Glittering Gilded-Age New York holds its lavish charms–and a litany of deadly sins–as intrepid reporter Genevieve Stewart uncovers a trail of corruption and murder.As a chill sets in on New York City in the winter of 1888, a jewel thief dubbed the “Robin Hood of the Lower East Side” has been stealing from the city’s wealthiest and giving to the poor. Genevieve Stewart–a young woman whose … Stewart–a young woman whose family is part of Mrs. Astor’s famed 400 but who has forged a life of her own as a reporter–decides to chase the story, but gets more than she bargained for: a murder victim sprawled in a dark alley in the dangerous Five Points neighborhood.
A handsome neighborhood tough comes to her rescue–but when she encounters the same man at a glamorous ball a few nights later, she realizes he’s society scion Daniel McCaffrey. Could this be her Robin Hood? When two more murders rock the Knickerbocker world, it becomes apparent that something much more sinister is afoot than a few stolen diamond necklaces. Genevieve is determined to prove that Daniel is Robin Hood–but she’s loath to believe he is a killer as well. From the glittering lights of Fifth Avenue to the sordid back alleys of Five Points, the truth is just one murder away.
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During the gilded age in New York, a strong young women makes her own way regardless of society’s expectations. As a reporter she has aspirations above her assignments, and she stumbles upon a mystery and a few murders that change her life forever. All of this coincides with meeting a dashing young tough from the slums of Five Points. Her world is turned upside down when the same man turns up at a society ball. They are inexplicably linked as they agree to be partners and investigate together.
This is a fantastic debut novel in the genre of historical mysteries. The novel grabs you from the very beginning. The cover is beautiful and adds to the wonderful story populated by rich, well-developed characters. I do love a story about a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants. The romantic undertones were just right, not too much to distract from the mystery. There are actually multiple mysteries that are unraveled over the course of the book, and they are intertwined marvelously by the author. It is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to a sequel. Daniel was a fantastic hero and Genevieve was a strong plucky heroine.
The mystery element was very well done as was the setting.
I was intrigued by the title and brief description of Deception by Gaslight and am so glad I read it! Genevieve and Daniel are such interesting characters and the secondary characters were well done. It interweaves so many interesting elements from New York’s Gilded era and make a very interesting story. From Genevieve’s unconventional family and career aspirations to Daniel’s Irish immigrant roots and sudden elevation to NYC Society to the actual crimes themselves the story is excellent. I look forward to the next Gilded Gotham mystery. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #DeceptionbyGaslight.
Deception by Gaslight by Kate Belli
Gilded Gotham Mystery #1
Mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the beginning…great introduction…then enjoyed the next scene, too, but for some reason I was not hooked enough to read every word. That said, I did skim quickly because I wanted to find out what would happen. I had the sense of watching a movie set in the period while also remembering books I read long ago that were of that era. Why I wasn’t invested in the characters might have had to do with Genevieve, in her mid-twenties, being at times incautious and actually making dangerous life-threatening decisions while chasing a story.
The writing flowed and descriptions appealed to all five senses giving a good feel for the time, clothing, etc. and I felt that I was there in some scenes. In some ways the story read like a penny dreadful and in others…not quite.
There were murders, thefts, news stories to follow, social issues relevant to the times, newsworthy happenings, stories given to men that Genevieve wanted, and a bit of romance. I am not sure how I feel about this book and though I didn’t read word for word might give book two a chance to see what Genevieve and Daniel get up to and whether or not their relationship will develop.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC – This is my honest review.
2 for my interest in the story
3 it is in the middle
4 Stars as I believe it has merit and will appeal to more readers than it doesn’t appeal to
Deception By Gaslight is the first book in the A Gilded Gotham Mystery series by Kate Beli.
This book’s setting is the winter of 1888 and the middle of the Gilded era in New York City.
Genevieve Stewart is a reporter for the NewYork City Globe. Genevieve is getting tired of covering society balls and cutest baby contests. Genevieve is sure getting one big story; the editor will assign her to more newsworthy stories. One day she hears of some society matrons have been robbed of their valuable jewels and that the thief has sent letters citing these people’s misdoings and signing them Robin Hood.
Genevieve has gone to the Lower East Side’s seedier part and hears three men discussing the Robin Hood exploits and starts to follow them. She soon finds that they have led her to Bottle Alley and confront her. They begin to threaten her, but one of the men, who Genevieve has named Mr. Pineapple Waistcoat, calls off the other two. She asks him for information on this Robin Hood, and he suggests she leave well enough alone and for her safety should leave the area.
A few days later, Genevieve is attending a society ball and spots Mr. Pineapple Waistcoat sporting a very nice tux. She asks a friend who he is and finds out he is Daniel McCaffrey. They have a couple of dances, and Genevieve continues to try to get him to discuss whether he is Robin Hood.
