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Hidden Gotham #3
The Devil Card
VICIOUS. VINDICTIVE. VENGEFUL.
SOME SINS CAN’T BE FORGIVEN.
A catastrophic fire drags gay speakeasy owner Dash Parker into the treacherous underworld of Little Italy — where people are seduced and imprisoned by their own vices.
When his club’s doorman suffers a devastating loss, Dash must learn if the fire is connected to a sordid gambling den and the predatory family that runs it, or to a secret society that many hoped was long dead. Untangling a decade’s worth of lies between a terrified father, a wily widow, and an enigmatic spiritualist pushes him to the limit. And there’s still the crooked cop who’s chasing after the loose ends of a crime that Dash and his friends thought they’d buried.
The threat of prison. The pain of penitence. The reckoning of the past. And Dash has to free himself of all these ghosts before more lives are lost.
With this third installment in the Hidden Gotham series, Chris Holcombe cements his status as the author of "honest-to-goodness pulp fiction at its gayest!"
SOME SINS CAN’T BE FORGIVEN.
A catastrophic fire drags gay speakeasy owner Dash Parker into the treacherous underworld of Little Italy — where people are seduced and imprisoned by their own vices.
When his club’s doorman suffers a devastating loss, Dash must learn if the fire is connected to a sordid gambling den and the predatory family that runs it, or to a secret society that many hoped was long dead. Untangling a decade’s worth of lies between a terrified father, a wily widow, and an enigmatic spiritualist pushes him to the limit. And there’s still the crooked cop who’s chasing after the loose ends of a crime that Dash and his friends thought they’d buried.
The threat of prison. The pain of penitence. The reckoning of the past. And Dash has to free himself of all these ghosts before more lives are lost.
With this third installment in the Hidden Gotham series, Chris Holcombe cements his status as the author of "honest-to-goodness pulp fiction at its gayest!"
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
11 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Chris Holcombe
10 books23 followersChris Holcombe is the author of the Hidden Gotham series, which is LGBTQIA+ historical crime fiction set in New York City in the 1920s.
His first novel "The Double Vice" was released to great acclaim in 2021, with Queer Writers of Crime calling it "One of the best books I've read all year!" The followup, "The Blind Tiger" was released in 2022 and "The Devil Card" in 2023.
He lives with his husband in New York, where he is hard at work on the next Hidden Gotham novel.
His first novel "The Double Vice" was released to great acclaim in 2021, with Queer Writers of Crime calling it "One of the best books I've read all year!" The followup, "The Blind Tiger" was released in 2022 and "The Devil Card" in 2023.
He lives with his husband in New York, where he is hard at work on the next Hidden Gotham novel.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 4, 2023
I’ve been an vociferous reader since I was old enough to own a library card. It started out with what’s known today as YA fiction, but was back then called age-appropriate children’s literature. It may have all started with a novel about a kid blinded by a firecracker and his seeing eye dog, but it soon grew into a love of adventure novels by my then-favorite writer, Alistair Maclean, as well as detective stories by Ross McDonald and James M. Cain. I’m still a big fan of crime fiction, honed by years of reading Elmore Leonard, Robert Parker, and Jonathan Kellerman. As far as I’m concerned, there has never been enough in the gay crime fiction category, but I’ve found quite a few over the years. Imagine my delight, then, in discovering a totally unique voice in the genre, who, with only 3 books thus far, has succeeded in making me a devoted fan. Chris Holcombe has created a previously untapped keg of gay crime fiction he calls the Hidden Gotham novels, featuring the owner of a men’s drinking and dancing establishment called Pinstripes, secreted behind a tailor shop in the West Village. Secreted? Yes, for these books are set during Prohibition, when the love that dared not speak its name was criminal, and the owner, Dash Parker, is a smart, savvy club owner adept at playing detective and getting him and his friends up into everybody’s business. Truly impressive is the author’s obsession with the details, the mother lode of historical accuracy he has woven into these books. Google whatever you might think is out of place in his stories (and I have) and you’ll be thrilled to discover Holcombe has done mighty impressive research into every phrase, every bon mot, every location in his NYC-set mysteries.
