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Benjamin January #19
Death and Hard Cider
Musician, sleuth and free man of color Benjamin January gets mixed in politics, with murderous results.
September, 1840. A giant rally is being planned in New Orleans to stir up support for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison: the Indian-killing, hard-cider-drinking, wannabe "people's president". Trained surgeon turned piano-player Benjamin January has little use for politicians. But the run-up to the rally is packed with balls and dinner parties, and the meagre pay is sorely needed.
Soon, however, January has more to worry about than keeping his beloved family fed and safe. During an elegant reception thrown by New Orleans' local Whig notables, the son of a prominent politician gets into a fist-fight with a rival over beautiful young flirt Marie-Joyeuse Maginot - and, the day after the rally is over, Marie-Joyeuse turns up dead. The only black person amongst the initial suspects is arrested immediately: January's dear friend, Catherine Clisson.
With Catherine's life on the line, January is determined to uncover the truth and prove her innocence. But his adversaries are powerful politicians, and the clock is ticking . . .
September, 1840. A giant rally is being planned in New Orleans to stir up support for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison: the Indian-killing, hard-cider-drinking, wannabe "people's president". Trained surgeon turned piano-player Benjamin January has little use for politicians. But the run-up to the rally is packed with balls and dinner parties, and the meagre pay is sorely needed.
Soon, however, January has more to worry about than keeping his beloved family fed and safe. During an elegant reception thrown by New Orleans' local Whig notables, the son of a prominent politician gets into a fist-fight with a rival over beautiful young flirt Marie-Joyeuse Maginot - and, the day after the rally is over, Marie-Joyeuse turns up dead. The only black person amongst the initial suspects is arrested immediately: January's dear friend, Catherine Clisson.
With Catherine's life on the line, January is determined to uncover the truth and prove her innocence. But his adversaries are powerful politicians, and the clock is ticking . . .
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2022
26 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,588 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 8, 2022
When a mystery series is up to its nineteenth volume, you know it has something special going for it. In the case of Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January series, that something is a historically informed exploration of life in the U.S. shortly before the Civil War as lived by "colored" characters and set in New Orleans. I use the term colored here, rather than Black, because of the significant role color played at that time and in these books. If one had a single grandparent or great-grandparent of color one was colored, but the number of such grandparents (with fewer being seen as better) could play a significant role in social status—think of terms like quadroon and octaroon.
Benjamin January is a free man of color, son of a placée: a free colored woman who had established a contractual relationship with a white man to serve as his mistress in exchange for significant financial support (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%...). He trained as a surgeon in France, but his opportunities to use his skills are limited in pre-Civil War New Orleans, so he makes his living primarily as a musician playing at events held by wealthy whites and by offering piano lessons. He has two sisters: one also a placée, the other a respected voodoo practitioner and healer. His wife, who is highly educated, runs a boarding school for colored girls who wish to receive the kind of demanding education generally reserved for boys at that time.
January's free status makes him markedly privileged in a society so dependent on slavery, but that privilege is vulnerable: at any time he could be kidnapped and "sold down the river" as a slave. He spends significant amounts of time both in the company of slaves and in the company of white men. In the latter case, he has to carefully monitor his every word and gesture because perceived "uppityness" on his part could quickly lead to violence or death. There are two white men with whom he has more equitable relationships—one a sheriff's deputy, the other a fiddle player—but even with them, in order to remain safe January's public behavior has to appear servile.
That's all contextual information. This particular volume of the series takes place during the Presidential contest between Martin Van Buren and William H. Harrison (Old Tippecanoe). Henry Clay, considered a reformer in his time because he supported an early version of the "back to Africa" movement and who is credited with delaying the start of the Civil War several times, is campaigning for Harrison. The Harrison campaign was notable for its use of new campaign tactics: theme songs, give aways (hard cider, for example), over-large symbolic constructions (a giant rawhide ball carrying the signatures of 20,000+ supporters) exhibited along the campaign trail, and dirty tricks.
After one of these campaign events, a young white woman is found murdered. The suspects include several men who have been enamored of her, including Henry Clay's son James—or their older male relatives who have more economically beneficial marriage arrangements planned for these young men. As a result, the person actually arrested for the crime is a former placée, mother of a current placée contracted to one of the victim's suitors and recently abandoned by him.
The mystery around the woman's killing is well constructed with enough disparate threads to keep readers guessing. But every bit as engaging as that mystery is Hambly's depiction of politics and race relations at the time, particularly her portrayal of Henry Clay. Clay is generally seen as a principled man with progressive racial views for his time. The historical reality is much more complex. As the mystery is unravelled, so is the character of Clay, showing the ways in which he was every bit a (white) man of his time.
