This is a portion of the review on my blog.
In the case of ‘A Murder on Jane Street‘, I have to start from the end. As all the conspiracies unfolded, I was pretty sure that the book would conclude in an open ended fashion. But author Cathy Cash Spellman surprised me. And pleasantly at that.

The author introduced an end that had a satisfactory ring to it, keeping it realistic at the same time. A reminder that the evils in humanity cannot be uprooted all at once but that does not mean we cannot give it a damn good try.

The story is a medley of genres. You get mystery, history, sci-fi and a bit of the supernatural. And it is an entertaining medley indeed.

The story is perfectly complemented with its rich tapestry of character profiles. It is evident that the author has made concentrated efforts to bring forth a wholesome diversity in her characters through their cultures, ethnicity and lifestyles.

The attention given to the characters, even the minor ones is done right to the very minute of details. Each of them have been treated with tender care as if the author stood in each of their places in turn. It might seem like one too many details to some but I found it endearing.

I do also love how Cathy Cash Spellman has created the professions of the main characters. They have been depicted as doing more than one job or making huge professional switches and doing all of them well. That serves to make the characters expansive and well rounded. But it doesn’t take away the factor of relatability.

As I said, I do love conspiracy theories which made ‘A Murder on Jane Street‘ enjoyable to me.

However, the parts where the scientific validity of these theories are explored ( another proof of how much time and care the author has put into the creation of this story) might be tedious for those who do not tend to gravitate towards such story arcs.

The psychic powers of Maeve adds the exciting dose of supernatural to this intriguing mystery which I personally couldn’t get enough of.

The star of this story would be the voice of the dead woman pouring out from her secret journals which documented all the horrors and bravery that humankind is capable of. I often found it difficult to come back to the story of the present day as the journal entries would become so fiercely overwhelming.

However, if you are one of those who go googly eyed for mysteries and conspiracies then

Welcome to the circle! Live long and prosper🖖
What are you still doing here?! Go, pre-order ‘A Murder on Jane Street’. Chop Chop.

3.5 stars.
Judging a book by its cover really did me wrong on this one. I was ready for a cozy murder mystery running around the tree-lined streets of the West Village. BUT. I got a super intense conspiracy theory-laden, intricate mystery that all starts with a dead old woman on Jane Street.
I straight up love the idea of the Bleecker Street Irregulars, and their work solving these cases was dynamic. This novel is not for everyone as it did take a lot of attention to detail, and specifics to understand the evolution of the case. But I do strongly recommend it.
thelithaven.com

This is an interesting and intriguing novel set in Manhattan, but with a foundation at the beginning of Hitler’s power. It reminds me of “The Boys from Brazil” and others with neo-Nazi themes. This one held my attention as it seemed a bit more realistic and was definitely far reaching into our society. There’s a lot of food for thought here, especially considering the political climate in the US right now.

Well written.

I read a Kindle version supplied as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty decent read . Did not quite understand all that DNA testing , digital photography and scientific information . The historic component was quite interesting . Lots of books lately dealing with the Nazi regime and how so many men and women were heroic and suffered immensely to help others. Characters in this book were diverse and interesting . Although the mystery component spanned years the ending was somewhat abrupt which was a bit disappointing.

I read thirty percent of this book and really tried to find something mildly interesting in the plot, characters, and subplot. I was bored out of my mind and although I hate not finishing a book, especially one I committed to reviewing, I felt I could no longer waste my time reading this one.

Cathy Cash Spellman's A Murder on Jane Street is a work of fiction with historical undertones from Hitler and The Third Reich. When a retired NYPD precinct chief's neighbor is murdered the chief and his family and friends become involved in an unofficial investigation into her murder. This elderly woman had enlisted the chief's help shortly before her death. She has left some documents and other papers for the chief outlining a plot that not only is international in scope but has tremendous consequences. Very interesting plot and written in such a way that it is hard to put the book down.

"A Murder on Jane Street" is a Dan Brown-type plot that never gets where it could go. The plot is interesting and the research is first rate. Unfortunately, it is over-written and too plodding. The concept is simple yet intriguing. The character development is first rate, but too many characters have ruined the stew. A couple fewer characters and a little less of their backstory would have made this novel rev at a much higher rate.

It's a good effort, but editing it down a couple notches would have made it considerably better.

A murder on Jane Street is a story that will intrigue you from page one. The characters are well developed and have lots of incite into this story. Can a retired cop solve a world war two mystery after so many years. You'll enjoy seeing how this story plays out.

