In the Shadow of Gotham

I came across a new mystery recently that was so satisfying, I had to share. Stefanie Pintoff's debut novel In the Shadow of Gotham won the 2008 Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Award, and is well deserving of the award. The story is set in New York in 1905. Detective Simon Ziele has left the NYPD for a small town just north of NYC, where he hopes his work will be quieter. But when a young girl from a wealthy family is murdered, his quiet life is disrupted. He pairs up with criminologist Alastair Sinclair, who has a patient he believes may be responsible for the murder. His investigation takes him back into the seemy underworld of New York City: brothels, gambling rooms, bars, and opium dens.

This has a similar feel to Caleb Carr's novel The Alienist, which is one of my all-time favorites. Fans of Carr should enjoy the historical details of New York City, the early forensic methods, the partnership between detective and scientist, the young female character in a male-dominated profession, and of course, the edge-of-your-seat chase to catch the killer.

I am happy to report that Pintoff is planning a series around Ziele and Sinclair, and the second novel, A Curtain Falls, will be out in May. This author is one to watch.