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Miss Lizzie #2

New York Nocturne: The Return of Miss Lizzie

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Lizzie Borden and Amanda Burton reunite to solve a grisly murder among the elite circles of Prohibition-era New York in this “assured and witty” mystery (Publishers Weekly).

Sixteen-year-old Amanda is spending the summer with her suave and easygoing uncle John at the Dakota Apartments, opposite the green sprawl of New York’s Central Park. When John isn’t doing something mysterious with stocks and bonds, he and Amanda enjoy the very best the Roaring Twenties have to offer. However, in a single brutal night, everything changes. Suddenly, Amanda is alone, far from home, and fighting for her life in a city that has abandoned her.
 
Fortunately, there’s one person Amanda can trust: Miss Lizzie Borden. Together, they'll manage to work out a twisted passage toward what might be survival through the narrow streets of nighttime New York.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2011

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About the author

Walter Satterthwait

50 books31 followers
Walter Satterthwait (b. 1946) was an author of mysteries and historical fiction. A fan of mystery novels from a young age, he spent high school immersed in the works of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane. While working as a bartender in New York in the late 1970s, he wrote his first book: an adventure novel, Cocaine Blues (1979), about a drug dealer on the run from a pair of killers.

After his second thriller, The Aegean Affair (1982), Satterthwait created his best-known character, Santa Fe private detective Joshua Croft. Beginning with Wall of Glass (1988), Satterthwait wrote five Croft novels, concluding the series with 1996’s Accustomed to the Dark. In between Croft books, he wrote mysteries starring historical figures, including Miss Lizzie (1989), a novel about Lizzie Borden, and Wilde West (1991), a western mystery starring Oscar Wilde. His most recent novel is Dead Horse (2007), an account of the mysterious death of Depression-era pulp writer Raoul Whitfield. 

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Tracey.
1,115 reviews291 followers
April 2, 2017
Poor Lizzie Borden. Guilty or not, she went through at least a couple of flavors of hell in her life, and now she's fair game for any novelist who wants an added soupcon of a certain kind of badassery in their plot.

That being said, I quite enjoyed this. I'm not sure I loved it enough to go hunt down the first book or keep watch for the next one, but I did like it.

Amanda Burton is a teenaged girl who is sent off to spend the summer with her uncle in New York. He lives at the Dakota, and if you don't think "John Lennon" every time you read that, I have nothing else for you. And this opens the door for some nice snippets about New York in the 20's, like the origin for the term to "eighty-six" something and … well, Dorothy Parker. I'm always leery of real people being drafted into people's fiction, but that's mostly because it's so often done badly. This wasn't done badly.

“Robert. My chauffeur. … He packs a rod.”
“I’ll bet he does,” said Mrs. Parker. Mr. Lipkind turned to her. Innocently, she said, “I mean, you’d expect him to carry a gun, wouldn’t you?”

One more quote: "'Brave?' Mrs. Parker laughed, sounding somewhat frayed. 'My sphincter was plucking buttons off the car seat.'" Heh.

There's another little cameo which was kind of sweet (as in sweeeeeet, not awwww) .

So the upshot is that Amanda and her young, handsome, and wealthy uncle basically paint the town red for a few days … until she finds him murdered in his library. I have to say, this was actually hard to read, because I liked him. There was a little uneasiness about him taking a girl of her age to night clubs and speakeasies, and about her being allowed into said, and also about her wandering New York alone – but taking it at face value (nice young guy treating a niece he likes spending time with to a nice long good time, and New York City was probably in many ways safer for a girl to wander about in?), and the fact that Amanda and the reader meet Uncle John at the same time, means that she and the reader are gutted to much the same extent when he is brutally murdered.

And then the formidable Miss Lizzie ("Lizbeth, not Elizabeth") Borden comes swooping in to help, and the two of them – with the help of Miss Lizzie's lawyer and Mrs. Parker – get to work investigating the murder, because the corrupt (seriously nasty) police have decided to hang it on Amanda.

Some of the feats this team performs are a little improbable – but it works, because Miss Lizzie is, shall we say, badass. And Amanda isn't … normal. Perhaps because she's gone through a number of tragedies already in her young life, or perhaps because of some chemical or hormonal lack in her, she is cool, logical, and much, much smarter than your average bear. They make a formidable team.

