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Timothy Wilde #1
The Gods of Gotham
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2012)'Spectacular' Gillian Flynn. GODS OF GOTHAM is the fantastic first novel in Lyndsay Faye's Edgar Award-nominated series, for fans of Andrew Taylor and Antonia Hodgson's The Devil in the Marshalsea.
August 1845 in New York; enter the dark, unforgiving city underworld of the legendary Five Points...
After a fire decimates a swathe of lower Manhattan, and following years of passionate political dispute, New York City at long last forms an official Police Department. That same summer, the great potato famine hits Ireland. These events will change the city of New York for ever.
Timothy Wilde hadn't wanted to be a copper star. On the night of August 21st, on his way home from the Tombs defeated and disgusted, he is plotting his resignation, when a young girl who has escaped from a nearby brothel, crashes into him; she wears only a nightdress and is covered from head to toe in blood. Searching out the truth in the child's wild stories, Timothy soon finds himself on the trail of a brutal killer, seemingly hell bent on fanning the flames of anti-Irish immigrant sentiment and threatening chaos in a city already in the midst of social upheaval. But his fight for justice could cost him the woman he loves, his brother and ultimately his life...
August 1845 in New York; enter the dark, unforgiving city underworld of the legendary Five Points...
After a fire decimates a swathe of lower Manhattan, and following years of passionate political dispute, New York City at long last forms an official Police Department. That same summer, the great potato famine hits Ireland. These events will change the city of New York for ever.
Timothy Wilde hadn't wanted to be a copper star. On the night of August 21st, on his way home from the Tombs defeated and disgusted, he is plotting his resignation, when a young girl who has escaped from a nearby brothel, crashes into him; she wears only a nightdress and is covered from head to toe in blood. Searching out the truth in the child's wild stories, Timothy soon finds himself on the trail of a brutal killer, seemingly hell bent on fanning the flames of anti-Irish immigrant sentiment and threatening chaos in a city already in the midst of social upheaval. But his fight for justice could cost him the woman he loves, his brother and ultimately his life...
460 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,171 reviews
October 25, 2020
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: It revels in period authenticity, though its heroes’ progressive social attitudes feel too twenty-first century for the era.
Notes: It revels in period authenticity, though its heroes’ progressive social attitudes feel too twenty-first century for the era.
July 28, 2016
Probably it was exactly what I felt like reading right about now, whatever, but I haven’t been this entertained in years. We’re talking quality escapism. A murder mystery featuring the NYPD in its infancy, ‘copper stars’ mainly made up of scrappy, downtrodden Irishmen. “We were all missing bits and pieces.”
A swarm of emigrants gushes ceaselessly onto the South Street docks “the entire block consisted of Irish and dogs and rats sharing the same fleas” - that they’re Catholics makes them all the more deplorable.
Love the Irish for their tenacity! Piling on hardships seems to bring out the best in them. With a wild and lawless 1845 New York setting “Broadway, a street more roiling, a street with a more dizzying pendulum swing between starving opium fiends with the rags rotting off of them and ladies in walking gowns bedecked like small steamships” it’s told through Tim Waide’s eyes. His brooding introspective nature has him promoted to Detective while his brother Valentine who thrives on danger, a life lived on the edge is a natural for Captain. The dynamics between these two really the heart of this story; polar opposites, their love-hate relationship is done to perfection.
Adored the dialog, ‘flash-patter’ – a spin on British thieves cant so lyrical it sings “Whoever wrote that is cracked as an egg. Whoever thinks ripping guts out of kinchin (children) is high sport is brainsick as well.” No worries, you’ll ‘savvy’ it in no time, we’re still sprinkling it into conversation…Ever say “so long” to a “pal”? That’s flash-patter:)
For historical fiction 4 ½ copper-stars
Memorable: “Why, Tim, I thought you savvied the pope lived off the flesh of aborted fetuses; it’s common enough knowledge.” I don’t bother responding to this brand of insanity for two reasons: idiots treasure their facts like newborns, and the entire topic makes my shoulders ache.”
Cons: The love interest between Mercy & Tim was a little flat, his infatuation came across as puppy love. Mercy’s character overall just didn't ring true.
A swarm of emigrants gushes ceaselessly onto the South Street docks “the entire block consisted of Irish and dogs and rats sharing the same fleas” - that they’re Catholics makes them all the more deplorable.
Love the Irish for their tenacity! Piling on hardships seems to bring out the best in them. With a wild and lawless 1845 New York setting “Broadway, a street more roiling, a street with a more dizzying pendulum swing between starving opium fiends with the rags rotting off of them and ladies in walking gowns bedecked like small steamships” it’s told through Tim Waide’s eyes. His brooding introspective nature has him promoted to Detective while his brother Valentine who thrives on danger, a life lived on the edge is a natural for Captain. The dynamics between these two really the heart of this story; polar opposites, their love-hate relationship is done to perfection.
Adored the dialog, ‘flash-patter’ – a spin on British thieves cant so lyrical it sings “Whoever wrote that is cracked as an egg. Whoever thinks ripping guts out of kinchin (children) is high sport is brainsick as well.” No worries, you’ll ‘savvy’ it in no time, we’re still sprinkling it into conversation…Ever say “so long” to a “pal”? That’s flash-patter:)
For historical fiction 4 ½ copper-stars
Memorable: “Why, Tim, I thought you savvied the pope lived off the flesh of aborted fetuses; it’s common enough knowledge.” I don’t bother responding to this brand of insanity for two reasons: idiots treasure their facts like newborns, and the entire topic makes my shoulders ache.”
Cons: The love interest between Mercy & Tim was a little flat, his infatuation came across as puppy love. Mercy’s character overall just didn't ring true.
April 19, 2013
New York City Police Department Application - 1845
1) Can you walk?
2) Are you a Democrat?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to both of these questions: Congratulations! You are now a police officer for the city of New York.
Timothy Wilde was a bartender who was doing well by the standards of 1845. He had saved some money which he planned on using for his dream of purchasing a ferry boat and asking the woman he was in love with to marry him. However, a devastating fire leaves him homeless, unemployed, penniless and disfigured.
Tim’s brother, Valentine, is a politically connected fire captain who gets them both jobs on the newly formed New York police department. Since Tim hates his brother for his corrupt ways as well as his other various other sins like his morphine habit, he doesn’t really want the job, but with no other options, Tim signs on. After almost a full day of training which consists of mainly being told to drag criminals to jail but to ignore the prostitutes, Tim receives a ‘copper star’ which is also the slang name of the new policemen.
With New York filled with anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiments after the influx of immigrants due to the potato famine as well as half the population thinking that a police force is un-American, Tim and his fellow officers have their work cut out for them. After Tim comes across a female child prostitute (Or a kinchen-maab in the lingo of the day.) covered in blood, it leads to the discovery of 19 dead children who seem to have been murdered with cross-like wounds ripped into them. Tim and the fledgling police force will have to quickly solve the crime before the bloody deaths are used as propaganda that could tear New York apart.
I liked the early parts of this book with its depiction of the early days of the New York police department, but once it turned into a murder mystery, it lost a lot of its charm. Part of this is due to the protagonist. Timothy is kind of a self-righteous prude in a lot of ways, and frankly I kept finding myself wishing that his wicked brother Valentine was the main character. Val may be a morphine junkie and a willing part of the corrupt Democratic political machine, but he was entertaining.
