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.

It's 1889 and the main characters, Genevieve Stewart and Daniel McCaffrey have another mystery to solve. This new case literally lands at their feet when they are confronted by the body of Marcus Dalrymple after he drops dead in the stateroom of their newlywed friends, Esmie and Rupert Milton. That would send most people running in the opposite direction. Not only do they not shy away from this sudden death, they are soon embroiled in another case - are they connected? Soon the bodies start piling up.
Their investigating takes them from New York's High life to its Low life including a supposedly haunted bar where visitors earn a special coin if they can survive through the nigh. What does that have to do with suicides? How is a missing 18 year old daughter of a society family part of the puzzle?
There is lots going on in this very entertaining period mystery, the perfect sequel to the first of the series, Deception by Gaslight (set in 1888). My advice is to read them in order. Full of mystery, lavish on the historical details, well plotted, smoothly paced with a romance included between Genevieve and Daniel - this book has it all. I will not hesitate to read the third in the series, The Poison in the Picture as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

When the increasing body count leads to unexpected findings …

While the case in this story stands alone, I would recommend to read the first book to understand the dynamic of the main characters and learned more about their past.
So we see again Genevieve and Daniel as we left them at the end of the first book, one year after their first case, a close brush with death and a refused marriage proposal. At first, it is certainly they feel a bit awkward together, having lost the easiness of their previous relationship but action and a bony help to reinstate a veneer of a bond.
Genevieve is the one who jumps head-first in any situation. She wants to leave her mark as a woman, but dissatisfied with her society column in the press, she longs for a more fulfilling post. So when a murder appears to threaten her friend’s future, she is set to solve it.
Daniel having risen from city’s gutters and gangs to wealthy attorney, he walks a thin line between his childhood places and his now gilded one. So when once more, his friend’s name is on the focus line of the police department and their bulldog of a detective. Plus, as the investigation brings him close to Genevieve, he has hope to rekindle their friendship.

This new case like the first one is much complex and layered with unexpected insights, full of dead ends, with sworn foes, treachery and murder’s attempts at every corner. They are in for a wild chase with some of their friends as backup. Genevieve is the instigator, when Daniel is the thinker. He uses his knowledge of the strates of the city to lead them when she would mostly barrel in.

Now what awaits them with Genevieve’s friend return, will their friendship moves further…
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Crooked Lane Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Betrayal on the Bowery picks up right where Deception by Gaslight leaves off. If you haven't read that book, I would recommend you do so before starting the second book in the series to immerse yourself in the Gilded Age Manhattan of Daniel and Genevieve. This series is a great mix of history, murder mystery and thriller with a dash of romance for good measure. It is fast paced but does a great job of setting the scene with rich historical detail and I love the blend of Genevieve's upper class background mingling amongst the Astor 400 set with Daniel's Five Points roots. Like the first book, Betrayal on the Bowery tees up another case for Daniel & Genevieve and I can't wait to see what they uncover next!

Genevieve and Daniel fund themselves involve in two complicated cases in this second in a series set in Gilded Age New York. She's turned her back (more or less) on her wealthy family in order to work as a reporter (and investigator) and Daniel, who was born in poverty, has since inherited a large sum, making them an unusual couple oddly well prepared to take on odd issues. This time out, they're looking into the unusual deaths of wealthy men who rave and then drop dead. And into the disappearance of a young woman. No spoilers from me. I enjoyed the first book for the spritely and different take on the historical mystery and this is equally well done. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

After avoiding each other at social events for the past years, Genevieve Stewart and Daniel McCaffrey find themselves caught up in another murder/criminal investigation. Genevieve and Daniel are at the docks in New York to send their newly married friends off on a European honeymoon. Rupert and Esmie's honeymoon is brought to an abrupt end when a young man bursts into their stateroom. After screaming something about demons, the man keels over and dies. Genevieve and Daniel race onto the ship and to the rescue. While searching the dead man's body, Daniel finds a medallion from an infamous dive bar called Boyle's Suicide Tavern. With the detective focusing on Rupert as murderer, Genevieve and Daniel put aside the past year of awkwardness and team up to prove that Rupert is innocent. Following the murder of a second young man and the disappearance of a socialite, Genevieve and Daniel find the connection between the three crimes and come to discover an even larger crime at play. Their search for the truth takes them from the elaborate mansions of New York City's elite to dive bars in Five Points and out to the sparsely populated Bronx where a demon haunts the dungeon below an abandoned house. They are just barely one step ahead of the bag guys and they may be the next to die.



