The City of Strangers

Stefan Gillespie #2

by Michael Russell

The SUNDAY TIMES top 20 bestseller!

New York, 1939: A city of hope. A city of opportunity. A city hiding dark secrets …

A brutal murder in an affluent suburb of Dublin and the unexplained death of an Irish diplomat in Manhattan…

Garda Sergeant Stefan Gillespie is sent to America to bring a killer to justice, but his mission soon becomes part of an increasingly personal struggle. A chance encounter with an old friend draws him deep into a chilling network of conspiracy, espionage and terror with disturbing connections to home.

He becomes more involved than he should in an Irish woman’s bid for freedom from the clutches of the Manhattan underworld, and discovers that the war that is looming in Europe is already being played out here on the streets, with deadly consequences.

In this time when people must make a stand for what they believe in, the stakes for Stefan Gillespie, and everything he holds dear, couldn’t be higher.

Elegant and atmospheric, The City of Strangers is a perfect thriller for fans of C.J. Sansom and Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Ireland, Thriller

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2013

About the author

Michael Russell was born in England. He grew up in one of those English-Irish families where the first stories he heard at his grandmother's knee were about murder, mayhem, Thompson Machine Guns and civil war in Ireland in the 1920s.

Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.

By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.

Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it was a slow starter I did enjoy it.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars as I REALLY liked it but jus short of Amazing.

Much the same formulae of the first book which was set in Dublin & Danzig for the most part, only this time we move across the pond to New York on the eve of WWII for our second city.

The tale starts in the Irish Free State C1922 with a story of treachery, doublecross & ultimately murder which involve the Free Staters & the IRA before moving forward to 1939 with yet another murder & enter stage left our hero Sergeant Steffan Gillespie who after a few years is still a small time cop out in the sticks happily raiding stills & arresting sheep rustlers or some such criminality in the Mountains of County Wicklow.....

The politics of the time our covered in just about every angle, some I knew having studied the era but others were met with a raised eyebrow a la Roger Moore stylee (thats for you Connery fans out there....) as I never knew that.... & thats the beauty of this series, the politics & history of the era mix brilliantly with the genial Irish cop jus going about his detective ways, who though in truth is a little more than just that as the backstory reveals (in part) just so. Some of the characters are real too which adds to the story, others very believable in the settings induced. If you've been following the updates you'll know that german intelligence, IRA, Free State G2 Officers, NY City cops, pro-german American groups, jewish gangsters et al are featured in many plots within the themed story of two murders. All very clever too as they knit & intertwine the reader before finally we get to the truth......?

Could be read as a standalone from the first in the series which I highly recommend you read too.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed this latest in the series but plots in new york and a mother killer gives off 2 plots within the book but this gives the undercurrent of the free state and events leading up to WW2 ,

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first Stefan Gillespie book, The City of Shadows, was one of my top three reads of 2012, so I’d been looking forward to the second book in the series. The City of Strangers does not disappoint, with Michael Russell skilfully blending together three interconnected storylines: Gillespie travelling to New York to bring back a young man suspected of murdering his mother; a revenge plot dating back to the civil war; and the IRA’s political manoeuvrings in the US and with German intelligence and the Irish response just prior to the Second World War. The result is a compelling, page-turner police procedural/political thriller. Indeed, Russell has done a fine job at punching all the right buttons - as well as a gripping plot, the characterisation is strong, the historical contextualisation excellent, and the sense of place well realised. Gillespie is a well penned and engaging lead, with a well developed back story. He is accompanied by a mix of fictional and real characters who are all alive on the page and whose interactions are nicely observed. There is a balanced blend of Irish and international politics, supported by some nice historical detail that is informative without swamping the story. And the reader is dropped into pre-war Wicklow, Dublin and New York. Overall, a very fine piece of crime fiction and I’m looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Insightful,atmospheric,great writing,great characters. Intricate and heart breaking.

[Gram · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens with a brief and brutal reminder of Ireland's immediate past - The Irish Civil War in the 1920's.

Forward to 1939 - and a horrific axe murder in Dublin brings Garda Sergeant Stefan Gillespie back from "exile" and away from his young son Tom and his parents' farm in Wicklow.

Stefan has instructions to travel to the USA, by means of the recently introduced flying boat service, and bring back Owen Harris, currently in New York. Harris is the chief suspect in the murder of his mother - the axe murder victim. It's supposed to be a simple, speedy way of bringing the suspect back home.

On the flight to New York, Stefan falls into conversation with an Irish-American businessman, Dominic Carroll. This man is not unknown to Stefan as Carroll has a major stake in the IRA's presence in the USA. It later transpires that Carroll has recently been in Berlin for talks with Germany's intelligence services about the chances of IRA resurgence in the Irish Free State once war against Great Britain is a reality.

