Nancy Bilyeau

The publisher's summary:

New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered. Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her son and in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library. But when a quiet poetry lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia. After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.

When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of the Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now. She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life’s rules. As she’s pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?

While I enjoyed the story, it was not as engaging as Bilyeau's earlier books. Normally I would devour her books in one sitting. The Orchid Hour took me several days. However, it is still a solid story. The book is different because it is a murder mystery that takes place in the 1920s. Bilyeau's earlier books were more in the historical fiction genre.

I did not connect with Zia as I have with other characters the author has created. She is not the typical amateur sleuth because she does not leave her job or home to determine the identity of the killer. Zia stays inside her home, which is one story on top of the cheese shop her in-laws own. She does not challenge social norms and lets the men in her family make all her major life decisions. How can this type of woman be a sleuth?

The setting is really the story here. It is definitely strong enough to carry the novel but I was disappointed that the novel was not written in the genre Bilyeau is known for. Perhaps if I had advance knowledge concerning the genre I would have read the book with different eyes.… (mais)

librarian, immigrants, translators, ESL, widow, relatives, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, suspense, mafia, racketeering, NYC, NYPL, murder-investigation, NYPD, secrets, lies, thriller, intolerance, bullying, botany, 1920s, cultural-assimilation, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, politics, politicians, Brooklyn, paparazzi*****

Enter the world of Little Italy in NYC of the early 1920s complete with warts and all. People with strong beliefs and wills, people who want only to make others subservient, people with overwhelming greed, and those who mostly want to right wrongs. Follow Audenzia (Zia) De Luca through these challenging and changing times while learning a lot of how things were a hundred years ago in this particular arena. This is an entrancing story once you get past all of the scene setting basics.
I requested and received an EARC from Lume Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (mais)

I really enjoyed this novel set in 1920s New York. At the heart of the story is Zia, a young Italian-American widow who becomes tangentially involved with organized crime as she tries to investigate and avenge a family tragedy. Although people are murdered, this is not really a mystery novel. And although there are criminals, most of them are not portrayed as entirely evil. However, there is a manic uncertainty throughout the story. Characters seem to act irrationally and impulsively, without clear motive — whether it be drug use, or hidden loyalties, or family connections. The conclusion was satisfying but abrupt. I would love to see a series devoted to Zia and the rest of her life story, rather than have it quickly recounted in the last chapter.

All in all a satisfying story with interesting characters. I just wish it continued!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy to read and review.… (mais)

A perfectly fine follow up to a historical mystery, centered around a woman artist who finds a way to make a living by creating painted fabrics, though she'd rather be devoted exclusively to her art. In the first book she falls in love with a chemist who created a formula for a beautiful, stable, blue color. The value of the color made them the center of a ring of French spies, trying to steal the formula. The couple is still dealing with the fall out from that time.

I really liked the first book, but this one didn't add much.… (mais)