Opulence and ashes

Belli's intricate fourth outing featuring aspiring social reformer Daniel McCaffrey and reporter Genevieve Stewart (after 2022's Treachery on Tenth Street) sees the couple looking forward to their spring 1890 wedding in New York City when a series of complications disrupts their plans. First, a man claiming to be Daniel's long-lost brother turns up, possessing family knowledge only a relative would have, though Genevieve doubts his bona fides. Then a photographer helping Daniel document conditions at a children's workhouse suffers grave injuries when his office is set ablaze. Setbacks continue when the couple's own under-construction residence is torched and a controversial midwife is killed after Genevieve seeks her advice. Eventually, she and Daniel come to believe that someone is retaliating against their reformist politics. When Genevieve disappears and Daniel fears that her life may be at risk, he races to uncover the perpetrator before it's too late. Though some anachronisms jar (the term sex worker crops up more than once, about a century too early) and the serialized plotting makes this a tough entry point for new readers, a dramatic climax saves the day. Series fans will enjoy themselves. Agent: Danielle Egan Miller, Brown and Miller. (Oct.)

Now engaged to be married, reporter Genevieve Stewart and philanthropist Daniel McCaffrey fight for their lives against powerful forces in New York City. Genevieve grew up in a well-to-do society family with a feminist mother interested in societal problems. Daniel started life in a poor Irish family but by chance became heir to a fortune and was educated at the best schools. In April 1890, both are working to improve life for the poor. At a party for Daniel's charity, the Society to Aid Social Ills, Genevieve and their friend Rupert Milton notice someone watching her. When they confront the watcher, he claims to be Daniel's long-lost brother, Connor. Daniel wants to believe that Connor really is his brother, but knows he may be a fraud. As he continues to investigate his past, he and Genevieve are drawn into the investigation of a series of arson attacks on progressive institutions. Among the targets is Daniel's photographer friend Dagmar Hansen, whose studio is burned to the ground while Daniel is examining his images of sweatshops; the two men barely escape with their lives. Genevieve, who has won her editor's grudging permission to write a story about a fire at the Sunflower Mission House, also is put in danger after she learns that the mission was supplying residents with contraceptives, illegal under the draconian Comstock Act. Seeking information about birth control for herself puts her in a precarious situation. Their investigations make it clear to both that money rules the world and that many of those who have it will do unspeakable things to keep it. The several mysteries are greatly enhanced by social commentary and the unsettling feeling that the battle continues. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.