The elderly woman next door is murdered. Fitz Donovan an excop wants to solve the case. He brings his family into the case with him. They find out with help from friends that the neighbor was an important person in the fight againt the Nazis. Other secrets are revealed.
I really enjoyed this book and hope she makes this as a series with the family solving cases. With each family having a different job it would be easy to expand with the plots.

A great mystery with wonderful characters. Lots of suspects with many twists and turns. What I enjoyed most and found the most upsetting was the history lessons and intrigue concerning WWII. A great read that was difficult to put down .

This is definitely not your typical murder mystery. The cast of characters alone make it stand out from the crowded community of mysteries.
Assuming she was just an old lady was their first mistake. Her neighbors never knew the old lady in their midst had been an active member of the World War II investigators charged with finding answers to the rumors that Hitler had lived. Her murder, right after she asked for help, led our cast of heroes to question the police investigation and seek answers of their own. Here you meet the crew. Let's just say that they have all been under valued by the police and move on to their extraordinary skills of investigation.
Cathy Cash Spellman took the time to flesh out each character. Their quirks and personalities make them loners, their quest for the truth make them team members. A great story line with this unusual cast is a refreshingly different take on the murder mystery genre while still staying true to the tension building writing skills you expect from a good book. Definitely a great read.

A Murder on Jane street was a creative mystery with some romance. The back story of the little old lady was captivating and not what I expected.

This was the first book I have read by Cathy Spellman. Midway through the book, I felt the pace slow. I think she could have solved the mystery sooner or added a plot twist.

Overall a fun read.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

This book was OK. Just... ok. I found that there were way too many characters for me to get on board with and i got very confused about who was who. It needed to be a little bit more simple.

This was a really good book. I loved the mystery, relationships among the characters, glimpse into the past, and the edge-of-your-seat excitement throughout the pages.

The author does a great job of grabbing your attention from the first page and holding your interest until the last page. There are a lot of characters, but you don't seem to lose focus on who is who and their relationship to the other characters.

There is a wonderful WWII mystery involved and it brings attention to the horrific atrocities of the Nazi regime.

I am so glad I was given the opportunity to receive an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

http://booksandladybugs.blog

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I promise not to give away too many spoilers in this review.

This story has a whole lot of characters to keep straight. The main characters are retired New York City Police Commissioner, FitzHugh Donovan, his daughters Maeve and Rory, his granddaughter, Finn, and what becomes the Bleecker Street Irregulars (BSI). The BSI includes Maeve’s business partner, Maeve’s love interest and Finn’s friends including scientists, physicists and hackers. The Donovans all live in one brownstone on Jane Street, next door to Ghisella Wallenberg. Fitz now owns The Mysterious book store, and the 90-something year old Ghisella had been a customer, with Fitz bringing books to her home.

The story begins in 1990 with a woman entering the STASI secret police headquarters after the Berlin Wall falls. She is able to secure some files, slip out and disappear. Fast-forward to present day, and Ghisella calls Fitz to his home, telling him she knows that she is not safe and she passing along to him some documents that will explain everything. That evening, Ghisella winds up brutally tortured and dead. Fitz withholds the documents from the police, and he and the BSI begin their own dangerous investigation.

A Murder on Jane Street aims to be a hard-core conspiracy theory, historical fiction and political thriller. The central theme revolves around Hitler’s death being staged. Was he able to escape and live out his life somewhere? Did he impregnate any women before? If so, what happened to those children? Is a Fourth Reich imminent? A secondary theme revolves around the U.S. government’s Operation Paperclip and its ramifications. A third theme takes to task all the privacy we are giving up by being under constant surveillance. While I didn’t necessarily buy-in to all its ruminations, nonetheless it makes you think.  But do I believe that a new set of quantum physics and mechanics has been uncovered that allows anti-gravity devices and time travel? That the Moon and Mars have already been secretly colonized? That immortality has been solved, but is only available to the few? You may have to suspend some beliefs to make it through the book.

It’s also strange that the cover seems to illustrate a cozy mystery. In order to lighten the mood, the author threw in some things that just seem out of place. For instance, we have Maeve’s love interest, and entirely way too much time is taken up with that and her insecurities at finding love 10 years after her divorce. Then there is Maeve’s mystical or psychic ability to sense things, which comes in spurts and is a convenient way for the author to solve things when stumped for the next move. Maeve’s business partner, Georgia, is a Texan parody, saying things like, “I got me a good life.”

