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sabrinaslivingliterature's review
4.0
I found this book to be a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the idea of Audenzia (Zia) Di Luca taking matters into her own hands to pursue justice in a world run by fear and violence. The character development of Zia was really interesting and I loved watching her confidence and her knowledge of what she can do expand. The main thing that hooked me in this book was the mystery and how the three view points weaved together to give such a complex view of this time in New York. Unfortunately the characters other than Zia and Sal seemed a little one dimensional and the romance that emerges also seemed to come from no where. I do wish that the mystery was fleshed out a little bit more but overall I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more by the author.
andyn5's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great read. The feeling I had after reading this can only be described as book-hangover. It was interesting, captivating. and the descriptions of New York in the 20s made me want to go back in time and travel there. Since this is historical fiction, there are also mentions of the mafia and their empire at the time, and about the social status of immigrants in the US. The way all of this is written about and described is engaging and it didn’t feel like I was taking a history lesson. All the facts blend perfectly with the murder mystery and Nancy Bilyeau makes it seamlessly.
The mystery kept me reading and guessing until the very end. All the ends get tied up beautifully, creating an perfecting ending to the story. While it started off slow, when it picks up, it picks up. This is definitely a page-turned that will get you hooked and not let go.
The jewel of this book though, is the main character. I fell in love with Audenzia de Luca aka Zia. She’s a strong, independent woman who just started working at the Seward Park branch of the New York Public Library, raising her young son while also helping her late husbands’ parents run their cheese shop in Little Italy. She’s brave, courageous and feisty. She just blossoms throughout the story, and it made me very happy to see her grow.
An absolutely fantastic read. Go read it!
Thank you Lume Books via Netgalley for the e-ARC!
The mystery kept me reading and guessing until the very end. All the ends get tied up beautifully, creating an perfecting ending to the story. While it started off slow, when it picks up, it picks up. This is definitely a page-turned that will get you hooked and not let go.
The jewel of this book though, is the main character. I fell in love with Audenzia de Luca aka Zia. She’s a strong, independent woman who just started working at the Seward Park branch of the New York Public Library, raising her young son while also helping her late husbands’ parents run their cheese shop in Little Italy. She’s brave, courageous and feisty. She just blossoms throughout the story, and it made me very happy to see her grow.
An absolutely fantastic read. Go read it!
Thank you Lume Books via Netgalley for the e-ARC!
jaded618's review
4.0
What a unique historical fiction novel. This book surrounds the story of Zia, a widow, living with her late husband's family and following the rules laid out for her. But when tragedy strikes and the police cannot do anything, she takes matters into her own hands.
Books about strong women are always worth the read!!
Books about strong women are always worth the read!!
sarahsbookstack's review
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25
Zia may seem timid and shy at first but she is a force! A war widow, living with her in-laws and young son and works at a library is befriended by a man who wants her to translate an Italian play. When he is gunned down on the front steps and later her beloved father in law meets the same fate, she gets a job at her cousin's illegal nightclub to find out information. But in this mob run city of lawlessness, she must be really careful or risk her own life.
I liked her being an amateur sleuth and was pleasantly surprised at how much I admired her. The author did such a good job of weaving fictional characters with real life people to make this fantastic mystery.
I liked her being an amateur sleuth and was pleasantly surprised at how much I admired her. The author did such a good job of weaving fictional characters with real life people to make this fantastic mystery.
nickimags's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved everything about this audiobook, the setting, the characters, the plot the narration and of course that gorgeous cover!
The story was told from three different characters points of view, Zia the main character, plus Frank and Lewis two side characters. I loved Zia and empathised with her as she struggled to find out why the man was murdered outside the public library where she worked. I held my breath as she made important decisions that could endanger herself and those close to her, but also rooted for her and as she got closer to the truth.
This story instantly transported me to New York in the 1920s, it had me Googling areas of the city, nightclubs and infamous characters from the age, wanting to find out more.
Quinn Kitmitto a new-to-me narrator was superb. Her voice talents amazed me, as she moved flawlessly between the different accents, genders and age groups. I will definitely be looking out for more audiobooks narrated by her in the future.
Highly recommended on audio if you enjoy historial mysteries set in the 1920s.
happily_undignified's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau was a good mystery read with tons of twists and unraveling bits. I enjoyed the slow burn of the mystery and all of the history that the author included. The main character Zia was a woman of perseverance despite several early tragedies and she definitely didn't take no for an answer. I admired her quiet strength throughout the trials of the book. The 1920s scene was full of bootleggers, gangsters, and private clubs. The glamour of the scene was balanced by the gritty underbelly of crime and desperation that many immigrants faced. I thought the mystery and sleuthing was done well and it was a good read but it was slow at times and I couldn't really get into the story as much as I had hoped.