I loved this. If you liked the Alienist, but not all the gore...this one is for you. Set in Victorian England, Genevieve is high society but really wants to be a journalist. When she stumbles across the Robin Hood mystery, she encounters Daniel, another high society misfit. They form an unlikely team to solve the robberies that have turned into murders. AND there's chemistry. The book ends with a fabulous cliff hanger. So good.

This book has everything you could want in genteel, scandal laden New York high society. Like it should, the story glitters and the main character, a woman enjoying the budding freedoms for ladies willing to blaze a trail, shines as a newspaper woman.
Genevieve and Danny are perfect for each other. When she follows him to a brothel, instead of being put off, she lets him take her to dinner. They're a fun, unexpected pair in a genre that feels tried and familiar.
My only complaint is the dramatic, cliffhanger ending. In fact, books that end in zero payoff are one of my biggest pet peeves.
Does Robin Hood get payback in the form of something terrible happening to his bride? Is it all a ploy to get Daniel and Genevieve onto a ship together? Will Esmie ever come out of her shell? If only the author told us.

The mystery was quite intriguing and I enjoyed how everything unraveled and everything tied connected together in a way that made sense but wasn't too predictable. The setting was very interesting and everything about the details and descriptions made it very easy to imagine to be in the middle of everything.

I loved Genevieve's character, and also her friends Callie and Eliza were very interesting! I also liked Rupert, but couldn't really figure Daniel out. His backstory was very interesting and well crafted, though.

I liked that the romance was very slow burn but I was still left quite unsatisfied by how things ended between Genevieve and Daniel. Maybe cliffhanger endings just aren't my thing but I found the ending quite frustrating and was hoping for at least some kind of closure, or at least a bit more on what Genevieve and Daniel had been up to during the past year? But I hope we'll get to know more in the next book ;)

Apparently I'm in the vast minority, but I just could NOT find my way into this one... It felt implausible and forced to me, like it was trying too hard to be witty and light yet still serve up a mystery (and not just a blooming romance, or at least some Moonlighting-level sexual tension). But I may just not be the right audience - other readers seem to have uniformly enjoyed it, so definitely check out other reviews - particularly if you like your mysteries lighter...

4.5/5 stars
The mystery is delicious and two-fold. We want to discover the identity of the intriguing Robin Hood who has been stealing extravagant, priceless items from the wealthy, exposing their wicked secrets to the newspapers, and giving proceeds to the poor. Robin Hood’s exploits, however, end up tied to murder, more than one, and that’s when the pressure mounts to discover who he is. But are the heists and the murders really related? The action is fairly fast-paced. The clues and red herrings are dropped at a good pace. It’s not at all straight forward and when the business dealings of some of the wealthiest members of NYC society is pulled in, things turn decidedly complex. But wonderfully so. Mixed in with the high and mighty members of the Astor 400 are also known gang leaders with political affiliations. This is a mystery that features high society, corrupt politicians, corrupt police, unscrupulous businessmen and gang members who feed off the suffering of their very own neighbours. The suspense is enthralling and I certainly worried for Genevieve’s safety, and that of Daniel’s too.

The first couple of chapters set the scene, introduce the characters and allow the readers to get a sense of the time period. As interesting as it was, I took a while to become immersed in the story as I tried to get accustomed to the setting, the writer’s style and the characters featured. By about 40% into the story, I was fully engrossed and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Genevieve comes from a rather eccentric and unique family. This makes sense as it’s not just any woman, especially one from her societal strata, who could be employed in a trade at that point in time. Yet, Genevieve cleverly uses her connections to follow her stories and employs her determination to get to the bottom of things. In her early twenties and with a failed engagement behind her, she’s almost an old maid. She has no desire to ever get married, unless, maybe, perhaps, there is a chance of actually falling in love.

Enter mysterious Daniel McCaffrey, the enigmatic heir to the Van Joost fortune. He has one foot in the doors of high society and the other firmly entrenched in the slums of New York City, from which he came. Readers are kept in suspense, begging to know the story of how his fortune came to be… and it’s quite a tale. Daniel and Genevieve make a formidable pair. The focus is firmly on the mystery but romance sparkles too.

One of my favourite things about historical fiction is discovering facts and stories I did not know about and want to explore further. In this case, I spent a little while looking up the Astor 400 and the Knickerbockers. I hadn’t heard the terms before and was quite intrigued by this peak into NYC high society towards the end of the 19th century.

Overall Deception by Gaslight is an informative and intriguing mystery tinged with just the right amounts of romance and suspense.

