Murder on Millionaires' Row

August 6, 2018
Raised in Manhattan’s impoverished Five Points district, 19-year-old Rose Gallagher, the narrator of this promising series debut from Lindsey (the Bloodbound fantasy trilogy), works as a maid in Thomas Wiltshire’s Fifth Avenue townhouse. Rose, who has a crush on the handsome British bachelor, is alarmed when Wiltshire vanishes in January 1886. In the course of attempting to trace his movements, she encounters a distraught, bloodstained woman who appears on the sidewalk ahead of her and then walks straight through a lamppost, leaving it suddenly sheathed in ice. When Rose learns that the newspaper article Wiltshire was reading just before he disappeared concerned an apparition with similar properties, she realizes that more than human perfidy is afoot. Though the book’s middle sections feel clogged with the detailed explanations required by its complex world of ghosts and shades, magical gifts and disembodied threats, Rose’s sparkling perspective and an appealing supporting cast shine throughout. Lindsey’s quirky mix of supernatural shenanigans and well-drawn historical detail augurs well for future installments. Agent: Lisa Rodgers, Jabberwocky Literary.

September 1, 2018
Irish housemaid Rose Gallagher is in love with her boss, Thomas Wiltshire. So when he disappears from his Fifth Avenue house in the New York of 1886, she goes looking for him, thus becoming entangled in a toxic mix of murder and the paranormal. Rose is initially successful, finding that Thomas?who turns out to be a Pinkerton agent on a murder case?has been kidnapped to decode some mystical papers. But along the way, she encounters a "shade," or ghost, whose touch leaves a fragment in her body, a situation that will prove fatal if not countered by a skilled witch. Even worse, mysterious deaths are occurring in the city as shades pour in through a portal to the otherworld that was opened by an amateur, creating a potentially apocalyptic situation. Rose, Thomas, and an NYPD detective join forces with various practitioners?a warlock, a medium, an apothecary, various witches?to thwart the apocalypse. The first in a projected series, this should win fans with its plucky protagonist, who defies expectations of her class and gender; genre-blending plot; brisk pace; and potential for romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 1, 2018

"Bloodbound" fantasy series author Lindsey's first mystery weaves a tale rich with history and supernatural elements. Rose Gallagher works as a housemaid on "Millionaires' Row," where the glitz and glamour of high society New York is in vivid contrast to her upbringing in the gritty Five Points neighborhood. When her handsome employer Thomas Wiltshire disappears, Rose is determined to locate him, since the police are convinced he's just a rich dandy off on a bender. Using her wits and intuition, Rose finds Thomas, who has been held captive by a gang of roughs. But just when she thinks the adventure is over, the appearance of a ghostly figure opens Rose's eyes to a world she never knew existed, changing her life forever. VERDICT With a strong, likable heroine and a well-drawn cast of characters, this highly recommended romp through late 19th-century New York will have readers clamoring for the next installment.--Julie Ciccarelli, Tacoma P.L., WA

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