This is an historical mystery that provides a satisfying read by virtue of its mystery, but its exploration of politics and race in U.S. history makes much more than that, inviting readers to see events from a perspective that isn't part of the mainstream narrative. Hambly has been doing that throughout this series, but Death and Hard Cider is her most effective volume yet in terms of its hard-eyed view of the times in which the novel occurs.
I received a free electronic review copy of this volume from Severn House via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
Benjamin January is a free man of color, son of a placée: a free colored woman who had established a contractual relationship with a white man to serve as his mistress in exchange for significant financial support (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%...). He trained as a surgeon in France, but his opportunities to use his skills are limited in pre-Civil War New Orleans, so he makes his living primarily as a musician playing at events held by wealthy whites and by offering piano lessons. He has two sisters: one also a placée, the other a respected voodoo practitioner and healer. His wife, who is highly educated, runs a boarding school for colored girls who wish to receive the kind of demanding education generally reserved for boys at that time.
January's free status makes him markedly privileged in a society so dependent on slavery, but that privilege is vulnerable: at any time he could be kidnapped and "sold down the river" as a slave. He spends significant amounts of time both in the company of slaves and in the company of white men. In the latter case, he has to carefully monitor his every word and gesture because perceived "uppityness" on his part could quickly lead to violence or death. There are two white men with whom he has more equitable relationships—one a sheriff's deputy, the other a fiddle player—but even with them, in order to remain safe January's public behavior has to appear servile.
That's all contextual information. This particular volume of the series takes place during the Presidential contest between Martin Van Buren and William H. Harrison (Old Tippecanoe). Henry Clay, considered a reformer in his time because he supported an early version of the "back to Africa" movement and who is credited with delaying the start of the Civil War several times, is campaigning for Harrison. The Harrison campaign was notable for its use of new campaign tactics: theme songs, give aways (hard cider, for example), over-large symbolic constructions (a giant rawhide ball carrying the signatures of 20,000+ supporters) exhibited along the campaign trail, and dirty tricks.
After one of these campaign events, a young white woman is found murdered. The suspects include several men who have been enamored of her, including Henry Clay's son James—or their older male relatives who have more economically beneficial marriage arrangements planned for these young men. As a result, the person actually arrested for the crime is a former placée, mother of a current placée contracted to one of the victim's suitors and recently abandoned by him.
The mystery around the woman's killing is well constructed with enough disparate threads to keep readers guessing. But every bit as engaging as that mystery is Hambly's depiction of politics and race relations at the time, particularly her portrayal of Henry Clay. Clay is generally seen as a principled man with progressive racial views for his time. The historical reality is much more complex. As the mystery is unravelled, so is the character of Clay, showing the ways in which he was every bit a (white) man of his time.
This is an historical mystery that provides a satisfying read by virtue of its mystery, but its exploration of politics and race in U.S. history makes much more than that, inviting readers to see events from a perspective that isn't part of the mainstream narrative. Hambly has been doing that throughout this series, but Death and Hard Cider is her most effective volume yet in terms of its hard-eyed view of the times in which the novel occurs.
I received a free electronic review copy of this volume from Severn House via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
May 16, 2022
It's election time (Van Buren v. William H. Harrison), and Henry Clay has come to town to campaign. Benjamin January and his little orchestra have been engaged to play at parties for both sides, which means they see a good deal of scandal. Clay's son, James, has set his cap for the beautiful Marie-Joyeuse Maginot who, in turn, is in love with Daniel Aubin -- who is married, but has a plaçée named Zandrine. Zandrine's mother, Catherine, was Benjamin's first love as a boy. So, there are all kinds of entanglements.
When Marie-Joyeuse is killed, Catherine is the number one suspect -- because Daniel has put her daughter aside at Mademoiselle Maginot's request. No one cares about exonerating a woman of color except Benjamin and his friends, and their unlikely white compatriot, Sheriff Abishag Shaw. So, they set about solving the mystery.
The book is populated with historical persons and events, along with a first-rate "whodunnit." The eventual reveal took me completely by surprise (which is hard to do). I love this series (although there have been a couple I liked a little less) and it never ceases to delight. Benjamin, his friends and family, and the people around them feel like well-rounded, real people rather than characters on a page. Highly recommended.
When Marie-Joyeuse is killed, Catherine is the number one suspect -- because Daniel has put her daughter aside at Mademoiselle Maginot's request. No one cares about exonerating a woman of color except Benjamin and his friends, and their unlikely white compatriot, Sheriff Abishag Shaw. So, they set about solving the mystery.
