2.5 * rounded up to 3. This is a debut for Nicole Glover and the premise of the story is intriguing for sure; Hetty and Benjy are ex-slaves that worked with the underground railroad using magic.

Now, after the Civil War they are still using their magic to solve murders.

Many thanks to Netgalley and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for this advanced readers copy. This book released in March 2021.

The concept of this book was very interesting. The idea that two ex-slaves act as conductors for the underground railroad to help slaves escape to the North using a system of magic to help them avoid those hunting them was a really cool premise. Adding a murder mystery to the plot sounded interesting. The execution didn't work for me. There was too much going on in this book. The world-building and the magic system weren't developed enough for the readers to truly appreciate them. I liked the female friendships and enjoyed Hettie, the heroine. There is promise in this book and the author definitely has space to flourish in future writing.

This was a unique premise of the book that brought together elements of the Underground Railroad, magic and murder mystery. However the murder plot really didn’t hook me in and hold my interest. And I didn’t feel like I really knew or cared about the characters.

Pros: The premise of this book is what drew me in. Fantasy, historical fiction based on characters who first help free slave on the Underground Railroad and now use magic to solve mysteries? Yes, please! Sign me up.

Cons: While the concept was there, the writing did not draw me in as expected. I felt pretty bored during some parts and rushed through to get to an exciting bit.

While this may not have been a 5-star read for me, I am excited to see where Nicole Glover’s writing career goes and while most likely grab the next one out.

2.5 stars, rounded to 3.

I am a big fan of Civil War and Reconstruction Era novels, so I was immediately drawn to this one when I heard about it. And although it leans more fantastical than I normally prefer, I enjoyed it while still not completely understanding the magic or how it works. I liked how it wove together the realities of slavery and post Civil War with this magical world. Hetty and her husband are both former enslaved people who were conductors of the underground railroad. Now they live in Philadelphia and have become de facto detectives when they find one of their friends who is a part of Philadelphia's elite society murdered. They have to use their brains, their magic, and their community to figure out what is going on. 

I will say that it did take me about 30% of the book before I became really invested in the story.  You can tell that the author had a lot she wanted to say through this book, and at times it felt a bit heavy on explanation rather than heavy on plot. That being said, there is a sequel to this one coming and I most likely will check it out to see if that pacing improves.

Content Warning: Slavery, Death, Violence, Murder, Medical Content

Hetty and Benjy, former runaway slaves turned conductors for the Underground Railroad, use magic to solve crimes. When one of their friends is murdered, the hunt for a killer and sorcerer begins. As the husband and wife team try to unravel the mystery, more murders are committed. Will their magic be enough to find a murderer and keep their friends safe?

Even though this book has magic in it, it was a great historical fiction read for me. I loved getting lost in the time period and trying to figure out who could have used dark magic to murder people Hetty and Benjy knew. The slow romance in the story was nice and not in your face either. I devoured this book in two days.

Thank you, Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is the first book in the series Murder And Magic. The story is about a couple who works as conductors on the Underground Railroad helping slaves escape to the North. After the Civil War Hetty and Benjy settle in Philadelphia solving murders and mysteries the white authorities refuse to look into. During one of the cases, they discover the body of one of their friends. The brutal nature of the murder and the violated body raises questions that make them doubt their friends in the elite circles of Black Philadelphia. Secrets and lies start to surface during the course of their investigation making them question everything they knew about their friends.

This is a historical fiction fantasy that has a bigger focus on the history, characters, the plot than the magical elements themselves. While the magic is heavily used and quite prevalent throughout the story, this is more about Hetty’s journey from being a slave to being a conductor who is renowned for her work. It takes us through her life back into the past letting us see her days with her sister. The hardships they faced, the plans they make to escape, the horrors the slaves had to endure from their owners are all shown in the flashbacks. Hetty’s search for her sister is fruitless and along with her need to connect with her sister is her need to help others like her escape the oppression to freedom.

