Review by Booklist Review
Irish housemaid Rose Gallagher is in love with her boss, Thomas Wiltshire. So when he disappears from his Fifth Avenue house in the New York of 1886, she goes looking for him, thus becoming entangled in a toxic mix of murder and the paranormal. Rose is initially successful, finding that Thomas who turns out to be a Pinkerton agent on a murder case has been kidnapped to decode some mystical papers. But along the way, she encounters a ""shade,"" or ghost, whose touch leaves a fragment in her body, a situation that will prove fatal if not countered by a skilled witch. Even worse, mysterious deaths are occurring in the city as shades pour in through a portal to the otherworld that was opened by an amateur, creating a potentially apocalyptic situation. Rose, Thomas, and an NYPD detective join forces with various practitioners a warlock, a medium, an apothecary, various witches to thwart the apocalypse. The first in a projected series, this should win fans with its plucky protagonist, who defies expectations of her class and gender; genre-blending plot; brisk pace; and potential for romance.--Michele Leber Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Raised in Manhattan's impoverished Five Points district, 19-year-old Rose Gallagher, the narrator of this promising series debut from Lindsey (the Bloodbound fantasy trilogy), works as a maid in Thomas Wiltshire's Fifth Avenue townhouse. Rose, who has a crush on the handsome British bachelor, is alarmed when Wiltshire vanishes in January 1886. In the course of attempting to trace his movements, she encounters a distraught, bloodstained woman who appears on the sidewalk ahead of her and then walks straight through a lamppost, leaving it suddenly sheathed in ice. When Rose learns that the newspaper article Wiltshire was reading just before he disappeared concerned an apparition with similar properties, she realizes that more than human perfidy is afoot. Though the book's middle sections feel clogged with the detailed explanations required by its complex world of ghosts and shades, magical gifts and disembodied threats, Rose's sparkling perspective and an appealing supporting cast shine throughout. Lindsey's quirky mix of supernatural shenanigans and well-drawn historical detail augurs well for future installments. Agent: Lisa Rodgers, Jabberwocky Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
"Bloodbound" fantasy series author Lindsey's first mystery weaves a tale rich with history and supernatural elements. Rose Gallagher works as a housemaid on "Millionaires' Row," where the glitz and glamour of high society New York is in vivid contrast to her upbringing in the gritty Five Points neighborhood. When her handsome -employer Thomas Wiltshire disappears, Rose is determined to locate him, since the police are convinced he's just a rich dandy off on a bender. Using her wits and intuition, Rose finds Thomas, who has been held captive by a gang of roughs. But just when she thinks the adventure is over, the appearance of a ghostly figure opens Rose's eyes to a world she never knew existed, changing her life forever. VERDICT With a strong, likable heroine and a well-drawn cast of characters, this highly recommended romp through late 19th-century New York will have readers clamoring for the next installment.-Julie Ciccarelli, Tacoma P.L., WA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An Irish maid's attempts to help her employer change her life dramatically in Gilded Age Manhattan.Nineteen-year-old Rose Gallagher, a maid in Thomas Wiltshire's Fifth Avenue home, has a crush on her boss. So when his friend Jonathan Burrows reports him missing, Rose, who's as brave as she is inquisitive, gathers her courage and calls on Burrows, where she finds Wiltshire's watch but no information. Luckily for Rose, the indisposition of Mrs. Sellers, the housekeeper, allows her time to follow Burrows from New York's slums to the Masonic Hall, where she overhears a cryptic conversation. Following the trail to Wang's General Store, she encounters a badly injured woman who seems to be a ghost. Wiltshire, it turns out, is a Pinkerton agent who was working for the Freemasons when he vanished. Visiting his office, Rose finds it ransacked and is brutally attacked herself. She finally tracks Wiltshire to a gasworks and helps rescue him. Although Wiltshire is loath to get Rose involved in his case, he slowly reveals fantastic secrets, such as the fact that many of the wealthiest families are well-off because they have special talents he calls luck. When Rose next encounters the ghost, she's touched by her and so exposed to mortal danger. The ghostly woman has knowledge of several murders and of a portal under the East River that's allowing spectral shades to escape. Since the world of the paranormal is Wiltshire's specialty, he knows that he must find a powerful witch to keep Rose from dying. As Mr. Wang treats her with special teas, Wiltshire tries to unlock a cipher that could solve all their problems.Lindsey (The Bloodsworn, 2016) kicks off her new series with a spooky paranormal mystery/thriller filled with historical tidbits, a touch of romance, and a talented and delightfully gritty sleuth. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