My conclusion is that this was an overly ambitious book with a lot of themes touched on briefly, but never fully explored. It wavers between genres, and that really didn’t work for me. The characters are very close, and conversation between them felt inauthentic. People don’t really talk like that in real-life, and it made it very hard to make a connection to any of them. On the plus side, it is very well-researched, made me think and I am appreciative for the many tidbits that sent me to the internet for verification or more information. The best was learning of Witold Pilecki, who was part of the Polish resistance, a hero and an Auschwitz survivor. I learned a lot about a fascinating man, who had this to say after he received a sentence of death:

“I've been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear.”

Footnote:  For further reading on Operation Paperclip, you may want to check out Eric Lichtblau’s book, “The Nazis Next Door, How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men.” 

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

The plot of this mystery is intriguing: did Hitler's bloodline survive WWII? And are the troubles of the world (big pharma, big oil, wall street, banks too big to fail, etc etc) really the end game of the Third Reich, plans put in place to ensure the Fourth Reich would eventually rule the world?
I enjoyed the mystery aspect and the discovery of clues that pieced it all together. But I found the short chapters and multiple POVs very distracting and many scenes a waste of time. The characters spent an inordinate amount of time "wool gathering" and being inside their own heads. To what end? Almost none of it was important to the story. Also, the love story aspect between Maeve and Declan was filler. Did it matter to the mystery if they ended up together? Not really.
This book could have been half as long if all the filler scenes had been cut, especially in the beginning.
Finally, the ending was weak. This had the potential to be an explosive finale but instead of sticking her neck out and making some interesting commentary on today's society and political landscape we got a " and they all agreed to play nice" ending. It was a bit disappointing.

That said, I liked the historical aspect and the use of conspiracies to bring this story alive.

What a intriguing, roller coaster ride you are taken on when reading this book! A murder/mystery you will not be able to put down! If you love suspenseful mysteries, you need to read this book.
The history aspect alone was enthralling. There was just so much to take in, think about, ponder about.....you will find yourself thinking this is just so unbelievable, yet believable at the same time.
Looking forward to more books about the Donovan family.
Many thanks to NetGallery, the publisher and author, Cathy Cash Spellman, for the opportunity to give my honest review of “A Murder on Jane Street.” All opinions expressed are my own.

Just a Few Words:  WOW.  This was not my type of book....until it was.  I don't read romance, historical , spy,  political or war novels.   This book encompassed them all....and  I absolutely loved it.  Sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone.



A Murder on Jane Street by Cathy Cash Spellman is a psychological thriller....but looks like it may also be the first of a mystery series.

 First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher The Wild Harp & Company Inc., and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Meet the Donovan's.  Fitz is the head of the family, a retired Chief of Police, now owner of "The Mysterious", a bookstore centered around mystery books.  His beloved wife died 10 years ago.  His eldest daughter Rory, gave up her career as a lawyer to buy, refurbish and re-sell grand old homes.  His youngest daughter Maeve is an author, and co-owner of "The Philospher's Teacup".  She is divorced from her husband after discovering his many infidelities.  She and her daughter Finn, live on two floors of the brownstone that her father owns.  Finn is a photographer.  The Donovan women all have some type of psychic gift.  The family is very close.  The girls, having been brought up to be curious,  have been puzzle solvers and minor detectives since childhood.

When Fitz drops by to see his elderly neighbour at her request, he discovers her dead body.  She had been tortured.  He also finds the journals that she wanted him to have.  Since the local law doesn't seem too interested, he and his daughters begin to investigate her death.  It soon becomes apparent that they need help, and ask for assistance from friends....a scientist, a physicist, a math prodegy, a Holocaust expert, computer hackers, and others.   They form the BSI (Bleecker Street Irregulars), and start to discover that this elderly woman had a very secret past, one that could have repercussions for the world even now.   Unfortunately, their quest has been noticed, and they are now all in danger.



My Opinions:  

Well, this was so unexpected, and so good!

The characters are wonderful, intelligent, quirky, witty, charming, honest, and loving.  They become a giant family, trying to take care of each other, and trying to solve the death of an elderly woman that no one really knew.  I loved how the dead woman's journals became such a big part of the story.

The writing is clear, and flows so smoothly.  The dialog was great.  A lot of humour and teasing was added, without which it could have been a very dark book.

The plot, even if you disbelieve some of the conspiracy theories around Hitler's death, the Fourth Reich, and the scientific discoveries, was mesmerizing.  I simply didn't want it to end.  That being said, the ending could have been fleshed out a little more, but no matter....

One other thing....at the end it promised more, so it looks like this could be a series.  I'm looking forward to that!