The whole book suffers a bit by being a historical fiction but having a hero who is too modern despite his seemingly straight arrow outlook of the time. It may make for a more likeable character, but I just can’t picture a white bartender in New York circa 1845 being so open-minded as to defend a black man against a mob as well as find himself admiring a homosexual. It’s pretty to think it could have been like that, but it just seems too politically correct to be believable.
However, the book deserves a lot of credit for some of the major twists it delivers in the resolution of the murder plot as well as developing the female character of Mercy Underhill. I thought I had a good idea of where all of this was going, but there were a lot of surprises, and the outcome of that did improve my opinion of Tim a lot.
1) Can you walk?
2) Are you a Democrat?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to both of these questions: Congratulations! You are now a police officer for the city of New York.
Timothy Wilde was a bartender who was doing well by the standards of 1845. He had saved some money which he planned on using for his dream of purchasing a ferry boat and asking the woman he was in love with to marry him. However, a devastating fire leaves him homeless, unemployed, penniless and disfigured.
Tim’s brother, Valentine, is a politically connected fire captain who gets them both jobs on the newly formed New York police department. Since Tim hates his brother for his corrupt ways as well as his other various other sins like his morphine habit, he doesn’t really want the job, but with no other options, Tim signs on. After almost a full day of training which consists of mainly being told to drag criminals to jail but to ignore the prostitutes, Tim receives a ‘copper star’ which is also the slang name of the new policemen.
With New York filled with anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiments after the influx of immigrants due to the potato famine as well as half the population thinking that a police force is un-American, Tim and his fellow officers have their work cut out for them. After Tim comes across a female child prostitute (Or a kinchen-maab in the lingo of the day.) covered in blood, it leads to the discovery of 19 dead children who seem to have been murdered with cross-like wounds ripped into them. Tim and the fledgling police force will have to quickly solve the crime before the bloody deaths are used as propaganda that could tear New York apart.
I liked the early parts of this book with its depiction of the early days of the New York police department, but once it turned into a murder mystery, it lost a lot of its charm. Part of this is due to the protagonist. Timothy is kind of a self-righteous prude in a lot of ways, and frankly I kept finding myself wishing that his wicked brother Valentine was the main character. Val may be a morphine junkie and a willing part of the corrupt Democratic political machine, but he was entertaining.
The whole book suffers a bit by being a historical fiction but having a hero who is too modern despite his seemingly straight arrow outlook of the time. It may make for a more likeable character, but I just can’t picture a white bartender in New York circa 1845 being so open-minded as to defend a black man against a mob as well as find himself admiring a homosexual. It’s pretty to think it could have been like that, but it just seems too politically correct to be believable.
However, the book deserves a lot of credit for some of the major twists it delivers in the resolution of the murder plot as well as developing the female character of Mercy Underhill. I thought I had a good idea of where all of this was going, but there were a lot of surprises, and the outcome of that did improve my opinion of Tim a lot.
November 30, 2014
Hope, I've discovered, is a sad nuisance. Hope is a horse with a broken leg. ~The Gods of Gotham, Lyndsay FayeNew York City, 1845. Helped by an explosion of combustible saltpeter, a great fire has once again decimated Lower Manhattan, claiming the lives of four fireman and 26 civilians.
Across the Atlantic, a terrible potato blight is beginning to take its toll, and shiploads of desperate, starving Irish pour into the city despised for their race and religion. Despite having traveled so far, work and food continue to be scarce commodities. Gang violence is commonplace as Dead Rabbits clash with the infamous Bowery Boys.
The city forms its first police department. The men are greeted with a mixture of fear, hostility and suspicion. Pinned to the men's chests is a roughly cut copper star.
Welcome to Gotham, where the streets of Five Points are plagued with filth, prostitution, spilled blood and political corruption. Children are left to fend for themselves hunted by disease, hunger and predators who will draft them into a life of thievery or sexual exploitation.
The Gods of Gotham is historical fiction at its best -- filled to the brim with vivid characters, authentic dialogue, and a sense of place so strong you can taste it in the back of your throat. As an audiobook, it is a marvel, drawing you in, caressing your ear, transporting you back in time.
In one fell swoop, Timothy Wilde is left unemployed, disfigured and penniless. In an attempt to save his brother from utter desperation, Valentine gets Tim a job on the newly drafted New York City police force. One fateful evening walking home to his modest lodgings atop a bakery, Tim crashes into a young girl clad in a blood-soaked nightdress. She is frantic, almost delirious, and murmurs "They will tear him apart." And so Tim is pulled into a tangled and depraved web of conspiracy and unholy murder. It will change him irrevocably, as the streets of New York hold their own council and wait to see what the remaining 19th century has in store.
I loved this story, everything about it. Timothy Wilde is a great character as is his vice-ridden, brawling brother Valentine and the prickly relationship they share, weakened by years of mistrust and animosity. Little Bird Daly, just ten years old, is memorably precocious and heart-breakingly real, a symbol of the abominable acts perpetrated on orphaned children in the years before the law started to identify and protect them in earnest.
And New York City -- how grand and tawdry and exciting and perilous you really are. You've been romanticized as often as you've been vilified. You are notorious, legendary, epic, and any story set in your streets must be all of these things too or become lost in your long shadow. The Gods of Gotham is that story. You two are well-met and well-matched. I cannot wait to return.
***For anyone interested, BBC America has created the series Copper set in 1860's New York featuring a young Irish cop tasked with policing in the Five Points. I haven't seen an episode yet, but you can bet I'm going to give it a try.
February 6, 2017
This one was...rough. Like, AMAZING. But also rough.
This one deals with a LOT of difficult topics. There's a hell of a lot of anti-Irish sentiment, because it's set in New York in the 1840s, right at the time when there was a huge influx of Irish immigrants due to the Famine. (ETA: Reading it this week with the Cheeto-in-Chief's bullshit Muslim ban was actually kind of a horrifying reminder that there's ALWAYS been an immigrant population that's discriminated against and that the existing population thinks are backwards scum who are out to ruin "our way of life")
There's also a hell of a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment that goes hand in hand with the anti-Irish sentiment: they're all stupid, they worship the Pope rather than God, they're in league with the devil, etcetera.
Add in the Irish population being racist towards the free black population, a handful of children who'd been forced into prostitution, and a crapton of dead kids and you've got yourself one hell of a difficult read.
HOWEVER. At no point in the story does the main character join in with the discrimination. He doesn't judge anyone who's been involved in sex work. He just goes out every day and does his job, even though it's not a job that he particularly wants.
I loved the characters, and the writing was compelling. But it's definitely not an easy book to read, especially when you reach the author's note and find out that the case of infanticide that kicks off the whole story is based on actual events. Oof.
This one deals with a LOT of difficult topics. There's a hell of a lot of anti-Irish sentiment, because it's set in New York in the 1840s, right at the time when there was a huge influx of Irish immigrants due to the Famine. (ETA: Reading it this week with the Cheeto-in-Chief's bullshit Muslim ban was actually kind of a horrifying reminder that there's ALWAYS been an immigrant population that's discriminated against and that the existing population thinks are backwards scum who are out to ruin "our way of life")
There's also a hell of a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment that goes hand in hand with the anti-Irish sentiment: they're all stupid, they worship the Pope rather than God, they're in league with the devil, etcetera.
Add in the Irish population being racist towards the free black population, a handful of children who'd been forced into prostitution, and a crapton of dead kids and you've got yourself one hell of a difficult read.
HOWEVER. At no point in the story does the main character join in with the discrimination. He doesn't judge anyone who's been involved in sex work. He just goes out every day and does his job, even though it's not a job that he particularly wants.