Very little is know about Daniel, and he likes it that way. The only thing learned about Daniel is that he had been the sole heir to VanJoost fortune.
Finally, after being followed by Genevieve, Daniel asks to have dinner with him. Still not trusting each other, they agree to work together to determine the identity of Robin Hood. They will soon find themselves in political corruption, tenement housing reform, and paper corporations.
I love historical mysteries, and this was no exception. I find it very interesting to read about how people lived and socialized then. The book is well-written and plotted. I found the characters well-developed, engaging, and believable. There were plenty of red herrings in the story that kept me guessing until the end.
I will be watching for the next book to see what Genevieve and Daniel will be up to next and if there will be a chance of romance for the two.
This Gilded Age mystery series is off to a great start. Set in New York City in 1888 it has well plotted mystery with a Robin Hood theme combined with a killer piling up the bodies. The setting runs from glitter and Mrs. Astor’s famous 400 to the gritty Lower East Side. The jewel thefts get the attention of Genevieve Stewart, daughter of a rich but very eccentric family. She may be in the 400 circle but she doesn’t really fit in. Her dream is to become a serious newspaper reporter but finds herself writing nothing but fluff pieces. If she can unravel the jewel theft cases and write a great story then it might lead to more, serious, stories.
Certain that she knows who the thief is – Daniel McCaffrey – she sets out to prove it only to find herself faced with a killer and a budding partnership with Daniel as they team up to catch the killer. The chemistry between them works well, the various friends and family are well developed and the puzzle satisfying to the very end. Genevieve is my favorite kind of character, one who is strong enough to buck the system and not let high society lock her in a conventional life. I hope this series has a long run.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Deception by Gaslight is the first book in the Gilded Gotham Mystery series by Kate Belli. And what a fun start it was! If the following installments are as exciting as this one, I hope this series will run for a long time to come.
In 1888 Gilded Age New York, a jewel thief is hitting the homes of the Astor 400 (also know as “rich people”). He’s writing to newspapers claiming to be stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, so he’s being called Robin Hood. Genevieve Stewart, a young woman from a peculiar family that’s part of the Astor 400, is bucking tradition and making her own way as a newspaper reporter. While following the Robin Hood story she roams the dark dangerous streets and sees a murder victim. When it appears she is going to be accosted by men who were following her, she is saved by a handsome neighborhood tough. A few days later at a party, she meets wealthy Daniel McCaffrey…who just happens to be the tough who helped her in the dangerous Five Points neighborhood! Genevieve believes Daniel may be Robin Hood. However, when there are two more murders, she can’t believe that Daniel killed anyone. The two become partners in the search for the truth.
This was truly an entertaining story. The mystery concerning street gangs, thefts, murders, dirty cops and poor housing conditions was exciting, but the characters really made the book. Genevieve grew up in a wealthy family but wasn’t content to spend her time flitting from party to party. She wanted to be a real reporter and was getting tired of being given stories about flower shows or best babies. She was hoping the Robin Hood story would be her big break. Daniel was a total mystery, even more interesting than the murders here. He grew up poor but inherited a fortune. Why? What happened to his sister Maggie? There was just so much to learn about him! Genevieve and Daniel were very drawn to each other, and I hope to see their relationship grow. The supporting characters were all well drawn, especially Daniel’s best friend Rupert and Tommy Meade, gang boss. The story was complete and didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but the epilogue did! Ms. Belli, please hurry up so I can find out what happened!
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 were entirely my own.
Deception by Gaslight
A Gilded Gotham Mystery
Kate Bellli
https://www.facebook.com/Kate-Belli-Author-1678745332363500/
Release date 10/06/2020
Publisher Crooked Lane Books
Glittering Gilded-Age New York holds its lavish charms–and a litany of deadly sins–as intrepid reporter Genevieve Stewart uncovers a trail of corruption and murder.
As a chill sets in on New York City in the winter of 1888, a jewel thief dubbed the “Robin Hood of the Lower East Side” has been stealing from the city’s wealthiest and giving to the poor. Genevieve Stewart–a young woman whose family is part of Mrs. Astor’s famed 400 but who has forged a life of her own as a reporter–decides to chase the story, but gets more than she bargained for: a murder victim sprawled in a dark alley in the dangerous Five Points neighborhood.
A handsome neighborhood tough comes to her rescue–but when she encounters the same man at a glamorous ball a few nights later, she realizes he’s society scion Daniel McCaffrey. Could this be her Robin Hood? When two more murders rock the Knickerbocker world, it becomes apparent that something much more sinister is afoot than a few stolen diamond necklaces. Genevieve is determined to prove that Daniel is Robin Hood–but she’s loath to believe he is a killer as well. From the glittering lights of Fifth Avenue to the sordid back alleys of Five Points, the truth is just one murder away.