This book was a tapestry of genres: mystery, conspiracy, political, and historical. I loved all of the characters but particularly the Bleeker Street Irregulars. The pieces of the puzzle that had to fit together kept me turning the pages.
Many thanks to The Wild Harp Company Inc and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

While this is not my typical genre to read (historical fiction), I found myself caught up in the story of a conspiracy based on fictionalized events that happened during the Third Reich. The book seemed well researched and posed some interesting theories about the mysteries surrounding that time period. However, it overwhelmed the actual mystery of the book (who killed the Donovan's neighbor). The quirky characters who come together to solve the mystery were an interesting bunch and I would have loved to have seen more character development surrounding them. It seemed like the book was very long, and I skimmed a lot of the historical detail, but the imaginative plot kept me reading.

This is a really exciting historical fiction novel. Historical fiction novels that contain enough threads of reality that they make you question what you know of history are always the most interesting because they make you question what you think you know of history. This story certainly masters this criterion.

The Donovan family led by patriarch Fitzhugh Donovan. Fitz is a retired police chief who lives in New York, in a brownstone with his two daughters and his granddaughter. His neighbor, an elderly woman well into her 90’s makes a claim to Fitz that she has a matter of life and death to discuss with him, and that she wants him to come over later so she can discuss this with him. Only, when Fitz returns to her apartment, his elderly neighbor has been murdered, in a most brutal way.

The cops seem content to write off the old woman’s death as a botched robbery. Something about the death of the old lady doesn’t sit with Fitz, and he starts digging. He soon discovers that his old neighbor had left behind clues about who may have killed her and why. With the help of his family, and a select group of unique friends, Fitz uncovers a decades old conspiracy.

This is a fun, fast paced novel. Definitely a recommended read. I look forward to hearing more from these characters in future novels.

This was an absolutely fantastic find! The characters, the setting, the inter-connected conspiracies and plot lines... It was perfection from the opening pages. My only criticism, which is a slight one, is that it seemed as though things wrapped up rather expediently in the end. The buildup and pacing were spot-on throughout, then all of a sudden things came to a head, a meeting was held, and it was over. Given the incredible depths of the conspiracy up to that point, that was a little hard to swallow, then again who knows with the ways of the rich and the powerful... Still, I would recommend this to anyone and I am very eager to read the follow-up book - and exceptionally glad to see that the Bleecker Street Irregulars will be back for more...

This book has the feel and setting of a cozy mystery but manages to bring some grittiness to the action. The description of the murder of an old lady and the flashbacks to her past during WWII is brutal, and makes you feel for her. After the police brushed off her murder as a robbery-gone-wrong, her neighbour, Fitz, a retired police Chief and his group of interesting family members and friends decide to do their own investigation.

While I was sucked into the mystery in the beginning, the short chapters and switching narratives between various characters made for a choppy read. I didn't feel connected to any of them and they felt like plot devices more than real characters. I also thought the resolution to the mystery to be unsatisfying. The threat to Fitz and his group is built up to be credible, only to be brushed aside at the end. I wanted more criminal investigation but most of the book is focused on a conspiracy theory involving the Third Reich.

I believe readers who love conspiracy theories and like reading about WWII would enjoy this book as it puts a new spin on history.

A Murder on Jane Street is a delightful book that will not be easy to slot into a genre. Part traditional family-based mystery, part contemporary cyber-sleuth story, part historical speculation and conspiracy theory, part thriller, part love story -- this novel may displease some readers who resent the intrusion of some element (romance, sentiment or treacherous cabal) that spoils the purity of their favorite literary category.

But some of us will love it as it is. The Donovans are a close-knit, multi-generational Irish clan living in New York City's East Village. Their neighbor, an aged descendant of European nobility, is brutally murdered, and possessions she has left behind for them draw the Donovans into the mystery of her death and, ultimately, her life.

This book has a very large cast, with each character fully-enough drawn that I never got confused about identity or role. The relationships (among the family members and between them and their wide, diverse and colorful circle of friends) were the best part of the story.

The Donovan clan and their quirky comrades pool their talents and dub themselves the Bleecker Street Irregulars as they research a mystery stretching back to the Holocaust, using tools from genetics and hacking to old-fashioned shoe leather.

At the conclusion of A Murder on Jane Street, my Kindle offered me the first chapter of the next installment in the series, A Murder on Mott Street. I'll be seeking it out.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

First, let me state that the author is brilliant: both intelligent and knowledgeable, while she certainly knows her history, especially that of the Hitler period. It took me awhile to get invested in the story, so if you're looking for a quick, easy "beach read", this is not the book for you. If you are looking for something with substance that will exercise your brain a little, this IS the book for you! There are some pretty dramatic suppositions, but what if they could really be true?!

I have started on another book by her.