I loved the characters, and the writing was compelling. But it's definitely not an easy book to read, especially when you reach the author's note and find out that the case of infanticide that kicks off the whole story is based on actual events. Oof.
February 17, 2022
I rarely read this genre, suspenseful police procedurals, but this one had some history thrown into the mix. Timothy Wilde becomes a reluctant member of the first police force formed in NYC after a series of events leaves him no choice. He wants no part of it at first, then realizes he's found his calling after solving a series of gruesome murders of child prostitutes. The author does a great job of bringing 1845 to life, mixing in the potato famine in Ireland that brought so many Irish immigrants to New York, with the hatred and resentment from "native" citizens who accused them of being murdering, thieving, nasty low-lifes out to steal jobs from more deserving people. Sound familiar? Almost 200 years later, same thing happening, just immigrants from a different country. Religion gets thrown into the mix as well with the Catholics and Protestants.
I enjoyed this one and read it quickly, my only complaint being that a lot of details get lost in the shuffle, or glossed over for the sake of the action. But there is action aplenty for those who want it, and some great characters as well. Shout out to the street urchin newsboys of the day, they knew more than a lot of others about everything going on in the city, and had my admiration early on.
I enjoyed this one and read it quickly, my only complaint being that a lot of details get lost in the shuffle, or glossed over for the sake of the action. But there is action aplenty for those who want it, and some great characters as well. Shout out to the street urchin newsboys of the day, they knew more than a lot of others about everything going on in the city, and had my admiration early on.
August 15, 2017
3,5 Sterne
Wäre der Start in das Buch für mich etwas besser verlaufen, hätte ich dem ganzen auch getrost 4 Sterne gegeben, allerdings wurde die Geschichte zu Beginn sehr langsam aufgebaut und erzählt, es hat mir einfach etwas lange gedauert bis Spannung aufgebaut wurde. Was ich allerdings hervorragend fand, war, dass ich ziemlich lange im Dunkeln getappt bin was den Mörder angeht und dann Fall an sich fand ich auch sehr gelungen. Der Schreibstil war der Zeit, in der der Roman spielt, angemessen und dennoch gut verständlich und flüssig lesbar. Ich mochte auch die kleinen Einschiebungen aus Zeitungen etc. zu Beginn jedes Kapitels. Auch die Länge der Kapitel empfand ich als angenehm. Ich mochte unseren Protagonisten sehr und fand auch alle anderen Charaktere gut und vielschichtig gezeichnet. Die Auflösung fand ich auch schlüssig und das Ende an sich auch sehr gelungen. Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen, dass es ein sehr lesenswertes Buch, aus einem mir doch recht unvertrauten Genre, ist. Empfehlung meinerseits 👍🏻
Wäre der Start in das Buch für mich etwas besser verlaufen, hätte ich dem ganzen auch getrost 4 Sterne gegeben, allerdings wurde die Geschichte zu Beginn sehr langsam aufgebaut und erzählt, es hat mir einfach etwas lange gedauert bis Spannung aufgebaut wurde. Was ich allerdings hervorragend fand, war, dass ich ziemlich lange im Dunkeln getappt bin was den Mörder angeht und dann Fall an sich fand ich auch sehr gelungen. Der Schreibstil war der Zeit, in der der Roman spielt, angemessen und dennoch gut verständlich und flüssig lesbar. Ich mochte auch die kleinen Einschiebungen aus Zeitungen etc. zu Beginn jedes Kapitels. Auch die Länge der Kapitel empfand ich als angenehm. Ich mochte unseren Protagonisten sehr und fand auch alle anderen Charaktere gut und vielschichtig gezeichnet. Die Auflösung fand ich auch schlüssig und das Ende an sich auch sehr gelungen. Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen, dass es ein sehr lesenswertes Buch, aus einem mir doch recht unvertrauten Genre, ist. Empfehlung meinerseits 👍🏻
October 31, 2021
Always count on Lyndsay Faye for lots of atmospheric and interesting historical details, and a juicy, emotionally resonant mystery. This wasn't my favorite of hers, but I'm definitely going to be continuing the series.
Timothy Wilde has 400 dollars saved up, and a job tending bar, until a fire devastates his neighborhood, and injures him so severely his face becomes permanently disfigured. It's 1845, and the NYC police department is in its infancy. There is a potato blight hitting Ireland, and thousands upon thousands of Irish immigrants arrive by the boatload, only to be greeted in their new country by scorn, bigotry, poverty, and violence. America, it seems, has always had a problem with immigrants. Only real Americans in America, because we stole this land fair and square from its original inhabitants and slaughtered them wholesale like the good upstanding hypocrites that we are!
Anyway, this book brings together all these factors, and Timothy's new job as a Copper Star, which he turns out to be good at against his will, with a series of child murders. Somebody is killing orphaned, children viciously, with a seeming religious motive, and the murders are so vicious that it doesn't even seem to matter the children are Irish and to a one mabs (prostitutes). The most fascinating part of the book for me was seeing the politics and social values of the day play out in context. Though her main character is a man, all the rest of the best characters are women.
It is a tiny bit fraught reading this now in 2021. When it was first published in 2012, issues of police violence and institutional racism were not in the mainstream vernacular, and now they are. Nothing in here is offensive (at least nothing that isn't meant to be; it is historical fiction after all), but I can't help thinking it would have been a different, less complicated reading experience if I'd have read it when I first put it on my TBR. If anything, the book doesn't shy away from the police department's roots as being inherently muddy from the beginning, and Faye's hero Wilde stands apart even from many of his fellow Coppers.
Timothy Wilde has 400 dollars saved up, and a job tending bar, until a fire devastates his neighborhood, and injures him so severely his face becomes permanently disfigured. It's 1845, and the NYC police department is in its infancy. There is a potato blight hitting Ireland, and thousands upon thousands of Irish immigrants arrive by the boatload, only to be greeted in their new country by scorn, bigotry, poverty, and violence. America, it seems, has always had a problem with immigrants. Only real Americans in America, because we stole this land fair and square from its original inhabitants and slaughtered them wholesale like the good upstanding hypocrites that we are!
Anyway, this book brings together all these factors, and Timothy's new job as a Copper Star, which he turns out to be good at against his will, with a series of child murders. Somebody is killing orphaned, children viciously, with a seeming religious motive, and the murders are so vicious that it doesn't even seem to matter the children are Irish and to a one mabs (prostitutes). The most fascinating part of the book for me was seeing the politics and social values of the day play out in context. Though her main character is a man, all the rest of the best characters are women.
It is a tiny bit fraught reading this now in 2021. When it was first published in 2012, issues of police violence and institutional racism were not in the mainstream vernacular, and now they are. Nothing in here is offensive (at least nothing that isn't meant to be; it is historical fiction after all), but I can't help thinking it would have been a different, less complicated reading experience if I'd have read it when I first put it on my TBR. If anything, the book doesn't shy away from the police department's roots as being inherently muddy from the beginning, and Faye's hero Wilde stands apart even from many of his fellow Coppers.