The first half of this book was slow for me and I struggled to figure out whether it was a romance or a mystery. It wasn’t strongly checking the boxes for either genre but had some elements of each. The action picked up in the second half, however, and I felt like it edged over into a mystery where the main characters had a romantic spark. I enjoyed the second half and read it quickly. There is a cliffhanger ending that sets up the sequel and I look forward to reading it.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's a historical mystery set in New York , 1888. We have a young journalist, Genevieve Stewart who is after a theif and a murderer called Robin Hood. She was investigating the crime by herself and it leads her to a man named Daniel McCaffrey.

Daniel is a mysterious, no no, let's not use the word. Questionable, yes. He is questionable person. Not many knows about his past or how he ended up being a heir of Costwold household, which is count so popular at the time. A lot of theories about Robin Hood pointing towards him. So the story tells how these two characters uncover the truth and the culprit.

I would like to say, the plot is so wonderful! Even though it is quite slow at the beginning, honestly. But there's so much detail added into the plot, makes the story more alive. Even for me ( that have no idea of how a historical New York looks like ) , I can imagine the complete situation and the background. It was an fantastic experience.

I like both of the main character as they work together really well. These two teammed up to investigate the case by attending balls and parties together to collect some information and suspects. This way is more unique and show chemistry between them, because of course they can't go search at the crime scene. They are just normal citizens. But mingle in social events TOGETHER brings more of their moments and that just what I need.

Although I said the story is well detailed, it doesn't fits in at the climax of the plot. I found the sentences really confusing as there are scene that happened very quickly but the detail makes it 'slow mo'. But I did catch up on what happened after a few time rereading the scene.

Rating : 4.7 / 5 🌟

All right mystery, well written, but too many "that doesn't quite make sense" moments to make it an un-put-downable read. For instance: Genevieve suspects Daniel of being Robin Hood because of his mysterious background and because she has heard him speak of Robin Hood in the street. What? Another is <spoiler> Genevieve is attacked and she (and Daniel) assume it is because someone wants to stop her from uncovering the truth, But Genevieve has not shared with anyone (besides Daniel) what she is investigating. So how would the attacker know about it, much less be threatened by it? </spoiler>

I liked the historical setting, but I didn't like that both Genevieve and Daniel were both quick to anger and show this emotion in their body language. Most people hide their anger much better. Also, I didn't care much about Daniel's point of view in the story, as it mostly seemed to consist of reflection on his attraction and admiration of Genevieve. A point of view better suited for a romance novel.

Genevieve Stewart and Daniel McCaffrey are considered members of the wealthy 400 of New York; both, however, are considered different from the others. She comes from an eccentric and liberal thinking family who already cost her an engagement. He is a former gang member from Five Points, Eton and Harvard educated, who inherited his money. She is a newspaper reporter of fluff pieces on the tail of the Robin Hood thief who violates the very wealthy of her set. While trying to discover his motive and identity, she suspects the handsome Daniel. When theft turns to murder, her investigation becomes treacherous and she is forced to accept his help. Steeping her novel in NYC landmarks, events and recognizable characters, Kate Belli has established a likable duo to work through their personal issues and cooperate in solving future mysteries. I look forward to the next.

I am never one to pass by an intriguing book cover, or a historical fiction mystery. Needless to say when I came across Deception by Gaslight on #netgalley and read the description I knew this was a must read for me.

I've always greatly enjoyed reading historical fiction, but have found myself picking up it quite a bit during this #quarantinelife. For some reason it is comfort reading at it's finest for me. And this book keeps the streak going. I absolutely loved the 1888 NYC setting, and Genevieve's hunt to discover who the Robin Hood of the Lower East side is. Speaking of Genevieve, I so admired her ambition and dogged pursuit of the truth and as well as the opportunity to be a hard news reporter. At times I questioned her ability to understand the danger she put herself in but did appreciate that she felt she was doing the right thing.

Now with most historical mysteries there is an element of romance and Deception by Gaslight is no exception to this tradition. However, it is rather more of a side plot and a slow build of one at that - which to be honest, is exactly how I like them. The ending between the couple left me a bit confused , particularly as you could tell they truly cared for one another. I was therefore happy to read the epilogue and better understand there are more adventures to come!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for my DRC.

A thief lurks, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Suspence and suspicion wind through this novel, with a female journalist at the heart of the telling. Struggling to balance societal convention and expectation, dodging rumor following a broken engagement, and tailing a man who is part attraction and part enigmatic possible suspect, this heroine quickly becomes a part of your reading life and you won't want to put this book down. I am so excited that this book is listed as "A Gilded Gotham Mystery #1" as it implies that #2 is in the future and I, for one, cannot wait.

This book was provided as a digital ARC by NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.

