Nancy BilyeauReseñas

The publisher's summary:

New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered. Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her son and in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library. But when a quiet poetry lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia. After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.

When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of the Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now. She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life’s rules. As she’s pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?

While I enjoyed the story, it was not as engaging as Bilyeau's earlier books. Normally I would devour her books in one sitting. The Orchid Hour took me several days. However, it is still a solid story. The book is different because it is a murder mystery that takes place in the 1920s. Bilyeau's earlier books were more in the historical fiction genre.

I did not connect with Zia as I have with other characters the author has created. She is not the typical amateur sleuth because she does not leave her job or home to determine the identity of the killer. Zia stays inside her home, which is one story on top of the cheese shop her in-laws own. She does not challenge social norms and lets the men in her family make all her major life decisions. How can this type of woman be a sleuth?

The setting is really the story here. It is definitely strong enough to carry the novel but I was disappointed that the novel was not written in the genre Bilyeau is known for. Perhaps if I had advance knowledge concerning the genre I would have read the book with different eyes.

librarian, immigrants, translators, ESL, widow, relatives, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, suspense, mafia, racketeering, NYC, NYPL, murder-investigation, NYPD, secrets, lies, thriller, intolerance, bullying, botany, 1920s, cultural-assimilation, cultural-differences, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, politics, politicians, Brooklyn, paparazzi*****

Enter the world of Little Italy in NYC of the early 1920s complete with warts and all. People with strong beliefs and wills, people who want only to make others subservient, people with overwhelming greed, and those who mostly want to right wrongs. Follow Audenzia (Zia) De Luca through these challenging and changing times while learning a lot of how things were a hundred years ago in this particular arena. This is an entrancing story once you get past all of the scene setting basics.
I requested and received an EARC from Lume Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this novel set in 1920s New York. At the heart of the story is Zia, a young Italian-American widow who becomes tangentially involved with organized crime as she tries to investigate and avenge a family tragedy. Although people are murdered, this is not really a mystery novel. And although there are criminals, most of them are not portrayed as entirely evil. However, there is a manic uncertainty throughout the story. Characters seem to act irrationally and impulsively, without clear motive — whether it be drug use, or hidden loyalties, or family connections. The conclusion was satisfying but abrupt. I would love to see a series devoted to Zia and the rest of her life story, rather than have it quickly recounted in the last chapter.

All in all a satisfying story with interesting characters. I just wish it continued!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy to read and review.

A perfectly fine follow up to a historical mystery, centered around a woman artist who finds a way to make a living by creating painted fabrics, though she'd rather be devoted exclusively to her art. In the first book she falls in love with a chemist who created a formula for a beautiful, stable, blue color. The value of the color made them the center of a ring of French spies, trying to steal the formula. The couple is still dealing with the fall out from that time.

I really liked the first book, but this one didn't add much.

Sequel to The Blue. Again, a reasonable historical read, and to my mind, better than the first.

Light but enjoyable,

An OK historical, although it came across as rather modern in sensibilities. I also found the science a bit on the shaky side - aluminium was not discovered until 1825, I suspect the author actually meant alum or alumina which were known since antiquity.

Light but a reasonable holiday read.

I read this book in daily instalments via The Pigeonhole, it’s was such an enjoyable read. The descriptions really gave a sense of time and place and the characters were really interesting. Each day’s reading had me wanting more. Highly recommended if you like historical fiction. This is the second book I have read by this author and I intend to read her other books.

I read this book via The Pigeonhole over the last ten days and this is the second book of Nancy’s that I have read with them. It is an historical novel set in 1911 with an added crime element. Peggy is working in a book store in an attempt to become independent from her wealthy family. On the insistence of her sister’s Lydia’s fiancé Henry she leaves the bookstore to go to the Oriental Hotel alongside her extended family for the summer. The hotel is near the amusements at Coney Island including The Dreamland of the title. Without giving too much of the plot away there are three murders and the person who is the chief suspect in these is a man that Peggy meets whilst looking around the various amusements. The book has excellent descriptions and characterisations and we see Peggy become far less naive as the story unfolds. Very highly recommended. Nancy is becoming a favourite author of mine.

Peggy feels the restraints of being from a wealthy Jewish family. She wants to go to school, have a job, make her own decisions. When her family forces her to go to Coney Island with them for the summer, she learns a lot about her extended family, as well as people of lesser means. She also finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. Interesting look at a different time. I was kept guessing about the murders.