Meanwhile, in New York, a Jewish-American crime boss is organising street fights against Nazis and Fascists while liasing with an Irish military intelligence officer over the IRA's use of secret ciphers to communicate between Dublin & New York. The IRA's chief of staff is also in the city, drumming up support for "the cause" while finding time for some more covert activity.

On his arrival in New York, Stefan is "adopted" by the New York Police force and helps bring his murder suspect to the cells, before preparing to fly home. He takes the opportunity to see the sights in New York, with the major attraction being the 1939 World's Fair. Can it be coincidence that senior IRA men are in the USA only days before the arrival of Britain's King George VI in New York - the 1st visit of a reigning British monarch to the United States?


Then, the Irish Consulate's resident military intelligence officer chooses Stefan as a courier for the IRA ciphers, dragging him into a conspiracy of espionage and terror, involving German spies as well as the IRA.

To add to his problems, he becomes reluctantly involved in an Irish woman's bid for freedom from the clutches of a deadly alliance of IRA and Nazi sympathisers. Stefan soon finds that some small battles in the coming war are already taking place in the USA as America's isolationts bid to ensure that their country - like the Irish Free State - stays neutral throughout World War II.

Michael Russell knows Ireland and its history well and there's none of the historical ignorance and racial stereotyping that figures in some historical "faction" stories.

Every page drips with the atmosphere of 1930's Ireland and the USA and the bewildering confusion of various factions in both countries to promote their cause for or against Nazi Germany and Irish freedom.

At the book's conclusion, Russell adds half a dozen pages - like historical notes in a factual history book - outlining the political events which shaped the story, mixed with details of some of the real people who play major and minor roles throughout the story.

I found this an immensely satisfying and intelligent read - even better than the 1st book featuring the Garda Detective Stefan Gillespie. "The City Of Strangers" not only succeeds as a great thriller, but leaves the reader wondering about the lies and deceit which, to some extent,still shroud the history of late 1930's.

(Please note - I received this book in a Harper Collins giveaway on goodreads).

[David Lowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

The City of Strangers is the second of the Stefan Gillespie novels that I've read and it's a good one. As war approaches, the hero is sent to New York to collect a murder suspect and fetch him back to Ireland in handcuffs. Sounds simple?Well it's not and anything to do with Irish politics is often a tangled web. Here we have the Free Staters, the anti-Freestaters (IRA) the Brits and the Abwehr (German Secret Service) as well as the German-Americn bund (Nazis) and the Catholic Church. Throw in the NYPD, FBI and a top Jewish gangster into the mix and you've got a right hotch-potch. That's not to forget various law enforcement agencies back on the Emerald Isle.

It is to Russell's credit that he steers the reader through this labyrinth with great skill and this makes for a top-class thriller told with empathy, at pace and in excellent prose with very impressive characterisation and dialogue.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at Wr and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second part is very attractively written and could fill an entire series instead of an episode. Interesting twists in the story. Also interesting historically. But above all a good crime novel that I enjoyed reading.

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great how fact and fiction are blended in this novel.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the second book in this series, Sergeant Stefan Gillespie is plucked from his quiet life in rural Ireland and sent to New York to bring back a murder suspect. While there, he gets involved in a family drama and a German/IRA plot to hit Britain where it hurts.

New York in 1939 is a bustling place, seemingly peopled by Irish cops, Jewish mobsters and German spies. It contrasts wildly with Stefan's home life on the farm. The Irish community in NYC seems to be very tight knit. Within hours, Stefan has met all the important Irish Americans on the police force, the Clan na Gael president and the IRA's chief of staff. And while he's there he has time to find and lock up his murder suspect, get involved with a spymaster, get roped into another murder, find romance with a woman who needs his help to spirit her sister back to Ireland, get abducted a couple of times and escape certain death. For Stefan, NYC certainly is the city that never sleeps.

I like Stefan, but I can't say as I know him all that well. He's a solid guy, well-liked by most of the people he encounters, with a measured approach to life, but he's not all that rounded yet as a character. I'd like to know more about him, though, especially as the timeline moves into what Ireland referred to as the Emergency and the rest of us know as the Second World War.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through goodreads first reads.

It's set amongst the backdrop of the lead up to the second world war. It's focus is on Ireland and America, and I particularly like the detail surrounding the Irish characters and their beliefs, as this isn't something that I have read much about, so it's always interesting to get a new perspective.

There are 3 cleverly interwoven main plots, which provide mystery and suspense throughout the novel, although I would advise that you read this at a time when you can really concentrate. I found it quite hard to follow all of the characters and 'who knew who', so it's not a book I could 'dip in and out' of, but one I enjoyed by sitting down for a reasonable amount of time and not having any distractions. but that could just be me!