BETRAYAL ON THE BOWERY picks up exactly where DECEPTION BY GASLIGHT left off. Yes, the novel can be read as a standalone. But I suggest checking out DECEPTION BY GASLIGHT first so that you are introduced to the main players and understand the history between them. Events in DECEPTION BY GASLIGHT play a direct affect on BETRAYAL ON THE BOWERY. That being said, BETRAYAL ON THE BOWERY is an action-packed historical mystery set in the late 1880's in New York City. Genevieve Stewart is a socialite turned society reporter for the newspaper. Daniel McCaffrey was born in the city's slums, but, following a fortune turn of events, is now part of the city's elite. Genevieve uses her connections and the research available through the newspaper to learn more about the people involved in their latest investigation. And Daniel's childhood ties to the city's gangs come in useful as they traverse Five Points in search of a murderer and a missing girl. There are multiple crimes that take place in BETRAYAL ON THE BOWERY, and all of those crimes wind up being part of something even bigger. There is a lot going on in this novel, and the two main characters are right in the thick of it. I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series.

3.5/5⭐️

In looking back at the first book in this series (this is the 2nd), my review (as far as my personal thoughts) could read almost exactly the same.

Genevieve Stewart’s family is part of the famed 400 elite of 1880s NYC. She is the society reporter for a newspaper and is a headstrong, determined woman trying to make it in basically a man’s world. She and her close group of friends (including a love interest, Daniel McCaffrey) are pulled into two interwoven mysteries (3 possible murders, one of which a friend is accused of and a kidnapping).

There are “demons”, hidden tunnels, smuggling, revolutionaries, gangsters, an unexpected twist and more involved here. But while there’s a lot going on plot-wise, I still found it slow in places and was also irritated by some of the characters on occasion. It was fine, but I have read better. So just an OK for me but would be willing to give the next one a try.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This book is an adventurous, good read through gaslit New York: I was immediately intrigued by the summary blurb of this one, and it didn’t disappoint. It had a quick pace, good characters, and a relatively easy to follow plot. This is apparently book 2, though, and I feel that reading book 1 first would have helped me more as a reader.

That was some fast-paced, action-packed excitement! Phew! A number of scenes had me nervously awaiting what would happen next. I hate to keep using the same word, but it fits - just so exciting! Much more than the first of the series, and with this book also ending on a cliff-hanger, I can’t wait for book three!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a light adventure through the streets of New York back in the days when gaslights illuminated streets and buildings, horse drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation, and social laws were central to how a person behaved. Flying in the face of those laws is Genevieve, a member of one of the wealthiest families in the city, who has managed to finagle a job as a reporter for the newspaper. Joining Genevieve is Daniel, a young man who was brought up in the Bowery and had the great good fortune to be adopted by a wealthy New York man who sent him to Europe to school. When Daniel’s benefactor died he left his entire estate to Daniel who is now extremely wealthy but who still retains some of his connections to the criminal and impoverished people of the Bowery.

It’s almost the turn of the century, what’s known as the “gilded age” of New York and Genevieve along with Daniel are once again plunged into an adventure that involves members of the Astor 400, New York’s aristocracy, along with some of Daniel’s enemies from his Bowery days. The adventure begins when Genevieve and Daniel are seeing their friends, Esmie and Rupert, off on a transatlantic voyage that is both a honeymoon and a trip to introduce Esmie to Rupert’s family and show her his estate in England. A former suitor of Esmie runs onto the ship and into Esmie and Rupert’s suite, screaming about a beast, and then dying in front of Esmie. It is almost immediately apparent the man was murdered and to make things worse, the detective assigned the case makes it clear he suspects Rupert. They are ordered to disembark and remain in New York until the case is resolved and all four young people know this detective typically decides who he thinks is guilty then sets about looking for things that will prove his point of view. Not an auspicious beginning for the newlyweds.

