Each chapter about a person involved in the great fire Of the Windsor Hotel in NYC in the early 1900s. By the 18th chapter, I was hardly keeping up with all the people and found it very confusing. My 69 year old brain just can't handle that anymore.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the full-blown characters and each of their motivations for the actions they took to cause, profit from and eventually be killed by the fire. I think the author did a great job of placing each of the characters in the context of their social and economic "caste" in the time period which definitely formed their motivations for even going to the hotel from the beginning. While fire in a place like a hotel is a frightening possibility, the author did a great job of conveying the reactions of those affected whether they be guests of the hotel or neighbors called upon to assist as the tragedy unfolded. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in NYC history of this time period.

Thanks to Level Best Books & NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

Historical Crime Fiction author Marlie Parker Wasserman has focused on one the last major mass tragedies of the 19th Century in her new book, Inferno on Fifth. Wasserman casts her considerable talents on this St. Patrick's Day fire at the Windsor Hotel in New York City in 1899; The research in compiling this book is impeccable and the book is filled with Historical figures who either stayed at the Windsor, were associated with the Windsor or helped into the investigation into the cause of the fire which remains unsolved 125 later. This massive blaze that happened as the St. Patrick's Day parade neared the building, killed over 85 people, of which 41 were never identified. It was a massive conflagration that seemed to come from out of nowhere, and Wasserman through her characters provides us possible reasons for the fire (all of which were considered by the authorities at one time). Was it a ring of thieves aided by the hotel maids, was it started by a cigar ash that caused a dining room curtain to burst into flames. Anarchists who were trying to kidnap President McKinley's brother? Maybe it started in the basement while the workers were out watching the parade or an electric iron that was never properly turned off, or that it was an old flammable building that complied with the 1873 building code that was outdated? A myriad of characters are in this book which gives us the multiple perspectives on each individuals points of view. How newspaper reports were contradictory, how eyewitnesses and even survivors of the fire were not really sure what happened as memories blurred and peoples actions were questioned. One of the most interesting portions of the book dealt with fire ropes which were really one of the few ways to escape the upper floors.
The book opens with a description of the early minutes of the fire, and it reads almost like what happened on 9/11 at the Twin Towers. I personally enjoyed all the different points of view and reminds me of CNN or FNC coverage of a major event. A fast and interesting read which solidifies Wasserman's place at the top of Historical Crime Fiction authors!!

This unfortunately didn't turn out to be quite right for me. I was interested because Inferno on Fifth is based on a true story, and you can most definitely tell the author has done a ton of research. But I felt that took away from the characters, and being able to connect with them. Also, there were a lot of them, maybe too many. I found it hard to keep track and was left confused more often that not. There are lot of question and very little, or no, answers and I would normally have quite enjoyed trying to figure out that particular mystery. But it all just felt a bit too chaotic for me.

This is a wonderful, informative fictional book based on a real-life event. While almost everyone has heard of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, I suspect that few have heard of the equally ghastly Windsor Hotel fire in the same city. This book tells the story almost as a documentary, giving the viewpoints of hotel guests, employees, first responders, and journalists. The timeline of the event, what follows, and, likely, some of the facts have been slightly altered, but it works for the story. There’s a large cast of characters, but I didn’t have any trouble keeping them all straight.

This book informs, not just about the fire, but about how journalists, especially in 1899, sometimes exaggerate and make up details they don’t know. The book highlights how stupidity, mixed with greed, can cause tragic results.

The characters are an interesting mix, from various social strata. Because of how the story is told from the various points of view of different characters, there is a bit of repetition, but not enough to be distracting. Each character is well defined and has a good reason for being at the hotel at the time of the fire. Several causes for the fire are presented and some of them may take you by surprise.

This is a book about an horrific event, and at times, it’s painful to read. As it goes with fires, there is much damage to property, but also to people, who are injured and die, sometimes taking dire steps to try to save themselves.

Inferno is a beautifully written and told story. It’s easy to read and moves along quickly. While I was disturbed by some things that occurred, I was heartened by the heroism of several of the characters.

This is definitely a book worth reading. I highly recommend it.

I received an advanced reader copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

INFERNO ON FIFTH
By Marlie Parker Wasserman

In 1899 the Windsor Hotel in Manhattan was a grand edifice seven stories high taking up an entire city block housing visitors and wealthy New Yorkers alike. Everyone was in a celebratory mood that St. Patrick's Day and Irish music filled the air as the parade began. But as the parade got close to the hotel, smoke filled the air. Bystanders looked up in shock to see women hanging out of the hotel windows, some jumping as flames shot out of the building. Screams rent the air. In less than two hours there was nothing but rubble and almost 100 people were dead. INFERNO ON FIFTH follows events leading up to and following the blaze. What could have caused such devastation?

