Death, passion and good sleuthing combine in Death of a New American, the second instalment in Mariah Fredericks’ Jane Prescott series.It’s 1912, just after the sinking of the Titanic, and the New York-based Benchley family is trying to move on with life as best they can.  Mild, plain, older daughter Louise is set to be married soon, and her outspoken, even unkind, older sister Charlotte yearns to hobnob with the brightest lights of society (while lamenting that she never gets invited to the best funerals!) in the hope that people will forget that her engagement died a harsh death – just like her fiancé (who was shot in the previous book). Shrinking violet Louise thinks it inappropriate to proceed with the wedding so close to the recent tragedy, but her mother is apoplectic at the idea of her waiting any longer to become Mrs. William Tyler.  Louise has enough to contend with socially, courtesy of Charlotte’s ill-fated engagement, and her fiancé’s family hates her because of the resultant scandal.  Mr. Benchley, buried in his work, has little to no comment on the proceedings, and that drives his wife to distraction.The servants of the house – like everyone else in the world - are obsessed with the Titanic’s sinking.  Otherwise, they’re planning on joining a large, soon-to-be monumental march for Women’s Suffrage and are fascinated with William’s uncle, the politician Charles Tyler, and his battle with various Irish, Russian-Jewish and Italian street gangs.  Some of them approve of his somewhat prejudiced attempts at fighting crime, specifically in shutting down the Black Hand Gang.  This includes ‘rehabilitating’ its various members to prove that 'not all Italians are criminals'. Watching over them all is Jane Prescott, Louise’s bright, loyal maid, who’s been with the family since Louise and Charlotte were girls.  Little do they all know, but Jane is an amateur detective on the side, and that she’s the one who helped engineer William and Louise’s marriage to boot.The Benchleys and Jane head to Pleasant Meadows and the Tyler family nest for the wedding, where things turn out to be much more complicated than anticipated.  The Tylers are working under the strain of Charles’ prosecution of the leader of the Black Hand gang, which has resulted in tension between Charles and his wife, the normally fearless and globe-trotting Alva.  She has become afraid to let the children outside or open the stuffy house for fear of losing them the way she lost one her sons, causing clashes with their Italian nanny, Sofia.  The evening after the Benchley’s arrival, tensions reach a boiling point, and Jane wakens to the sound of William’s infant brother crying.  She heads to the nursery, finds the baby sobbing on the floor as if he’d been dropped, and the window open – with Sofia lying dead just inches away, her throat slashed.  With a murderer to catch, and the rest of the Tylers – as well as the Benchley brood - to protect, Jane springs into action.  When Charles ignores her instincts about the possible guilt of his affable new chauffeur, Aldo – even accusing her of anti-Italian prejudice - Jane discovers that this will be one case she’ll have to investigate by herself.Death of a New American does a good job in settling itself within the mores of life in early twentieth-century America.  To that tune, there’s a lot of period-typical anti-Italian prejudice, complete with slurs and stereotypes, which readers should be aware of going in.  The book manages to explore each character’s sense of prejudice and how they deal with it; even the nicest character is shown to harbor some level of it. Though this is the second book in a two part (so far) series, one doesn’t need to worry about feeling lost as there’s a brief summary of the events of the previous book before this one gets fully underway.  For example, Jane’s continuing attraction to and flirtation with married, occasionally roguish and sometimes jerk-like journalist Michael Behan continues apace, but there are plenty of context clues to help new readers catch up.The characters are fascinating.  I loved spunky and smart little Mabel, poor hapless Louise, and the hilarious Charlotte; in fact, my bitterest disappointment with the novel is that Charlotte hardly appears in it  Jane herself is a good heroine, savvy, quick-witted, sharp-eyed and brilliant.  She has an interesting background – she grew up in her uncle’s refuge for former prostitutes, which results in people tarring her with the same brush – and her best friend is a socialist Italian activist.The mystery is very twisty and goes in a lot of unexpected directions, but the final twist feels both expected and unexpected.  The resolution is generally satisfying but might have been a little more original.  Yet the historical moorings of both the plot and character work make it quite worthwhile.  Fredericks’ writing is quite fine in general, and her sense of history and its spirit is lovely.Ultimately, Death of a New American left me wanting, but in a good way.  I wanted more of Jane beyond the two volumes we have so far of her story - the little glimpses we get of her in the future at the beginning and end of the story are so thoroughly tantalizing -  I wanted more of her version of New York, and more stories about the women and men that inhabit the pages in which she dwells.Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/KoboVisit our Amazon Storefront

