Staff Pick
The first in author Lyndsay Faye's Timothy Wilde trilogy, The Gods of Gotham is a delightfully written historical mystery about the inception of the NYPD and its early — and unorthodox — detectives. It also features one of my favorite LGBT characters in recent years, the protagonist's brother, Valentine "Val" Wilde: police officer, volunteer firefighter, burgeoning politician... drug addict, alcoholic, brothel patron, sodomite. Valentine gets his younger brother a job as a detective at the NYPD after a fire destroys Timothy's place of work and permanently disfigures him. Devastatingly intelligent but also violent and sometimes unhinged, Val serves as an excellent foil to his more even-keeled brother; their turbulent relationship is a prominent undercurrent throughout the series. Depictions of LGBT characters in historical fiction can be difficult to manage with grace, and Faye's attempt makes Val (in my opinion) the most compelling character on the scene. The sequels are equally as good as the first, so remember to check them out: Seven for a Secret, and The Fatal Flame. Recommended By Helena F.W., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
One of
Publishers Weekly's
Top Ten Mystery/Thrillers of the Year
One of Kirkus Reviews' Ten Best Crime Novels of the Year
One of Gillian Flynn's "Recommendations for the Season" on Today
Edgar® Award Nominee for Best Novel
ALA Reading List Award for Best Mystery
1845: New York City forms its first police force. The great potato famine hits Ireland.
These two events will change New York City forever
Timothy Wilde tends bar, saving every dollar in hopes of winning the girl of his dreams. But when his dreams are destroyed by a fire that devastates downtown Manhattan, he is left with little choice but to accept a job in the newly minted New York City Police Department.
Returning exhausted from his rounds one night, Tim collides with a girl no more than ten years old
covered in blood. She claims that dozens of bodies are buried in the forest north of Twenty-Third Street. Timothy isn't sure whether to believe her, but as the image of a brutal killer is slowly revealed and anti-Irish rage infects the city, the reluctant copper star is engaged in a battle that may cost him everything.
Review
"The Gods of Gotham is a wonderful book. Lyndsay Faye's command of historical detail is remarkable, and her knowledge of human character even more so. I bought into this world in the opening pages and never once had the desire to leave. It's a great read!" Michael Connelly
Review
"The launch of a brilliant new mystery series, set in 1845 New York City: Irish Potato Famine, the birth of the police force, brothels and bedlam." Gillian Flynn
Review
"It's been almost twenty years since Caleb Carr's bestselling Olde New York crime novel, The Alienist, was published, and I can't count the number of times since then that someone has asked me if I can recommend a suspense story anything 'like it.' Well, New York has inspired lots of terrific thrillers, but I've just stumbled on one of the worthiest successors yet. Lyndsay Faye's novel, The Gods of Gotham." Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air
Review
“If your concept of paradise is popping in a DVD of Gangs of New York while rereading Caleb Carr's The Alienist, then put Lyndsay Faye's The Gods of Gotham on your to-buy list.” USA Today
Review
“There's enough excitement here to cause anyone's veins to quiver.” The Washington Post
Review
“Riveting.” The New York Times
About the Author
Lyndsay Faye is the author of the critically acclaimed Dust and Shadow and is featured in The Best American Mystery Stories 2010. Faye, a true New Yorker in the sense that she was born elsewhere, lives in Manhattan with her husband, Gabriel.