5/5 stars

I loved this book! Set in the Gilded Age in New York City, Deception by Gaslight follows Genevieve Stewart, a member of New York's high society and journalist for the local newspaper. Genevieve tries to unravel the truth about mysterious thefts and murders along with Daniel McCaffery, who has a mysterious past himself.

This book was a great read and one I found I couldn't put down. There were so many aspects I enjoyed - the unfolding of the character's pasts, the details of life in the city's elite versus life in the slums, and the development of the relationship between the two main characters. The author did a great job bringing in so many different aspects of life in New York in the 1800s - tenements, rival gangs, old versus new society, and more. This book would be an excellent read for so many people. The epilogue left with a bit of a cliff hanger, so I can't wait to see what is in store next!

This was a fun read.... a great Victorian era mystery. All of the characters were very likable. The plot was moderately paced. I was sad to see this one end.

Fun mystery with an interesting twist! Not my favorite whodunnit, but enjoyable nonetheless. The characters were engaging and some of them were even likable. Our main character was a woman ahead of her time, and I loved that she got one up on those that were looking down on her. There were also a few characters I loved to hate!!

One thing that irritated me and took me out of the story time and again was the atrocious formatting!! This was not ready to be a Kindle edition and having the title of the book, the author’s name or a page number randomly appear in the middle of a sentence - in the middle of a PAGE - is maddening after a while!! I know that ARCs have mistakes, but this was EVERY page!

Overall, 3 stars. Thank you, #Netgalley!!

This Victorian-era peeks into New York High Society and introduces us to a delightful heroine. An aspiring journalist gets swept up in a mystery and winds up in a compromising deception while trying to stop a murderous plot.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this mystery with Geneievie and Daniel set in NYC in the late 1800's, someone is stealing jewelry from the Astor 400 and Geneive wants to find out who is Robin Hood! She meets Daniel when investigating and they become partners. I hope that the author writes more novels with this pair! I won't spoil the mystery!

Genevieve Steward is a young woman who aspires to be a top reporter in a time when women, especially women who come from the Astor 400, are thought of as merely pretty faces. While trying to find out who is robbing from the rich, she runs into Daniel McCaffrey. Daniel's history is unknown but what is known is that thanks to a benefactor he now is one of the richest in the city. Genevieve and Daniel's paths continue to cross as she stumbles through society while trying to solve who is stealing the jewels and murdering those who get in their way.

I would definitely call this a traditional cozy mystery. I've read similar stories, but this one seems to have some new twists. Genevieve's family, while part of the Astor 400, are eclectic and seem to approve of her choice to become a reporter. Daniel's past and history are a fun twist. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition of someone who grew up with all the riches and someone who grew up poor. They both have very different backgrounds, but together they have to solve the mystery. It takes both her knowledge of the elite and his knowledge of the streets to figure out exactly who is stealing from the rich.

This was a great, hard to put down murder mystery set in Gilded Age New York, seemingly pretty accurate to time and place and atmosphere.

Genevieve was a wonderful character, full of determination to find out why her friends were victims. The budding romance between Genevieve and Daniel hit all the right points for me - not the main focus but well done.

The writing style flowed well which made it an enjoyable read for me, along with the well thought out twists and turns, impressive for a first book. I’m looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out!

Lots of tension, many threads and twists and turns!

The lead is a committed professional who doesn’t appreciate the double standards of the times. Like her colleagues, she wants to write stories that are relevant and be given recognition for a job well done. She is brave, intelligent and inspiring. Understandably, she drives the men in her life to distraction. This includes her ‘partner’ in solving the murder mystery. She takes some at times life-threatening risks and when challenged struggles to understand why her being a woman is the issue quoted back to her!

The storyline was complicated, the characters have such depth. I enjoyed the contrast between the upper and lower sides (the rich and the poor), that the story was more than a murder, rather it was also about the mores of that society, expectations, greed and corruption.

The story was rich, it was just brilliant and had such an unexpected ending.

Well done indeed. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I am so looking forward to picking up the next one.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

After putting in a long day of work and being shut up duing COVID-19 , this was what I really needed to provide for some rest and relaxation. I thought the story was very well-written and a nice change to see a woman's position as more than just becoming married and wife. The mystery was good and I thought the twists and turns were done very well. Not much into mysteries but this one captivated my attention on finding out who was robbing the wealthy and "who dunnit" on the murder aspect.

Adored Genevieve's character and determination to finding out who harmed her friends and showing her bluestocking side as a journalist. I always love a good romance and liked the attraction between her and Daniel. This was a very entertaining and enjoyable read for this reader by first time author, Kate Belli.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are my own.