Overall, The Conductors is a Historical Fiction Mystery Fantasy and I believe would be a great read for fans of The Once And Future Witches by Alex E. Harrow. It had a similar vibe to it and as both are more historical than straight-up fantasy I believe people who loved it would enjoy this one as well. I gave the book 3.5 – 4 stars. I am excited to see how the author is going to continue the series. Make sure to check out the book and support the debut author Nicole Glover. I highly recommend checking it out.

I love a strong protagonists in book, The Conductors have that along with a interest premise and a creative magical system. Excellent debut release for this author and I would definitely be interested in reading more of her works.

loved the writing , the characters and has a great murder mystery. The magic is cool. I could not connect with the MC and I wasn't in the right headspace to read about black trauma but i am looking forward to the rest of the story. A kick as black lady, a cute romance and cool powers. I still recommend it

Very promising set up that didn't deliver. I often have a hard time with too much world building. This one didn't have enough. I would have abandoned but then the audio came in, and Bahni can read me anything.

I liked this one! While it wasn't entirely what I'm usually reading (more on the fantasy side than the historical side), I still appreciated the story and the world Nicole Glover's built for Hetty and Benjy. This was such an interesting world and while I imagined it being more like a crime noire story, I'm still happy with the results.

I really loved the magic. While it could have done with a bit more explanation on how they all work (what's the difference between sigil magic and sorcery?), I loved how it's used. I loved reading Hettie sitting and sewing constellations into the collars of her shirts and how she's able to lift an entire bathtub with her things in it and move. The magic felt romantic especially when it's using constellations. I loved seeing the different signs of the zodiac come to life and help Hettie and Benjy on their missions.

I also liked the setting. I've read a few historical fiction stories that are set in this post Civil-War America, I liked how this one still continues to look back at the events prior to the war and how it affects the characters in the book. You can tell from the subtle nods to enslavement and the war that this is still fresh in the characters' minds and how their decisions are sometimes based on the world they used to live in. But I also appreciated reading about how this young Philadelphian town is thriving with affluent Black Americans making a name for themselves after the war.

Hettie was definitely my favorite character and while Benjy does have his moments, I loved following Hettie along. Perhaps it's because most of the flashbacks are about Hettie and her life, but she's also such a humble and strong character who isn't as showy as some of the other characters. She's a seamstress who doesn't want to be bulldozed into working for little money. She's a detective who can use magic, but she doesn't use it for just anyone. Even though some characters bugged Hettie, she still kept her cool and composure and never showing her full hand before figuring out the situations.

And for the other characters in the book, I don't know how but I fell in love with them as well. Everyone from Penelope who seems just so kind and brews potions for Hettie to Alice, the passing Black elite looking for her sister. There were so many characters and each of them had such different and interesting personalities. I loved how developed they were and how they relate back to Hettie and Benjy.

However, I wasn't a fan of the mystery. I think it's because it didn't feel like the most important part of the book. I found it much more interesting to read about Hettie and her journey to find her sister, to help out the local townspeople, and contribute to society. But when it came to the mystery behind the murders, it almost felt like an afterthought. I was surprised by the big reveal at the end because there weren't enough breadcrumbs or clues within the text to suggest otherwise. I think this is the first book in a really long time that I couldn't figure out who did it before the reveal. You can definitely tell there's something going on and there are hints throughout the story, but I also felt they were too few and far between. Every time it came back to the mystery component, I'd completely forgotten it was a part of the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical fiction novel with a bit of magic and a bit of mystery. I wouldn't hold out for figuring out the culprit before the end of the book because it may get in the way of your enjoyment of the story.

Thanks to HMH Books for sending me a copy of this book. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

I absolutely love the premise of this book and have been enjoying the exploration of magic so far! However, the mystery element of this book has been a bit confusing to me so far. There are a lot of side characters and characters involved in the investigation of the mystery, and there's not a lot of character development to get the full scope of the story. I think this book is going to be a much better fit for those that aren't as interested in a ton of character development, so I may return to this one when I'm looking for just that.