The book is populated with historical persons and events, along with a first-rate "whodunnit." The eventual reveal took me completely by surprise (which is hard to do). I love this series (although there have been a couple I liked a little less) and it never ceases to delight. Benjamin, his friends and family, and the people around them feel like well-rounded, real people rather than characters on a page. Highly recommended.
August 13, 2024
I enjoyed having January back in New Orleans surrounded by friends and family as he solves another murder. This is set during the 1840 presidential race, and the historical figure featured here is Henry Clay. This has a great setting, as usual, and a mildly interesting mystery.
These 19 books have covered about 7 years.
These 19 books have covered about 7 years.
November 7, 2023
Can it be? 19 books in the Benjamin January series? Evidently so, and Hambly is still doing an excellent job with them. This one has a lot of set up, so we don't actually get to the murder until page 79 (although we do get a knife fight, a duel, and an attempted suicide). Events in the series have moved up to 1840 (the first book, A FREE MAN OF COLOR was set in 1833), so in addition to the main mystery, the reader also gets the Harrison-Van Buren election, the American Colonization Society (back to Africa movement), and Henry Clay - and is set in and around New Orleans. I identified the murderer pretty quickly but totally missed the secondary plot until January figured it out near the end of the book. As always with this series, Hambly gives an unflinching portrayal of slavery (and free people of color) in antebellum America. Solid 4 stars.
July 16, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Death and Hard Cider is the 19th Benjamin January novel by Barbara Hambly. Released 7th June 2022 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback due out 1st quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
These books are superbly well written. The author manages to convey the very real peril of living as a person of color in the southern USA in the 1840s. Despite being a European trained physician and gifted musician, Dr. January is continually at risk of being kidnapped and forced into slavery.
It works well as a standalone, the mystery (less of a murder mystery and more of a 'how will they get out of this alive') and parallel plots work very well without previous familiarity with the series. I do recommend reading the series, however, for the consistently high quality of the plotting, the depth and realism of the scenery and characterizations as well as the meticulous historical research. The books are full of the casual racist violence which was endemic to that part of the world, and they could have been relentlessly depressing. The author manages to imbue the characters with nobility, grit, purpose, honesty, and even a touch of humor and whimsy (especially the relationship between Hannibal and Rose, which is wonderful).
Four and a half stars for this book, and five stars for the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical mystery. I love these books and truly look forward to every installment with anticipation.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Death and Hard Cider is the 19th Benjamin January novel by Barbara Hambly. Released 7th June 2022 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback due out 1st quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
These books are superbly well written. The author manages to convey the very real peril of living as a person of color in the southern USA in the 1840s. Despite being a European trained physician and gifted musician, Dr. January is continually at risk of being kidnapped and forced into slavery.
It works well as a standalone, the mystery (less of a murder mystery and more of a 'how will they get out of this alive') and parallel plots work very well without previous familiarity with the series. I do recommend reading the series, however, for the consistently high quality of the plotting, the depth and realism of the scenery and characterizations as well as the meticulous historical research. The books are full of the casual racist violence which was endemic to that part of the world, and they could have been relentlessly depressing. The author manages to imbue the characters with nobility, grit, purpose, honesty, and even a touch of humor and whimsy (especially the relationship between Hannibal and Rose, which is wonderful).
Four and a half stars for this book, and five stars for the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical mystery. I love these books and truly look forward to every installment with anticipation.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
June 5, 2022
It’s been awhile since there’s been a book in this series. I really enjoyed being back in M. Janvier’s world. Quite a twisted tale!
June 11, 2022
Despite this being the nineteenth book in the series, it’s the first time I’ve had the pleasure of reading about Ben’s adventures. And what a ride it was… Hambly’s prose is richly descriptive of the lush, often hedonistic setting that starkly rubs shoulders with utter poverty and deprivation. We see all this through Ben January’s eyes, who was brought up in New Orleans – but then spent time in France, where he trained as a surgeon. So while he is very familiar with the neighbourhood, he isn’t as necessarily as accepting of the ingrained and cultural prejudice as many of his peers. It’s a tricky balance to achieve, but Hambly negotiates it well.
In New Orleans, Ben obviously isn’t able to earn a decent living as a skilled medical man – none of the well-heeled white folks would entertain the notion of being treated by black man. However, he is also a skilled musician and with a series of grand election rallies coming up, he is employed to play at all these events – both the Democrat and Whig functions. Hambly gives us a ringside seat as inflammatory speeches are made, food and drink is handed out to the crowd and rousing songs slurring the reputations of political opponents are sung.
