The Gods of Gotham

By: Lyndsay Faye

Narrated by: Steven Boyer

It is 1845. New York City forms its first police force. The great potato famine hits Ireland. These two seemingly disparate events will change New York City. Forever.

Timothy Wilde tends bar near the Exchange, fantasizing about the day he has enough money to win the girl of his dreams. But when his dreams literally incinerate in a fire devastating downtown Manhattan, he finds himself disfigured, unemployed, and homeless. His older brother obtains Timothy a job in the newly minted NYPD, but he is highly skeptical of this new "police force". And he is less than thrilled that his new beat is the notoriously down-and-out Sixth Ward - at the border of Five Points, the world's most notorious slum.

One night, while making his rounds, Wilde literally runs into a little slip of a girl - a girl not more than 10 years old - dashing through the dark in her nightshift... covered head to toe in blood.

Timothy knows he should take the girl to the House of Refuge, yet he can't bring himself to abandon her. Instead, he takes her home, where she spins wild stories, claiming that dozens of bodies are buried in the forest north of 23rd Street. Timothy isn't sure whether to believe her or not, but, as the truth unfolds, the reluctant copper star finds himself engaged in a battle for justice that nearly costs him his brother, his romantic obsession, and his own life.

©2012 Lyndsay Faye (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Fantastic and well paced.

This book was a fantastic read. The subject matter would normally be a little dark for me, however, this book carefully gives you all the details you need, without exploiting the macabre nature of the crimes too much. It strikes the perfect balance and remains intriguing until the end.
With an audiobook, the narrator can sometimes make or break the experience. In this case, he did a great job. Full marks all around

Recommended

Beautifully written and rich in historical detail. Finely drawn characters and compelling. suspensfull story.

above average historical fiction

Although a little grisly in places for my taste, this is the kind of historical fiction that transports the listener to the world of the story. The writing is much above average for the genre,and the packed historical detail is fascinating without getting in the way of the story. The narration is excellent, too - both author and narrator seem to have made the wise choice that, since neither the prose nor the delivery is REALLY going to imitate 1845 New York, then make both sound modern and let the story, character, setting and appropriately chosen period vocabulary paint the images of the story world. I wade though a large amount of historical fiction flotsam to catch a few like this that really work - a good dense story, likeable characters, and, as a bonus, a social conscience without being hamfisted preachy.

Couldn't put it down!

Fascinating story and a great narration.
Even though there were some gruesome parts,
I enjoyed every word from beginning to end.
I'd love to find other 4-5 star books like this,
Ones you can't put down till the end, and
then wish it wasn't quite over just yet.

COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, it was predictable and not believable.

Would you ever listen to anything by Lyndsay Faye again?

No!

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I thought the narrator did not do a very good job of making me believe that his brother was a bad person and he didn't distinguish the individual charters very well. It all just ran together.

Any additional comments?

I definitely had higher hopes for this story set in New York during 1845. A sort of a "Jack the Ripper-like" person is causing panic in the city after 19 child corpses are found buried outside the city.

I would've given this one 2-stars because it was not believable and oh so predictable. The redeemer for the 3-star rating was all the information regarding Catholics of that period. I had absolutely no idea that they were considered heretic's because they "worshiped" the pope and people considered them ignorant for their beliefs. Catholics, Prodestants, Christians...aren't they all praying to the same god? I never cease to be amazed by the conflict religion creates.

A very enjoyable thriller.

What did you love best about The Gods of Gotham?

I stumbled on this book waiting for a flight. After starting to listen I was glad I had a few hours to kill. A well written book combined with a great performance by Stephen Boyer made this a winner for me.

What did you like best about this story?

The weaving of a fictional characters into real events in NY in the late 1800's.

For fans of Caleb Carr and "Gangs of New York"

Where does The Gods of Gotham rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's someplace in the upper middle. I liked it well enough that I plan to listen to the sequel.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gods of Gotham?

There are a couple of revelations near the end of the book that I really didn't see coming. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere the author created of old New York.

What about Steven Boyer’s performance did you like?

Steven Boyer always does a good job - particularly with accents and differentiating one character from another.

If you could rename The Gods of Gotham, what would you call it?

I don't think I would - the title was one of the things that piqued my interest.

Couldnt stop listening

Steven Boyers performance was BRILLIANT. He made Timothy Wilde come alive and jump off the page. This is great piece of historical writing. The characters are believable and well written. With Mr. Boyers performance and Ms Fayes writing, the characters are very easy to visualize. You will be drawn in and you wont be able to put it down. This book should be on everyone summer reading list.

Best Book I Read in 2012

What did you love best about The Gods of Gotham?

I love historical fiction and I love learning about the history of NYC; this book covered both. I am secretly hoping this becomes a series because I will read them all.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! Although the book began slow and I thought it just might be a little mild of a drama once the action begins you can't stop listening. Tim and Valentine's struggle to find the truth in a city filled with lies is incredible.

What about Steven Boyer???s performance did you like?

His accents and his attitude were spot on!

Who was the most memorable character of The Gods of Gotham and why?

I loved Tim. He was just so pure even though life had wronged him. I learned to love Valentine.

Any additional comments?

If you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York, you will LOVE this book.

It’s been a long time…

…since I’ve been this excited about a book — and I read A LOT of books. The writing is impeccable, the plot singular. Too many historical fiction books rely too heavily on romance; that difference alone makes Gotham stand out. I cannot recommend this book enough, and can’t wait to read the second of the trilogy.