“Book clubs rejoice! A new mystery series has arrived on bookshelves and it’s spectacular. Lovers of historical fiction and mystery, humor and social mores, will love Brooklyn on Fire. Detective Mary Handley is a total original. Deft, wise, and ambitious, Handley has a moral center and a longing heart. Her world can not confine her. Nineteenth century New York City is painted with color and verve, as Mr. Levy weaves history and its colorful true characters with fictional elements that will have you reading long into the night. Brooklyn on Fire has Mary leaving her post with the New York Police Department and going out on her own, (her office is operated out of a bookstore!) You will root for Mary every step of the way, as you will for every installment of this series to come. The only mystery here: where’s the next one, Mr. Levy? We’re waiting!”
—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife
“Brooklyn on Fire is a well-told tale of greed, class warfare, and bigotry that keeps the reader turning pages to a most satisfying conclusion. A delightful heroine, whip-smart and believable, makes this a strong addition to what I hope will be a long-running series for Lawrence H. Levy.”
—G.M. Malliet, Agatha Award-winning author of the St. Just and the Max Tudor crime novels
“The second book in Levy’s Mary Handley series puts the gal gumshoe in the middle of a mysterious murder involving a high-stakes family scandal. Soon Handley is rubbing noses with Carnegies, the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts. A wild journey down the Eastern Seaboard ensues, not to mention a romance with a member of New York’s elite.”—New York Post
“An intriguing mystery…this series is a keeper for those seeking a fiercely independent heroine to root for,”
—Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
“Engaging…[A] charming historical.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A worthy sequel to Second Street Station. Handley is an independent, insightful detective from the same mold as Charles Todd’s Bess Crawford and Frances Brody’s Kate Shackleton.”
—Booklist
“[A] gem…You will keep these pages turning until the very end, because the way Levy writes is among the truly ‘high class’.”—Suspense Magazine
“Levy’s follow-up to Second Street Station is another compelling mystery featuring consulting detective Mary Handley. Real historic figures mix well with the story, and Handley is a strong heroine…Levy makes the reader feel like they have been transported back in time.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Levy does a fine job of mixing historical characters and situations with his feisty, liberated detective.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Second Street Station:
“Based on an actual incident and featuring real people involved in the case, this stunning debut by Levy, an award-winning TV writer (Seinfeld; Family Ties; Roseanne), offers a thought-provoking look at life for women in the late 19th century as well as a perplexing murder investigation. Mary is an unconventional, unforgettable protagonist who will appeal to readers who enjoy Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs), Sarah R. Shaber (Louise’s War), or Susan Elia MacNeal (Mr. Churchill’s Secretary).”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“A promising series kickoff that presents a morally strong heroine with a mystery that cleverly intertwines fact and fiction.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Mary Handley, an unconventional nineteenth-century female sleuth whom readers are sure to love…overcomes trained killers—using her jujitsu skills and quick wits—and even finds time to take a lover, in defiance of social propriety. Readers won’t expect the surprise denouement as Handley steals the show and guarantees readership for a sequel.”
—Booklist
“Second Street Station is a debut novel and the first, I hope, of many more Mary Handley mysteries. Mary is a fearless young woman, and not someone easily thwarted. There are plenty of suspects in the Goodrich murder, but readers will have difficulty figuring out the true killer. This is a great beginning of a potentially excellent series. I highly recommend Second Street Station.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“An ingenious story with unforgettable fictional characters, crossing paths with well known historical ones. I learned a lot from this book, the main thing being that I could never write one.”
—Larry David
“Second Street Station is a great read. Following Mary Handley through this Victorian adventure makes you feel like you’ve found some lost Sherlock Holmes story. It’s impressive that the characters, many based on actual historical figures, are always funny, but the greatest delight is the mystery itself.”
—Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men
“I love books in which the female sleuth defies stereotype without losing her authenticity. This one is even more impressive because Mary Handley is based on a real person. An added delight is the number of well-known historical figures who are intertwined with the story.”
—Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Molly Murphy and A Royal Spyness historical mysteries
“Lawrence H. Levy brings Mary Handley, to life with deft hands, giving readers who love strong and capable female sleuths a character bound to be their new favorite. Second Street Station is the perfect combination of wit blended with an engaging and clever plot.”
—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of And Only to Deceive and The Counterfeit Heiress
“What do you do with a young Victorian woman so intelligent, yet so insubordinate that she is sacked from her last position? If you are the Brooklyn Police Department and she happens to be Lawrence H. Levy’s delightful heroine, Mary Handley, the only sensible thing is to make her the city’s first policewoman. A fun setting, a resourceful heroine, and a plot that combines danger, humor, and proper sleuthing… What more could anyone want?”
—Will Thomas, author of Some Danger Involved and Fatal Enquiry
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