What a tale! The Conductors is set in the years after the American Civil War when newly freed slaves are trying to make their new lives. But, there's a twist, magic is real. Hetty Rhodes was a former conductor on the Underground Railroad. Over the years she helped guide many slaves to freedom using her magic and wisdom. Now, she and her husband have settled in Philadelphia where they solve mysteries in the black community. After they find one of their own friends dead in an alley, they begin to dig into his murder.

This was a fun blend of history, magic and mystery. Hetty was a strong non-nonsense character who knew her stuff with magic and kept her wits about her. I loved that there were historical and cultural observations woven throughout that can be both uncomfortable and important.

Set in Reconstruction-era Philadelphia, this is an urban fantasy historical murder mystery following Hetty, our seamstress/magic practitioner/unofficial detective. Hetty and her husband used to be The Conductors and helped the enslaved escape tp freedom in the North. After the war, having settled in Philadelphia, Hetty and her husband Benji have become detectives on the side. When someone they know is found brutally murdered, they have to use their magic and what their know about their community members to try to find the murderer.

I have never read an urban fantasy set in the Reconstruction-era, so this was cool and unique. Woven throughout the murder mystery are the questions of do you / can you somehow move on from your past and try to forget, looking for loved ones that you were forcibly separated from, new endeavors, racism, questions about class, what it means to be part of a community, and of course, conflicts within said community, big and small.

While there is magic woven throughout this book, the mechanics of the celestial magic practiced by Black folks and sorcery practiced by White folks are never explained, which I personally found distracting. The pacing, the writing style, or the the number of characters kept me from getting too engrossed in the mystery, but it is entertaining with twists and turns and has a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an e-copy of the book!

I have always been fascinated with The Underground Railroad. I, of course, learned about it in elementary school, but truly became enthralled while watching an episode of A Different World where Freddie found part of The Railroad's passages within the Hillman Campus. As a kid, it helped me come to terms with how real it was and how everyday people were putting their lives on the line to help slaves find their rightful freedom.

I'm also a huge fan of books filled with magic. So when this came up in my NetGalley feed I jumped on it.

However... ... ...

It just wasn't for me. I wish I could pinpoint exactly *why* it wasn't for me. It's beautifully written. The main characters, Hetty and Benjy, were complex, and I cheered them on in their harrowing endeavors. It was also a sold storyline with an ending and villain I could not have predicted. On all technical levels, it was a solid 4 star read. But, I guess, in the end it just wasn't a book I would have finished if I hadn't needed to to write this review.

The beginning was a little slow for me, but midway through, I was curious to find out how it would all end. However, the story and the magic (mostly represented with astrology signs and symbols) seemed disjointed. The story itself, for the most part, could hold strong even without the magic - until the end, at least. Anytime the magic was used or mentioned, it pulled me out of a historical fiction novel I was enjoying.

Though, because the writing and storyline were so well done, I would absolutely recommend it to people who enjoy a historic fantasy powered by a crime solving duo.

Thank you to NetGalley & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

As much I wanted to like this book, I didn't finish it. While overall interesting, I couldn't get into it or the many characters and DNFed it. There seemed to be a lot going on but everything seemed lacking and the magic didn't seem grounded. I might just back into it... or I might not. It had no pull or hold of me.

The Conductors is a mix of murder and magic, set in an alternate history of post-civil war USA, following the emancipation of slavery..

This is a really inventive setting and Nicole Glover vividly weaves a tale of murder, magic, and friendship, to make a book that grips you from the start.

The story revolves around Hetty & Benjy, who previously aided slaves to escape from their lives of servitude in their roles as conductors. Now, they live in Philadelphia, with Hetty working as a seamstress and Benjy as a blacksmith. However, on the side, they work as a husband and wife detective team and continue to aid the community that they live in by dealing with crimes that the police would generally consider as not their problem.

One night, at a party at their friend's house, they are approached by local entrepreneur (and all-round dodgy bloke) Charlie Richardson. However, both Hetty and Benjy want nothing to do with whatever problems Charlie has.