Overall I enjoyed this second 'Stefan Gillespie' outing, and would be keen to read more.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read!!! The 2nd book following Irish detective Stefan Gilliepse. This time set in Ireland and New York in 1939 just before the outbreak of WW2. The book is wonderfully written with terrific story plot in both the detective professional and personal life. Rich in historical detail and atmosphere. Can't wait for the next book!!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another rattling good read, this time Irish/American politics just before outbreak WW2. A political thriller with conspiracies, murders, and the aided escape of a woman back to Ireland. Just as good as the City of Shadows, bring on the next Stefan Gillespie, highly recommended.

[Katherine Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent political murder story.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As war approached between England and Nazi Germany throughout the spring and summer of 1939 Ireland did its best to remain neutral. The Irish government had its own issues as segments of the Irish Republican Army refused to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 which created the Irish Free State in January 1922. The result was a series of attacks by the IRA against England as well as the Irish Free State. The IRA’s goal was to try and undo the treaty and force the British out of Ireland for good creating a unified Ireland of Protestants and Catholics. The role of the United States was ancillary as support for the IRA came from certain political factions and institutions as well as private citizens that resulted in the availability of weapons, munitions, and money for the IRA smuggled out of the United States. The wild card in this process was the relationship of the IRA and Nazi Germany. If war broke out between England and Nazi Germany, it would avail the IRA of the opportunity to conduct rear guard action against British interests to the benefit of the Hitlerite regime. It is in this environment that Michael Russell’s sequel to THE CITY OF SHADOWS Detective Stefan Gillespie is placed in the untenable position of navigating the situation to carry out his mission for Irish military intelligence.

Russell opens the second installment of his Stefan Gillespie series, THE CITY OF STRANGERS with a seven year old boy witnessing the revenge killing of his father by Free State soldiers who buried the body up to its neck in the sand at Pallas Strand. As is his want, Russell leaves this introduction and moves on, however, the reader knows it is something significant that will turn up later in the novel.
Gillespie has enjoyed the last four years working on his parent’s farm in Kilranelagh with his nine year old son Tom. He had given up working in Dublin, the reasons for which are explained in the CITY OF SHADOWS. Gillespie is summoned by Dublin authorities to transport Owen Harris back from New York City for questioning as he is accused of brutally beating his mother to death and dumping her body into the sea. What follows is a rather complex plot that at times even confuses Gillespie!

Russell has created a thriller that involves Nazis, the IRA, the NYPD, New York gangsters, Irish G2 (military intelligence and a host of interesting characters each with their own agenda. Among those characters are Longie Zwillman, a Jewish New York gangster that seems to know everyone in the city; Dominic Carroll, the president of Clan na Gael in New York which hates Eamon de Valera, the president of the Free State - in reality Carroll was a front for the IRA; Katie O’Donnell, Carroll’s sister-in-law; her sister Niamh Carroll, who is trying to escape from her husband, Captain Adam Phelan of the NYPD and his younger brother Michael also of the NYPD; Rudolph Katzmann, a German intelligence operative; Jimmy Palmer, a black trumpeter and taxi driver, gay actors, and a host of others. A number of characters reappear from the earlier novel, chief of which is Captain John Cavendish, who enlists Gillespie into his web, in addition to Dessie MacMahon, Gillespie’s partner. Historical figures abound including Father Charles Coughlin, the anti-Semitic pro-Nazi radio priest; Sean Russell, IRA Chief of Staff; Robert Montieth, one of Father Coughlin’s leaders in the Union of Social Justice; Duke Ellington, the band leader, and numerous others.

Russell has an excellent feel for New York City in 1939. He paints a wonderful portrait of Harlem, jazz, the coming World’s Fair, the street of Manhattan and the New York skyline, and the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The reader feels as if they are in a time machine as he compares the wilds of County Wicklow with the buzz, glare, noise, and ambiance of the New York City, in addition to Gillespie’s flights on the flying boat from Dublin to New York and back.

As the plot unfolds Gillespie wonders how he went from trying to find an envelope containing IRA ciphers for Cavendish and take them back to Dublin with his prisoner to helping a gangster smuggle a wanted woman out of the United States, and trying to figure out how Katie O’Donnell fits in. This is part of the beauty of Russell’s novels as disparate plots that appear unrelated seem to all come together, but over many chapters. An escape for an IRA currier, the death of assorted characters, and an assassination plot of George VI are all key components of the novel.