“The Devil Card” starts out with a horrifying fire deliberately set in a building in the dead of night, and moves on to weave a story of gambling debts, a secret society known as Black Hand, , oily, crooked cops, blackmail, murder, and in an Halloween-inspired scene, a spooky seance that isn’t at all what it seems.
Having read all 3 books, I’m extremely pleased to find Holcombe’s talent as a storyteller has grown in giant leaps, for the third novel has a beautiful narrative flow and urgency you don’t usually find in an author so new at it, and so young. And he pulls it off beautifully. This series has something for everyone, and Chris has taken the refreshing step of making the gay aspects of his story stand out, while never letting them overpower the procedural.
This is historical crime fiction that feels absolutely fresh, yet bouncy, bitchy and bawdy at the same time.
“The Devil Card” starts out with a horrifying fire deliberately set in a building in the dead of night, and moves on to weave a story of gambling debts, a secret society known as Black Hand, , oily, crooked cops, blackmail, murder, and in an Halloween-inspired scene, a spooky seance that isn’t at all what it seems.
Having read all 3 books, I’m extremely pleased to find Holcombe’s talent as a storyteller has grown in giant leaps, for the third novel has a beautiful narrative flow and urgency you don’t usually find in an author so new at it, and so young. And he pulls it off beautifully. This series has something for everyone, and Chris has taken the refreshing step of making the gay aspects of his story stand out, while never letting them overpower the procedural.
This is historical crime fiction that feels absolutely fresh, yet bouncy, bitchy and bawdy at the same time.
June 2, 2023
An awesome series.
If you love modern history with a good dose of crime and mystery, then this series is for you. The research that went into writing this series was nothing short of phenomenal.
If you love modern history with a good dose of crime and mystery, then this series is for you. The research that went into writing this series was nothing short of phenomenal.
October 17, 2023
twisty and fun in an elegant way.
A great read, for me. Bringing the Village of the 20’s alive!
The characters are real, I still say 3 demential. And now, I heard a rumor that
Ms. El is in trouble! My goodness!
A great read, for me. Bringing the Village of the 20’s alive!
The characters are real, I still say 3 demential. And now, I heard a rumor that
Ms. El is in trouble! My goodness!
December 31, 2023
This series is continuing to entertain and delight me. Very pleased that the mystery genre now contains multiple books and authors with queer characters.
Looking forward to the next one, due in 2024.
Looking forward to the next one, due in 2024.
February 9, 2025
I am so excited to share how amazing this series is. I have been s of 5he o engrossed in every detail of the storyline. The story definitely prooves the research Mr. Holcombe has done to maintain absolute accuracy of the time period. So excited for the release of book 4!! 🙋♂️ ❤ 📖 📚
May 24, 2024
Excellent sequel, but you'll have to read the first two novels if you want to make sense of the plot.
September 14, 2023
The third book in the Hidden Gotham series, this book was fun, like a queer, Prohibition-era Scooby Doo featuring Dash, the owner of a gay speakeasy in 1920s NYC, trying to solve a mystery while also trying to find a way to stop a corrupt cop from blackmailing queer business owners in the neighborhood. The whole series is fun and fast-paced and filled with colorful and diverse characters. There’s mystery, action, fascinating (and sometimes horrifying) history, and even a little bit of romance. The author does a good job of weaving all of these things together in one series.
My favorite character is Finn, who the author could have written as the typical femme comic relief, and though he is hilarious, he’s a much more interesting and complex character. And there’s Joe, the protective bear of a man who loves Dash and does whatever he can to keep him safe. 🤍
There are also some badass ladies who I just adore. There’s a bit of a teaser at the end of the book that the next book in the series will feature the amazing women from the first three books and I can’t wait!
My favorite character is Finn, who the author could have written as the typical femme comic relief, and though he is hilarious, he’s a much more interesting and complex character. And there’s Joe, the protective bear of a man who loves Dash and does whatever he can to keep him safe. 🤍
There are also some badass ladies who I just adore. There’s a bit of a teaser at the end of the book that the next book in the series will feature the amazing women from the first three books and I can’t wait!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews