This is the second novel in the Gilded Gotham series! The protagonists are very likable. The mystery is very compelling. The romance itself is very natural and well-developed. Therefore, I recommend this for fans of Alyssa Maxwell, Rosemary Simpson, and N. S. Wikarski!

3.5 stars! (i'm still waffling on whether to round up or down.)

this is the second book in the gilded gotham series by kate belli, the first of which i was lucky enough to also receive an advance copy for review in 2020. while reading this sequel, i was reminded of why i so very much enjoyed deception by gaslight: characters with chemistry, readable prose, and distinctive settings.

like i mentioned in my earlier review, genevieve stewart is exactly the sort of protagonist i love reading about - and betrayal on the bowery cemented this. she's plucky, stubborn, passionate, and - what i appreciate most - so unabashed about it all. meanwhile, daniel mccaffrey is a millionaire and member of new york city's upper echelons, but he comes from unexpected origins: an impoverished childhood in the five points neighbourhood of manhattan, where he ran with a gang.

there's something about how the two are so unapologetically themselves (and protective of / caring for the other) that i found myself drawn to them and their intense-but-desperately-suppressed feelings for each other. i feel such affection for them! in fact, something about the duo remind me of amory and milo ames from another historical cozy mystery series i've enjoyed.

there were parts in this novel that were slower-paced, and the mystery (like in book 1) was not particularly complex. i also wish there'd been more development of genevieve's and daniel's characters (both as individuals and as a pair).

yet what really struck me about betrayal on the bowery was its atmospheric prose (belli is so good at immersing us in gilded age NYC, one of my favourite periods to read about) and its distinctive, sometimes unconventional, settings and scenes. one of the standouts is a decrepit manor on the outskirts of new york city, which the author describes in lush, gothic, evocative prose. there's also a scene featuring genevieve and daniel at a brothel (quietly sex-positive, this series is!) and an unexpected swim in long island sound - both of which i thoroughly enjoyed for their peculiarity/specificity and for the emotions each scene evoked in genevieve and daniel.

lastly, i do want to say that i appreciated the book's subtle signals toward progressive, equity-oriented values: from the way genevieve embodies feminism, to a brief brief scene featuring Black characters (one of whom speaks a singular pivotal sentence), to the sex positivity at the brothel, to acknowledgement of western colonialism. it was not a focus in the series by any means, but i always appreciate subtle signalling like this.

this book also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which has left me intrigued as to what will happen to genevieve and daniel in book 3!

I'm loving this series! I love historical mysteries and Gilded Age NYC is such a lush setting. Very much looking forward to the next one.

I wasn't aware this book was the second in a series when requesting it which is a little annoying. Overall, the book had a good atmosphere but I didn't care for the tension which I think is aiming to lead to a romance

I love Gilded Age setting and this one was a good mix of the rich NYC and the grittier parts of the city. I hadn't read the first book in the series, and I would advise future readers of the series to start with Deception by Gaslight. This book has a lot of the plot that intertwines with the events of the first book and the aftermath of what happened. I plan on going back and reading the first book this year.

Genieve Stewart is a society beat reporter who itches for adventure, love, and a good juicy story to launch her career into more serious journalism. Daniel McCaffrey is a member of the society elite but would rather have a drink in dive bar. They have two friends, a married couple, that are targeted by the police and so part of the mystery is Gen and Dan working together to save their friends from being arrested/convicted of crimes that they are innocent of. I could still follow along with the plot, but I felt that I had a little lack of knowledge on the characters' back stories.

The plot of this book focuses on the mysterious poisonings/deaths of the younger generation of society's upper crust and the disappearance of the daughter of a prominent and very rich business baron. The father hires Gen and Dan to find his daughter and soon the friends' freedoms and the search for the daughter comes together. Although set in the summer, this book would work well for spooky season as it involves a haunted house, demons poisoning rebellious youths, and seedy tavern. Most important, it involves Dan's nemesis, leading to a showdown that was believable and yet satisfying after the journey Dan and Gen were on. 

For me, the standout part of this book is the deepening relationship between Dan and Gen. There was a scene with my all-time favorite trope - only one bed. They saw each other at their best and at their worst and both accepted each other at both points. It is a major slow burn (going on two books and relationship status is unclear). 

I do look forward to the next book because of the strength of Dan and Gen's relationship, both professional and personal. However, I would like more of Gilded Age-ness NYC in the storytelling - I felt this book could have been set in modern NYC or anywhere else in a big city in America. I wanted a little more real historical events embedded in conversations, or someone reading the paper and have the headlines point to those events. 

I will say the ending that involved the missing daughter went the opposite way that I had thought it would and I was very happy to see I was wrong. I wouldn't call it a plot twist, but it was refreshing to have the author give the daughter some agency rather than be seen as an object to be found. I do want to continue this series and see these characters again.

Genevieve Stewart and Daniel McCaffrey are at the docks to see their newlywed friends Rupert and Esmie Milton off to their honeymoon. The happy occasion is tragically disrupted when a man, later identified as Marcus Dalrymple, comes rushing into the ship's stateroom screaming about demons and falls dead. Daniel finds a medallion in the dead man's pocket which is traced to a bar in one of the meanest neighbourhoods of New York called the Boyle's Suicide Bar. Shaken and still coming to terms with this tragedy, both Daniel and Genevieve witness the death of yet another young man who jumps to his death after screaming about the coming of demons. Their instinct lead Daniel and Genevieve to visit the bar for clues. They barely survive the visit but do learn that these deaths could have a connection with the kidnapping of a merchant baron's daughter, a haunted house, a smuggling operation and a person from Daniel's past.

This is the second book in the Gilded Gotham Mystery series and is as good as the first one. The book is well written, engaging and I really like seeing the partnership between Daniel and Genevieve grow from strength to strength. I particularly love Daniel's character... he is the kind of person I could trust my life with. I have enjoyed reading both the books in the series so far and I look forward to the next installment. 

I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author Kate Belli via NetGalley. I am sharing my review of the book on my Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

I really liked the first book in the Gilded Gotham series. This one was…ok.

There are a lot of mystery series like this one, and while the first book felt like a cut above, this one feels more like one of the crowd.

The mystery itself is fine, and Belli does a lovely job of creating atmosphere and a sense of place. But the plot felt a little repetitive, following a similar trajectory to the first novel in the series, and then there’s Genevieve and Daniel. Ugh.

The romantic tension between them in the first book was fine, fairly minimal and almost beside the point of the story. This time around, there is way too much overwrought, schlocky drama between them that feels like it takes over the book. It’s irritating and detracts from an otherwise clever and entertaining story, and it makes me hesitant to continue the series. 

Their interactions feel contrived and filled with posturing and manufactured problems that don’t really need to exist and only serve to annoy readers who are here for the historical mystery, not a wallowing romance.

This is the second book in the Guilded Gotham mystery series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first book. I think this book works well as a stand alone but in order to understand the relationships between the characters, it helps to have read the first book. Rupert and Esmie are on board a ship about to embark on their honeymoon when a young man enters their room shouts a warning and dies in front of them. Because the man had at one time proposed to Esmie, Rupert is under suspicion of murder. Once again, Daniel and Genevieve team up to clear Rupert’s name and solve the murder. More murders, a kidnapping and smuggling come to light as dig deep into the mystery. I really enjoyed this although I often don’t care for cozy stories. Genevieve is a very strong-willed capable woman in an era where it was quite difficult for woman to be that way. I enjoy the her interaction with Daniel and am glad they’ve teamed up again. My one criticism is that they take such a long time to act on clues and leads. When they are asked to investigate a kidnapping, it seemed like it took weeks for them to follow up on a lead. In real life, the victim would probably not have made it. It was a little strange. Other than that, I liked to story and am looking forward to the next book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kate Belli peels back the mask on the Gilded Gotham New York in the 1889 with Betrayal on the Bowery.  A couple are embarking on their honeymoon voyage to Europe when a man who was interested in the young lady falls dead in their stateroom.  Rupert and Esmie are forced to stay in New York after the murder.  Their friends Genevieve, society news reporter, and her friend Daniel, born in Five Points but now a millionaire, try to track down the story and find whodunit.  They also get pulled into looking for the missing daughter of a rich member of the Gilded set.  Violence, betrayal, crooked cops and politicians all add to the mix.  Read and follow the plot.