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

Former NYPD chief, Fitz Donovan's elderly neighbor, Ghisella, calls and asks for his help. Less than two hours later, she is found tortured and brutally murdered in her home. Although he didn't really know her, she passed on some clues and information about her former life. NYPD isn't really invested in finding her killer so Fitz enlists his family and friends in an effort to discover what happened to her and why. They call themselves the Bleeker Street Irregulars. While investigating her death, war time secrets are revealed and all of BSI lives are in danger as they stumble upon an elaborate conspiracy that begins with the faked death of Hitler himself and a plot to rebuild the Fourth Reich. I really enjoyed the characters in this book and the way they all worked together to try to solve this crime. The plot is rather intricate but I could almost believe that something like this could happen. One question I had though, was why didn't Ghisella reveal any of the information to anyone before she died? A major complaint I have is the dialogue of Georgia and Hutch. I'm from Texas and no one speaks like that, it was way over the top with all the sugars and darlin's. It was difficult to read. Other than that complaint, I liked the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was reading this book during the anniversary of D-Day and it seemed appropro, once the secrets behind the veil started coming out! before I even finished this book I was hunting to see if there was more in the FitzHugh Donovan series! the Donovan family and their Irish ways are PERFECT for solving this mystery of riddles behind riddles, and they are all SO endearing that you finish the book wanting to read another one featuring the family and their West Village friends! Add in a mystery that time travels back to the secrets of WWII (and will make you go history hunting too!), and you have a book that you just can't stop reading! Let's hope the author decides to bring them back for another tale! Don't miss this one- it's perfect for Summer!

Wonderfully written and entertaining. I loved the story and the characters. One of my favorites this year. When a 96 year old neighbor asks for help , Fitz is drawn into a murder mystery that has links 75 years from the past. While seeking clues and bringing his family into mystery Fitz stumbles across an amazing secret that will endanger everyone. But who can he trust with his discovery. Will they be able to stop such evil? Join the Bleecher Street Irregulars as they untangle each new clue.

I really couldn’t get into this book at all, and I hate that My mind could not focus when I was trying to read it. It didn’t hold my attention at all. DID NOT FINISH.

Wow! This book has it all—a New York City location, historical content, compelling characters interacting in a realistic manner with their own agendas and an awesome mystery to tie it all together. I thought the premise was a bit da Vinci Code or National Treasure but that didn’t cause me to enjoy it any less. #amurderonjanestreet was an enjoyable summer read for me but would have been great for curling up by the fire, too. Thanks to #netgalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication. I will look for more by this author.

Absolutely fantastic book!! Kept me intrigued until the very end!! Highly recommend!! Can’t wait to see what Cathy Cash Spellman has in store for us next!!

First of a series and I'm already waiting impatiently for the next one.
Characters are great and the seemingly innocent story taking such a hard turn kept me reading long into the night.
I love that this family is so close and yet so different from each other and the friends included in their circle couldn't be more perfect. Everyone has a special talent and each one is put to good use.

"What if" is always a fun question for mysteries and Ms Spellman makes perfect use of it.

Highly recommended!

Fitz Donovan is a retired New York City Police Chief. He and his family live next door to Ghisella, a sweet little old lady. One day Ghisella asks Fitz to come over as she is in danger and needs his help. Two hours later, she is brutally murdered, and Fitz is left with some books as the only clue as to what she was hiding and what was worth killing for.
Fitz and a small group of family and friends embark on a dangerous, but exciting journey into history to figure out exactly who Ghisella really was and what ramifications her past has on the political future of America. It is a fast paced, exciting story with characters you will grow to care about. The plot is well developed and flows easily from one event to another.
I highly recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy, which I received in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read from this author and it will be the last. I found the writing to be wordy and too drawn out with unnecessary detail. In addition, I did not find much mystery or suspense within the storyline.

What a fantastic story! It starts with a murder of an old woman, but leads the reader through mind boggling revelations that culminate with an explosive possibility. Simply unbelievable but believable story that had me until the end.

This is for liberals who hate Trump! Did not think I would realize this deception? A quote by Michele Obama, a snide remark about Pence; Hitler survived, wasn't in the bunker, his seed seems to have spread all over the world. Mostly in New York, can we say Trump? I am saddened that you believe all Conservatives are stupid, all Christians too! This could have been a genuinely exciting story if you weren't out to destroy the German Trump family again! I give to Israel; I belong to a Christian Organization that provides millions to Israel. The point you missed is that President Trump has done more for Israel than any President in History! Why take a good story, and turn it into politics?
I don't recommend! Thank you Netgalley!