"Historical Murder Mystery set at the birth of the New York stock market, where no one can be trusted."
Historical Murder Mystery set at the birth of the New York stock market, where no one can be trusted. The birth of the American stock market, an intriguing time between the War of Independence and the Civil War. Slavery still exists but blacks are free in New York, warring with the immigrant Irish for work. The situation is exacerbated by the Ripper-like murders of black prostitutes and the suspicious deaths of Wall Street business men. Every character is part of a conspiracy or hiding a dark secret, everyone is lying and nothing is what it seems. As soon as one plot twist is resolved, along comes another, leaving the reader dizzy and begging for more. There is a helpful dictionary of Irish and slang terms at the back, but most of the unfamiliar words make sense in context. It’s blood-thirsty, gritty and enjoyably confusing, a proper novel of action, intrigue and suspense. The author is a noted historian who began this as a work of non-fiction about the founding of Wall Street but discovered that writing a murder mystery was much more fun! I look forward to more; perhaps a series to rival James McGee’s Hawkwood which began with Ratcatcher.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
New York, 1799: Justy Flanagan, lawyer, soldier, policeman, has returned to his native city, bloodied and battered after fighting in the Irish Rebellion against the English. Determined to hunt down the man who murdered his father, his inquiries lead him to Wall Street and the fledgling stock market there. But as his investigations into the past move ahead, the horrific murders of young slave women in the present start to occupy his time. Convinced that there is a link between his father's murder, the deaths of the young women, and a massive fraud that nearly destroyed New York's economy, Justy can trust no one. As the conspiracy deepens, it becomes clear that those involved will stop at nothing to keep their secrets. Justy is forced to choose: will he betray his father's memory, compromise his integrity, and risk the lives of his closest friends, to get to the bottom of a tale so dangerous, it could change the landscape of America forever?
The Devil's Half Mile features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction
The Devil's Half Mile is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Devil's Half Mile was written by Paddy Hirsch and published by Corvus an imprint of Atlantic Books
The Devil's Half Mile has 302 pages
Yes it is part of Lawless New York series
£13.49
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