Before Genevieve and Daniel can get started on helping Esmie and Rupert out of their situation, they are approached by another member of the New York aristocracy who asks for their help in finding his daughter. He tells them she is missing, and he is afraid she is being held against her will. As Daniel and Genevieve begin to investigate, it becomes apparent that a man from the Bowery is involved, and an arch-enemy of Daniel’s also has had a hand in this situation.

From this point on, the adventures are numerous and filled with various degrees of danger, not to mention occasionally flying in the face of social laws which could see Genevieve permanently ostracized. These take them from seedy nightclubs in the Bowery to an abandoned mansion on the East River, to a Brothel run by Daniel’s cousin.

Just when you think you know exactly where the book is going and what Genevieve and Daniel are going to do, there is a twist that sends them down a different path or turns everTything they know upside down. The final twist leads them both into grave danger and Daniel into a confrontation that may cost him his life. All of this takes place against the backdrop of Genevieve and Daniel’s attraction to one another which neither is willing to acknowledge.

There are numerous twists throughout the book, some the reader may anticipate and some which will likely catch you unaware. The investigation is also filled with danger, rescues, and close calls which pull the reader through the book at an ever increasing pace. The writing is engaging and while this is the second book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the first one to enjoy this one. If readers like series it is recommended they read them in order as some information revealed in this novel may act as spoilers for the first novel. My thanks to Crooked Lane Book for the advanced copy which made this unbiased review possible.

The story picks up right where book 1, Deception by Gaslight, ended. It’s New York in 1889, Daniel and Genevieve are thrown together to investigate the kidnapping of a debutante and are also working on solving the murder of two young society gentlemen. There is a haunted mansion, very dark places, and a connection to Daniel’s past.

This second Gilded Gotham mystery begins while Society Girl/Reporter Genevieve Stewart and millionaire Daniel McCaffrey are seeing their friends Esmie and Rupert off on their honeymoon to Italy. Things go wrong immediately when a man who had previously proposed to Esmie breaks into their cabin raving about demons and then dies on their rug.

Detective Aloysius Longstreet is the man who draws the case. All four of them have run into him before in the first book. He has a tendency to rush to judgment and not look at other options. In this case, he is sure the Rupert must have something to do with this death. Stuck in New York, the four of them must find out what happened because they can be sure that Longstreet isn't looking.

Genevieve and Daniel's search takes them into the Bowery and a saloon where gentlemen earn a coin if they manage to survive the night. Such a coin was found in the victim's pocket. It is also a saloon where young women often go to commit suicide which fits in with the second investigation Genevieve and Daniel are conducting.

Frank Westwood has invited them to his Fifth Avenue mansion and asked them to try to locate his eighteen-year-old daughter Nora who has supposedly run off with her unsuitable beau. Looking for Nora has quite a bit of overlap with their first investigation and the overlap grows when a second young man from high society also kills himself in their presence after raving about demons.

Besides the visit to the Bowery which almost results in their deaths, Genevieve and Daniel also find themselves searching an old, abandoned mansion and its secret tunnels and confronting on old enemy of Daniel's who was also a villain in the first mystery.

The story was fast-paced and intriguing. It was filled with danger for both Genevieve and Daniel. I liked the relationship between Genevieve and Daniel who were rebuilding their friendship after Genevieve's refusal of his proposal in the first book although I didn't really understand why she refused. Admittedly, society's expectations for married women would seem stifling to a woman who craved independence and adventure, but Genevieve didn't seem like someone who would let society's expectations rule her life.

The ending leads right into another mystery and I can't wait to read it.

