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Ingo Finch #3
Hell Gate
To solve this case, only an outsider will do… Ingo Finch faces his biggest challenge yet.
New York, 1904 – over a thousand are dead after the sinking of the General Slocum, a pleasure steamer full of German immigrants out for a day on the East River. The community is devastated, broken, in uproar.
With a populist senator preying on their grievances, a new political force is unleashed, pushing America to ally with Germany in any coming war.
Nine months later, Ingo Finch arrives in Manhattan, now an official British agent. Tasked with exposing this new movement, he is caught in a deadly game between Whitehall, Washington, Berlin… and the Mob.
Not everything in the Big Apple is as it seems. For Finch, completing the mission is one thing; surviving it quite another…
An unputdownable story of anarchists, Feds, gangs and Gilded Age mystery, the third thrilling instalment of the Ingo Finch crime series is perfect for fans of Abir Mukherjee, Philip Kerr and C J Sansom.
New York, 1904 – over a thousand are dead after the sinking of the General Slocum, a pleasure steamer full of German immigrants out for a day on the East River. The community is devastated, broken, in uproar.
With a populist senator preying on their grievances, a new political force is unleashed, pushing America to ally with Germany in any coming war.
Nine months later, Ingo Finch arrives in Manhattan, now an official British agent. Tasked with exposing this new movement, he is caught in a deadly game between Whitehall, Washington, Berlin… and the Mob.
Not everything in the Big Apple is as it seems. For Finch, completing the mission is one thing; surviving it quite another…
An unputdownable story of anarchists, Feds, gangs and Gilded Age mystery, the third thrilling instalment of the Ingo Finch crime series is perfect for fans of Abir Mukherjee, Philip Kerr and C J Sansom.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2020
9 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Dawson
7 books20 followersJeff Dawson is a journalist, author and scriptwriter. Amongst other things, he pens Real Dictators, the award-winning historical podcast (200m downloads) that goes out on Spotify, Apple, BBC Sounds and elsewhere.
He was, for many years, a feature writer for The Sunday Times' Culture section (interviewees including Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman, Hugh Grant, Angelina Jolie, Jerry Seinfeld and Nicole Kidman). Before that he was the US Editor of Empire magazine.
Jeff is the author of three non-fiction books — Tarantino/Quentin Tarantino: The Cinema of Cool (Cassell/Applause, 1995), Back Home: England And The 1970 World Cup (Orion, 2001), which The Times rated "Truly outstanding", and Dead Reckoning: The Dunedin Star Disaster (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005), the latter nominated for the Mountbatten Maritime Prize.
Historical thriller No Ordinary Killing (2017), an Amazon/Kindle bestseller, was his debut novel. The follow-ups, The Cold North Sea (2018) and Hell Gate (2020), continue the adventures of Captain Ingo Finch.
He was, for many years, a feature writer for The Sunday Times' Culture section (interviewees including Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman, Hugh Grant, Angelina Jolie, Jerry Seinfeld and Nicole Kidman). Before that he was the US Editor of Empire magazine.
Jeff is the author of three non-fiction books — Tarantino/Quentin Tarantino: The Cinema of Cool (Cassell/Applause, 1995), Back Home: England And The 1970 World Cup (Orion, 2001), which The Times rated "Truly outstanding", and Dead Reckoning: The Dunedin Star Disaster (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005), the latter nominated for the Mountbatten Maritime Prize.
Historical thriller No Ordinary Killing (2017), an Amazon/Kindle bestseller, was his debut novel. The follow-ups, The Cold North Sea (2018) and Hell Gate (2020), continue the adventures of Captain Ingo Finch.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 5, 2020
I’ve been a fan of Jeff Dawson’s Ingo Finch series since reading the first book, No Ordinary Killing, in 2017. And I absolutely loved the 2018 follow-up, The Cold North Sea. Although there are brief references to events in the previous two books, Hell Gate can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. However I’m betting that, having read it, you’ll want to go back to where it all began and find out just why Ingo Finch finds himself at the beck and call of the British secret service.
I recall describing The Cold North Sea as “Buchanesque” and, as regular followers of my blog will know, there is no higher compliment as far as I’m concerned. I’ll happily award the same accolade to Hell Gate. Although there’s a terrific scene on a train that could come straight out of a James Bond movie, the episode in which Finch infiltrates an anarchist group reminded me of the exploits of John Buchan’s hero, Richard Hannay, in Mr. Standfast and a pursuit across open country recalled Hannay’s adventures in the The Thirty-Nine Steps.