I love history as well as mysteries and INFERNO ON FIFTH combines both in an intriguing story inspired by true events. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the people whose life was affected by the fire, from hotel guests and staff to investigators, with thoughts and opinions from neighbors and others. Despite all these views, there is a cohesive story, the various threads weaving into a solid whole. It's fascinating to see the disparity between the focus of the stories, from the three wealthy young women who held their fathers in high esteem to the entire robbery storyline. I appreciated the way Marguerite Wells dealt with the aftermath of the fire, determined to try to discover what really happened that fateful day and was impressed with her investigation.

A great work of historical fiction makes me want to research the truth behind the story. INFERNO ON FIFTH did just that, leading me down the rabbit hole as I discovered pictures and even a letter written by Mrs. Pope to her sister detailing the fire.

INFERNO ON FIFTH is a captivating tale that will transport you to the Gilded Age while it forces you to question your own ethics and mortality.

St. Patrick’s Day, New York City, 1899, a lovely day to watch a parade but an inferno is burning at the Windsor Hotel. What happened, how did this start, the investigation will begin.

This is a book based on true events and it is a very interesting read. It has great characters that brings the fact and fiction together. It is well written and flows easily making it easy to read. I enjoyed how fact and fiction merged to make a great book.

This is a book that will keep you turning the pages and you won't be able to put it down. Intriguing, interesting and even exciting.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for this eCopy to review

Inferno on fifth was an interesting historical novel, set in 1899. It follows a number of people connected with the hotel Windsor and what they did, did not do in the fire on St Patrick's Day.

It was intriguing following the investigation and newspaper coverage and seeing how different accounts came about. I was surprised by the actual cause of the fire I did not see it coming at all.

I loved how all the characters connected, I felt they were all well developed and the plot moved along nicely with historical snippets woven into the story seamlessly. A great read and an author I will follow in the future

"Inferno on Fifth" is a fictionalized account of the 1899 fire at the Windsor Hotel, which was located at 575 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Author Marlie Parker Wasserman took an interesting approach: presenting the events from the individual perspectives of all the major characters in the book. Three in particular are Marguerite Wells, Theodate Pope, and Angelica Gerry. All are well-to-do; all were caught in the melee of the fire; all were preoccupied about how their fathers behaved during and/or after the fire. Their concern makes sense, up to a point: why should it truly matter if Marguerite escaped the fire before her mother and father or after, and why should her father have worried if the newspapers got the order right?; why do hindsight stressing over helping her father rescue his artworks (Theodate) or her father not implementing fireproofing measures (Angelica)? Granted, Angelica's concern matters, but with regard to the hotel, it was too little, too late.

Wasserman provides, towards the end, a plethora of possibilities regarding the cause of the fire. I counted 11 myself, and I have my thoughts on the cause, but you be the judge. Wasserman also ends the book a little abruptly, almost with a cliffhanger of new information that wasn't considered throughout the fire investigation. She also provides an endnote giving historical information about the fire and the characters, but there seems to be a snafu, in that it's written twice. Overall, I love the time-period and enjoyed learning about this tragic event, but the ending is a let-down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

I knew a little bit about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire because it was part of Alice Hoffman’s novel The Museum of Extraordinary Things. So I knew that it was the catalyst for the introduction fire legislation in New York City. The author has taken the terrible Windsor Hotel fire, which happened twelve years earlier, but turned it into a piece of historical fiction. She also gives voice to those who were largely ignored at the time, the workers in the hotel join the wealthy owners to give a fuller story about the disaster. I found the story well paced and interesting to read, but I did struggle with the large cast of characters. I had to keep thinking about who I was with and what part they played. This meant I didn’t connect with one particular character and I wasn’t rooting for anyone. That tends to stop me reading. However, I was interested in how the interests and potential profit of the wealthy often meant that safety was overlooked. Particularly for those already struggling through low wages or poor living conditions.

This was a really interesting take on a historical fiction version of an actual event, one I surprisingly hadn't heard of despite my interest in the Triangle Factory Fire (which must be a pretty common Roman Empire for women, right?) and big city fires in general. Wasserman did a mostly excellent job here of juggling multiple POVs; my only real complaint is that some things were repeated unnecessarily when returning to some characters, and in a strangely "this is brand new information!" sort of way.