Another intricate and interesting cosy mystery with intrigue and tension, with many twists and turns! There are also some unexpected outcomes. Definitely not a boring read, this one!  

As in the first book, Gen and Daniel partner up to get to the bottom of the murders.  And, once again, Gen is the committed professional who doesn’t appreciate the double standards of the times, drives the men in her life to distraction. She takes life-threatening risks and struggles to understand why her being a woman is an issue!

The context didn't resonate as strongly for me in this one. BUT  I am looking forward to picking up the next one.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion

this was another great entry in the Gilded Gotham Mystery, i enjoyed what the storyline was and loved going on this mystery. The characters were great and I enjoyed going on this journey.

Betrayal on he Bowery does an excellent job of inviting the reader into Gilded Age New York City. Not only do we get to see events as experienced by the aristocracy, but the darker areas, inhabited by poverty stricken folks, are included as well. The plot involves wealthy individuals who become embroiled in nefarious activities, and who are then killed after they’ve outlived their usefulness. Genevieve is a society reporter for the newspaper, but she and her good friend Daniel, who grew up on the poorer side of town, begin investigating the deaths when mutual friends of theirs are unjustly accused.
A lively tale with a few twists toward the end!

In the second installment of Gilded Gotham Mysteries, Genevieve and Daniel team up to solve another murder. Daniel's friend Rupert has just gotten married and is set to go on his honeymoon when a dead man is found in their cabin on an ocean liner. Rupert is soon accused of murder as the dead man was acquainted with his new wife. The sleuthing pair get into all sorts of difficulty as they seek out the culprit. 

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was happy to have the opportunity to read this one too. Genevieve and Daniel continue to be engaging characters and the tension between them creates a little bit of sizzle even though there is no romance between them thus far. Genevieve continues to stretch boundaries of the social mores of upper-class society while trying to earn some regard as an investigative reporter. Her reputation suffers considerably even though she's not terribly concerned. The characters of Rupert and Esmie also prove to be interesting and support the story by contributing to the investigations. All in all, a really good read that has me ready for the next in the series. 

Overall I would give this 3.5 stars. I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a free advanced reader copy. I have provided this review voluntarily.

This is the second book in the Gilded Gotham mysteries and just as good as the first.
Genevieve and Daniel are back, with another murder to solve.  This one involves Daniel's friend Rupert, who is about to depart by ship on his honeymoon when a man is found dead in his cabin.  
Set in the late 1880's in New York where a person's reputation and place in society means everything, Genevieve a reporter is bound to find trouble, especially where Daniel is concerned.
A great story, with wonderful characters.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

Betrayal on the Bowery continues the story of rich socialite Genevieve Stewart and millionaire with a murky past Daniel McCaffery. This second book in the series was even better than the first.

The plot was detailed and clever and there were lots of bad baddies, several deaths, some spooky houses and quite a few gun fights. There was even time left for some romantic tension and the author successfully kept our two main characters at arms length throughout. There were signs of weakening though.

I enjoyed the historical details of New York in 1889 very much. I loved the part about walking underneath the train tracks and being spattered with sparks. The scenes at the beginning on board the ocean liner were delightfully described too.

It was all very enjoyable and I am definitely going to continue with the series

Betrayal on the Bowery is the second book in Kate Belli's Gilded Gotham Mystery series.  The first book (Deception by Gaslight) was very enjoyable.  This volume, however, was a fun thrill ride from beginning to end!  There was more action and romantic tension than you can shake a stick at.  If you haven't read the first one, no worries.  You can enjoy this story just fine; however, reading the first will give you some good background information on these characters so you get even more satisfaction here.