May 29, 2012
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
A couple of years ago, Lyndsay Faye's clever Sherlock Holmes/Jack The Ripper thriller Dust and Shadow made CCLaP's best-of-the-year lists, and with me specifically saying at the time that I was looking forward to a wholly original creation from this engaging, smart author; and now that original creation is here, and I have to confess that it's a stunner. Entitled The Gods of Gotham, it's the first in what I assume will eventually be a whole series of adventures about one Timothy Wilde, who in the 1840s becomes one of the first-ever "police officers" of New York City, making this essentially a clever retconned detective story form a time when the very profession was being invented for the first time. And indeed, much like her previous book, Faye has the ability to take the real details of this period and still make it feel like a fantastical steampunk novel; and that's because, much like Martin Scorsese did with Gangs of New York (set in the same area of Manhattan and during the same general period as Faye's own story), The Gods of Gotham wallows in the most otherworldly elements of actual 19th-century New York that even existed, presenting us with a magical world of newsie underground theatre companies, hidden caches of forgotten catacombs, crumbling Gothic jail facilities, wharf-side bordellos, morphine fever dreams and a lot, lot more. A book that's received more mainstream attention than just about any other genre novel I've reviewed in the last few years, it seems almost inevitable that this will eventually be made into a big-budget Hollywood film, and undoubtedly with a whole series of further adventures still to come, so do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of this remarkable Victorian universe as soon as possible.
Out of 10: 9.3
A couple of years ago, Lyndsay Faye's clever Sherlock Holmes/Jack The Ripper thriller Dust and Shadow made CCLaP's best-of-the-year lists, and with me specifically saying at the time that I was looking forward to a wholly original creation from this engaging, smart author; and now that original creation is here, and I have to confess that it's a stunner. Entitled The Gods of Gotham, it's the first in what I assume will eventually be a whole series of adventures about one Timothy Wilde, who in the 1840s becomes one of the first-ever "police officers" of New York City, making this essentially a clever retconned detective story form a time when the very profession was being invented for the first time. And indeed, much like her previous book, Faye has the ability to take the real details of this period and still make it feel like a fantastical steampunk novel; and that's because, much like Martin Scorsese did with Gangs of New York (set in the same area of Manhattan and during the same general period as Faye's own story), The Gods of Gotham wallows in the most otherworldly elements of actual 19th-century New York that even existed, presenting us with a magical world of newsie underground theatre companies, hidden caches of forgotten catacombs, crumbling Gothic jail facilities, wharf-side bordellos, morphine fever dreams and a lot, lot more. A book that's received more mainstream attention than just about any other genre novel I've reviewed in the last few years, it seems almost inevitable that this will eventually be made into a big-budget Hollywood film, and undoubtedly with a whole series of further adventures still to come, so do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of this remarkable Victorian universe as soon as possible.
Out of 10: 9.3
June 20, 2015
3.5 Stars
"I'd known before meeting her that women were capable of writing murder across their eyelids and then sweetly blinking at a fellow, but I'd not seen it. It's pretty daunting, when it's done proper."
It's 1845 New York and the BIG fire has just wiped out part of the city as well as bartender Tim Wilde and his stash of $400 saved over the last ten years (to win over the love of his life).......Now disfigured with nowhere to turn, the good natured Tim reluctantly accepts a job from his much older unsavory, drug taking, whoring cheat of a Big brother as a Copper Star policing one of the most dangerous slum wards in Manhattan.
With the help of a ten year old Irish runaway (Bird) found covered in blood, Tim slowly wins her trust and uncovers a multi-layered heinous crime involving dozens of mutilated children. (no spoiler here)
A really good mystery with evil characters and many historical tidbits along the way!
June 29, 2014
Unfortunately, things haven't changed much since 1845 except maybe back then it was easier to get drugs like Morphine, hookers were cheap, Catholics disliked Irish and other protestants perhaps a little more than these days. It was also more normal to drink a lot during the day, the political leaders got away with all kinds of bad dealings and politics (wait, maybe that one hasn't changed) and little orphan kids were treated like slaves sometimes in the sex industry...I think I just heard the FBI is cracking down on that one right now.
This is one of those books I could give five stars to in several categories. Her writing ability and descriptive metaphors and observations are at the five level. The overall story and plot were not quite to the five level for me although it was a satisfying and good story. The protagonist was such a naive and likable guy. I got a little tired of some of the same themes with his relationship with his brother and with the girl he so idolized. I thought some of the religious leader personalities were too much the cliches and I wanted her to draw out some of the characters a little more, especially as there are huge revelations about some of them as the book finishes up. Several endings weren't happy enough for me and although probably realistic, left a little hole in my heart.
I could feel the influences of Sherlock Holmes and other writers of the time here as she mentioned in the afterword. I enjoyed actual quotes from the newspapers of the time which helped take me to that mess of a growing NYC with all its struggles.
All and all, a book well worth reading.
This is one of those books I could give five stars to in several categories. Her writing ability and descriptive metaphors and observations are at the five level. The overall story and plot were not quite to the five level for me although it was a satisfying and good story. The protagonist was such a naive and likable guy. I got a little tired of some of the same themes with his relationship with his brother and with the girl he so idolized. I thought some of the religious leader personalities were too much the cliches and I wanted her to draw out some of the characters a little more, especially as there are huge revelations about some of them as the book finishes up. Several endings weren't happy enough for me and although probably realistic, left a little hole in my heart.
I could feel the influences of Sherlock Holmes and other writers of the time here as she mentioned in the afterword. I enjoyed actual quotes from the newspapers of the time which helped take me to that mess of a growing NYC with all its struggles.
All and all, a book well worth reading.
September 7, 2017
6/10
New York back in the mid 19th century sounds like a shit hole. Probably no more or less than any other major city at that time but what a melting pot of emotions mixing so many different types of characters with differing ethnic backgrounds into a relatively small space. It's not going to end well!
Although this is what drew me in; I love a bit of historical fiction taking me to a different time and place and even better when I don't know a great deal about that era. This novel layers the atmosphere on thick in the early stages, setting up a couple of characters by dropping them in some major scenes and allowing those scenes around them to shape their characters down the line.
Enter the Police Force! It's bizarre to think of a time in modern history without the police but it's a recent introduction to society in the grand scheme of things. This shows the trials and tribulations the police officers went through and the stigma shown towards the police force.
Things that lacked in the novel and let it down for me was the main character. He just felt a bit weak and too forward thinking for the period. I'd much have preferred to read about Val as a lead instead, the silly drug addict. The whole murder mystery aspect could have been dropped too, I'd have been happy just reading about the police forces early entry into the public but I could be one of the few.
I'll pick up the follow up and see how that feels after all it was an interesting read with a number of red hearings which well and truly sent my mind in the wrong directions. An enjoyable read that falls short partly because it missed an opportunity to be something more.
New York back in the mid 19th century sounds like a shit hole. Probably no more or less than any other major city at that time but what a melting pot of emotions mixing so many different types of characters with differing ethnic backgrounds into a relatively small space. It's not going to end well!
Although this is what drew me in; I love a bit of historical fiction taking me to a different time and place and even better when I don't know a great deal about that era. This novel layers the atmosphere on thick in the early stages, setting up a couple of characters by dropping them in some major scenes and allowing those scenes around them to shape their characters down the line.
Enter the Police Force! It's bizarre to think of a time in modern history without the police but it's a recent introduction to society in the grand scheme of things. This shows the trials and tribulations the police officers went through and the stigma shown towards the police force.
Things that lacked in the novel and let it down for me was the main character. He just felt a bit weak and too forward thinking for the period. I'd much have preferred to read about Val as a lead instead, the silly drug addict. The whole murder mystery aspect could have been dropped too, I'd have been happy just reading about the police forces early entry into the public but I could be one of the few.
I'll pick up the follow up and see how that feels after all it was an interesting read with a number of red hearings which well and truly sent my mind in the wrong directions. An enjoyable read that falls short partly because it missed an opportunity to be something more.
