LoveReading Says
Historical Murder Mystery set at the birth of the New York stock market, where no one can be trusted. The birth of the American stock market, an intriguing time between the War of Independence and the Civil War. Slavery still exists but blacks are free in New York, warring with the immigrant Irish for work.
The situation is exacerbated by the Ripper-like murders of black prostitutes and the suspicious deaths of Wall Street business men. Every character is part of a conspiracy or hiding a dark secret, everyone is lying and nothing is what it seems. As soon as one plot twist is resolved, along comes another, leaving the reader dizzy and begging for more.
There is a helpful dictionary of Irish and slang terms at the back, but most of the unfamiliar words make sense in context. It’s blood-thirsty, gritty and enjoyably confusing, a proper novel of action, intrigue and suspense. The author is a noted historian who began this as a work of non-fiction about the founding of Wall Street but discovered that writing a murder mystery was much more fun!
I look forward to more; perhaps a series to rival James McGee’s Hawkwood which began with Ratcatcher.
Reviewed by Sarah BroadhurstSarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from…
More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst About The Devil's Half Mile
New York, 1799. Justy Flanagan returns to his native city having spent five years in Ireland fighting in the rebellion against the English. Bloodied and battered, Justy is no stranger to violence.
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The Devil's Half Mile Synopsis
New York, 1799. Justy Flanagan returns to his native city having spent five years in Ireland fighting in the rebellion against the English. Bloodied and battered, Justy is no stranger to violence.
Now he must use all his skills to uncover the truth behind his father's murder, but while he looks so intently at the past, it is the future that threatens to trip him up... Terrible rumours swirl in the dark underbelly of the nascent city; a young woman is murdered, a massive fraud threatens to destroy America's economy, and the labyrinthine streets of New York hold danger at every turn. As the conspiracy deepens, it becomes clear that those involved will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.
Justy is forced to choose: will he betray his father's memory, compromise his integrity, and risk the lives of his closest friends, all in the name of justice? And is he willing to expose a plot that could change the balance of the New World forever?
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Paddy Hirsch Press Reviews
A tense, violent and atmospheric crime thriller set in 1799 when the white-collar criminals carried switchblades and human lives were traded like sacks of grain. - Michael Robotham, award-winning author of LIFE OR DEATH
The Devil's Half-Mile terrified me. Paddy Hirsch's vivid story of New York in 1799 shows just how vulnerable our newborn nation was to greedy men with no moral centers. Young Irish-American Justice Flanagan manages to expose the corruption of Wall Street and misdeeds of government officials but it's a close thing. Impossible not to think of parallels to today and hope there are some contemporary Justice Flanagans at work. Powerful. - Mary Pat Kelly, filmmaker and best-selling author of Galway Bay and Of Irish Blood
A meticulously researched historical thriller... with strong, multifaceted characters and tight plotting. I will impatiently await the sequel. - Patrick Taylor
About Paddy Hirsch
Paddy Hirsch was educated in Dublin and Belfast, and the University of Warwick, where he founded the University's Irish Society. He started his journalism career in Hong Kong after a short stint in the military, and spent the next few years working in East and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. From there to America, where he covered various aspects of Wall Street for a variety of American and European news outlets. He lives in Los Angeles.
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