It's the summer of 1889 in Gilded Age New York, and Rupert and Esmie Milton board a ship for their honeymoon.  Their friends Genevieve Stewart, a society girl who is now a newspaper reporter, and Daniel McCaffrey, a wealthy man who grew up on the streets, are at the docks to see them off.  Before they can sail off, however, a crazed man bursts into their statement room screaming about demons. then suddenly dies.  There goes the honeymoon!    Daniel searches the dead man's pockets and finds a medallion from Boyle's Suicide Tavern, an extremely dangerous Lower East Side bar; these tokens are given to those who survive spending a night there.  Genevieve and Daniel go there to collect clues, but barely escape with their lives.  Then both are summoned by a sugar baron who wants them to find his missing daughter.  On a rooftop bar, another man dies when he jumps off the roof screaming about demons.  Are all these incidents connected?  And what does an allegedly haunted house have anything to do with anything?

I liked Genevieve and Daniel in the previous book; here, however, I absolutely loved them both!  They had a close call with romance before, but haven't seen each other much in the time since their friends' wedding.  Being together again proves that their chemistry is better the second time around, though they are just becoming friends again.  Genevieve is a society girl, but she comes from a rather unorthodox rich family; her father is a lawyer and her mother is involved with the Suffrage Movement.  Genevieve writes the society column for her newspaper, but she wants to be a hard-hitting reporter.  She's a tough and stubborn young lady,  carrying around her derringer and not allowing Daniel to keep her from dangerous situations.  After all, she'll just hide in the bushes and follow him anyway!  Daniel was a street tough whose younger siblings were snatched and put on an orphan train; all he had left was his older sister Maggie, who eventually ended her own life.  Daniel inherited his fortune from the man for whom they worked.  Daniel's now a lawyer, but he also keeps his connections with the members of his former street gang.  I adored the relationship between these two leads.  They are resisting each other, but for how long?  Daniel especially is a romantic at heart.  Rupert and Esmie are great supporting characters, trying to build a relationship because they didn't marry for love.  The characters were wonderful, but the story this time around was very exciting and dangerous.  The moments in the Bowery and Boyle's Suicide Tavern were intriguing, but I especially enjoyed the time our hero and heroine spent in a "haunted mansion" and their escape from bloodthirsty criminals.  This book was all-around good fun, and I'm glad to know that there will be further adventures for Genevieve and Daniel!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.  I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

At the end of reading this book, I was very sorry as I had now read both books in this short series. I do
hope the author has more coming our way.

Summer 1889 Genievieve Stewart is not your average New York upper crust family girl. Down to earth and wanting to
pursue her journalistic bent she is disheartened by always being assigned to society events in the active New York
social calendar. Women were still not given positions of eminence in the journalistic world, and despite her success
in a previous case - solving a complicated mystery/murder she now has to work almost behind the scenes if she wants
to do anything of substance.

Accompanying her friend Daniel to see off their good friends on a honeymoon cruise, she is confronted with a murder
of a well known personality in the cabin of her friends and all hell breaks loose when Rupert the Earl of Umberland is
arrested for the murder. Working closely with Daniel to unearth the clues of this random murder which does not seem to
be as random as they would think.

Moving between the world of social, aristocratic New Yorkers and its seamier side of gangs and every kind of vice
available Genevieve and Daniel have to clear Rupert's name and find out who is behind the murders as deaths mount.

Very descriptive of New York at the time, also of the seamier side of New York as not seen on the surface, it also
shows the difficulties that women faced generally at the time.

The story has a lot of history in it and is intense and a page turner.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Betrayal on the Bowery (A Gilded Gotham Mystery) by Kate Belli from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…Belli does a brilliant job with her compelling characters, intriguing plotlines and with rich historical details that transport you back to New York City in the late 1880’s…

Picking up where Author Kate Belli left us in Deception by Gaslight, her first book in the A Gilded Gotham Mystery series, Betrayal on the Bowery continues throwing Daniel and Genevieve into yet another set of mysteries to solve. The book opens with Genevieve and Daniel seeing off their newlywed friends, Rupert and Esmie’s off on their honeymoon cruise to Europe. When a blood curdling scream follows as Esmie goes below deck, Daniel and Genevieve know that something is terribly wrong with their friends. Racing aboard they find the body a young man who had burst into their stateroom deathly ill, rambling warnings to Esmie about demons before collapsing at her feet. Trying to check for signs of life Daniel rolls him over but he has died. While searching his pockets looking for identification, he finds what he believes to be a coin before absentmindedly pocketing it as the help arrives. It is later realized that he was a former hopeful suiter from Esmie’s past making Rupert a prime suspect in the suspicious death.