April 9, 2012
This was a fantastic historical mystery taking place in 1852 New York City. The potato famine has caused hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants to flock to New York, causing untoward problems between the protestants and the newly arrived Catholics. The Five Point area, 6th district is a poor violent area full of corruption and crime. A new police force, the predecessor to the NYPD is formed, the men wearing the badge are called Copper stars by the residents. Add to that a murderer of children and two very different but likable brothers, one a police captain and one a regular copper.This author has such a command of time and place that I felt most of the time that I was actually back living in this place. Could feel the fear, tension and the hatred of the residents. Very well written and atmospherically dark, I really liked this novel and I believe, or rather hope that it is the start of a new series.
February 26, 2016
Absolutely BRILLIANT historical fiction! WOW! Faye has and does it all: her language is fluid and melodious; her work's historical accuracy and her attention to detail are downright academic; the characters she creates are multi-dimensional and continue to grow throughout the novel; etc, etc.
The setting is early 19th century antebellum New York City. I've read a bunch of scholarly studies on the era and region, and was absolutely blown-away by all the accurate details Faye managed to explore: women's entrance into the workforce (and piece-work, that kept many off the streets but in constant poverty), racism and racial-based violence, political battles between the Democrats and the Whigs, 19th century medical practices, the formation of a police force and the conflict this caused, a lot more, and most of all, a quite believable portrait of what 19th century New York was like to live in.
I love, love, LOVE New York. It is my soul-city (after Paris of course). And I, as any reader probably, have often wondered what it would be like to have lived at some point past (or future?) - have been there, in fact, by reading. The Gods of Gotham is a complete immersion into a fully fleshed out, entirely plausible, compelling rendering of 19th century New York City. And it's absolutely fascinating, especially if you love that time period or the City: there are the rural locations east of 5th Ave, there are people in the streets pumping water, there are firemen brigades which basically rule the city like mafiosos (until the police force steps in, tentatively, during this period).
The novel is not perfect: it's definitely "genre" fiction - it follows all the plot rules, and Faye takes no creative license beyond her absolutely beautiful use of language. But, this language is almost too poetic: it's a strange thing for me to say, because I value that above almost all else as I read, but at times it was hard to believe that all cops, madams, spinsters, dock-workers, etc, spoke in such exalted tongues. Also, the mystery itself is not the most compelling, and the ending, as these things tend to, tries to "twist" one too many times, just for the sake of novelty.
Still, highly enjoyed as a ticket to antebellum NYC <3
The setting is early 19th century antebellum New York City. I've read a bunch of scholarly studies on the era and region, and was absolutely blown-away by all the accurate details Faye managed to explore: women's entrance into the workforce (and piece-work, that kept many off the streets but in constant poverty), racism and racial-based violence, political battles between the Democrats and the Whigs, 19th century medical practices, the formation of a police force and the conflict this caused, a lot more, and most of all, a quite believable portrait of what 19th century New York was like to live in.
I love, love, LOVE New York. It is my soul-city (after Paris of course). And I, as any reader probably, have often wondered what it would be like to have lived at some point past (or future?) - have been there, in fact, by reading. The Gods of Gotham is a complete immersion into a fully fleshed out, entirely plausible, compelling rendering of 19th century New York City. And it's absolutely fascinating, especially if you love that time period or the City: there are the rural locations east of 5th Ave, there are people in the streets pumping water, there are firemen brigades which basically rule the city like mafiosos (until the police force steps in, tentatively, during this period).
The novel is not perfect: it's definitely "genre" fiction - it follows all the plot rules, and Faye takes no creative license beyond her absolutely beautiful use of language. But, this language is almost too poetic: it's a strange thing for me to say, because I value that above almost all else as I read, but at times it was hard to believe that all cops, madams, spinsters, dock-workers, etc, spoke in such exalted tongues. Also, the mystery itself is not the most compelling, and the ending, as these things tend to, tries to "twist" one too many times, just for the sake of novelty.
Still, highly enjoyed as a ticket to antebellum NYC <3
May 29, 2012
A murder mystery set in 1840s New York City, this is something of a cross between Caleb Carr's The Alienist in subject and Dennis Lehane's The Given Day in writing style. Its similarity the Lehane book put me off at first, partly because Faye had the exact same tendency that Lehane did to tell the reader how to feel about everything that was put in front of them. One of my least favorite writer's tics is when they decide that some object just has to serve as a convenient metaphor, and then nothing will stop them from spending a paragraph or a page pointlessly explaining that metaphor to the reader. So be on the lookout for things with dangerously suggestive "literary" qualities like sunsets, the main character's police badge, and the like, because you'll get a train of sentences following afterwards that tells you exactly what you're supposed to be feeling. There are also some eyebrow-raising points of characterization: the protagonist, a supposedly street-wise bartender by trade who was cruelly orphaned at a young age, is also somehow an accomplished charcoal sketch artist; additionally, the fact that he can speak the "flash" street lingo of the time gets relayed in a way straight out of the "Oh stewardess, I speak jive!" scene in Airplane!. However, those are minor complaints, and Faye overall does a really good job of portraying New York City as it was during those times. The main plot, which revolves around the murder of child prostitutes, gets tied into a lot of the political ferment of the times (nativists vs. Irish FOBs, Democrats vs. Whigs, party bosses vs. reformers, and the city's struggle to give itself a real police force as opposed to the mobs of hired gangs it had been using), in a way that's usually very informative without seeming overly didactic. No awkward info-dumps here! There's even a decent love story in there too. I confess that it didn't strike an extremely deep chord with me based on some of the stylistic tics, but overall it was well-written and should appeal to historical fiction fans.
July 7, 2016
A protagonist who grows more likable with every turn of the page, and a mystery more sinister and disturbing with every clue followed.
September 5, 2012
A vortex of a book! The twists and turns and reveals and dark secrets - I'm spinning! Without reservation, I recommend this book as the best mystery I've read this year! Terrific, well-done, exciting read, despite the horror, death and destruction without a lot of resolution...because it's, you know, New York.
Timothy Wilde, I love you. I want to be your woman. Poor man. I'm a sucker for a guy who is so tough, he's willing to fight 50 men by himself, even though he knows he's going to die, in trying to stop a black man from being burned at the stake. Also he is a lion when it comes to saving the lives of children forced into prostitution, refusing to let the case go when ordered to do so by his boss. But I think you have been fated to never get the woman you really want, or to save the people you love. Emo angst is going to be your hellish life forever. Love you!
To my eternal shame, I want your brother Valentine even more. (writhing with self-loathing)
Ahem.
Before you get the wrong idea, this is a historical fiction and dark detective mystery. It's set in 1845 Manhattan, and the detail and realistic depiction of the poverty, topography and politics indicates impressive research. It's a rowdy era to be in New York, but in a bad way. Apparently, this is a time when within a decade, the population of New York City went from 50,000 to 500,000. Among the desperate immigrants that made NYC their new home were the starving Irish, fleeing a potato blight and, I hesitate to say because overall I admire our British friends, the heavy boot of oppression (my observation only, the author mentions only the potato crop failure). The Irish were a big part of politics and religion struggles during this period, with the Whigs and Democrats fighting for control of the city. Law and order did not exist, so various interest groups pulled together and hired thugs as private and quasi-public police forces, with bribery and politics being used as the primary job qualifications. The same movers and shakers were also building a fire fighting department, often using the same thugs they hired for police and elections.
There isn't much here if you were looking for an upper crust society, tea and cake luncheons, or a middle-class building America story. This is a gritty, physically abused society from the top on down, where hunger, poverty, and no education was common. People literally lived in their own fecal waste, and children ran away, or were thrown out, when they were only 9 years old and no one cared. Brothels, booze holes, morphine dens, and 16-hour work-days (when there was work) was the normal. Besides the usual predatory human behaviors to worry about, fires that burned down many blocks of the city were common. Although this is the fictional setting Faye plays out her story, it was by no means a fictional world, but real at one time.