And throughout all the hectic activity, the dark thread of institutional prejudice, exclusion, double-standards and hypocrisy winds across the society. It’s masterfully done – and brought home to me just how much damage slavery wrought. Not only upon those whose lives were shackled to unceasing hard labour with no prospect of anything better – but also to those responsible for it. The story is all the more effective for Ben’s bitter acceptance of such a miserable state of affairs, as Hambly is brilliant at showing, not telling. And since I finished this one, I’ve been thinking a great deal about the situation – particularly as slavery is still going on.
There is also a murder mystery to be solved. Initially, I thought the pacing was a tad slow – but I think that’s because of the rather chatty blurb. If I hadn’t been waiting for a certain key event, I don’t think it would have been an issue. After the murder, consequences roll forward and Ben has to get involved to save the life of someone very dear to him. To be honest, I would have been happy with this book if the whodunit aspect had been averagely good, given the quality of the backdrop and its vivid depiction. But the icing on the cake is that the murder mystery is very well executed, with a brilliant denouement. This might have been the first Ben January mystery I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Very highly recommended for fans of historical murder mysteries. While I obtained an arc of Death and Hard Cider from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
In New Orleans, Ben obviously isn’t able to earn a decent living as a skilled medical man – none of the well-heeled white folks would entertain the notion of being treated by black man. However, he is also a skilled musician and with a series of grand election rallies coming up, he is employed to play at all these events – both the Democrat and Whig functions. Hambly gives us a ringside seat as inflammatory speeches are made, food and drink is handed out to the crowd and rousing songs slurring the reputations of political opponents are sung.
And throughout all the hectic activity, the dark thread of institutional prejudice, exclusion, double-standards and hypocrisy winds across the society. It’s masterfully done – and brought home to me just how much damage slavery wrought. Not only upon those whose lives were shackled to unceasing hard labour with no prospect of anything better – but also to those responsible for it. The story is all the more effective for Ben’s bitter acceptance of such a miserable state of affairs, as Hambly is brilliant at showing, not telling. And since I finished this one, I’ve been thinking a great deal about the situation – particularly as slavery is still going on.
There is also a murder mystery to be solved. Initially, I thought the pacing was a tad slow – but I think that’s because of the rather chatty blurb. If I hadn’t been waiting for a certain key event, I don’t think it would have been an issue. After the murder, consequences roll forward and Ben has to get involved to save the life of someone very dear to him. To be honest, I would have been happy with this book if the whodunit aspect had been averagely good, given the quality of the backdrop and its vivid depiction. But the icing on the cake is that the murder mystery is very well executed, with a brilliant denouement. This might have been the first Ben January mystery I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Very highly recommended for fans of historical murder mysteries. While I obtained an arc of Death and Hard Cider from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
August 26, 2022
I am a long time fan of the Benjamin January series and all of the continuing characters --who are present and very satisfying in this installment. There are a couple of well-plotted mysteries and plenty of intrigue. The setting remains set in New Orleans and surrounds, this time, with no one traveling. Henry Clay comes to town to campaign for William Henry Harrison (Tippiecanoe and Tyler too). It's 1840 and the Whigs are pulling out all kinds of campaign strategies with this slogan and songs, parades and rallies where music and hard cider add to the general uproar about the campaign.. Ben views slave holder Clay positively, because he thinks about slavery as a problem requiring attention. Clay was a founder of the American Colonization Society that resettled free people of color to Africa. Some who are opposed to slavery and enslaved people in the area might not view him so charitably as he finds ways in Congress to appease the south to avoid secession.
We find Ben happy for the fact that he has some summer music jobs thanks to the campaign, but somewhat hard pressed to pull together enough musicians for some of the organizer's requests. And at each gathering is Marie-Joyeuse, the stunningly beautiful sixteen year old vamp, daughter of a failing plantation owner. She is cousin to * Damien Aubin, recently married to a "mad" woman and unfailingly in love with this beautiful girl-woman. Marie-Joyeuse loves to have men fight and even duel over her. I would say that this is a novel where it would have been helpful to have a list in the front of all the new characters and their connections to one another including Marie-Joyeuse's would be suitors, their family members, their placees, if relevant and their financial status. The sheer number of characters were necessary to the storylines but totally confusing to a person who reads too quickly. (Guilty!)
I will always and forever follow this series, learning about the complex society of white and black New Orleans, the variations of experiences among the enslaved and free people, the in between rental slaves, the special status of placees and so forth. Each book teaches me about cultural and political aspects of this period. Just a completely fabulous experience from each entry and one of the few sets of books I kept when I down sized my collection. Recommend!