Maybe I will go look out that first book, after all.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
Profile Image for Heather.
257 reviews17 followers
February 27, 2016
Really a 2.5. The beginning was entertaining, but I felt the story really lagged in the last half. The characters were fine, though it seemed like the most entertaining ones didn't get enough to do. The main character, Amanda, is fine. She's likable enough and believable as a teenage girl. My main problem with the characters was Miss Lizzie. It seemed utterly unnecessary to have Lizzie Borden in this. I know this is part of a series, but I feel it would have been better with a change of characters and made into a stand only book. If you are going to have such a recognizable person such as Borden, make it worth it. This book didn't do that. Lizzie was, dare I say it, boring.

One thing I felt was strange about the writing was that there was a *lot* of blatant foreshadowing. There was even foreshadowing about things that happened well into the character's lives (this is written as a memoir) that we read nothing about. Maybe they were set ups for upcoming books? I don't know. Considering GoodReads doesn't even list this as part of a series (though it is apparently a sequel to Miss Lizzie), it's hard to say. But I thought they were distracting and unnecessary.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
935 reviews17 followers
May 25, 2016
Jazz age New York City - a city of glamor, thrills, and murder

There is something about Jazz Age New York that captures the imagination - the glamorous allure of speakeasies, charming gangsters in sharp suits, high living and fast times. Decadence and corruption served up on a silver platter. It is not surprising that the reader, like 16 year old Amanda is quickly caught up in the allure of New York and the charm of her uncle John.

But when her uncle is found murdered, the glamor shatters. The police quickly target Amanda as a convenient suspect, easy to accuse as she has no nearby family to help her. The police do not count on one thing - Miss Lizzie Borden. Hearing of Amanda's arrest, she quickly comes to her aid, hiring both a skilled lawyer and a private investigator. John wasn't exactly the man Amanda believed him to be. Among his clients are rich, powerful criminals known to influence New York officials, including the police. Unless they find exactly who murdered John and why, Amanda may be convicted despite her innocence.

The colorful and diverse cast of characters adds to the allure of New York Nocturne - particularly the enigmatic Miss Lizzie and the darkly attractive Mr Cutter. Amanda's recollections wind throughout the narrative, offering tantalizing clues regarding Amanda's future career as an agent. Walter Satterthwait's New York glitters, but the reader is always aware of the threat of violence beneath the chic facade. I was enraptured by the depiction of the city and era, and thrilled by both the fast action and the larger than life characters.

Whether you like historical mysteries or are simply looking for an enticing jazz-era read, New York Nocturne is a fabulous choice. I eagerly await Walter Satterthwait's next novel. I want to know what Amanda's next adventure will entail.

5/5

I received a copy of New York Nocturne from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom
Profile Image for Jon.
1,458 reviews
July 23, 2016
You have to take this latest confection from Walter Satterthwait pretty much on its own terms. It's set in the same period as the Miss Fisher murder mysteries (1924) and is about as serious. I very much enjoyed Satterthwait's Joshua Croft series; but I thought his historical mysteries were a little less successful. Maybe I took them too seriously. The first Miss Lizzie, written some 27 years ago, involved young Amanda Burton, who in 1921 came downstairs from a nap to find her wicked stepmother chopped to bits on the kitchen floor. Of course their next door neighbor is a little old lady named Lizzie Borden, who becomes Amanda's closest friend. Together they solve the case. Here the now 16-year-old Amanda is involved in a similar incident in New York City. Miss Lizzie is around again, and again they, along with a mysterious Jack Reacher clone and (yes) a witty Dorothy Parker, solve the case. The local color, from Harlem and the Cotton Club to Park Avenue and the Algonquin, is vividly (and I guess accurately) described. In the denouement, Miss Lizzie (who is also incidentally a card sharp) gets in a poker game with Arnold Rothstein, the notorious head of organized crime, who invented the speakeasy and who fixed the 1919 World Series. She cheats successfully and cleans his clock. Mayhem ensues, but everything comes out all right. Like the first book, this one is written first-person by a much older Amanda, who has apparently spent her life as an adventuress finding excitement all over the world. Hints about her later exploits are dropped along the way, much like the Sherlock Holmes reference to the Giant Rat of Sumatra, "a story for which the world is not yet ready." I hope Satterthwait decides that the world is ready for more of hers.
Profile Image for Morgan .
925 reviews246 followers
May 18, 2020
If it is possible to describe a murder mystery as charming, delightful fun then this book is just that.
The infamous Miss Lizzie Borden and the now sixteen year old Amanda Burton are the main characters in “New York Nocturne”, both of whom appeared in a previous book by this author (1989), but this is very much a stand-alone novel.
Nice read.
76 reviews
July 10, 2016
I really liked this book. Wish I could have given it 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the characters and found it to be an entertaining, easy read. I enjoyed this authors writing style. Hard not to love Miss Lizzie Borden, need to go back now and read Miss Lizzie
Profile Image for Betty Smith.
36 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2020
This was worth reading, though not a page-turner until the last few chapters. What this book lacked that the prequel had, was the real possibility that Lizbeth Borden was the murderer. Rather, she’s a staid, grandmotherly investigator, but she seems to go by intuition instead of tangible clues. A big plot hole in the early chapters is the knife Amanda has hidden in her bedroom in case of an intruder. The police, after a search of the home, managed to miss that! In contrast to other reviewers, I thought the author captured the flavor of New York City pretty well, at least equal to O. Henry and F. Scott Fitzgerald. His depiction of Dorothy Parker is a delight. There are slight chronological anachronisms in the days before and after the murder, and the true-life racketeer Arnold Rothstein, described as in his forties, could not have been older than 31 in 1924; the character states that he himself was not alive during Lizzie’s 1893 trial (in fact, the real Rothstein was born in 1882.) It’s a nice revelation who Amanda’s second husband is destined to be. I didn’t see that coming. However, she seemed to be more in love with her dashing uncle than this guy! (In the first novel, Miss Lizzie, one sees her gradually falling in love with her many-years-from-now first husband, dazzling in the eyes of a 13-yr-old girl which is quite charming.) At the end, a sentence about memories: the author slyly mirrors—it’s subtle enough to be not intentional—Fitzgerald’s famous last line of The Great Gatsby: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Profile Image for Beth.
634 reviews16 followers
October 26, 2021
This is the follow-up to Satterthwait's first "Miss Lizzie" book.