Ingo Finch’s latest mission sees him sent to New York, a city that in 1904 is a “growing metropolis in all its living, steaming, cacophonous glory”. I enjoyed seeing him experiencing landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, and his exploits take him to many well-known parts of the city including Central Park, Broadway, the Meatpacking District and Little Italy. I also loved his wide-eyed reaction to American innovations such as traffic lights and toothpaste you squeeze from a tube. Finch also has his first taste of pizza and hot dogs.
Early on in the book, there are walk-on parts for some famous historical figures such as financier J.P. Morgan, chairman of the White Star Line Bruce Ismay, and Edward Smith, captain of the Baltic (the ocean liner on which Finch travels to America) later to become infamous as the captain of another ship. There’s even a mention of a Trump!
As in the earlier books, there are fascinating nuggets of historical fact around which the author has cleverly wrapped a gripping historical thriller. For instance, I hadn’t appreciated how much of the population of New York at the time was made up of people of German extraction and to what extent this influenced political and economic power within the city. As one character says, “German labour built this city. German labour built the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg…”.
As Finch reflects at one point, “The United States was a nation forged in blood” and it’s not long before he’s experiencing the reality of this in the melting pot that is New York with its rival gangs and political factions fighting for control. As one insider explain, “All I can tell you is that it’s getting worse – far worse. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews… We got Russian gangs, Chinese gangs, too… We got Black gangs, Hispanic gangs. And now…the Germans.”
In the dedication to The Thirty-Nine Steps, addressed to his friend Tommy Nelson, John Buchan recalls their mutual fondness for ‘that elementary type of tale…which we know as the “shocker” – the romance where the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible’. It’s an apt description of Hell Gate in which Ingo Finch lurches from one narrow escape to another and is constantly trying to work out – as is the reader – who he can trust. The short answer is pretty much no-one.
The author keeps the pace moving and the tension building as Finch seeks to achieve his mission. As with any good action hero, he gets rather battered and bruised along the way. I’ll admit to having developed a slight crush on Finch making me think it might almost be worth being held captive by a mysterious cult in order to be rescued by him. However, I also suspect I might have some quite formidable rivals for his affections!
If you’re a fan of historical crime thrillers that feature an intrepid hero, are set in interesting locations, that exude the atmosphere of the period and have a plot that cleverly combines fact and fiction, then this is the series for you. I loved Hell Gate and I can’t wait for the next outing for Ingo Finch, not least because he has unfinished business…
I recall describing The Cold North Sea as “Buchanesque” and, as regular followers of my blog will know, there is no higher compliment as far as I’m concerned. I’ll happily award the same accolade to Hell Gate. Although there’s a terrific scene on a train that could come straight out of a James Bond movie, the episode in which Finch infiltrates an anarchist group reminded me of the exploits of John Buchan’s hero, Richard Hannay, in Mr. Standfast and a pursuit across open country recalled Hannay’s adventures in the The Thirty-Nine Steps.
Ingo Finch’s latest mission sees him sent to New York, a city that in 1904 is a “growing metropolis in all its living, steaming, cacophonous glory”. I enjoyed seeing him experiencing landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, and his exploits take him to many well-known parts of the city including Central Park, Broadway, the Meatpacking District and Little Italy. I also loved his wide-eyed reaction to American innovations such as traffic lights and toothpaste you squeeze from a tube. Finch also has his first taste of pizza and hot dogs.
Early on in the book, there are walk-on parts for some famous historical figures such as financier J.P. Morgan, chairman of the White Star Line Bruce Ismay, and Edward Smith, captain of the Baltic (the ocean liner on which Finch travels to America) later to become infamous as the captain of another ship. There’s even a mention of a Trump!
As in the earlier books, there are fascinating nuggets of historical fact around which the author has cleverly wrapped a gripping historical thriller. For instance, I hadn’t appreciated how much of the population of New York at the time was made up of people of German extraction and to what extent this influenced political and economic power within the city. As one character says, “German labour built this city. German labour built the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg…”.
As Finch reflects at one point, “The United States was a nation forged in blood” and it’s not long before he’s experiencing the reality of this in the melting pot that is New York with its rival gangs and political factions fighting for control. As one insider explain, “All I can tell you is that it’s getting worse – far worse. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews… We got Russian gangs, Chinese gangs, too… We got Black gangs, Hispanic gangs. And now…the Germans.”