We find Ben happy for the fact that he has some summer music jobs thanks to the campaign, but somewhat hard pressed to pull together enough musicians for some of the organizer's requests. And at each gathering is Marie-Joyeuse, the stunningly beautiful sixteen year old vamp, daughter of a failing plantation owner. She is cousin to * Damien Aubin, recently married to a "mad" woman and unfailingly in love with this beautiful girl-woman. Marie-Joyeuse loves to have men fight and even duel over her. I would say that this is a novel where it would have been helpful to have a list in the front of all the new characters and their connections to one another including Marie-Joyeuse's would be suitors, their family members, their placees, if relevant and their financial status. The sheer number of characters were necessary to the storylines but totally confusing to a person who reads too quickly. (Guilty!)
I will always and forever follow this series, learning about the complex society of white and black New Orleans, the variations of experiences among the enslaved and free people, the in between rental slaves, the special status of placees and so forth. Each book teaches me about cultural and political aspects of this period. Just a completely fabulous experience from each entry and one of the few sets of books I kept when I down sized my collection. Recommend!
May 7, 2022
Set in 1840, this 19th mystery featuring free Black surgeon/musician Benjamin January unfolds in New Orleans during the presidential campaign between Whig William Henry Harrison and the Democratic incumbent, Martin Van Buren. January & his small orchestra play for both sides' cider-fueled rallies, permitting him to witness political and romantic chicanery. Senator Henry Clay,together with his son James, is in town to support Harrison. Though James is already engaged to the daughter of the richest man in Kentucky, he flirts with 17-year-old Marie-Joyeuse Maginot, a prominent Democratic planter's daughter, who amuses herself by inflaming duels between young fools smitten with her. When Marie-Joyeuse is shot to death, January and his white policeman friend, Abishag Shaw, investigate. As usual in this series, a superbly written historical mystery.
May 18, 2022
A terrific addition to a thoughtful series which is perfectly enjoyable as a standalone. Benjamin January, a free man of color who is both a physician and a musician finds himself in the middle of a political mess in 1840 New Orleans - and then there's a murder. Henry Clay's son James is entranced by Marie Joyeuse, which is slightly scandalous but then she's murdered. Catherine, who January loved as young man, is accused of the crime but he's certain she didn't do it and, luckily neither does Sheriff Abigshag Shaw. This is complex (Hambly packs a lot into a slim volume) with lots of real people in the cast (I spent some time following up). It's twisty enough but it also doesn't lose the humanity. Fans should know that January's family doesn't figure as much in this as in some (although Rose is always there). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.
May 30, 2022
A good, solid mystery
This felt kind of back to basics, in a good way. It takes place in New Orleans, with all our favorite characters, and is a fairly straightforward and engaging mystery, with high stakes for everyone involved. I’ll admit, already knowing the political history involved made it more fun to read (it features Henry Clay and the Harrison election). And the amazing ambiance of New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, shone through beautifully, even against the backdrop of the times. It felt hopeful, both in the fact that times have changed, and with words of wisdom for coping with the many ways they haven’t.
This felt kind of back to basics, in a good way. It takes place in New Orleans, with all our favorite characters, and is a fairly straightforward and engaging mystery, with high stakes for everyone involved. I’ll admit, already knowing the political history involved made it more fun to read (it features Henry Clay and the Harrison election). And the amazing ambiance of New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, shone through beautifully, even against the backdrop of the times. It felt hopeful, both in the fact that times have changed, and with words of wisdom for coping with the many ways they haven’t.
Read
July 12, 2022This is the 19th entry in this series, but can be read as a stand-alone. Benjamin January is a physician, musician and free man of color. The novel is set in New Orleans in 1840 during the run up to a presidential election. Henry Clay is in town to support the candidate and his son James is one of many suitors for a young, beautiful flirty plantation owner's daughter. She ends up murdered and Benjamin January's friend is accused of the murder and he investigates to clear her name. The mystery is interesting and the story is very well-written, steeped in details of the historical time and the descriptions of New Orleans.
July 27, 2022
Another excellent book in this always excellent series. September 1840 in New Orleans and the white, voting population is hosting rival rallies in support of their particular candidate. Henry Clay and his son, James, arrive to help campaign for Harrison. But young James is distracted by a flirtatious young woman. Meanwhile Benjamin and his fellow musician exchange bets on how soon their will be a challenge to a duel, and whether the cause will be politics or love. A fascinating look at an interesting period of time, told from an unusual perspective. Recommended.
June 4, 2022
Barbara Hambly added another compelling and entertaining story to Benjamin January series.
It's a gripping mystery, full of twists, that kept me guessing. Great characters, plotting, and vivid historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's a gripping mystery, full of twists, that kept me guessing. Great characters, plotting, and vivid historical background.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
June 10, 2022
Another great story
Set in New Orleans at the time of a presidential election, this book was not just a good mystery, but also a glimpse of how much politics has not changed in almost 200 years.
