seedier part and hears three men discussing the Robin Hood exploits and starts to follow them. She soon finds that they have led her to Bottle Alley and confront her. They begin to threaten her, but one of the men, who Genevieve has named Mr. Pineapple Waistcoat, calls off the other two. She asks him for information on this Robin Hood, and he suggests she leave well enough alone and for her safety should leave the area.
A few days later, Genevieve is attending a society ball and spots Mr. Pineapple Waistcoat sporting a very nice tux. She asks a friend who he is and finds out he is Daniel McCaffrey. They have a couple of dances, and Genevieve continues to try to get him to discuss whether he is Robin Hood.
Very little is know about Daniel, and he likes it that way. The only thing learned about Daniel is that he had been the sole heir to VanJoost fortune.
Finally, after being followed by Genevieve, Daniel asks to have dinner with him. Still not trusting each other, they agree to work together to determine the identity of Robin Hood. They will soon find themselves in political corruption, tenement housing reform, and paper corporations.
I love historical mysteries, and this was no exception. I find it very interesting to read about how people lived and socialized then. The book is well-written and plotted. I found the characters well-developed, engaging, and believable. There were plenty of red herrings in the story that kept me guessing until the end.
I will be watching for the next book to see what Genevieve and Daniel will be up to next and if there will be a chance of romance for the two.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC,
But wandering around on the Lower East Side isn't particularly safe and she is rescued by a handsome stranger. Imagine her surprise when she sees the same stranger at the next night's social gathering and discovers the he is the mysterious Daniel McCaffrey who was the heir of Jacob Van Joost even though no one knows the relationship between them.
The two are working at cross purposes for quite a while in the story. Genevieve wonders if he could be Robin Hood and he has to overcome his prejudice about reporters who have made up all sorts of stories about him in order to sell papers. But, once the thefts become murders, the two begin working together to find out what is happening.
I enjoyed the main characters in this one. They are both intriguing people. The side characters also have lots of possibilities as stars of further books in this series. I also liked the setting. New York City and the changing social landscape when the old rich are being supplanted by the new rich and the political landscape of the city added rich detail to the story and were key features in the plot.
Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this story and its interesting characters.
I love historical mysteries, and this premise caught my attention. While there was a lot to like, it took me a long time to get into this story. Most of the time when this happens to me, the problem is the characterization.
That’s not the case here. I did like the main characters. Genevieve is a delightful heroine. Left at the altar by her fiancé a while back, she stays away from romance and concentrates on her career in journalism. Now if only her editor would let her write more than society columns about engagement balls, flower shows, and PT Barnum’s “Best Baby” contest, she could prove that she’s just as good a journalist as her male colleagues. If she could only have that break-through story. Like the identity of Robin Hood . . .
Daniel is the heir to the late Jacob Aster’s fortune, though no one knows why. Is he Aster’s illegitimate son? A nephew? A distant relative? Who is this man? Ever since he inherited it, journalists and society have dogged his steps, determined to find out more about this good-looking bachelor. Needless to say, he has no reason to like the persistent Genevieve Stewart, especially once she becomes convinced that he’s Robin Hood. The problem is, he needs her help digging up information buried in newspaper archives, information that points to a larger conspiracy . . .
It was fun to see the two leads develop a working relationship. Yes, there’s a romantic element to it. But there’s more to Genevieve and Daniel’s relationship than their subtle physical attraction. These are two people who can complement each other’s strengths. I sense the beginning of a true friendship between them.
Unlike most of the Astor 400 families, the Stewarts are delightfully eccentric. One brother is an archeologist in Egypt, battling sand and bugs. Another brother is a rising star in architecture, and Genevieve senses that he’s hiding something. Her mother has gone to jail for speaking on such unladylike topics as the women’s suffrage and birth control. Her father is notorious for his court battle to protect an almost-extinct bird species. The wealthy Mrs. Bradley wishes to use their feathers to decorate a hat, and Mr. Stewart braves public ridicule to protect the Koola bird. (Mrs. Bradley hasn’t forgiven him, either.) They love and support each other, including Genevieve’s fledgling career as a journalist.