In the dedication to The Thirty-Nine Steps, addressed to his friend Tommy Nelson, John Buchan recalls their mutual fondness for ‘that elementary type of tale…which we know as the “shocker” – the romance where the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible’. It’s an apt description of Hell Gate in which Ingo Finch lurches from one narrow escape to another and is constantly trying to work out – as is the reader – who he can trust. The short answer is pretty much no-one.
The author keeps the pace moving and the tension building as Finch seeks to achieve his mission. As with any good action hero, he gets rather battered and bruised along the way. I’ll admit to having developed a slight crush on Finch making me think it might almost be worth being held captive by a mysterious cult in order to be rescued by him. However, I also suspect I might have some quite formidable rivals for his affections!
If you’re a fan of historical crime thrillers that feature an intrepid hero, are set in interesting locations, that exude the atmosphere of the period and have a plot that cleverly combines fact and fiction, then this is the series for you. I loved Hell Gate and I can’t wait for the next outing for Ingo Finch, not least because he has unfinished business…
November 4, 2020
Thank you @jeffdawsonauthor @netgalley for this action packed read. 🕵️♂️ 🎩🧨
What do you get when you have the...
National Bureau of Identification (NBI)
The 1904 intelligence branch for Britain, MO3
American Nationalism Party
The Mob
The gangs of New York
with a dash of violence, murdering and everyone peddling a new drug called Heroin? 💉🚬🔪
You most certainly have yourself on a rollercoaster, which I strongly advise you to buckle up and enjoy the intensity of traveling back in time to the 1900’s along side Ingo Finch, who faces his biggest challenge yet, and is caught in a deadly game, which only the Big Apple can hand out.
“And I see a man who’s gone astray...” her hands gripped him tightly
“Der Germanenorden... The Order of Teutons... The ancient ways...” she rasped.
“Do not dishonour the gods.”
Walk along side mr Finch, who is underprepared for this dangerous assignment but pretty resourceful, as he tries to solve this jaw dropping General Slocum case, which left the German community broken and devastated, whilst a populist senator who is preying on their grievances.
In this unputdownable actin packed, Gilded Age mystery third thrilling installment of the Ingo Finch crime series, the action never stops and barely slows down in this page turning series. Get your hands on a copy now! You’ll thank me later 😉
“That’s more than his family earn in a week,” breathed Krank.
“A family now in our pocket.”
P.S this book can be read as a stand alone novel💪🏼 the other two, No Ordinary Killing and The Cold North Sea are just as great. Check them out as well
What do you get when you have the...
National Bureau of Identification (NBI)
The 1904 intelligence branch for Britain, MO3
American Nationalism Party
The Mob
The gangs of New York
with a dash of violence, murdering and everyone peddling a new drug called Heroin? 💉🚬🔪
You most certainly have yourself on a rollercoaster, which I strongly advise you to buckle up and enjoy the intensity of traveling back in time to the 1900’s along side Ingo Finch, who faces his biggest challenge yet, and is caught in a deadly game, which only the Big Apple can hand out.
“And I see a man who’s gone astray...” her hands gripped him tightly
“Der Germanenorden... The Order of Teutons... The ancient ways...” she rasped.
“Do not dishonour the gods.”
Walk along side mr Finch, who is underprepared for this dangerous assignment but pretty resourceful, as he tries to solve this jaw dropping General Slocum case, which left the German community broken and devastated, whilst a populist senator who is preying on their grievances.
In this unputdownable actin packed, Gilded Age mystery third thrilling installment of the Ingo Finch crime series, the action never stops and barely slows down in this page turning series. Get your hands on a copy now! You’ll thank me later 😉
“That’s more than his family earn in a week,” breathed Krank.
“A family now in our pocket.”
P.S this book can be read as a stand alone novel💪🏼 the other two, No Ordinary Killing and The Cold North Sea are just as great. Check them out as well
October 12, 2020
The action never stops and rarely slows down! IF is an agent for MO3, the 1904 intelligence branch for Britain, currently assigned to assist the National Bureau of Identification in NYC. There are great problems with various immigrant nationalism sects, the gangs of New York, the Mob, and something called the American Nationalism Party. Everyone is peddling heroin and violence. Despite all this, Mr. IF is woefully underprepared for this assignment but resourceful. No spoilers, but the publisher's blurb is a pretty good hook.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from @Canelo_co via NetGalley. Thank you.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from @Canelo_co via NetGalley. Thank you.
