OPULENCE AND ASHES (Gilded Gotham #4) by Kate Belli will be released on October 17, 2023 by Crooked Lane Books.
Journalist Genevieve Stewart is preparing for her upcoming extravagant wedding to Daniel McCaffrey while also working on advancing society reform throughout New York City. When three seemingly unrelated fires—one at a boarding house and mission for Black women who’d moved to New York City from the South, another at a photographer’s studio in which Daniel almost loses his life, and a third at a midwife’s office that traps Genevieve in the basement alongside the proprietor’s dead body—Genevieve and Daniel try to find the common thread that ties all three together. After realizing that the arsonist is targeting supporters of social reform, they try to narrow down their list of suspects. When Genevieve goes missing, Daniel dedicates his every waking moment and resource into finding his fiancée. Meanwhile, Genevieve has to fight to make her way home so that she can expose the arsonist and his murderous cronies.
I am a huge fan of the Gilded Gotham series, and I think OPULENCE AND ASHES is a great addition to the series. The novel is full of suspense, red herrings, and plot twists. The numerous crimes—multiple arsons, murder, and attempted murders—keep the plot action packed. And the dual perspective allows the reader to experience the story through both Genevieve’s and Daniel’s eyes.
I highly recommend this novel—and the entire series—to everyone who enjoys historical mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.