When danger will test their faith in one another …
I am slowly rediscovering reading mystery/thriller tales, younger I devoured all the Agatha Christie then Lilian Jackson Brown (love cats) then Anne Perry which combined everything I love, amateur sleuths, historical setting and romance.
And this debut novel has everything to keep me glued to its pages. Intriguing characters with a past, a burgeoning romance plus danger and a series of crime to unravel.
On top, it is constructed like a romance, offering the two heroes a voice when in the many other mysteries I have read, only the lead character get his point of view transcribed.
The period added too to my delights while reading, I love to learn about the Gilded-Age, this time with a step in the past and another in the future.
Genevieve is privileged, not only by birth. Her family does not fit in any classical standard, a mother fighting for women’s right, a father advocating on the verge of eradication species, a n explorer for a brother and an architect for the other. This is not the usual for the upper crust.
They embrace their differences, thus when she decided to follow her path by becoming a reporter, they supported her.
She turned from Astor 400 debutante to newspapers columnist. While it was her therapy after her failed season, she desperately wants to prove herself thus tracking the sensation of the moment, the modern Robin Hood breaking in the house of the privileged.
Daniel is a walking conundrum, a veil between the lowly and the lofty. From the beginning, it is easy to see he is not who he appears. He wears a mask on all occasions. His past is no true surprise when he reveals it as many hints were spread. He is a man torn between an oath he made to himself and a desire to free himself from it for a less lonely future. With his own roundabout ways, he tries to improve the life of those he shares a past with as he understands their pleas.
They are supported by a bunch of as much unconventional friends, Rupert the destitute earl, Callie also facing the same predicament, Eliza the artist, Esmie the no so demure wallflower….
The mystery part is quite devious, even if the villains were easy to figure out. Not all the villains get their right comeuppance, but their scheming ways are halted.
As first in a series, Daniel and Genevieve’s relationship is left unresolved, theirs is no insta love, sure there is an attraction but it is also full of doubts and their lack of trust nearly tore them apart, so we are left with a thread of hope to keep us on edge until the next in this series.
A 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for this entrancing story, I am now left with the need to know what will come next.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/715400795715761/?extid=0&d=n
Excellent Start for New Gay Nineties Era Clean Mystery Series
This book is the first in a new series. It takes place in 1888 which is the beginning of the ‘Gay Nineties’. The story introduces our pair of heroes who get along like a future Nick and Nora Charles. I can’t wait to see where that goes. The plot is excellent and has some great twists. Nothing is over-explained and the readers are treated like they have brains. This has all of the earmarks for a great series. I will be watching for the next installment.
I had mixed feelings on this book, but I still recommend it.
I love historical mysteries, and this premise caught my attention. While there was a lot to like, it took me a long time to get into this story. Most of the time when this happens to me, the problem is the characterization.
That’s not the case here. I did like the main characters. Genevieve is a delightful heroine. Left at the altar by her fiancé a while back, she stays away from romance and concentrates on her career in journalism. Now if only her editor would let her write more than society columns about engagement balls, flower shows, and PT Barnum’s “Best Baby” contest, she could prove that she’s just as good a journalist as her male colleagues. If she could only have that break-through story. Like the identity of Robin Hood . . .
Daniel is the heir to the late Jacob Aster’s fortune, though no one knows why. Is he Aster’s illegitimate son? A nephew? A distant relative? Who is this man? Ever since he inherited it, journalists and society have dogged his steps, determined to find out more about this good-looking bachelor. Needless to say, he has no reason to like the persistent Genevieve Stewart, especially once she becomes convinced that he’s Robin Hood. The problem is, he needs her help digging up information buried in newspaper archives, information that points to a larger conspiracy . . .
It was fun to see the two leads develop a working relationship. Yes, there’s a romantic element to it. But there’s more to Genevieve and Daniel’s relationship than their subtle physical attraction. These are two people who can complement each other’s strengths. I sense the beginning of a true friendship between them.
Unlike most of the Astor 400 families, the Stewarts are delightfully eccentric. One brother is an archeologist in Egypt, battling sand and bugs. Another brother is a rising star in architecture, and Genevieve senses that he’s hiding something. Her mother has gone to jail for speaking on such unladylike topics as the women’s suffrage and birth control. Her father is notorious for his court battle to protect an almost-extinct bird species. The wealthy Mrs. Bradley wishes to use their feathers to decorate a hat, and Mr. Stewart braves public ridicule to protect the Koola bird. (Mrs. Bradley hasn’t forgiven him, either.) They love and support each other, including Genevieve’s fledgling career as a journalist.