Amanda is sixteen now, and when her father and his new wife travel abroad, she embarks on a New York City adventure to stay with her Uncle John. She has fun exploring the city while her uncle is off to do his job (whatever that really is) and he takes her out to dinner and to fun places like the Cotton Club.

Her fun lasts one short week.

A new cast of characters, including Dorothy Parker and her dog, enters when Miss Lizzie hears about Amanda's problem and shows up to help.

This is another fun little mystery with some enjoyable writing that really moves the story along. Satterthwait's description of an office building at night was perfect. Most of us have been in that sort of setting and he describes the oddness and disquiet that your own footsteps echoing in the building can cause.

I enjoyed the two books in the series and will happily read more if they are released.
Profile Image for Lydia.
37 reviews
August 4, 2018
An extremely enjoyable follow-up (written more than 25 years later) to the murder mystery novel "Miss Lizzie", again featuring the infamous Lizzie Borden, and the fictional character Amanda Burton, now 16 years old, who narrates the story. The setting this time is New York City in 1924, and among various real life characters in the novel are Dorothy Parker and Mae West. Walter Satterthwait deals with the fact that in the previous book he'd written that Amanda and Lizzie didn't meet again after 1921, so that was an unwarranted concern. And any doubts about the characters seeming at all different, apart from beimg three years older, were immediately banished. I'm so glad that Mr. Satterthwait chose to write this book, and it definitely didn't disappoint.
Profile Image for Arlene Allen.
1,442 reviews37 followers
February 8, 2023
I was so excited to learn that there was a sequel to Miss Lizzie (one of my favorite books)! I thought Miss Lizzie was a fantastic; Satterthwait really makes you believe Amanda’s 13 year old voice. New York Nocturne: The Return of Miss Lizzie is no different. Amanda is now 16 and going to spend her first summer in New York City. And what a city New York was in the Roaring Twenties! Cloche hats, linen dresses, men in hats and ties… Satterthwait pulls out all the stops and makes you feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of the excitement! Filled with real life historical figures like Dorothy Parker and crime lord Arnold Rothstein , New York Nocturne is an historical mystery of the highest caliber!
Profile Image for Sarah Kathleen.
77 reviews9 followers
June 17, 2020
I hated this book. I listened to the audiobook and gave it up 3/4 of the way through. I'm shocked that I made it that far. I would listen to the audiobook and realize I had no idea what was happening. A minor character would die and I would have no clue who they were. I also realized I don't really care about the main character. I was annoyed with the unnecessary inclusion of notable figures from the 1920s. Of course Lizzie Borden is there, and of course she's friends with Dorothy Parker! Then Mae West shows up for some reason, because why not? Anyway, I gave it up.
Profile Image for Karenbike Patterson.
1,226 reviews
July 15, 2024
It's a summer read.
Amanda, 16, visits her rich Uncle in NYC while her dad and stepmom visit Tibet.
Uncle is murdered with a hatchet. In comes Lizzie Borden and Dorothy Parker as well as a detective and lawyer who help investigate. Of course, the police are corrupt so they are of no use. They learn that the uncle is dealing liquor and drugs for Arthur Rothschild. It's pretty simple and silly, but fun to read if you know the background of these long-ago characters and also know the setting of NYC and some of the famous places there.
Profile Image for Amethyst Shadow.
258 reviews7 followers
February 24, 2018
Miss Lizzie was published in 1989. It's a good thing I was never expecting a sequel. That would have been one hell of a wait.