This is a fun historical mystery set in the 1700s. The main character, Genevieve La Planché is a second generation Huegenot refugee living in London. She would like to be an artist, but finds most paths closed to women. Her grandfather is able to get her a job painting porcelain in Derby, but before she leaves a mysterious nobleman recruits her to spy for him. Her mission is to figure out the formula for a new blue paint color that Derby is working on.

While Genevieve finds out more about the porcelain industry she, of course, falls in love and has many adventures. Yes, it gets a bit unbelievable. But I was happy to go along for the ride. This is the kind of mystery I enjoy, with a fun setting, a little romance, light on the mystery elements, and a strong female lead character.

Perfect light and engaging reading for over the holidays, just don't read it expecting perfection. It's for fun!½

This is a sequel to The Blue, which I quite enjoyed. Both novels focus on the character of Genevieve (formerly Planché, now Sturbridge), an 18th-century Huguenot fabric designer and former spy who has dreams of becoming a painter. She is married to Thomas, a chemist whose involvement in efforts to find an elusive blue for porcelain production landed him in a French prison, but he is now safe in England with a job as a tutor. He visits Genevieve and their son Pierre occasionally but mostly lives in his patron's home. Genevieve, a resourceful woman, has established her own fabric design business and employs two artists: Jean, a young political activist, and Catherine, a quiet and mysterious young woman. As the novel opens, Genevieve is delighted to receive a commission from M. Carteret, a wealthy weaving magnate, for the design of flowers from exotic places to adorn the silk that will become dresses for stylish ladies of London.

The Fugitive Colours sets Genevieve into the world of celebrities of the day, most particularly the painter Joshua Reynolds, who arranges an exhibition of her grandfather's paintings alongside those of Thomas Hogarth; both depict the everyday life of working men and women. Genevieve is led to believe that Reynolds takes an interest in her own painting. But perhaps he has an ulterior motive?

Bilyeau gives us a mystery full of spying, blackmail, and even murder, as well as a lively portrait of the London social scene and the art world.

England in the time of Henry VIII, a nun who attended Katherine of Aragon at the time of her death, several intriguing mysteries, a search for a crown which belonged to a king from the 900’s and a curse which is believed to have struck down several kings in their prime – each of these would make a great plot for a novel. In The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau we find them all.

This is a page turner that held my interest for more than 400 pages. The details of life in the 1500’s in a Dominican priory about to be closed by a ruthless king as well as the history of the religious order as it is dismantled by the King’s men added much to the atmosphere of mystery and intrigue.

Joanna Stafford is a fascinating protagonist. When she hears that her beloved cousin Margaret is going to be burned at the stake because of her part in a rebellion against King Henry VIII, Joanna sneaks out of her priory with the knowledge that her action will surely end her future as a nun. Every move she makes from that moment leads her on a journey that mires her more deeply into danger that may be her undoing.

Anyone who loves the Tudor period, historical mysteries, and religious intrigue will enjoy this book.

I received this book in a giveaway from the Goodread’s First Reads program.

Nancy Bilyeau's The Fugitive Colours is the sequel to her 2018 novel The Blue. If you read The Blue you know that the main character is Genevieve Planche. After fleeing England for France, she met and married Thomas Sturbridge. Six years later they are back in Spitalfields for this installment of the series. It is 1764 and since men control the arts, sciences, politics and law, Genevieve is struggling to keep her silk design business afloat. Both Thomas and Genevieve are Huguenots, Protestants from Catholic France, which further makes them suspicious in the eyes of their associates in England. When Genevieve receives a surprise visit from an important artist, she begins to hope that, as a woman, she can be accepted as an artist. However, she soon learns that portrait painters have the world at their feet. Rivalries among them lead to sabotage, blackmail and murder and Genevieve gets caught up in their antics. Because she fears being exposed for her conspiracy and betrayal at the Derby Porcelain Factory several years back. The Blue novel is about that betrayal.

I LOVED this novel. While it is a sequel, new readers should be able to follow the book easily. I would recommend though, that you read The Blue first, mainly because the characters are so strong and the plot picks up right where The Blue left off. This sequel is just as strong as The Blue, something that does not always happen with a series. There is alot of history in the story as Genevieve interacts with artists such as Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, and Thomas Gainsborough.

The setting descriptions were expertly written into the story. I could feel that I was living in eighteenth century England. Crime and attitudes toward women in the trades were a consistent theme. The problems of women artists was depicted as well. The author also gives us insight into how well courtesans worked together to both seduce and rob their clients. I found it amusing that prostitutes could have that much power. For artists though, competition was high and most of them were overworked and miserable.