When Charlie turns up dead in an alleyway with a cursed sigil carved in his chest. Hetty and Benji are drawn into a mystery that will have them questioning everyone around them, from a local political institution to their friends. In their efforts to solve the crime, they will uncover truths about those around them, including their nearest and dearest.

Nicole Glover does a fantastic job of weaving magic into this riveting mystery tale. You would think how could the two co-exist? But Nicole Glover sews the magic system into the very tapestry of everyday life.

There are two aspects to the magic system in the book, Sorcery (which is the magic system used by white people) and Celestial magic (which is used by the African American population) and Glover clearly describes the distinction between the two systems, with Sorcery primarily using wands as a focal point for magical emanations, whilst Celestial magic uses the constellations to manifest power.

Now, obviously, a book cannot be carried by a magic system alone. We need characters, plot and world-building.

And with this, we need to move onto the characters. This has definitely got to be the most enchanting aspect of the book. Hetty & Benjy are solid and intriguing individuals that you want to spend time with. Hetty is strong, dogmatic, level-headed and individualistic, whilst Benjy is insightful, meticulous, and introspective. However, whilst all these characteristics are positive aspects, particularly in a detective, in real life they can turn around and bite the characters in the ass. For instance, Hetty's obsession with finding her sister leads to problems. Sometimes, she can be so short-sighted that she does not see what is in front of her.

Not only do we have two strong leads, but we have a well written cast of supporting characters, such as Penelope and Eunice.

Now, let me get this out of the way. Murder/mystery is not usually my cup of tea. However, Nicole Glover deftly interweaves elements of murder with domestic and social issues, drawing you into the world she has built. In addition, the book is peppered with interludes, shedding light on Hetty and Benjy’s past and their exploits helping other slaves to flee from their life.

Obviously, with any fantasy book, you have to mention the world-building. I liked Nicole Glover’s world-building. She manages it so deftly that I actually believed that post-civil war, America did actually have magic as she seems to make the world-building part of the very fabric of the book.

So, if you like murder/mystery stories, interwoven with a fantastical edge and vivid characters, you wouldn’t go far wrong if you gave Nicole Glover’s ‘The Conductors’ a try.

During the war, Hetty and her husband Benjy used their celestial magic skills to help slaves escape to freedom. Now that the war is over, they've settled in Philadelphia, where they take on investigative cases ranging from finding loved ones to dealing with the odd dead body. When the body of a prominent member of the Philadelphia Black community turns up with a cursed sigil carved into his body, Hetty and Benjy are on the case, one that makes them suspect everyone around them.

This was an intriguing premise for a novel, and I love that Glover used the same constellations that helped so many escape slavery as the basis for her magical ideas. Honestly, I would have loved to get more detail about that practice. Instead, Glover seemed to try to juggle too many ideas and plotlines, making the fantasy element suffer. As such, this one's hard to categorize: it's a historical mystery with fantasy elements? Not bad, but also not the best fantasy I've read recently.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover
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This is a phenomenal debut novel full of mystery, magic, and history. Hetty Rhodes, along with her husband Benjy, are conductors on the Underground Railroad. Using their magical gifts to aid in the rescue of many enslaved people, Hetty and Benjy find themselves also serving as the unofficial detectives and investigators for their community. When an old friend of the couple is murdered, the investigation into his death will uncover a tangled web of magic, lies, and devastating secrets.
The Conductors is a compelling and engrossing story that effortlessly blends magic and history with the suspense of a mystery. Hetty and Benjy were both great characters and I loved how the author defined the magic system. I really enjoyed how the magical sigils based on the constellations could be embroidered into clothing and drawn with their fingers to cast spells and provide protection. Hetty and Benjy’s unconventional relationship provided a layer of conflict and complexity to the story and to their interactions with friends and the community.
While I would have like a faster pace to the storytelling, I found The Conductors to be an engaging read and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This book had a beautiful premise, however the execution was lacking. I may not have been the target audience for this novel. The cover is absolutely stunning!