This was a great story. I knew who the killer was... most of the time that is my problem with mysteries. However; I really enjoyed Miss Lizzie so there was no way that I was going to let this one slip by me. I would definitely recommend it... both of them even.
Profile Image for Anne.
578 reviews
November 14, 2024
Tremendous Fun

If a murder mystery can be fun, this one is. The use of Lizzie Borden is very well done. All the characters are strong and well written. It starts out a bit slow but really picks up. I cant wait to read more of this author's books .
Profile Image for Tamara.
66 reviews3 followers
July 23, 2018
Please, please, please show us more of young Amanda’s adventures!!!
Profile Image for Mary  (Biblophile).
653 reviews3 followers
March 1, 2017
A delightful follow up to the first in the series. Miss Lizzie and Amanda team up to find the murderer of her uncle. You get the feel of the gritty Jazz Age in New York and the less than law abiding characters who reside there. I hope there are more in this series.
Profile Image for Sue.
312 reviews4 followers
December 22, 2016
I liked this book. First it was a mystery and took place during the prohibition years and lastly it involves Lizzie Bordon which I didn't expect. Starts with a 16 yr. old girl coming to stay with her uncle in NYC because her parents were traveling. He introduces her to NY and then he is murdered! The rest of the book is finding out why and who. It is a good relatively quick read. I recommend to all who love mysteries.
Profile Image for Sasha.
664 reviews28 followers
October 31, 2016
First I would like to state that I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity and honor in being able to read this book. I enjoyed the characters in the book and the plot was interesting, I do think that reading the first novel in this series before this one would have shed a bit more light on Ms. Lizzie's personality. This was an entertaining murder mystery taking place in New York during the Roaring Twenties. Sixteen year old Amanda Burton has been sent to visit her glamorous Uncle. This has a cast of characters that includes Amanda's friend Lizzie Borden, Dorothy Parker,
and a lot of other very interesting people. This was a very fun read. I think that anyone would enjoy reading this book.

Profile Image for Amy.
299 reviews5 followers
April 5, 2016
This book is a sequel, although I was unaware of that when I began and feel it could certainly be read independent of the first book.

I loved this book from the first page to the last. Taking place in the Roaring Twenties, sixteen year old Amanda is sent to New York City to stay with her uncle, John Burton. Shortly after her arrival, John is found murdered in the apartment and Amanda becomes the prime suspect. Through police on the payroll of criminals, bootleg spirits, and jazz clubs rife with all that the era demands, this book was a page-turner. Now, I'm off to find the predecessor, Miss Lizzie. I'm smitten.

This book was received as a digital ARC through NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.
211 reviews
March 20, 2016
An entertaining murder mystery taking place in New York during the Roaring Twenties. Sixteen year old Amanda Burton is sent to visit her glamorous Uncle John when he is murdered and becomes the chief suspect. With a cast of characters that includes Amanda's friend Lizzie Borden, Dorothy Parker,
and and a slew of other interesting people this book is a fun read.

I received this Book as an advanced reader from the publisher for an unbiased review.
DGordon
Profile Image for Tiffany Crayne.
9 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2016
I enjoyed the characters in the book and the plot was interesting, though I think that reading the first novel in the series before this one would have shed more light on Ms. Lizzie's personality and the relationship between her and Amanda.
*I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley*
Profile Image for Andrew.
642 reviews26 followers
August 23, 2016
Enjoyable Romp

I enjoyed this book--light,frothy and filled with enough details about 1920's New York to satisfy the historical fiction buff in me. Different and definitely skewed--recommended.
224 reviews
July 29, 2016
A wonderful book, with a very different concept. I enjoyed it very much.
Profile Image for Susan.
966 reviews19 followers
December 11, 2016
I won this book through Goodreads. I really enjoy mysteries and this one did not disappoint. I had to keep reading to see what was next. A real page turner for me.
385 reviews
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February 27, 2019
As good as the first and Miss Lizzie is a good detective. Loved it.
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