I loved the characters, who are strongly outlined and who must either take a stand and maybe die or drown in misery and self-hate and hopelessness. This is not a cliche, but something impossible to avoid in a society of life and death struggles everyday. Most survive with compromises, some find a way to live and forgive themselves for what they must do, many torment themselves with sorrow, and some thrive with unashamed love of the horror. All are here. It's not a nuanced world.
Timothy Wilde, I love you. I want to be your woman. Poor man. I'm a sucker for a guy who is so tough, he's willing to fight 50 men by himself, even though he knows he's going to die, in trying to stop a black man from being burned at the stake. Also he is a lion when it comes to saving the lives of children forced into prostitution, refusing to let the case go when ordered to do so by his boss. But I think you have been fated to never get the woman you really want, or to save the people you love. Emo angst is going to be your hellish life forever. Love you!
To my eternal shame, I want your brother Valentine even more. (writhing with self-loathing)
Ahem.
Before you get the wrong idea, this is a historical fiction and dark detective mystery. It's set in 1845 Manhattan, and the detail and realistic depiction of the poverty, topography and politics indicates impressive research. It's a rowdy era to be in New York, but in a bad way. Apparently, this is a time when within a decade, the population of New York City went from 50,000 to 500,000. Among the desperate immigrants that made NYC their new home were the starving Irish, fleeing a potato blight and, I hesitate to say because overall I admire our British friends, the heavy boot of oppression (my observation only, the author mentions only the potato crop failure). The Irish were a big part of politics and religion struggles during this period, with the Whigs and Democrats fighting for control of the city. Law and order did not exist, so various interest groups pulled together and hired thugs as private and quasi-public police forces, with bribery and politics being used as the primary job qualifications. The same movers and shakers were also building a fire fighting department, often using the same thugs they hired for police and elections.
There isn't much here if you were looking for an upper crust society, tea and cake luncheons, or a middle-class building America story. This is a gritty, physically abused society from the top on down, where hunger, poverty, and no education was common. People literally lived in their own fecal waste, and children ran away, or were thrown out, when they were only 9 years old and no one cared. Brothels, booze holes, morphine dens, and 16-hour work-days (when there was work) was the normal. Besides the usual predatory human behaviors to worry about, fires that burned down many blocks of the city were common. Although this is the fictional setting Faye plays out her story, it was by no means a fictional world, but real at one time.
I loved the characters, who are strongly outlined and who must either take a stand and maybe die or drown in misery and self-hate and hopelessness. This is not a cliche, but something impossible to avoid in a society of life and death struggles everyday. Most survive with compromises, some find a way to live and forgive themselves for what they must do, many torment themselves with sorrow, and some thrive with unashamed love of the horror. All are here. It's not a nuanced world.
December 8, 2012
This is engaging from page one. You feel like you are in NYC, at the middle of the 19th Century. NYC has just formed a police force, due to rampant crime. There is filth and vermin and fires - great to have recently read Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, although that took place 50 years later.
I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Steven Boyer. Every word is clear, even though the speed is rapid. The Irish brogue is just perfect for the time and setting. There is a glossary in the written book, but by listening to the context you do understand. It is amazing how this narrator can one minute sound as a woman and the next a man or a child!
In short, I loved the description of the time and place, but the crime itself was so perfectly tied up it felt too perfect. Others might love that each culprit was properly fit into the scheme of the diverse crimes. There are in fact several! Everyone got their due punishment, if not immediately, they would soon. This does make the book palatable. I cannot explain more than that without giving spoilers. I definitely didn't like that one of the central characters changed midstream; that felt unbelievable. Unconvincing, to say the least! You are lead to believe one thing and then the opposite is thrown at you.
So am I glad I read it? Yes, because I learned about a time past. There are interesting facts about the politics and religious factions prevalent in New York City of the 1840s. I don't think the story itself will stay with me that long, but sure, it was exciting to follow for a short while.
A word of warning: the crimes are brutal and it is children that suffer, orphans forced into prostitution.
I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Steven Boyer. Every word is clear, even though the speed is rapid. The Irish brogue is just perfect for the time and setting. There is a glossary in the written book, but by listening to the context you do understand. It is amazing how this narrator can one minute sound as a woman and the next a man or a child!
In short, I loved the description of the time and place, but the crime itself was so perfectly tied up it felt too perfect. Others might love that each culprit was properly fit into the scheme of the diverse crimes. There are in fact several! Everyone got their due punishment, if not immediately, they would soon. This does make the book palatable. I cannot explain more than that without giving spoilers. I definitely didn't like that one of the central characters changed midstream; that felt unbelievable. Unconvincing, to say the least! You are lead to believe one thing and then the opposite is thrown at you.
So am I glad I read it? Yes, because I learned about a time past. There are interesting facts about the politics and religious factions prevalent in New York City of the 1840s. I don't think the story itself will stay with me that long, but sure, it was exciting to follow for a short while.
A word of warning: the crimes are brutal and it is children that suffer, orphans forced into prostitution.
May 21, 2012
Lyndsay Faye is a remarkable author with a unique talent for interesting plot and rich characters. She enlightens an era of urban history not often relived with grace, candor, and a lyrical prose that effortlessly advances her story while painting a vivid picture of the city's buildings, streets, and inhabitants, even as her unlikely protagonist sketches them in modest charcoal.
"The Gods of Gotham" is impossible to put down once taken up.
"The Gods of Gotham" is impossible to put down once taken up.
December 19, 2012
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye is an interesting read.
"After a fire disseminates a swathe of lower Manhattan, and following years of passionate political dispute, New York City at long last forms an official Police Department. The same summer the great potato famine hits Ireland. These events will change the city of New York forever.
Lyndsay Faye does an amazing job of bringing to life the sense of time and place of 1845 New York City. You certainly get a feel for this city and its people.
She has also clearly undertaken meticulous historical research and creates a convincing insight into New York's criminal underworld for the time.
I am afraid I did not gel with any of the characters in this novel, and while I thought the book started off strong and quite a page turner, I found it dragged quite a lot towards the middle and found myself plodding towards the end.
I am not a big fan of mysteries but I did enjoy the historically elements of this novel.
A well written novel and will look forward to more books from this author.
"After a fire disseminates a swathe of lower Manhattan, and following years of passionate political dispute, New York City at long last forms an official Police Department. The same summer the great potato famine hits Ireland. These events will change the city of New York forever.
Lyndsay Faye does an amazing job of bringing to life the sense of time and place of 1845 New York City. You certainly get a feel for this city and its people.
She has also clearly undertaken meticulous historical research and creates a convincing insight into New York's criminal underworld for the time.
I am afraid I did not gel with any of the characters in this novel, and while I thought the book started off strong and quite a page turner, I found it dragged quite a lot towards the middle and found myself plodding towards the end.
I am not a big fan of mysteries but I did enjoy the historically elements of this novel.
A well written novel and will look forward to more books from this author.
March 20, 2012
Once you make it past the late 1940’s-esque cover art---really. Can’t you see that image selling The Gods of Gotham movie starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Mitchum, Jennifer Jones, and Van Heflin. The Gods of Gotham…a world torn apart by burning passions! Anyway. As I was implying the cover art is aged at best but the contents? Much better than the cover would have you believe.