December 13, 2020
Another great outing for Ingo Finch
Yet again another "rip roaring boys own adventure"; a great third instalment of what are really great books. It was good to see how Ingo had grown as a character. I do hope we will get a fourth outing from this accomplished author.
Yet again another "rip roaring boys own adventure"; a great third instalment of what are really great books. It was good to see how Ingo had grown as a character. I do hope we will get a fourth outing from this accomplished author.
April 8, 2025
As with the other two books in this series, it was a learning experience. Although there are a few scenes shown to us before the actual narrative begins, they are important pieces of the puzzle. You can pick this up without having read the previous two, but I do not recommend it. It would not feel satisfying enough.
The actual narrative takes place in 1904 in New York where a city is coming to fruition thanks to the sweat and blood (literally) of many people working on different things for the city. It is both easy and hard to visualize the descriptions if you have ever visited NYC.
Our protagonist is Ingo Finch, who is on a reluctant mission. Powers that be have strong-armed him into a situation which he does not fully understand until he arrives in the country. Initially, he is not specifically aware of what is required of him and stumbles along, surviving to the best of his ability. A bit of luck and just plain guts, he sees his way to the end in (almost) one piece. The mission is to keep chaos from engulfing things and make sure international relations stay in a balance.
I began this review, mentioning it as a learning experience because the author provides accurate information about things that happened in and around the location at the time, which are fascinating. I kept spouting off a few of them to friends I visited the city with, and they were equally interested. It is an extremely fast-paced storyline, with constant movement and action. There is violence, but it is not something that is dwelt on for too long.
Overall, I think this was a very satisfying read, and I have a faint suspicion about the next place Ingo might end up in, and I look forward to seeing him survive that ordeal.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book and the previous works of the series.
The actual narrative takes place in 1904 in New York where a city is coming to fruition thanks to the sweat and blood (literally) of many people working on different things for the city. It is both easy and hard to visualize the descriptions if you have ever visited NYC.
Our protagonist is Ingo Finch, who is on a reluctant mission. Powers that be have strong-armed him into a situation which he does not fully understand until he arrives in the country. Initially, he is not specifically aware of what is required of him and stumbles along, surviving to the best of his ability. A bit of luck and just plain guts, he sees his way to the end in (almost) one piece. The mission is to keep chaos from engulfing things and make sure international relations stay in a balance.
I began this review, mentioning it as a learning experience because the author provides accurate information about things that happened in and around the location at the time, which are fascinating. I kept spouting off a few of them to friends I visited the city with, and they were equally interested. It is an extremely fast-paced storyline, with constant movement and action. There is violence, but it is not something that is dwelt on for too long.
Overall, I think this was a very satisfying read, and I have a faint suspicion about the next place Ingo might end up in, and I look forward to seeing him survive that ordeal.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book and the previous works of the series.
January 16, 2024
I found myself holding my breath through this. Very fast paced and you've no idea what is going to happen next ! I requested and received a free ebook copy from @Canelo_co via NetGalley. Thank you.
Merged review:
Wow this is a rollercoaster of a ride. You have no idea what is going to happen next. Totally action packed you find yourself holding your breath as Ingo Finch escapes from another terrifying situation. This can be read as a standalone book but I now want to go back and read the others.
Merged review:
Wow this is a rollercoaster of a ride. You have no idea what is going to happen next. Totally action packed you find yourself holding your breath as Ingo Finch escapes from another terrifying situation. This can be read as a standalone book but I now want to go back and read the others.
July 26, 2023
The third in this series and another excellently researched thriller that links the past with fiction brilliantly. Love the way that the scene is set around New York.
I found some of this totally unbelievable and somewhat far fetched. However, as escapism and a page turner it really was excellent. The last 150 pages flew by. The character Finch is now a spy and his transformation is brilliant in is construction.
Can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I found some of this totally unbelievable and somewhat far fetched. However, as escapism and a page turner it really was excellent. The last 150 pages flew by. The character Finch is now a spy and his transformation is brilliant in is construction.
Can’t wait for the next book in this series.
July 9, 2022
This author has done an incredible job of creating a true sense of time. We are taken back to the early 1900s so vividly and with such attention to detail that it is a truly immersive experience. The story itself is fast paced and I found Ingo to be an intriguing character. A great read.
December 26, 2024
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series my only complaint is no book 4
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews