LoveReading Says
A gloriously heady and intimate tale of love, loss, and family, set within one of the most fascinating periods of the 20th century. Zia has already lost some of those she loved most dearly, when tragedy strikes again and appears to link to a new speakeasy called The Orchid Hour, she is determined to investigate. This is the first book I’ve read by author Nancy Bilyeau and won’t be my last. Each chapter is headed by one of three characters, Zia, and two men who sit at opposite ends of the law. While Zia remains as the main character, each of the other stories feel just as important and ensure there is a multi-layered connectivity between everyone you meet. Even those on the page for just a moment felt known. I loved exploring Little Italy, the descriptions take you by the hand and lead you through the streets into the embrace of family. The clubs, delicatessen, fashion, and even the orchids came alive as I explored. The murders and mystery that remains at the heart of this tale create a tension that thrums through each page. I found myself searching for answers alongside Zia, my thoughts examining the different seams of the story. With eloquent moments of stillness The Orchard House revels as a bustling rich and distinctive tale.
Liz Robinson
Find This Book In
The Orchid Hour Synopsis
There is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid’s scent can put you under a spell…
Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue, returns with a tantalizing novel about one woman caught up in a secret nightclub that one can only reach through a certain florist on a cobblestone street.
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 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?
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781839014802 |
| Publication date: |
10th August 2023 |
| Author: |
Nancy Bilyeau |
| Publisher: |
Lume Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
Nancy Bilyeau Press Reviews
Nancy Bilyeau has created a beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale... and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine.
- Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award
About Nancy Bilyeau
Nancy Bilyeau's acclaimed first novel, THE CROWN, was shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters Dagger Award for historical fiction and dubbed 'the year's most impressive debut' by the judging panel. It took five years to research and write. Nancy, a magazine editor, lives in New York City with her family. Find out more about Nancy and her lifelong passion for Tudor history via her website, www.nancybilyeau.com.
Author photo © Joshua Kessler
More About Nancy Bilyeau