My guess is that The Gods of Gotham will most often be compared to The Alienist. Both books are cut from the same cloth in that they are historical mysteries set in New York City and the crimes are gruesome. After that? The big difference is that The Gods of Gotham is not bogged down by the inclusion of historical figures in key roles in its storyline. Real people do make some cameo appearances but really they are passersby.
Set in 1845, Lyndsay Faye’s new novel is certified USDA Grade A historical mystery. It’s well plotted and well written. The story is wrapped around the founding of New York City’s first police department and your recruit Timothy Wilde. Wilde is a luckless fellow. At 27 he is unlucky in love, out of a job, out of money, scarred by the fire that burnt down his home and destroyed his looks and now has to accept a job with the police arranged for him by his shady brother. He is also Irish at a time when the immigrants of longer standing in NYC are spoiling for a fight against the latest influx of immigrants, the Irish Catholics. When Wilde stumbles upon an unsavory exploitation of children he also finds that he has a talent for investigation.
Wilde is a very enjoyable, alluringly damaged creation but it’s his brother Valentine that gets all the flash. He is a charming, self-absorbed, villainous drug addict who tries to keep his nicer instincts at bay. Mercy Underhill is Wilde’s unattainable love interest. She is a clergyman’s daughter who works for the benefit of the poor. These three will be the recurring characters as this novel develops into a series and Faye has done a terrific job with them.
There is a fourth main character in The Gods of Gotham. New York City. The entire apple. Lyndsay Faye has taken a cross section of 1845 NYC, squeezed every bit of research out of and rebuilt it for us to marvel at. The squalor, the language, the politics, the architecture and the people are laid out like an all you can eat buffet of delights so come prepared!
My guess is that The Gods of Gotham will most often be compared to The Alienist. Both books are cut from the same cloth in that they are historical mysteries set in New York City and the crimes are gruesome. After that? The big difference is that The Gods of Gotham is not bogged down by the inclusion of historical figures in key roles in its storyline. Real people do make some cameo appearances but really they are passersby.
Set in 1845, Lyndsay Faye’s new novel is certified USDA Grade A historical mystery. It’s well plotted and well written. The story is wrapped around the founding of New York City’s first police department and your recruit Timothy Wilde. Wilde is a luckless fellow. At 27 he is unlucky in love, out of a job, out of money, scarred by the fire that burnt down his home and destroyed his looks and now has to accept a job with the police arranged for him by his shady brother. He is also Irish at a time when the immigrants of longer standing in NYC are spoiling for a fight against the latest influx of immigrants, the Irish Catholics. When Wilde stumbles upon an unsavory exploitation of children he also finds that he has a talent for investigation.
Wilde is a very enjoyable, alluringly damaged creation but it’s his brother Valentine that gets all the flash. He is a charming, self-absorbed, villainous drug addict who tries to keep his nicer instincts at bay. Mercy Underhill is Wilde’s unattainable love interest. She is a clergyman’s daughter who works for the benefit of the poor. These three will be the recurring characters as this novel develops into a series and Faye has done a terrific job with them.
There is a fourth main character in The Gods of Gotham. New York City. The entire apple. Lyndsay Faye has taken a cross section of 1845 NYC, squeezed every bit of research out of and rebuilt it for us to marvel at. The squalor, the language, the politics, the architecture and the people are laid out like an all you can eat buffet of delights so come prepared!
February 17, 2015
So yeah, despite some faults, I really enjoyed this, enough to give it 5 stars.
Faye weaves a wonderful and multi-layered tale in a Gothic setting that is sure to appeal to those who appreciate a good mystery/piece of historical fiction. In addition to an engaging main plot, Faye manages a number of subplots that compliment rather than distract for the primary story line. And while a few of the secondary/supporting characters bordered on cliches, the key characters felt fresh and well-drawn (for the most part...obviously Faye is a Sherlock Holmes fan, too). I also felt that the mystery aspect was well done.
The faults?
Initially I had difficulty picturing the the protagonist, a man, as a man (Tim Wilde sounded like a woman--Faye--writing as a man), but by the end of the story I was sold.
Early on Faye went a little crazy with the period lingo/slang. There really is a fine line between adding a sense of authenticity to a period piece and simply annoying the reader. Yet as the story went on it seemed as if the author stopped trying so hard and as a result the story became more readable.
Bottom line: A thoroughly enjoyable read (faults and all) and I look forward to reading other books by the same author.
Faye weaves a wonderful and multi-layered tale in a Gothic setting that is sure to appeal to those who appreciate a good mystery/piece of historical fiction. In addition to an engaging main plot, Faye manages a number of subplots that compliment rather than distract for the primary story line. And while a few of the secondary/supporting characters bordered on cliches, the key characters felt fresh and well-drawn (for the most part...obviously Faye is a Sherlock Holmes fan, too). I also felt that the mystery aspect was well done.
The faults?
Initially I had difficulty picturing the the protagonist, a man, as a man (Tim Wilde sounded like a woman--Faye--writing as a man), but by the end of the story I was sold.
Early on Faye went a little crazy with the period lingo/slang. There really is a fine line between adding a sense of authenticity to a period piece and simply annoying the reader. Yet as the story went on it seemed as if the author stopped trying so hard and as a result the story became more readable.
Bottom line: A thoroughly enjoyable read (faults and all) and I look forward to reading other books by the same author.
March 18, 2013
I both read and listened to the audio book. I enjoyed this book a lot. It kept me. Once I got into the storey, I could not put it down. I am looking forward to reading Lindsay Faye's next book. I already have it from the library.
I loved the way she brought the old New York back to life. She really brought home the way the Irish were treated during the potato famine. The Irish part of my family came to New York State during that period. I don't know if they ever lived in New York City. They did live in Albany for a while before coming to St. Louis. So I had a personal reason for that book affecting me.
I read on the cover that this is going to be a serial
I loved the way she brought the old New York back to life. She really brought home the way the Irish were treated during the potato famine. The Irish part of my family came to New York State during that period. I don't know if they ever lived in New York City. They did live in Albany for a while before coming to St. Louis. So I had a personal reason for that book affecting me.
I read on the cover that this is going to be a serial
July 1, 2016
4 stars!
This book has been lying on my TBR for quite a while; I don't know why it took me such a long time to finally pick it book, as the blurb has been very appealing. I'm a huge fan of historical crime and thriller stories and I was thus very excited about this book. When I finally managed to pick it up, I wasn't decieved.
Lyndsay Faye is a great writer. With the perfect use of an old language and an amazing historical knowledge, she managed to suck me right into the city of New York in 1845.
Language and historical setting - check
Apart of the great setting, the characters were amazing. Timothy Wild didn't have an easy life thus far and when he is about to lose everything once again, only his brother Val can help him up again. And this is basically the most important and interesting aspect of the story - the relationship between the two brothers. Numerous misunderstanding end up in a pile of frustrations, anger and hate. It wasn't easy to read how they felt towards each other, but Faye made it understandable and very credible. I can't wait to read more about Tim and Val in the second part of the series.
Characters - check
Let's get to the mystery part of the story - honestly, it's difficult to review. Faye created a complexe and intrighuing puzzle, but unfortunately some pieces of the puzzle were way too easy to figure out. While some relevations at the end still came as a surprise, I saw myself caring much more about the characters and their interaction, than about the mystery itself. I would have loved to get a better balance between these to aspects. This would have made the story perfect in my eyes.
Mystery - so/so
4 stars for this first in a - I'm sure of it - great series!
