From Publishers Weekly
Set in New York City in 1906, Pintoff's worthy sequel to her Edgar-finalist debut, In the Shadow of Gotham (2009), finds Det. Simon Zeile pursuing another sensational case. When chorus girl Annie Germaine turns up dead on a Manhattan theatrical stage, dressed in the outfit of the company's leading lady, Broadway impresario Charles Frohman asks the authorities to keep the tragedy as quiet as possible so the news won't affect the box office receipts. Next to Annie's body, which shows no marks of violence, is a cryptic note. Zeile soon learns that another actress, presumed to be a suicide, was found dead on another stage three weeks earlier, dressed up with a similar note next to her body. Certain that a serial killer is at work, the detective again consults criminologist Alistair Sinclair, who helped him investigate in the previous book. A larger pool of suspects would have benefited the plot, but the convincing period detail and expert storytelling will hook most readers. (May)
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Review
Praise for In the Shadow of Gotham
“Superior historical mystery… The author has inevitably been compared to Caleb Carr, whom she certainly rivals in her meticulous research into the period and its fledgling forensics.… She does an outstanding job of blending historical detail with engaging characters and a suspenseful plot.”
—_The Denver Post_
“Pintoff excavates a rich vein of early criminology.… She also delivers a gripping detective story.… Great for dexterous plotting and for New York atmosphere at the turn of the last century.”
—Booklist
“Will remind many of Caleb Carr at his best.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“What a fabulous first novel… Pintoff’s fascinating historical mystery has believable multidimensional characters.”
—_Romantic Times_ (Best First Mystery of 2009)
''The first winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition nicely contrasts academic theorizing with the reality of police detection set against the backdrop of a vividly depicted turn-of-the-century Gotham. Recommended to readers who enjoy historicals of this period, such as Caleb Carr’s The Alienist and Ann Stamos’s Bitter Tide.”
—_Library Journal_ (starred review)