While I enjoyed the book, I did have some qualms about the mystery itself. Much of the plot relies on the characters’ gut feelings: Daniel senses that he can trust Genevieve (though he trusts almost no one); Genevieve senses that Daniel is connected to Robin Hood (though there’s little proof beyond an overheard bit of conversation); a certain character’s death is connected to these robberies, and so on. It’s not bad. Maybe once or twice is okay. But it’s not satisfying. I had to rely on the characters telling me their intuitions rather than seeing evidence to make those connections myself.
There are also too many coincidences. Sometimes people are conveniently and unrealistically available and willing to give information to Genevieve and Daniel.
I also had issues with certain things from a writing craft perspective. (I have spent too much time beta reading fiction not to notice certain weaknesses.) It bothered me a great deal and made it difficult for me to concentrate on the story. Yet halfway through the novel, my interest picked up. Someone I had dismissed as a nasty-ish minor character acts unexpectedly brave in an unanticipated and very public manner.
From there, I was hooked. Several characters who had appeared shallow ended up playing more decisive roles in the action. I also enjoyed the mystery’s resolution. But I had mixed feelings about the book’s ending, which felt like the beginning of another book.
This appears to be the start of a series. There’s certainly plenty of potential material for future mysteries. The Stewart family alone would cover a few books! Genevieve’s BFFs, Callie and Eliza, as well as Daniel’s close friend Rupert, all have potential as stories. Save for a cousin, Daniel’s own family is dead. But his servants are all from the wrong side of town and could play larger roles in future mysteries. I’m especially hoping Asher, the prizefighter-turned-personal secretary, will have a sizeable role. Kate Belli’s created a cast of intriguing characters who can be explored in greater depth.
Overall, this was a good start to the series. Despite my problems with certain aspects of the writing and plotting, the characters have enough depth to keep my interest. I will be interested to see where book two takes Genevieve and Daniel.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Deception by Gaslight is the exiting first installment in the new series A Gilded Gotham Mystery written by Kate Belli, published by Crooked Lane Books. The story is set in New York City 1888 where we follow journalist Genevieve Stewart. She works on getting information about famous jewel thief Robin Hood who is targeting the very richest. In her struggle to get information she sets her life in danger, and millionaire Daniel McCaffrey saves her. Genevieve is shocked to meet him again at an Astor 400 ball, and realizes he is not the street thug she thought but she suspects him of being Robin Hood. Jewelry keeps being stolen, and soon murders start happening too. Genevieve and Daniel use their unique contacts and talents to dig up information and as they come closer to the truth, danger to Genevieve’s life increases.
Main character Journalist Genevieve Stewart has suffered a great loss in her life, but is determined to work for a living. She seems a caring woman who treats people well and is a person who anyone would be proud to have as a friend. She is my absolute favorite of this story.
Supporting character millionaire and philanthropist Daniel McCaffrey comes from a humble background. He has learned to live between two worlds and makes this work in his philanthropic work. I found him an interesting character who sometimes struggles with his identity.
The characters felt like they could have been my friends in real life as they felt so well crafted and relatable.
This story was beautifully written and reminded me of Sarah M. Eden’s writing. The plot felt different as it contained an enjoyable and exiting collection of elements starting off with the mystery of Robin Hood’s identity. It had me turning pages into the wee hours of the night to get answers, and I was thoroughly surprised who Robin Hood turned out to be.
My favorite part of the story was the amusing way the relationship between Genevieve and Daniel developed. Starting with mutual distrust, they came to trust each other explicitly and rely on each other’s help as the story progressed. Least favorite part was when Genevieve found herself in a dangerous part of Town not able to escape threatening men.
Thank you to publisher Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: Deception by Gaslight is the exiting start of the very promising new series which will captivate readers of cozy mysteries. It contains a collection of well crafted mystery elements and relatable characters that will stay in your memory for a long time.
I eagerly await the next installment in the series or any other release from this author. Similar authors to explore might be Dianne Freeman or Andrea Penrose.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reason: interesting and entertaining plot, relatable characters, beautiful writing
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Kate Belli est un auteur LibraryThing, c'est-à-dire un auteur qui catalogue sa bibliothèque personnelle sur LibraryThing.
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