Once off the ship Daniel realizes the coin is not a coin but a medallion from a bar called Boyle’s Suicide Tavern a brothel with a deadly reputation. With the lead detective, seeking revenge after the events of Deception of Gaslight, his sights focused on Rupert, Genevieve and Daniel must fight to prove Rupert’s innocence. When a second young man dies in the same manner and with the disappearance of a socialite it appears that they may all be connected. When the clues add up to something much larger than they thought they realize they’re in for the fight of their lives. There are so many twists and turns with clues leading them to haunted mansions, seedy brothels, and dark alleys, they risk it all to save the missing heiress, and clear their friend of murder.

Kate Belli does a brilliant job with her compelling characters, intriguing plotlines and with her rich historical details she transports you back to New York City in the late 1880’s. I love this series and cannot wait to read more of Genevieve and Daniel’s adventures.

After the lavish wedding of their friends, Rupert and Esmie Milton, both Daniel McCaffrey and Genevieve Stewart were at the dock waiting to farewell the newleyweds on their honeymoon. But when first a scream, then Rupert waving frantically to Daniel to come aboard ripped the air, the following horror scenes would stay with them. A young man whom Esmie knew well had collapsed in their stateroom and died at their feet. When the police arrived, they informed Rupert and Esmie they wouldn’t be able to leave when the ship departed – they had to return to Esmie’s father’s house for however long it took.

It didn’t take investigative journalist Genevieve, and Daniel to be immersed in investigating the death and also realizing it was mixed up with dark and dangerous gangs, lead by a man Daniel had crossed before. New York’s back streets were well known for their notoriety and nefarious visitors and Daniel was reluctant to become involved again. But when they were asked to investigate the disappearance of a young woman, which was likely linked to the death, they knew they had no choice. When another young man died in a similarly violent manner, and then a third, Genevieve and Daniel knew they were getting close…

Betrayal on the Bowery is the 2nd in the Gilded Gotham Mystery series by Kate Belli and I loved it! Set in 1889 where the rich were very rich and the poor desperately so; where gangs ruled the underworld and the cops turned a blind eye – this historical mystery was gritty and intense, filled with well crafted characters from both sides of the divide. This is my kind of book! I’m looking forward to #3 in the series, and have no hesitation in recommending Betrayal on the Bowery highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Betrayal On The Bowery is the second book in the A Gilded Gotham Mystery series by Kate Belli.

Esmie and Rupert have exchanged their marriage vow and are now ready to leave on their honeymoon to Europe. Genevieve and Daniel are at the docks to see the newlyweds off.  Shortly after, Esmie and Rupert head for their stateroom; there is an ear-shattering scream that Genevieve is sure it’s coming from Esmie.  She and Daniel take off at a run to find the source of the screaming.  They soon find their friend’s stateroom and see them standing over the body of a young man who was highly intoxicated and had entered the stateroom shouting about ghosts and demons. Daniel inspects the body and finds a medallion in the victim’s hand from Boyle’s Suicide Tavern.   Daniel will share that the medallions are given to those that stay until the next morning in the supposedly haunted tavern.

The following day, unbeknownst to the other, Genevieve and Daniel find themselves outside the home of Frank Westwood.  Westwoods wants to hire them to find his 18-year-old daughter, Nora.  Westwood is concerned that his daughter has run off with a young man and doesn’t want the police involved.  When another death, similar to the first young man, they will center their investigations on the seedy, Five Point area.  Their quest will also take them to the Garcia mansion that has been uninhabited for many years and is in a state of disrepair.  The mansion is supposedly haunted and reputed to have a dungeon.

The series is well-written, historically accurate, and quite enjoyable.  The characters are well defined, engaging, and believable.  There’s no romance for Genevieve and Daniel yet, but it looks like there is some interest from both. 

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderful series.