Particularly for the lower-class characters, this book really made you feel the claustrophobia of their existence, whether that was literal in the sense of their tiny servants quarters or figurative in the portrayal of just how few options they had after the fire. It doesn't matter how big the city is if you can think of only one place to go and it's that or the streets. The contrast between the lives of the maids and the guests with their sacks of jewelry was so stark, which lent additional sympathy to the plights of the servants, even though their choices led to such ruin. Overall a very interesting book carried by a raft of engaging characters.

My thanks to Level Best Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I can tell a lot of research went into the crafting of this novel but with short chapters for each of the many characters, it felt more like a textbook than an actual story. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters but did find the story interesting. I wish I had liked it more but it was just a very jumbled mess for me, trying to keep all the stories straight and why they were doing what they were doing (particularly the one who was researching the Civil War veterans). I gave up about 20% in and may try again at a later date.

Meticulously researched. Wasserman lays out the facts of the greatest fire New York had ever seen in it's gilded age history. A mere two hours after enjoying the St Patrick's Day festivities in 1899 the New York landscape will change forever.

Wasserman weaves together the stories of the various residents of the out of fashion but lingeringly glamourous Windsor Hotel and brings us back to a time when fire regulation laws were nothing but words on paper, neither enforced nor heeded.

Take a walk with Wasserman through through the flames and into the lives of the those that were present on that fateful night.

A pacey thrill ride.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

An interesting historical book based on true facts. A lot going on and a lot of characters but it held my interest all the way through. It was also a mystery I guess you can call it since detectives and even a visitor of the hotel were trying to figure out what caused it. I liked the juxtaposition of the three young women, one who's father owned the hotel, the other, who's father managed the hotel and the third who befriended the other two and all became involved in one way or another, mostly the one who visited.

As fire breaks out in the swanky Windsor Hotel in New York on St. Patrick's Day 1899, the cause for the fire is explored from many different bystanders and characters and their angles on it. Well written with well developed characters and enough twists and turns to make it an excellent read.

I found it interesting that this was based on a true story and that attracted me to the book. However the characters are so numerous I found it difficult to keep up with them all and this distracted me from the story itself. I also found it difficult to connect to any of the character's themselves which again reduced my interest but this could have just been me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Inferno on Fifth is a story we feel we know, because of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company's tragedy and other such fire-stories of the past. Author Marlie Wasserman has approached this story like a detective on the trail of a scent. Alternating POVs give a multi-faceted look at this overlooked historical tragedy. The narrative is passed along from character to character like a flame at a candle service. We know the fire is coming. But we don't know who will escape. Wasserman's narrative keeps us guessing and worrying that our favorite characters won't survive. For a historical tragedy whose end we think we already know, Inferno on Fifth gives us a reason to hang on and follow the narrative to the very end.
--Julia Park Tracey, author of The Bereaved

Inferno on Fifth leaves the reader with a lot of questions. A story based upon a horrific, true event that occurred in New York. It’s March 17, 1899 and the exciting St. Patrick’s Day Parade was just approaching the well-known hotel of the wealthy, the Windsor Hotel. Guests were watching from their rooms, others lined the streets when people suddenly noticed a fire at the hotel. Women and children jumping out of multi-story windows as smoke bellowed out. Chaos erupted as people panicked. The fire department arrived swiftly but could only save a fraction of the people in the two hours it took to completely demolish the hotel. How could that have happened so quickly and what ignited the fire? This is the basis of the story. Was it started as a distraction for a robbery, faulty wiring, a cigar ash? So many possibilities.
There are many main characters all trying to figure out the cause for personal reasons, especially three wealthy females staying there at the time. These women, the investigators, the reporters, as well as the servants, all have their own reasons and ideas.
The reader may have a hard time keeping track of all the characters and the back and forth chapters between them. I found it difficult to connect to any one character. Maybe this was on purpose to reflect the real confusion at the time of the event. No one will ever know what actually caused the fire yet the book gives you many plausible reasons.
I rated this 3 stars. If there was a 1/2 I would have rated it 3.5.

Meticulous research, well-drawn characters, and a Gilded-Age mystery all come together in Marlie Parker Wasserman’s historical novel, Inferno on Fifth. Inspired by the 1899 Saint Patrick’s Day fire that destroyed New York City’s Windsor Hotel, this beautifully written book parts the curtain on the lives of the hotel’s well-heeled residents and guests, and the staff who serve them. With its mixture of history, fiction, and a riveting mystery, Inferno on Fifth resonates with important themes that stand the test of time. A great read!

Excellent historical fiction about a powerful fire in a hotel in New York.

We follow three women who are considered spinsters (Spinsters Unite!) who come from wealthy families. They join together to discover the truth about the fire on St Patrick's Day 1899.

I don't know that this book will be for everyone, but it's a book for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.