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annashiv's review against another edition
2.0
This was... not very good. In my opinion. I really loved another book I read by this author (dust and shadow) but this one was a complete miss. I didn't like any of the characters. It felt very derived from sherlock holmes but without the atmosphere or charm. The Way it's written feels too modern for the era and the characters either stereotypical or too liberal for the period. I was going to give it 3 stars until I was 3/4ths of the way through. Then I just didn't care anymore. I was just bored. I even guessed a major part of the mystery 100 pages in and wasn't surprised by the rest. Overall I would not recommend this book to anyone really.
dannb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Interesting both historically and culturally. 1845 NYC and the origin of police (copper stars)
literarycrushes's review against another edition
3.0
This felt like if The Alienist took gave 50 years earlier but was written as women’s / book club fiction.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
Very accurate portrayal of New York in 1845 and Timothy Wilde was an enjoyable protagonist despite the hand he was dealt.
juliabittorf's review against another edition
It just could not keep my interest. Every time I picked it up I could only get 20 pages read before being bored
luvrunr's review against another edition
4.0
Great book. I'm normally not that interested in what I would consider "period pieces" but this was set in the past and I still enjoyed it. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing while the family dynamics of the main character added another aspect to the book that made it even better. Of course there was somewhat of a love story wound into the plot which I enjoyed even if things didn't turn out exactly how I would've like them to. This is a long book but well worth the read.
serendipity730's review against another edition
3.0
I found the historical context of this book (mid 1800's in NYC after a large migration of Irish immigrants) to be the most interesting part of this book. The 'mystery' was good, but not nearly as compelling as I'd have expected for a book with such high ratings. There were a number of times I considered giving up on the book altogether, as the plot was slow paced.
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
This book started a tad slow for me, and then when it caught, I couldn't put it down. I loved how much New York was part of the story, as well as the flawed characters and emotions that are present in tale. The book really tore along and the grime of the crime was a fun element. Definitely worth the read and worth continuing the saga with the follow up book.
susan_ok's review against another edition
4.0
I read most of this book in one day. I loved the research this author did into 1840s New York and the sociological analysis of New York's poverty and immigration problems were fascinating. The story was also first-rate. I read a review that said this book slowed in the middle, but I did not find that to be the case. What's more, this author knows how to write an ending. There were parts of the book that moved less quickly and too many metaphors comparing one characters beauty to nearly everything in nature, but the author abandoned that as the book progressed. Her characters were well-written and endearing - even those who shouldn't have been. I am eager to read the next books in this series.
alisonjfields's review against another edition
2.0
Fine for a pool book. Disappointingly mild for Five Points.