Set in New Orleans at the time of a presidential election, this book was not just a good mystery, but also a glimpse of how much politics has not changed in almost 200 years.
June 22, 2022
Another excellent book in a wonderful series. I hope we will have many more years of Ben, Rose, Hannibal and the rest. Hambly writes so that everything comes alive. You feel the heat, smell all the smells.
Read
July 24, 2022Another great addition to the Benjamin January series, filled with lots of politics and interesting twists.
July 28, 2022
Well researched, fun clues scattered throughout
August 16, 2022
Love Benjamin January and his circle. Love this series. I enjoyed this installment.
June 17, 2022
"Death and Hard Cider" is a mystery set in 1840 in New Orleans. This is the 19th book in a series, but it can be understood without reading the previous novels and didn't spoil the previous mysteries. The setting and historical details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of that specific time and place and bringing the story alive in my imagination.
Since the lead character is a free, well-educated black man, he was able to interreact with white men in a respectful manner. He was also able to get clues from the slaves and others who wouldn't trust the white law officer who worked with him to find out who killed the teenaged white girl. They asked questions, followed up on clues, and January's medical skill came in handy. Whodunit's trying to kill those investigating, so there's danger along the way. There were clues and whodunit can be guessed, especially right around the same time as the main characters do. And then they have to definitively prove it. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways.
There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this historical mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Since the lead character is a free, well-educated black man, he was able to interreact with white men in a respectful manner. He was also able to get clues from the slaves and others who wouldn't trust the white law officer who worked with him to find out who killed the teenaged white girl. They asked questions, followed up on clues, and January's medical skill came in handy. Whodunit's trying to kill those investigating, so there's danger along the way. There were clues and whodunit can be guessed, especially right around the same time as the main characters do. And then they have to definitively prove it. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways.
There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this historical mystery.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
December 24, 2022
When I open a Barbara Hambly novel, whether a 1920s Hollywood mystery, a fantasy-with-dragons, or a disturbingly dark vampire tale, I’m in for a treat. Hambly’s touch is deft, never overwrought, her knowledge of history and human nature unerring, and her characters, memorable. One of my favorites is Benjamin January, born a slave in early 19th Century Louisiana, freed and then educated as a surgeon (and musician) in Paris, now back in New Orleans. Over the course of the preceding volumes, he’s cobbled together a living as a musician playing at parties and other events by the rich whites of the city, while solving more mysteries than a raft of Sherlock Holmses, despite the intricate mores of the old French culture and the encroaching danger of the American way of slavery. He’s in constant danger of being kidnapped, his freedom papers destroyed, and being sold to a plantation and a short, brutal life in the sugar cane fields. Despite all this, he has married an extraordinary Black woman and made more than a few friends, some of them white. The one thing he’s never wanted to get involved with is American politics.
But it’s 1840 and William Henry Harrison is running for president. The campaign involves a monumental rally with speeches, fireworks, balls, and dinner parties, and Ben badly needs the meager pay in an otherwise dead season. In the midst of the campaign, a privileged young white woman, a determined flirt notorious for setting her suitors against each other, is found murdered. Suspicion lands, quite illogically, on a Black woman, Catherine, Ben’s dear friend and first, unrequited love.
As with previous Ben January mysteries, the fascinating historical detail, plot twists, engaging characters, and deeply felt but restrained emotion kept me turning the pages. This book continues the earlier focus on the precarious condition of Black people in pre-Civil War New Orleans. It seemed to me, however, that the contradictions, turmoil, and simmering anger of Ben and his community came to the fore more powerfully. Perhaps that is due to the countdown to the Civil War or the grinding decades of oppression and fear, the perpetual risk of enslavement and necessity of humbling himself before men who cannot compare with his education, culture, and achievements, let alone his intelligence and innate decency. These feelings are among the things Ben dares not share with his few white friends (the unwashed but shrewd sheriff, the ex-addict Latin-quoting violinist), yet are instantly understood by the entire Black community.
Like all of Hambly’s work, highly recommended.
But it’s 1840 and William Henry Harrison is running for president. The campaign involves a monumental rally with speeches, fireworks, balls, and dinner parties, and Ben badly needs the meager pay in an otherwise dead season. In the midst of the campaign, a privileged young white woman, a determined flirt notorious for setting her suitors against each other, is found murdered. Suspicion lands, quite illogically, on a Black woman, Catherine, Ben’s dear friend and first, unrequited love.