I thought it was a very well put together book. I really liked the different interacts between the main characters and how Daniel and Genevieve's relationship continues to build. I do not have any qualms about the book as I truly enjoyed reading it and look forward to future additions to this series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Set in New York in 1889, this is the second book in the delightful series dripping with deception, gaggles of romantic chemistry and spades of mystery. Wealth and poverty are contrasted in the various locations such as brothels, a mansion and The Tomb. Historical bits such as "safety" bicycles and clothing descriptions are injected beautifully which really bring the story in the Gilded Age to life. It's like being smack dab in the thick of things.

Newlyweds Rupert and Esmie are enjoying their honeymoon on board a luxury boat when a stranger bursts into their room and promptly dies. Mutual friends Genevieve, a journalist, and Daniel inveigle and ingratiate as they seek answers to his and other crimes. They stumble into dark reaches, find clues and encounter danger. Genevieve is fiercely independent and (usually) enjoys resulting adrenalin rushes and is no stranger to getting her hands dirty. The ending sets up nicely for Book 3!

Readers of Historical Fiction should pick up this series. Wonder what the third will entail? I like the possibilities!

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this charming book.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this one picks up shortly after this book and was just as good.

While Genevieve and Daniel are seeing their friends Esmie and Rupert off on their honeymoon, a man dies in front of them, who just happens to have a past with Esmie. When Genevieve and Daniel start to look into his death, there’s further suspicious activities and deaths that appear to be related and ends up leading to the dangerous underworld.

I continue to like Genevieve, particularly in the role of an intelligent female who overall thinks things through instead of rushing into situations like a fool, and Daniel as well and their growing relationship. I like how working through the mystery helped them grow closer. The mystery itself was enjoyable and the book had a bit of a gothic mystery feel to it.

I’m looking forward to future books in this series.

Betrayal on the Bowery by Kate Belli is a great historical fiction mystery that is the second book in the exciting Gilded Gotham Mystery series.

I really enjoyed this second installment, and I am really enjoying this series. Now that the characters have been introduced in the original book and have settled into their own, this one takes off immediately where the previous left off. While one does not have to read the first, I honestly would recommend it as the reader would understand this one much better.

The murder/mystery plot was more invigorating and enticing this time around and kept me engaged from beginning to end. I also like the main two characters: Daniel and Genevieve. Their push-pull professional and personal relationship is wonderful. I also enjoyed being able to read more involving their friends Rupert and Esmie. I enjoyed the dialogue, pacing, character development, and the progression of the series so far in general. I am looking forward to the next book.

A great historical mystery for anyone that enjoys historical fiction in general as well as society and the timeframe involving NYC in the late 1880s.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Well this was most certainly interesting but a bit overwhelming at times, but I feel like the characters were introduced a bit too quickly in the beginning?
The plot was good though!

When Genevieve Stewart and Daniel McCaffrey arrive at New York City’s docks, they expect to do nothing more exciting than see two just-married friends— Rupert Milton, Lord Umberland, and his bride, the former Esmie Bradley—off on a luxurious ocean voyage. Instead, Marcus Dalrymple, one of Esmie’s well-heeled former suitors, bursts into their posh stateroom. Disheveled and apparently drunk, Dalrymple cries out “Esmie…danger…demon…red eyes” before collapsing to the floor, dead. Neither Esmie nor Rupert can explain his words, and there’s no clue to his death except for the medallion from a Lower East Side dive known as Boyle’s Suicide Tavern—so called for its reputation as a place people go to die—in his pocket. The disappearance of debutante Nora Westwood, whose father presses Stewart and McCaffrey to find her, is equally mysterious. As they uncover the truth behind both puzzles, Stewart and McCaffrey must match wits against Tommy Meade, an underworld kingpin who has already tried to do them in. Belli is especially good at depicting settings that capture the stark contrasts of Gilded Age New York; among other other locations, Betrayal on the Bowery includes memorable evocations of the squalor of the Bowery, the vile inhumanity of the Tombs prison, and the florid mansions of the very rich.