While I enjoyed the book, I did have some qualms about the mystery itself. Much of the plot relies on the characters’ gut feelings: Daniel senses that he can trust Genevieve (though he trusts almost no one); Genevieve senses that Daniel is connected to Robin Hood (though there’s little proof beyond an overheard bit of conversation); a certain character’s death is connected to these robberies, and so on. It’s not bad. Maybe once or twice is okay. But it’s not satisfying. I had to rely on the characters telling me their intuitions rather than seeing evidence to make those connections myself.
There are also too many coincidences. Sometimes people are conveniently and unrealistically available and willing to give information to Genevieve and Daniel.
I also had issues with certain things from a writing craft perspective. (I have spent too much time beta reading fiction not to notice certain weaknesses.) It bothered me a great deal and made it difficult for me to concentrate on the story. Yet halfway through the novel, my interest picked up. Someone I had dismissed as a nasty-ish minor character acts unexpectedly brave in an unanticipated and very public manner.
From there, I was hooked. Several characters who had appeared shallow ended up playing more decisive roles in the action. I also enjoyed the mystery’s resolution. But I had mixed feelings about the book’s ending, which felt like the beginning of another book.
This appears to be the start of a series. There’s certainly plenty of potential material for future mysteries. The Stewart family alone would cover a few books! Genevieve’s BFFs, Callie and Eliza, as well as Daniel’s close friend Rupert, all have potential as stories. Save for a cousin, Daniel’s own family is dead. But his servants are all from the wrong side of town and could play larger roles in future mysteries. I’m especially hoping Asher, the prizefighter-turned-personal secretary, will have a sizeable role. Kate Belli’s created a cast of intriguing characters who can be explored in greater depth.
Overall, this was a good start to the series. Despite my problems with certain aspects of the writing and plotting, the characters have enough depth to keep my interest. I will be interested to see where book two takes Genevieve and Daniel.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
This is the first in a series about a female journalist in late 1880s NYC. Genevieve is the youngest of an old money eccentric family who wants to prove herself in the newspaper business by tracking down a modern-day Robin Hood who may be connected to some murders and a corrupt group of elites.
This was OK but a little slow in places. It ended on a cliffhanger, and although I’ve read better, I’d be willing to try another.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLane for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Deception by Gaslight by Kate Belli was an engaging beginning to a new historical mystery series.
Ms. Belli’s writing was descriptive throughout the book and made New York City during the “Gilded Age” and the characters come to life. I admired Genevieve’s grit and determination to make a life for herself outside of her family’s wealthy society status. Daniel McCaffrey is a mystery to the denizens of society but the author begins to peel back the layers to this character as the story progresses. Genevieve and Daniel worked well together once a foundation of trust was established. A smoothly paced plot that twisted as blackmail, greed and secrets were revealed until the dramatic reveal. I hope the author will share more about the secondary characters, Rupert and Esme in the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own
New York, 1888: At twenty-six, Genevieve Stewart is a single woman due to a failed engagement and who was born to a wealthy family. As such, she is part of New York society, but is trying to make a name for herself as a journalist. She follows a lead on the notorious “Robin Hood” –a thief who is going after the wealthiest members of society. Her ambition leads her into one of the roughest parts of the city where she meets Daniel—a rich man who grew up in the poorest neighborhood. She thinks he is the thief and trails him doggedly. Unfortunately, her investigation leads her into serious trouble—and an intriguing partnership to find the thief—and the murderer who is framing him. The story has a lot of details as to what life was like in 1888 NYC. From the rich and powerful and their lavish parties, to the working poor, living in the slums.
What I liked: The world building. Though light on some sensory details (what did the slums smell like compared to Genevieve’s uptown neighborhood?), there is enough richness of background to embed you in the story. I liked Genevieve and her family. They are “society” but in an unconventional way. I loved Esmie and how she eventually finds herself. And I liked the scene in Genevieve’s friend’s home when she faces two men, one of whom is Robin Hood, and shows how well she can aim a gun! Loved this scene.
What I didn’t like: I wasn’t especially fond of the fact that the ultimate bad guy didn’t get his, but… from what I saw in the “ending” there is more to come so I assume he’ll get his sometime. And, although the mystery in this book is solved, there were enough loose ends left dangling that you know there will be more adventures for Genevieve.
If you like cozy historical mysteries, I do recommend this book. Though I found it a bit slow at first, by the middle/end, I couldn’t put it down. It will keep you turning the pages, even though it’s not a real heart pounding story. I look forward to more adventures with Genevieve and Daniel.