As with previous Ben January mysteries, the fascinating historical detail, plot twists, engaging characters, and deeply felt but restrained emotion kept me turning the pages. This book continues the earlier focus on the precarious condition of Black people in pre-Civil War New Orleans. It seemed to me, however, that the contradictions, turmoil, and simmering anger of Ben and his community came to the fore more powerfully. Perhaps that is due to the countdown to the Civil War or the grinding decades of oppression and fear, the perpetual risk of enslavement and necessity of humbling himself before men who cannot compare with his education, culture, and achievements, let alone his intelligence and innate decency. These feelings are among the things Ben dares not share with his few white friends (the unwashed but shrewd sheriff, the ex-addict Latin-quoting violinist), yet are instantly understood by the entire Black community.
Like all of Hambly’s work, highly recommended.
August 14, 2022
I bought this book I think as a pre-order before it was released. I'd really wanted to get it to read while at my conference, but it wasn't going to be released until later after I got back. I really wanted to read it because it was the first one in a long while that was taking place in New Orleans. I've become so weary of Benjamin January going off on adventures and solving mysteries away from his wife and children. I made the horrible mistake of pausing in my reading of this book to read the second book by Vivien Chien. I shouldn't have checked that one out from the DC library. It was an interesting read that book was. My pause in reading this January mystery caused me to lose the momentum of the story and it was difficult for me to find it again after stepping away. I really should be more disciplined. I enjoyed this book and again it made me want to re-read others in the series.
February 3, 2024
A Benjamin January mystery! Always one of my favorites. This time around, Ben is back home in New Orleans as the town goes wild for the upcoming 1840 presidential election. In the midst of many, many, many choruses of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too", a pretty young woman from an impoverished but well-regarded family is found shot to death in a sugar field. Who's the killer? The man she wanted to marry? That man's wife, who really did not want to get divorced? Henry Clay, famous Congressman in town to hold election rallies, whose son was maybe a bit too interested in the dead girl? Unfortunately all of these choices are white, so obviously the police instead arrest Ben's old boyhood crush, Catherine, mother of the accused man's placée, who attempted suicide when he dumped her for the dead girl. Once again Ben must uncover the real killer to protect a friend.
This was a very fun entry in the series. I love the New Orleans-set mysteries because we get to see so many of my favorite characters; Death and Hard Cider has cameo appearances by Rose, Olympe, Dominique, Livia, Hannibal, and very nice larger role for Shaw. We've also got a really intriguing milieu for Ben to investigate this time around: the presidential election, complete with riots, effigies, fake log cabins on wheels, scandalous rumors, and extremely annoying slogans, is both way too familiar to those of us in 2024 and fascinatingly different. And Henry Clay makes for an excellent historical figure to include in this series. As the leading Congressman against slavery, who nonetheless owned enslaved people himself and supported the American Colonization Society (which sent free Black Americans back to Africa, despite them frequently knowing nothing about the languages or skills needed where they were sent), he's a deeply complicated man, and Ben has to struggle with both supporting him and hating him.
I love this series so much and this is a great entry. It's also probably not a bad place to dip in, if you haven't read any of the Benjamin January books before. There's a lot of backstory built up by this point (it's the 19th book in the series, after all), but this one is more of a stand-alone than a lot of the later books.
This was a very fun entry in the series. I love the New Orleans-set mysteries because we get to see so many of my favorite characters; Death and Hard Cider has cameo appearances by Rose, Olympe, Dominique, Livia, Hannibal, and very nice larger role for Shaw. We've also got a really intriguing milieu for Ben to investigate this time around: the presidential election, complete with riots, effigies, fake log cabins on wheels, scandalous rumors, and extremely annoying slogans, is both way too familiar to those of us in 2024 and fascinatingly different. And Henry Clay makes for an excellent historical figure to include in this series. As the leading Congressman against slavery, who nonetheless owned enslaved people himself and supported the American Colonization Society (which sent free Black Americans back to Africa, despite them frequently knowing nothing about the languages or skills needed where they were sent), he's a deeply complicated man, and Ben has to struggle with both supporting him and hating him.
I love this series so much and this is a great entry. It's also probably not a bad place to dip in, if you haven't read any of the Benjamin January books before. There's a lot of backstory built up by this point (it's the 19th book in the series, after all), but this one is more of a stand-alone than a lot of the later books.
June 20, 2022
I enjoy this series overall, but this one in particular was a lot of fun to read, mostly because of the question of how many different murder mysteries were really going on. There was also the sub-plot of the real-world Clay family and the legal case involving one of the women who had been enslaved by Henry Clay, himself a major political figure for many years.
I loved the ongoing "Who's Tyler?" comments about the political campaign, because John Tyler's visibility outside of his home state of Virginia was apparently pretty limited, and he was nominated as Vice President just to fill the bill and to placate Henry Clay. Since Tyler ended up as President after a very short time, this was pretty interesting.