All of the characters were memorable, from Genevieve to the famous artists and the secondary characters. I cannot help but love Genevieve. She is a headstrong woman intent on getting recognition in her profession. This is something that I can easily relate to as I came of age during the 1970s when women were just beginning to enter the workforce. Her husband is a high moralist but falters easily as most of these kinds of people do. He does not work in Spitalfields or London as he teaches one of the sons of the Earl of Sandwich and is not part of much of the action. His presence in Genevieve's life controls how she behaves though. Genevieve employs two artists to help her create silk embroidery designs. Caroline is known to have a dark past but we don't really know what that is about until the end of the book. Jean loves politics and supports Genevieve 100% in everything she wants to do. He is quite likable, much more than Caroline.

As far as what the fugitive colors are, I cannot say without giving out too many spoilers. This novel is definitely a must read.

I have read all but one of Nancy's books, so I am well versed on her writing. Fugitive Colours is the next in a series with The Blue being the first. This is an interesting book, continuing the storyline of Genevieve Sturbridge, a Huguenot who lives in Spitalfields. Spitalfields in the late 1700's was a home to silk weavers, and other artists. Genevieve is trying to keep her silk business going but her past seems to be ready to haunt her, she gets involved with people that she is not sure to who she can trust. If she makes a mistake, she could be ruined. There are ruthless people, including the person who offers her wealth in the world of art.

Does she dare take the offer? Risk her chances of a better world? This was a time that was ruled pretty much by men, and they controlled everything from the arts, sciences to law and politics. One wrong move or even a comment could ruin her. It also involves her husband, a science man, her son, her household staff and the two people who work with her. There are spies that could ruin her and all she worked for.

Fugitive Colors are colors that are temporary, exposed to things such as sun, temperature, humidity can change the pigmentation to a color. Why is it important in this book? Well, go get your copy and read for yourself.

Like I said, I have read all but one of Nancy's books, that will change, and I will be reading the one I missed. Her work is perfect, thoroughly researched and a thought put to paper with such a talent, that is hard to find. I love her works, can't you tell? I give this book five stars and I hope that there is another in this series or the Spafford series. One can hope!

I so wanted to give this book five stars... I love the heroine so much but where's the story? It's there, sort of, with the prophesies, yet the "meat" is lacking compared to book number one, which was outstanding. So, though I enjoyed it, it was kind of a let down.

What a great fast-paced read! The characters are gripping, especially the courageous heroine /nun. Lots of colorful characters and the setting is a medieval nunnery. There is a murder mystery that is tied to a missing crown. I don't want to get too much into detail and ruin the plot. You feel as if you're immersed into medieval life. What a debut book! Can't wait to read her next one...

This book is a great read! I loved every aspect of it.

Captures you from page one and does not let you go. A engrossing look at New York's Gilded age. Definitely will look for more from this author.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. It is Book 1 of a 3 part series. I didn't know that when I bought the book and I will be ordering the other two right after Christmas as I am sure that Santa has bought me all 15 books I had on my list! :) Many other people stated that it is part Divinci Code and part Philippa Gregory and I agree (although I never read the Divinci Code).

Although Joanna Stattford is a fictional character - it didn't matter to me. The story is intriguing and there are a lot of twists and turns - I did figure out a major plot issue but again it didn't matter as the story was so engaging. I look forward to the other two books!

This was so good I read it in one day!

Thanks to NetGalley.

I wanted to like this book since it was set in the early 1900s and then on Coney Island when they went on vacation. I only got to 15% (no idea how many pages that would be in a print book). It got boring very fast. I know I didn't give it a chance.

Historical romance focused on the 18th Century ceramic industry in England and the search for a new shade of blue color for it. The story has a beautiful heroine, a scientist, danger, intrigue, scoundrels, and an improbable meeting with the king of France and his mistress -- a rather satisfying adventure story.

As she did with The Crown, Bilyeau has once again written an excellent historical novel. Again we are taken to the perilous times of the reign of Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour are both dead, but Henry finally has his heir in prince Edward. However, the king is in search of another wife and that is the talk of the kingdom, along with the alliance of France with the Emperor Charles. As Henry has dissolved all of the monasteries and religious houses and continues to break from the church, the Pope's letter announcing the excommunication of king Henry is close to being made official. It is still a dangerous time and plots to overthrow the king are watched for and quashed. Many find themselves imprisoned in the tower. And those who give or seek out prophecies...prophecies that imply the demise of the king...are dealt with swiftly.