1912 and rich Louise Benchley is preparing for her wedding to socially connected William Tyler. It is finally decided that the wedding will take place at the home of Charles Tyler, uncle to William, at Long Island. But unfortunately for the families concerned a body is discovered late one night. Does ths have anything to do with the activities of Charles Tyler and his clamp down on crime?
Jane Prescott, an intelligent and resourceful ladies maid is teamed up with reporter Michael Behan to discover the truth. A slow paced but well crafted mystery with its well-rounded characters. An enjoyable read.

A story that shows hate for a nationality, murder, wealth, and timestamped by the sinking of the Titanic.
As we journey for answers and they start be revealed, and boy I didn’t see most of it coming.
There are a great many twists and turns here, and be sure to read the epilogue, wow!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

When I got this ARC I found out it was the second book in a series. I read the first book, A Death of No Importance, before I started this one. I really liked this series. It was interesting to read about the have and the have not in 1900's America. Also the way some American's view that the Irish and the Italians were beneath them. I actually cringed when I read some passages. I hope there will be a third book as I want to continue the story.

Reading “Death of a New American” feels like being dropped into New York in the early part of the 20th century. The Titanic has just gone down, women are marching for suffrage, immigrants are pouring into the city, fortunes are being lost, and marriages are being made to protect and restore those fortunes.

Mariah Fredericks has written another puzzler of a mystery in her Jane Prescott series, and it is a light and breezy trip back in time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Death of a New American follows Jane Prescott's new adventures with the Benchley family, this time to Long Island for the marriage of the eldest daughter Louise to William Tyler. The wedding is set to take place at their aunt and uncle's mansion however mishaps and a murder that occur during the lead up threaten to derail the entire affair. Jane quickly makes friends with the Italian nursery maid Sofia, who she later finds murdered with her young charge laying helpless nearby. Initial views lean towards a kidnapping gone awry however Jane has her own suspicions as she fearlessly dives headfirst into the investigation, this time with the help of a reporter. The mystery is expertly executed with plenty of suspects and surprises along the way. Social concerns, particularly those relating to Italian immigrants are explored and interwoven into the story adding another layer of complexity and enjoyment into the novel. Mariah Frederick's has a way of bringing old New York to life in her mysteries with vibrant characters and historical authenticity. I look forward to reading more adventures featuring lady's maid Jane Prescott. I highly recommend this book to fans of Downton Abbey and upstairs/downstairs mysteries.

The second historical novel featuring lady's maid sleuth Jane Prescott, Death of a New American was a pleasure to read. The mystery was well paced and had an uneasy, realistic resolution similar to that of the first novel. As a native New Yorker I greatly enjoyed all of the historical detail of the setting in 1912 Manhattan and Oyster Bay, Long Island, but just like the first book there were multiple scenes where the information was force-fed to the reader rather than unfolding naturally.

NetGalley ARC.

I enjoyed the first book in this series very much, but it wrapped up so nicely I assumed there would be no sequel. I was pleasantly surprised when I a second book in the series on NetGalley.

This book picks up a few months after the events of A Death of No Importance. Jane's charge Louise is set to marry William Tyler, a member of an old family of dwindling fortunes. The wedding will take place at William's uncle's vast Long Island estate. When the Tyler family nanny is brutally murdered, Jane pairs up with Intrepid Reporter Michael Behan to solve the mystery.

Once again Jane proves to be an ideal heroine. She is intelligent, thoughtful and competent. While her relationship with Michael is complicated, it is not she is not dramatic about it.

This book deals with issues that are still topical today, such as xenophobia and women's rights. In many of these historical mysteries the protagonist is a little too "Woke". They are aghast at any break of civil rights, and comes across as preachy. Jane's open mind makes sense with her educated character and her upbringing among other immigrants. She balks at other's options of Italian immigrants and Michael's points against Women's Suffrage.

The ending of this book, like the last one begs the question if there can ever be justice where the upper class is concerned.