Russell’s writing is clear, concise, always calm and never over-heated. He also exhibits a strong command of history and knows how to maintain the interest of his readers. His Gillespie series is an exciting and comfortable read and I look forward to the next book in the series, THE CITY IN DARKNESS where Gillespie wonders if his boss, Superintendent Terry Gregory, is working for the IRA.

[BRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a local Irish policeman, this guy really gets around! In the first book, he traveled through Europe and evaded Nazi's in Germany. In this book, he's sent to New York to pick up a suspected Irish matricide but becomes entangled with the IRA, the Mafia, the Nazi's, a gay theater group, and a domestic issue. Globe trotting improbabilities aside, this really is an engaging series. Lots of historical references, intrigue, danger, and personalities. As much as he is the center of all the action, however, we really don't get to know a lot about him personally. All the supporting characters give more insight to their inner workings and motivations than we get from Garda Sargent Stefan Gillespie. Each book teases just a bit more of him out. Rather than being annoying, it's actually a bit refreshing. Too much self reflection from the main character slows down the action.

[Dolf Patijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Stefan Gillespie series is just as good as the first one. The book shows that Irish history is complex, not just black and white but with a lot of grey areas. It also shows the involvement of Irish Americans, how the Irish Catholic church meddled in American affairs and how naive a lot of Irish people were in their love of Germany and Hitler, just because he was England's enemy. On the other hand, a lot of Irish fought fascism in the British and American armies. Like I said: Irish history is not black and white.
At the end of the book, Russell dedicates some pages to explaining about what is fact and fiction in the story, like he did in the first book.

Highly recommended.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2013, 'The City of Strangers' is the second in a series of novels about a Police officer in the Irish Free State in the 1930s and 1940s. In this novel. the main character Stefan Gillespie travels to the city of New York in order bring back a murder suspect. The tale that follows goes straight into Dashiell Hammett mode for the duration, making it unlike others in the series in style. Nevertheless, it makes a great read, full of the brooding atmosphere that characterises others in the series.

[Debbie Shoulders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell allows Irish Detective Stefan Gillespie to continue in a mostly unbiased way to uncover the history of 20th century Ireland. In this installment, he goes to the New York to pick up and escort back an actor accused of killing his mother. Along the way, Gillespie happens upon the an investigation into IRA couriers, which result in several murders. Russell brings to light the connections between American Irish and the IRA, who in 1939 were more tied to Germany than their enemy England.

[Joy Rayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, enticing and exceptionally great novel.

I have not read a better novel addressing the battles fought by the Irishman against the British and the long arm drawing lines in America. Michael gave wonderful narratives, provided defined characters we could love and despise. This novel was a wonderful book to read. The defined actions and reactions were quite realistic lending "The City of Strangers" validation. Well done Michael , well done in deed.

[Vincent Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Detective thriller set in 1930's Ireland and New York with convincing and interesting characters. Apparently this is the 2nd book with the main character, Stefan Gillespie (I must read the first!).
Nice plot, a little confusing at first but the relevance of the initial chapter becomes clear later in the book. Good insight into the New York of this era with historical background I was not aware of.
Recommended.

[Brian Fennell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable book as are the others in this Steven Gillespie series .
I love the way he mixes real characters from Irish life and politics into the stories .
A great slant on post civil war Ireland and the Ireland of the thirties and Forties .
I really think it should be on the schools curriculum the way it fearlessly in deals with issues of the time , religion and politics .
His love of Wicklow is evident b

[Jane Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A huge disappointment after Book 1 which I enjoyed. Stefan Gillespie is still the number one character but it began to feel like I was reading about an Irish Tom Cruise and his adventures in New York. It was easy to put down and very difficult to pick up again; cannot recommend and I'm now unlikely to read Book 3.

[Christine Lapping · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story set in the pre war but post independence period spanning Ireland and the USA. This is not a period I knew much about and it was interesting to read about the support for Hitler and isolationism which resonates so much today. This is the 2nd in a series and there was enough of the back story to give context without becoming tedious.

[Sue Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really intriguing read one that keeps you guessing. Lots of references to moments in history which you can relate to.
The characters are lifelike and naturally you 'root' for them, keeps you guessing.
Really great believable read.

[Dee Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite hard to follow at times. Although it was well written, the three storylines were hard to follow and I had keep going back to remember who was who.
A very political story involving Ireland, USA and Germany leading up to WWII

[d h clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another success.

Love Michael Russell's books. Always feel as if I'm there in that time and place. 1937/1940. Witnessing the build up to the 2nd world war.

[Dr. Pj Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

IRA

This was a good book. I’m just not interested in any kind of terrorist. I find them stupid, vicious and boring. Great main character though.

[Susan Ludwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

good political murder mystery with some interesting history of NYC

[AVid_D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the writing style. I just felt the story went on a little too long.