Description
New York City, 1899.
A city on the cusp of a new century. A city growing taller, faster, a city of new inventions, new ideas—and old dangers on its shadowy streets where crime, misery, and murder lurk.
When Pauline Godfrey, a young woman embodying the coming modern age, is viciously murdered, her throat cut, private inquiry agents Finola “Fin” Donner and Devorah Longstreet must navigate a world of violence and passion, lust and betrayal, where duty is twisted into bitter obedience and love is soiled.
Fin, a tough survivor of the dockside slums, and her beloved companion, the elegant, intellectual socialite Devorah, probe deep into the festering secrets of a family, the rot and corruption of the police department, and the sinister world of the city’s thieves, whores, and thugs to find the killer.
“Brassy Fin, classy Devorah—as unlikely a pair of lesbian lovers as you’ll ever meet. Their clanging backgrounds and individual smarts combine into assets in a unique detective agency operating at the perilous intersection of the powerful and the powerless in this immersive, atmospheric, entertaining, consummate depiction of New York City at the dawning of the 20th century.” —Katherine V. Forrest, author of Curious Wine and The Kate Delafield Mystery Series
“The dark side of New York’s Golden Age comes vividly alive—a trip in a time machine with a double dose of suspense.” —Annamaria Alfieri, author of the critically acclaimed Vera & Tolliver British East Africa Series
“Ann Aptaker had done it again—she’s written an entertaining, literary, and character-driven tale full of heart and intrigue. A Crime of Secrets is historical crime fiction with highly-appealing WLW characters and mesmerizing scenes of New York City bursting into the Twentieth Century. The writing is luscious, the descriptions are immersive, and the crime is diabolical. Aptaker keeps the suspense and romance coursing at a scintillating pace. Protagonists, Finola (Fin) Donner and her lover, Devorah Longstreet will charm the pants off readers.” —Cheryl Head, author of Time’s Undoing
“Ann Aptaker’s new lesbian crime-solving duo, Donner and Longstreet, bring a blend of street-smart savvy and refined charm to A Crime of Secrets. Aptaker weaves together late 19th-century New York period detail, compelling queer characters, and a gripping story with enough twists to keep readers burning through pages well into the night. It fits perfectly on the bookshelf between Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith and Caleb Carr’s Alienist. Not to be missed!” —John Copenhaver, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The Savage Kind.