This historical mystery will have you talking! I loved it! Death of a New American by Mariah Fredericks is the second mystery in the Jane Prescott series. Set in early 1900s New York City, Jane is a no nonsense woman, employed as a ladies’ maid for the Benchley family. Jane is smart and practical, and sometimes she may come off as a bit too know-it-all, but she’s overall a great character to read, and one that is a believable sleuth. I like her relationship with the Benchleys, and truly enjoyed reading her interactions with them.
In book one of the series, A Death of No Importance, the mystery involved the murder of Charlotte Benchley’s fiancé. This time around, the mystery involves the other Benchley daughter, Louise, with a nanny tied to her fiance’s family found dead. With the murder being investigated as an attempted kidnapping with ties to the Black Hand, Jane senses something doesn’t add up, and looks into the murder of her new friend.
With plenty of red herrings, Death of a New American takes place right after the sinking of the Titanic, and takes us to bustling New York City and wealthy Long Island, and deals with the Black Hand, the women’s suffrage movement, and mental illness. I found this mystery to be powerful and strong, with an exceptional ending. There is a powerful scene set during a women’s suffrage march that was a cheering, uplifting moment that made me so thankful for those who paved the way for women being able to vote.
Just as in the first book of the series, I loved learning the motive behind the killing, and again, this is a powerful whydunit that demands further conversation. The Jane Prescott series is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical mystery series. The historical tidbits and setting are fascinating! This entry has a greatly atmospheric scene set in Keens Steakhouse, and the tragedy of the Titanic is felt throughout the book as well. If you want to be transported to 1910-era New York City, this is the book and series for you!

Bottom Line: An excellent historical mystery that brings up so much more than just murder and whodunit.

This is an enjoyable second installment in the Jane Prescott historical mystery series. The story has many layers, interesting characters (I love Jane!), and the sense of time and place is so strong that it feels like another character.

Death of a New American is the second entry on what is shaping up to be a really compelling historical mystery series. Our heroine is Jane Prescott, a lady's maid in New York City on 1912. Because most historical mystery protagonists are from the upper crust, it's refreshing to read about someone from another station. Jane and her employers are at a country house preparing for a wedding when a young Italian servant is murdered, and Jane works with a newspaper reporter to solve the case.

While this story feels firmly rooted in its time, it also addresses so many issues that are relevant today, particularly that of immigration, and three are many parallels to be drawn to modern circumstances between attitudes about Italian immigrants at the time and immigrants today. There is also a particularly affecting scene of a march for women's suffrage. Jane is a fascinating character, and I will eagerly await the next installment in this series.

This is the second book in Fredericks’ Jane Prescott series. It is 1912, the Titanic has sunk killing 1500 people, suffragettes are marching in the streets of New York City, and there are four men running for President, including Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt.

Jane Prescott is a ladies’ maid to Louise Benchley, who has agreed to wed William Tyler. Miss Benchley and Mrs. Benchley travel to her husband-to-be uncle’s country estate where the wedding will be held so the mothers of the bride and groom can finalize the plans. Jane is part of the Benchley entourage. But wedding plans go awry when the Tyler’s nanny, a young Italian-American girl, is murdered in the nursery where the window is flung open despite Mrs. Tyler’s orders that all windows and doors must be locked at all times. Jane is convinced by her friend, journalist, Michael Behan, to investigate the goings on in the Tyler house. He believes that Jane is uniquely situated to provide important clues to the murder.

This is a slow moving mystery and the author takes her time in setting the scene and introducing characters, both old and new, to the reader. One thing the author does that might disappoint some readers is that she fails to tell the readers everything Jane finds out when she begins investigating the crime, thus, depriving the reader the ability to try to solve the mystery on her own. While this is part of a series, the author does a nice job in providing readers new to her series with enough detail to engage new readers in Jane’s investigation.

Regardless of being stingy with the clues, this is an excellent read and should appeal to those who love historical mysteries.

"Death of a New American by Mariah Fredericks is the atmospheric, compelling follow-up to the stunning debut A Death of No Importance, featuring series character, Jane Prescott.

In 1912, as New York reels from the news of the Titanic disaster, ladies’ maid Jane Prescott travels to Long Island with the Benchley family. Their daughter Louise is to marry William Tyler, at their uncle and aunt’s mansion; the Tylers are a glamorous, storied couple, their past filled with travel and adventure. Now, Charles Tyler is known for putting down New York’s notorious Italian mafia, the Black Hand, and his wife Alva has settled into domestic life.

