The follow-up to Murder on Millionaires’ Row, Erin Lindsey’s second historical mystery follows Rose Gallagher as she tracks a killer with shocking abilities through Gilded Age Manhattan. Rose Gallagher always dreamed of finding adventure, so her new life as a freshly-minted Pinkerton agent ought to be everything she ever wanted. Only a few months ago, she was just another poor Irish housemaid … another poor Irish housemaid from Five Points; now, she’s learning to shoot a gun and dance the waltz and throw a grown man over her shoulder. Better still, she’s been recruited to the special branch, an elite unit dedicated to cases of a paranormal nature, and that means spending her days alongside the dashing Thomas Wiltshire.
But being a Pinkerton isn’t quite what Rose imagined, and not everyone welcomes her into the fold. Meanwhile, her old friends aren’t sure what to make of the new Rose, and even Thomas seems to be having second thoughts about his junior partner. So when a chilling new case arrives on Rose’s doorstep, she jumps at the chance to prove herself – only to realize that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined. Six delegates have been murdered at a local political convention, and the police have no idea who-or what-is responsible. One thing seems clear: The killer’s next target is a candidate for New York City mayor, one Theodore Roosevelt.
Convinced that something supernatural is afoot, Rose and Thomas must track down the murderer before Roosevelt is taken out of the race-permanently. But this killer is unlike any they’ve faced before, and hunting him down will take them from brownstones to ballrooms to Bowery saloons. Not quite comfortable anywhere, Rose must come to terms with her own changed place in society-and the fact that some would do anything to see her gone from it entirely.
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I love it when the characters in a book suck me in! Rose is a great main character–charming, spunky, funny, brave–with a unique voice. The supporting cast is very well rounded. The author brings New York City to vibrant life. An enjoyable series!
The author does it again! The continued adventures of Rose Gallagher and her struggles to balance her new role and her place in her old life was very well done. A rich cast of secondary characters with stories of their own as well as a historically rich and meticulously researched setting make these mysteries riveting and fun. While this 2nd book could have been read as a standalone I think new readers to the series would enjoy it more if they caught up by reading the first one.
I’m so glad I preordered this so that I had it right away!
A GOLDEN GRAVE by Erin Lindsey
The Second Rose Gallagher Mystery
Rose Gallagher is quickly learning that life as a newly recruited Pinkerton agent isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She’s having difficulty with some of the lessons, the other recruits look down on her, and even her friends seem to think she’s changed. Meanwhile, every night it seems all she is doing is trying to catch shades. But when six Republican delegates drop dead at a convention, Sergeant Chapman believes something supernatural must be at work and comes to Rose and her dashing partner, Thomas Wiltshire, for help. Could it be the work of a shade? Or is it something more sinister? Thomas and Rose must gather their allies to prevent the assassination of mayoral candidate Theodore Roosevelt.
There is so much to love about A GOLDEN GRAVE. The historical detail provides a rich backdrop and including famous luminaries of the day, from Nikola Tesla to Samuel Clemens to Theodore Roosevelt himself is icing on the cake! The paranormal aspect is captivating and the things they encounter and methods they employ are mesmerizing. There’s pulse pounding adventure, riveting drama, and a well plotted mystery.
This second Rose Gallagher Mystery spotlights the differences of the classes. The working class, people such as Clara, the denizens of Five Point, the upper class, like Jonathan Burrows, and even the various political groups from Tammany Hall to Republicans, Democrats, the Labor party, even socialists and anarchists all strive to keep their identity while they look down upon others, yet Rose is now forced to straddle two, an Irish maid who now consorts with the rich as her new job forces her to blend in. Meanwhile the sexual tension between Rose and Thomas is electrifying. A star crossed love to be certain, yet with so much against them, and so much at risk, will they follow their hearts?
A GOLDEN GRAVE is a gripping historical mystery filled with political intrigue, paranormal adventures, and a simmering love story that is close to boiling. I love everything about it and can’t wait to be transported back in time for their next adventure.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
I read and enjoyed the first book in this series, Murder on Millionaire’s Row and didn’t hesitate to give it 5 stars. While some series can suffer from a sophomore slump, this second entry easily earned its own 5 stars. It can be read as a stand alone but the reader, I think, gets so much more enjoyment reading them in order., Several things about this series caught my attention from the start – I have a weakness for historical mysteries, female protagonists and a paranormal element. When all of those come together, well, I will happily scrimp on sleep to stay up late reading.
When we first met Rose Gallagher she was a housemaid for a mysterious gentleman, Thomas Wiltshire. She knew nothing about him, not even what he did for a living but, when he vanished, she investigated. In the process she changed the course of her life in a very big way. She left the life of a household servant and entered the world of Pinkerton Investigations. Now she mingles with the upper classes, solves cases with her partner, deals with the paranormal and, for now, tries to find her place in this new world. She hovers between them, not accepted by the people in Wiltshire’s world and no longer as welcome by the people of her previous group. But, no fear, Rose is tough and talented and is good at her new job. Will she be good enough to keep the great Teddy Roosevelt alive? So many in his political circle have died before him, showing no outward signs of foul play, the paranormal investigating becomes their focus.
Erin Lindsey has earned her place on my must read mystery list and I will waste no time reading the third book, whenever it is published.
A Golden Grave is the second book in Erin Lindsey’s unique Rose Gallagher Mystery series. Though I wish I read the previous book first so I had a better understanding of the characters’ backgrounds, motivations and the prior mystery, this book stood alone fine and my enjoyment was not hindered in the least. When I started I thought it was strictly a historical mystery, but quickly discovered it had paranormal elements. Huh? Could this possibly be good? Heck, yeah!
Rose Gallagher was formerly a house maid but now is a Pinkerton agent in their special division that deals with the paranormal. Thomas Wiltshire was formerly Rose’s boss and is now her partner. Six delegates at a political convention died, and the police put out that it was a new fast-acting form of typhus. Rose and Thomas, however, smell a rat, and their investigation leads them to the paranormal. They join forces with friends and a dedicated police officer to figure out this mystery. They begin to wonder if they will even survive to solve this case.
After a slightly slow start, this book turned out to be a total joy to read. The mystery turned out to be more complex than I thought. As it neared its conclusion I was totally shocked….I did not see “that” coming! I really liked the bit of romance between Rose and Thomas; their chemistry was fantastic. It was heartbreaking to see how others thought of the Irish at this time in history, and the corruption of the police department was quite interesting. What really brought the Gilded Age in Manhattan to life, though, was the cast of real-life historical figures. We got to meet Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain AND Nikola Tesla! The new Statue of Liberty also made its appearance. I can’t wait to go back and read the previous book, and I impatiently await the next installment!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-research, historical-setting, Theodore Roosevelt, Nikola Tessla, Mark Twain, Tammany Hall, supernatural, Pinkerton, NYC, discrimination, murder-investigation
The supernatural branch of the Pinkerton Agency refers to the paranormal abilities of some people as *luck*. Rose developed a version of it in a previous episode when she was still “just an ordinary Irish housemaid” but now she is a fledgling Pinkerton agent whose mother still lives in the Five Points in NYC. First came the mysterious deaths, then the investigation despite cover up by NYPD, and then the extremely hazardous business of protecting mayoral candidate Theodore Roosevelt with the fantastical help of Nikola Tessla and the financial support of Samuel Clemens. Well, it had me hooked at Theodore Roosevelt, but the whole book is a fascinating interweave of historical truth and a form of Urban Fantasy. I loved all of it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!