This book has been lying on my TBR for quite a while; I don't know why it took me such a long time to finally pick it book, as the blurb has been very appealing. I'm a huge fan of historical crime and thriller stories and I was thus very excited about this book. When I finally managed to pick it up, I wasn't decieved.
Lyndsay Faye is a great writer. With the perfect use of an old language and an amazing historical knowledge, she managed to suck me right into the city of New York in 1845.
Language and historical setting - check
Apart of the great setting, the characters were amazing. Timothy Wild didn't have an easy life thus far and when he is about to lose everything once again, only his brother Val can help him up again. And this is basically the most important and interesting aspect of the story - the relationship between the two brothers. Numerous misunderstanding end up in a pile of frustrations, anger and hate. It wasn't easy to read how they felt towards each other, but Faye made it understandable and very credible. I can't wait to read more about Tim and Val in the second part of the series.
Characters - check
Let's get to the mystery part of the story - honestly, it's difficult to review. Faye created a complexe and intrighuing puzzle, but unfortunately some pieces of the puzzle were way too easy to figure out. While some relevations at the end still came as a surprise, I saw myself caring much more about the characters and their interaction, than about the mystery itself. I would have loved to get a better balance between these to aspects. This would have made the story perfect in my eyes.
Mystery - so/so
4 stars for this first in a - I'm sure of it - great series!
February 3, 2019
War leider absolut nicht meins...
Es ist ganz anders als das was man kennt, irgendwie aber auch nichts Halbes und nichts Ganzes. Historisch interessant aber zäh, dazu Crime Elemente, die zu kurz kommen.
Der Einstieg war schwierig und ich habe ziemlich lange gebraucht um rein zu finden.
Timothy Wilde wird zusammen mit seinem Bruder Valentine Polizist. Der ist korrupt, nimmt Drogen und ist einer der interessantesten Charakter im Buch. Allgemein sind die Figuren vielschichtig und gut gezeichnet. Zusammen mit dem lebendigen düsteren Setting und der passenden detaillierten Sprache, wäre das Ganze eigentlich total vielversprechend.
Dann trifft Timothy auf die kleine Bird. Das Mädchen ist verstört, geheimnisvoll und voller Blut. Und sie führt ihn zu 19 Kinderleichen, mit denen das große Rätselraten beginnt. Denn jeder aus seinem Leben scheint irgendwie in die Sache verstrickt zu sein.
Es gibt zwar einige überraschende und gute Wendungen, trotzdem konnte mich das Buch überhaupt nicht fesseln. Die Spannung, die immer wieder kurz aufkommt, verliert sich auch immer wieder sehr schnell in den vielen Längen.
Insgesamt schwierig. Und trotzdem sind da noch interessante Darstellung des harten Lebens, die Idee,die eigentlich gut ist und vor allem die offenen Fragen. Vielleicht gefällt mir der zweite Teil ja besser.
Es ist ganz anders als das was man kennt, irgendwie aber auch nichts Halbes und nichts Ganzes. Historisch interessant aber zäh, dazu Crime Elemente, die zu kurz kommen.
Der Einstieg war schwierig und ich habe ziemlich lange gebraucht um rein zu finden.
Timothy Wilde wird zusammen mit seinem Bruder Valentine Polizist. Der ist korrupt, nimmt Drogen und ist einer der interessantesten Charakter im Buch. Allgemein sind die Figuren vielschichtig und gut gezeichnet. Zusammen mit dem lebendigen düsteren Setting und der passenden detaillierten Sprache, wäre das Ganze eigentlich total vielversprechend.
Dann trifft Timothy auf die kleine Bird. Das Mädchen ist verstört, geheimnisvoll und voller Blut. Und sie führt ihn zu 19 Kinderleichen, mit denen das große Rätselraten beginnt. Denn jeder aus seinem Leben scheint irgendwie in die Sache verstrickt zu sein.
Es gibt zwar einige überraschende und gute Wendungen, trotzdem konnte mich das Buch überhaupt nicht fesseln. Die Spannung, die immer wieder kurz aufkommt, verliert sich auch immer wieder sehr schnell in den vielen Längen.
Insgesamt schwierig. Und trotzdem sind da noch interessante Darstellung des harten Lebens, die Idee,die eigentlich gut ist und vor allem die offenen Fragen. Vielleicht gefällt mir der zweite Teil ja besser.
December 12, 2014
This has been on my "to-read" shelf for a long time and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. It wasn't the cover that intrigued me but the title. It made me think of Batman but what it is really about is New York City in the 1840's and a "copper" named Timothy Wilde. In this case, Wilde is assigned to the ward close to the illustrious Five Points. Wilde has to deal with his older brother that is playing the political game, a young girl covered in blood, nineteen dead bodies, and a love interest that might be leading a double life. Faye sweeps readers back to 19th century America and paints quite a picture of a city that is none too certain of the newly arrived Irish immigrants that are arriving on America's shores. I cannot wait to read more from Faye!
May 26, 2023
I’m unfortunately going to have to DNF this book because it gave me yet another reason to hate the history of the Catholic Church. In 1843, the Catholic countries decided it was a great idea to get rid of the disabled, superstitious and the poor people. Yet another reason why I chose not to get confirmed along with the Spanish Inquisition when they decided to burn these people instead. So I can no longer read this book. However, I do really love other books by this author so I still strongly recommend reading more of their books!
April 3, 2021
2.5 stars. This book should have been much better than it was. It was well researched and about a fascinating period of New York’s history- so what went wrong? The pacing was off. Very off. This book literally sent me off to sleep on several occasions where a few pages earlier I was really engaged. The themes of establishing a police force, political corruption, child prostitution, racism against the Irish, extreme poverty, the 5 points were terribly interesting but somehow got lost.
February 24, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up. Perfect read for me at the time. Very entertaining with enough suspense to make it a page-Turner.
March 3, 2022
Set in New York City just after the Great Fire of 1845, this novel is a successful blend of historical fiction, murder mystery, and police procedural. Two adult brothers, Timothy and Valentine Wilde, orphaned young, become members of the newly formed NYC police force, a random group of inexperienced ragtag misfits:
“We’re damaged right down to the last man, I’ve discovered, we 1845 star policemen. Perforated. . . . We’re all missing bits and pieces.” ~ Timothy Wilde
Called “copper stars,” their first order of business is to identify “the man in the black hood” suspected of killing scores of young Irish “kinchin-mabs” (child prostitutes). The killer leaves a gruesome calling card of sorts on each of his victims which made me think I’d solved the case, but Faye throws in some unexpected twists at the end and . . . I was dead wrong.
With carefully researched historical details (including an intricate underworld language called “flash”), a dense plot and meticulously developed characters, this was a page-turning read that transported me to a completely different place, time and state of mind. 4 solid stars for the outstanding dialogue and wonderfully complex relationship between the Brothers Wilde. The twisty plot was an extra bonus.
“We’re damaged right down to the last man, I’ve discovered, we 1845 star policemen. Perforated. . . . We’re all missing bits and pieces.” ~ Timothy Wilde
Called “copper stars,” their first order of business is to identify “the man in the black hood” suspected of killing scores of young Irish “kinchin-mabs” (child prostitutes). The killer leaves a gruesome calling card of sorts on each of his victims which made me think I’d solved the case, but Faye throws in some unexpected twists at the end and . . . I was dead wrong.
With carefully researched historical details (including an intricate underworld language called “flash”), a dense plot and meticulously developed characters, this was a page-turning read that transported me to a completely different place, time and state of mind. 4 solid stars for the outstanding dialogue and wonderfully complex relationship between the Brothers Wilde. The twisty plot was an extra bonus.
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