Our heroine, Joanna, finds herself once again thrust into this world of danger and intrigue. A world she has stridently tried to avoid. Making a life for herself and her small cousin, Arthur, in the town of Dartford, she is content to continue her worship and start her own tapestry weaving business, even if some of the townspeople are less than gracious toward the ex-nuns of Dartford Priory. But her simple life does not last. She is invited, along with Arthur, to stay for a time with her cousin, Henry Courtenay and his wife, Gertrude, the Marquess and Marchioness of Exeter. As she embarks on her stay with her relatives, she finds herself once again drawn into the world of political intrigue, secrets, and prophecies.

I won't go any further into the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but as you can tell, The Chalice is quite an exciting read. So well-written and historically accurate. I once again find myself greatly interested in the historical figures depicted. Even though I've been feeling over-saturated with the Tudors, with this book I'm learning new things that make me want to go in search of more historical information. For a book to inspire this kind of interest in history (as I'm sure it will), especially in those who aren't big history buffs like me, is a feather in the cap of the historical fiction genre. I praise the author on another fantastic novel. She is working on a third book and I can't wait to read it! Truly, I will look forward to any books Bilyeau has published.

Peggy might be working in a bookstore but she is from old money and when her powerful family insists that she spend the summer with them on Coney Island she is powerless to say no. The request is at the behest of her sister's fiancee, an ex of Peggy herself. Frustrated during the long hot summer of 1911 Peggy finds herself drawn to the public end of Coney Island and the amusement park known as Dreamland. When she meets an aspiring Serbian artist she falls hard but as he is a murder suspect Peggy finds herself torn between love and family duty.
I thoroughly enjoyed much of this novel as it pushes itself beyond the simple historical romance. The undercurrents of racism and prejudice between classes and between different immigrant populations give the story an edge. Whilst the final few chapters lurch a little too far into melodrama the rest of the book is great.

Peggy Batternburg has been graced with being part of one of America's richest families in New York's gilded age. However, Peggy would gladly give up her family's perks to continue her position at the Moonrise Bookstore. When Peggy is unceremoniously taken from the bookstore by the family patriarch, her Uncle David, she is told that the family is summering at the Oriental Hotel and her presence is needed to secure the engagement of her sister Lydia to Henry Taul, notorious playboy and someone who Peggy would rather forget. After arriving to the Oriental, Peggy visits Coney Island and the Dreamland park where she finds artwork by Stefan. Peggy is enraptured with both the artwork and artist. While Peggy is busy with Stefan, a string of murders seems to follow the couple around. When Stefan is suspected, Peggy does everything within her power to find the real killer.
I am a fan of all of Nancy Bilyeau's previous books and I couldn't wait to dive into the world and characters of Dreamland. From the ominous prologue, I was hooked into the mystery of the story. When Peggy enters the scene, I knew that this young woman would be the one to figure everything out. Peggy goes against the grain, especially when it comes to her family's wishes. She is inquisitive, insightful and willing to look deeper into prejudice and bias, especially within herself. I loved the setting of 1911 New York. Through the writing, the Gilded Age came to life-from the richness of the Oriental Hotel to the atmosphere of Coney Island. There was a lot of care taken to recreate Coney Island and Dreamland, especially when it came to the people of Dreamland. Even though we only meet most of the characters of Dreamland briefly, each of is fully realized with a rich background and story. Stefan's story is teased out slowly and through him we see the plight that many immigrants went through at the time. Though Stefan is treated unfairly and accused for simply being from his homeland, he does not lose hope or place blame. The mystery is engaging and complex as Peggy begins to realize that every murder can be traced back to her. Rich with historical detail, excitement, suspense, romance and mystery, Dreamland is an engaging read in a world that I did not want to leave.

It’s 1911 and rebellious heiress Peggy Battenberg is summoned to spend the summer with her family at the Oriental Hotel on Coney Island, not far from the the amusement parks. Wishing for her freedom, she soon comes into contact with Stefan, who is a Serbian artist, and starts to meet him in secret. Then the bodies of three young women are found and, as the temperature rises, the tension mounts. This is a tale of class division, family, forbidden love and murder.

I loved Dreamland! It’s a fabulous read. I enjoyed the setting and era, the descriptions are very vivid. It’s beautifully written with just the right amount of suspense. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app and I was always eager to begin each stave every day. I definitely found it a page turner.

An entertaining and magical historical murder mystery with some fascinating characters and an intriguing plot which I can highly recommend. Nancy Bilyeau is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.