As the city visitors adjust to the rhythms of the household, and plan Louise’s upcoming wedding, Jane quickly befriends the Tyler children’s nanny, Sofia - a young Italian-American woman. However, one unusually sultry spring night, Jane is woken by a scream from the nursery - and rushes in to find Sofia murdered, and the carefully locked window flung open.

The Tylers believe that this is an attempted kidnapping of their baby gone wrong; a warning from the criminal underworld to Charles Tyler. But Jane is asked to help with the investigation by her friend, journalist Michael Behan, who knows that she is uniquely placed to see what other tensions may simmer just below the surface in this wealthy, secretive household. Was Sofia’s murder fall-out from the social tensions rife in New York, or could it be a much more personal crime?"

A little hint of a Lindbergh baby?

I liked the first mystery in the Jane Prescott series. This one lived up to its predecessor. I like how the mystery is connected to the Titanic! I recommend this fans of A Gilded Age mysteries.

Great read. Ladie's Maid Jane is back, assisting her charge in the run up to her wedding with William Turner. Turner's father Charles is notorious about locking up members of the Black Hand (Italian Maifia). Jane befriends the young Italian nanny, Sophia, when she joins the household in preperation for the wedding.

The family is vigiliant about security, including Turner's wife, Alva who mandates locked doors and shut windows at all times as a deterent to those that would harm her husband and children. The family's safety is threatened, when Jane discovers Sofia murdered in the nursey, with her young charge lying on the floor. The windows that were so carefully secured now flung open. Was is a kidnapping attempt or something even more sinister?

With her reporter friend Michael in tow, she dives deep into the family mystery and why Sofia was targeted. Or if she was targeted. The final conclusion was suprising, and I thought a well paced novel. It also highlighted the predjuce that normal Italians went through during the rise of the Black Hand, and how even the police force was't immune to bias.

I received this from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Jane Prescott travels to Long Island with the Benchley family. Their daughter Louise is to marry William Tyler, at their uncle and aunt’s mansion; the Tylers are a glamorous and well known couple.

I read the first book A Death of No Importance and liked it well enough. This book was a quarter step up from the first. The writing was a little smoother to read and the characters were interesting.

3.25☆

I reviewed this book for Mystery Scene Magazine be sure and see my review in the Spring edition which publishes April 15 2019

New York crime fighter Charles Tyler moves his family to Long Island to keep them safe from the Italian gang known as the Black Hand. When ladies maids Jane Prescott arrives with Tyler’s nephew and his fiancée and her family, she discovers that maybe Tyler’s family isn’t so safe after all. Focused around events happening during 1912, this is an excellent historic novel

The Gilded Age known for its opulence, the wealth of those in high-society and the lives they live. But this cannot be said about everyone. Underneath the glamour of the well-to-do, there are those whose lives are downtrodden, there are those whose lives are well below the poverty line and then, there are those who are criminals.
Jane Prescott, working for the Benchley family, is helping Louise prepare for her upcoming wedding to William Tyler. It is at Charles Tyler (William's uncle) mansion that a murder is committed. Mr. Tyler is well-known for putting down New York's Italian Black Hand (Mafia) and enjoying the spotlight as well. Fearing attacks from the Black Hand, his mansion is surrounded by guards, securing the property...the house is locked down tight, no windows open and the doors locked at 10:00 each night. In what would seem as an attempted kidnapping, Sofia, the family's Nanny is murdered, the window that is always locked tight is now open. Could this be revenge, was this a "warning" from the Black Hand to back off? Jane Prescott will brings her sharpness to the forefront to help solve the mystery, no matter the outcome! With her wit and humor, Jane is an enjoyable character.

Given the time, 1912, there is quite a bit to learn historically speaking. The class distinction, the politics, along with the social issues of the times (suffrage, immigrants, racism). This book was not only a mystery, but an enjoyable piece of historical fiction. I found the author's writing much to my liking...I couldn't put the book down. This is the second book in the series, one that I haven't read. To be sure, that will be taken care of sooner than later.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don't usually read mysteries but this one I really enjoyed! A lot of history with on who did it? Enjoyed the characters a different mixture of not only class but personalities. Had me on the edge of my seat and learned a lot of history that was going on at that time in history. If you enjoy history and adventure and who done it,this is your book!