Murder in the North End
A Gilded Age Mystery #5
by P. B. Ryan
P. B. Ryan does it again. That is, she takes Nell forward another year and has her solving another murder that is
taunting the whole of Boston. This time a young man named Colin Cook, a very swarthy young cop in Boston, has
become embroiled in the scandalous affairs of a corrupt police department Detective Bureau. Nell Sweeney knows
the young detective and believes him to be innocent of any corrupt dealings, and especially innocent of this
killing of a petty criminal. Her belief in his innocence is not seen in all places as becoming a lady of some
stature, and she has to push her way into some seedy, less than wonderful areas of the North End of Boston, all
the while withstanding the taunts and hardships of being a woman who is trying to protect herself and her friend
from unworthy allegations and assaults. Nell knows the hardships she will face when she starts this investigation,
as the people she will be getting her information from are the very immigrants she lived among in her earlier life
and has risen from.
Dr. Will Hewitt also has his agenda and is following her progress with a keen eye and a watching heart, trying
to make very sure that she doesn’t uncover too much or get buried into the muck of that very North End. Nell has
to come to grips with all the class distinctions that are still very prevalent in the society she is living amongst.
That is one of the hardest parts of this investigation. That and appeasing Dr. Will, who is ever vigilant towards
her safety.
Murder in the North End is a light read that you can cozy up to on a cold winter night in your easy
chair by the fire and just imagine yourself living back in that era of time, being on the search for a friend in
the cold, dark streets of Boston in the 1870’s. Brew some tea, wrap that blanket a bit tighter, keep your feet
warm, and enjoy the mystery of the chase. |
The Book |
Berkley Prime Crime |
November 7, 2006 |
Mass Market Paperback |
0-425-21295-5 |
Historical mystery [Boston, July 1870] |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: language typical of era |
The Reviewer |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: |
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