The cover and title are a bit dull for what turned out to be quite an enjoyable book! I enjoyed reading about the police detective and his pursuit of the murder of an elderly woman. Elderly woman aren't often the victims in books like this and I felt like this choice added a lot of depth to the story.

I received a free copy for an honest.

This book is...in kind of a special state. It was not a well-written thriller novel, but because I stopped reading it like a thriller novel, I got myself to enjoy it.

Yeah, I don't think that's good.

But to be clear this book was all bad - there were many things I loved and must give credit for such as the concept of this book. I thought it was brilliant how the book used such a controversial and historically significant topic as its core, and I also appreciated how it made the effort to raise awareness of the Nazi topic and the horrible things they have done, as well as what the Allies government have done. Other things I need to give credit for include the ambitious storyline (which can be greatly reflected from the staggering scale of the conflict) as well as the stupendous characteristics of the cast.

Also, now I clarified the things I liked, let's get into the things I didn't like as much.

Remember how I mentioned the book taking the effort to raise awareness for real-live conflicts? That's actually kind of where my biggest problem with the book started: the book tried a bit too hard in that aspect.

This is supposed to be a thriller NOVEL. Not a history textbook. The huge historical context is supposed to be intertwined with the fictional aspect of this book to make a good THRILLER/MYSTERY FICTIONAL story. But because the book tried so overwhelmingly much to promote (to the point of shoving it into the reader's faces) that aspect of history, the dialogues, story, and writing style all became extremely unnatural and awkward, which took so much out of the reading experience. In other words, because this book tried so hard to raise real-life awareness in a fictional novel, it felt a lot of more like the commercials you see where they have an awkward ski where there's a "scenario", but the actors are obviously promoting something because everything just seems so fake.

So when I meant that I started to enjoy it after I stopped viewing it like mystery/thriller/fictional novel, I meant I started to enjoy it because I started to view it as a history textbook instead.

And I like history. And I like learning. I learned stuff from this book.

Yeah, I guess that's good, but something tells me that's not what the author is aiming for....and at the end of the day that makes it a bad thriller/mystery/fictional novel when the reader can only enjoy it by reading like a HISTORY TEXTBOOK.

There are so many things wrong with that statement.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed this book because I learned new knowledge. But from a book reviewer standpoint and by definition, this was NOT a good mystery/thriller/fictional novel. A bit of a shame.

A Murder on Jane Street
Author: Cathy Cash Spellman
Publisher: The Wild Harp & Company, Inc.
Publication Date: July 16, 2019
5 Stars

First, I just have to say, WOW! What a fantastic book! It was a wild ride from start to finish!

FitzHugh Donovan, a retired Irish NYPD cop, is urgently summoned by his next door neighbor, Mrs. Wallenberg, to her home. She tells him that she fears she is about to be murdered, and she has a secret that she needs to share with him. She is so worked up, though, that she can’t seem to get her story out. She asks him to come back later that night to pick up some books that will explain her story and provide evidence to back it up. When he goes back to see Mrs. Wallenberg, he finds she has been brutally murdered and her place ransacked. He calls in the NYPD to investigate. While surveying the property, one of the CSI techs finds an envelope addressed to Fitz in some bushes between his and Mrs. Wallenberg’s properties. Inside, Fitz finds three books and a letter that said, “You will know what to do!”

This becomes the basis of a very intriguing murder. Fitz along with his friends and family form a cabal called the Bleecker Street Irregulars. This group delves into the books and diary to not only learn about Mrs. Wallenberg’s secrets, but also to decipher them. Mrs. Wallenberg was not who she appeared. Her secrets date all the way back to World War II and Hitler but seem to have ramifications that reach to present day.

This books is filled with many great and unique characters. Each character is uniquely drawn and fleshed out. You truly care about what happens to these people, and you care about the cause they are fighting for. For the most part, all of the players have a very serious tone, but the character Georgia provides some great LOL moments.

The plot is intricate and was like a rolling boulder that builds in intensity as it progresses. It was very easy to get wrapped up in the story, and I found it was hard to put down! I also appreciated how well written the novel was. The ending of the story is interesting, and the author does a great job of wrapping up all the storylines.

This book is much more than a mystery novel. It is also a conspiracy thriller, a work of historical fiction, a tale about ultimate sacrifices, a romance story, and a political thriller that is a treatise on not only Hitler’s time, but also today’s political entanglements. If these descriptions sound interesting to you, I think you will enjoy this book. This novel is grittier than most of the cozy mystery books that I read, but I truly enjoyed it.


Thanks to Net Galley and The Wild Harp & Company, Inc. for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #AMurderOnJaneStreet