The first mystery this time seemed pretty straightforward, but it was one of those cases where there were a ton of suspects...and yet none who would seem to be as brutal as this killer must have been. Political arguments, one of which ended up in a duel, added a great deal of color to the story, but another murder both livened things up and suggested who the killer of the first victim might be...and yet the motive seemed unclear, until Benjamin January and his friends do the work that the higher police officials consider unnecessary.
Very good historical mystery, and a quick read.
I loved the ongoing "Who's Tyler?" comments about the political campaign, because John Tyler's visibility outside of his home state of Virginia was apparently pretty limited, and he was nominated as Vice President just to fill the bill and to placate Henry Clay. Since Tyler ended up as President after a very short time, this was pretty interesting.
The first mystery this time seemed pretty straightforward, but it was one of those cases where there were a ton of suspects...and yet none who would seem to be as brutal as this killer must have been. Political arguments, one of which ended up in a duel, added a great deal of color to the story, but another murder both livened things up and suggested who the killer of the first victim might be...and yet the motive seemed unclear, until Benjamin January and his friends do the work that the higher police officials consider unnecessary.
Very good historical mystery, and a quick read.
January 25, 2025
Another fantastic addition to the series. Amazing that Barbara Hambly can keep doing this. She drops in only enough background from previous books to let the "new" reader understand what happens in this story, while not boring the reader who's followed the series from the start.
The character Benjamin January has a bit more to say about the circumstances of his life in the years between the Louisiana Purchase and the Civil War. Having been a plantation slave, a freed child educated by his mother's white "protector", an ex-pat in France where he trained as a surgeon, and now back in the heart of the Deep South, he has a lot to say.
Politics are prominent in this story, and while the events of the plot are ficticious, the reader learns a lot about antebellum history that they weren't taught in school.
The character Benjamin January has a bit more to say about the circumstances of his life in the years between the Louisiana Purchase and the Civil War. Having been a plantation slave, a freed child educated by his mother's white "protector", an ex-pat in France where he trained as a surgeon, and now back in the heart of the Deep South, he has a lot to say.
Politics are prominent in this story, and while the events of the plot are ficticious, the reader learns a lot about antebellum history that they weren't taught in school.
July 19, 2022
Not my favorite! Too many characters, too confusing, not fluent in French or intricate knowledge of New Orleans. I think Ms. Hambly has gotten carried away with herself. I think she totally forgot about the reader. It was her and her characters. I don't need to do a flowchart of who's who to enjoy a read. I did not. I've followed her from the first, having to wait and search for copies of the editions (and I'm a former publishing employee). I'm two shakes away from abandoning her altogether. January you deserve better than this. Plot, subplot, and sub sub plot. Give me a break.
I long to be locked away with Sefton and his classics. Goodness I'm glad I'm finished with this book!
I was ready to throw in the towel and scream WGAF?
I long to be locked away with Sefton and his classics. Goodness I'm glad I'm finished with this book!
I was ready to throw in the towel and scream WGAF?
August 28, 2022
A big thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I have not read any of the books in this series, and this is number 19 I believe. I had no idea what this was about. I thought it would be a murder mystery-but it was not. I wanted to like it-but this was just not my thing. I love New Orleans, and history, but not politics and this was alot of politics. I was sort of confused from the very beginning-as I had no background and it assumes that you know the characters. So for me, it does not read well as the first book to pick up in the series. I should probably start with the first book. Benjamin is a fascinating man and his family put their lives on the line for others. 3 stars
May 24, 2023
I keep thinking about breaking up with this series. It's hard to keep formulaic stories fresh for 19 books in the same series, and the interesting social exploration has been very hit and miss. This entry, themed around the 1840 election campaign, and the innovative use of entertainment, free grog and music by the 'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!" campaign.
While the plotting was solid, easy to follow, and ultimately satisfying, the other elements of the book felt sketched in rather than fleshed out.
While the plotting was solid, easy to follow, and ultimately satisfying, the other elements of the book felt sketched in rather than fleshed out.
July 1, 2022
Death and Hard Cider is a pretty solid read. Not my cup of tea though. I don't know if mystery novels are really my thing. Historical fiction is hit or miss with me and really depends on the era. So while I did enjoy the setting I'm not sure if I was particularly interested in the mystery side if that makes sense lol. But Hambly is a good author for sure, she's got good structure and a solid grasp on how to write an enthralling mystery/crime novel for those who are into the genres.
May 10, 2023
I am awed as always by the depth and breadth of Barbara Hambly’s research. This book gives us such minutiae as how bandages were fastened in the nineteenth century anger the campaign songs of the presidential race between Van Buren and Harrison. On top of that, she layers a suspenseful plot and complex characters. Brava, maestra!
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