Gotham at War: A History of New York City from 1933 to 1945 (Mike Wallace)

In Gotham at War, author Mike Wallace offers an incredibly thorough account of New York City between 1933 and 1945. Wallace brings to life a metropolis that was both an essential engine of America’s war effort and a place reshaped by the pressures and contradictions of global conflict. His narrative moves with confident energy through government offices, crowded docks, bustling factories, and city streets alive with tension and hope. The result is a portrait of a city that was never still, never simple, and metaphorically (you guessed it) never slept.

The everyday experiences of New Yorkers are highlighted throughout the book, including stories from common citizens and those in positions of prominence. Wallace shows how the war transformed work, housing, transportation, and leisure. He also explores the political battles that defined the era, from struggles over civil rights to debates about planning and growth. The city’s tension over participating in the European conflict (whether America should participate at all) was a clear theme of the 1930’s within the city. These elements give the book a remarkable sense of intimacy while preserving a broad and compelling historical perspective.

Wallace writes with a sense of detail that never feels overwhelming, and his storytelling remains focused on people as much as on policies. The city becomes a character in its own right, full of ambition and conflict and invention. Readers will come away with a richer understanding of the transformation of New York City to a true global leader.

Gotham at War is a long book but there are over 160 short chapters, which makes for easier reading given its length. It’s a very thorough and engaging work on a city that was an arsenal and financier of democracy in the 20th Century.

MY RATING: 4.5

Working Stiff (Judy Melinek, M.D. and T.J. Mitchell)

Not for the faint of heart, Working Stiff is a fascinating account of Judy Melinek's daily life as a New York City medical examiner.  But beware -- she doesn't mince words or "dumb things down" for the reader.  So if gruesome details turn you off, this book isn't for you.  However, if you love to put the pieces of a puzzle together, you'll love reading how Melinek goes about that very thing...only during autopsies instead.

Dr. Melinek began training as a forensic pathologist in New York City's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in July 2001.  Therefore, the most harrowing, heartbreaking account in Working Stiff is the chapter where she describes what it was like on September 11, one of the worst days ever in our country's history.  Most people can remember exactly where they were when they heard the news about the terrorist attacks, and many stories have been told about the heroic efforts of the police, firefighters, and other emergency workers.  However, on that angst-ridden day, the medical examiners were thrown into uncharted waters as well; I'm not going to get into the heart-pounding details Melinek writes about, but the chapter is absolutely gripping.

Ordinary doctors take care of you when you're alive; Melinek does the opposite, focusing on finding answers for heartbroken families.  Working Stiff is enthralling and will absorb you in a way that will make hours fly by.  

MY RATING - 5

A Curtain Falls (Stefanie Pintoff)

A Curtain Falls by Stefanie Pintoff is the sequel to the Edgar Award finalist In the Shadow of Gotham.  My book club picked the sequel to read so I needed to tackle this one before the first.  I was a little apprehensive, because I thought I would have needed some background, but I needn’t have worried.  A Curtain Falls is a true mystery in its own right and a darn good one at that.

Set in New York City in one of my favorite time periods, the early 1900s, Detective Simon Zeile has been asked to help on another case.  A serial killer is on the loose, murdering chorus girls in their theater houses, and arranging them in macabre positions.  Zeile is asked to keep details very hush-hush, as all relevant theaters belong to Charles Frohman, a very wealthy and powerful owner.  With his gang of motley assistants, Zeile rushes to solve the case before the next killing.

This is definitely a quick page turner, and I must admit I was not able to predict the ending.  While obviously not on the same level as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe, Pintoff succeeds in keeping the reader guessing and building suspense.  I look forward to reading In the Shadow of Gotham to get to know the history of Simon Zeile.

MY RATING - 4

Fragile (Lisa Unger)

Fragile is a mystery in the best sense of the word, with well-developed characters and slow-building suspense. It is the story of missing teenage girls, decades apart, and the connections between their disappearances.

Maggie Cooper is a well-respected psychologist living in "The Hollows", a small town outside of New York City. While juggling a busy practice, she tries desperately to keep her relationships with her detective husband, Jones, and sullen teenage son, Ricky, going strong. When Ricky's girlfriend, Charlene, goes missing, the Coopers and Charlene's mother, Melody, do everything they can to locate her. But is this a recurrence of their worst nightmare from their high school days...when Maggie, Melody, Jones, and the rest of The Hollows' parents and children had to contend with another missing girl...one who was found murdered? Only time will tell.

Unger does a fine job of connecting all of her characters and both of her plots (the disappearances of both Charlene in the present and Sarah in the past) to make one gripping novel. She is a masterful storyteller; however, as she states in the "author's note", she has had a personal experience with this. This novel is not to be missed.

MY RATING - 5

This review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.