Author: Bryce Moore
Genre: historical mystery/horror
Similar books: Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday
The Diviners by Libba Bra
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): It's 1918, WW1 is in full swing, and a Spanish Influenza outbreak is on the horizon. In the midst of the chaos, families are being terrorized and people are being killed by a lone man with an axe. As Gianna and her friend Jake investigate the heinous crimes, she realizes she's connected to the killer in a way she could have never imagined.
Gianna is the average seventeen-year-old girl living in 1918 New Orleans. She worries about her family's store, the great war, and a mysterious illness that's about to take hold of the city she loves.
It doesn't help that there also appears to be a mad man on the loose in her neighborhood. The attacks started as burglaries but soon escalate to cold blooded murder. There's a killer out there, and the police can't seem to figure out how to stop him.
Gianna enlists the help of her friend Jake to investigate. And as they study the crimes, they see a common link between the victims, and Gianna can't help but wonder if it's the same man who attacked her family years before.
As Gianna gets closer to the killer, she discovers a connection between them that she never would have suspected.
My opinion: The New Orleans axe murderer is a subject most of us know next to nothing about. It makes for compelling reading, especially when you add in the war and the beginnings of a pandemic. Gianna is a solid character, determined and self-possessed. The secondary characters could use a bit more depth but they are enough for a straightforward tale. For the most part, this book is more entertaining than deep. The ending leaves us with nearly as many questions as answers. Even so, it's an atmospheric tale with some basis in history. The pacing is spot-on, drawing us along but still allowing space for reflection.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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