Fanny Newcomb: And the Irish Channel Ripper + Giveaway
Publication Date: November 1, 2017
Sand Hill Review Press
Formats: Paperback & eBook
Sand Hill Review Press
Formats: Paperback & eBook
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Mystery
Gilded Age New Orleans is overrun with prostitutes, pornographers, and a malicious Jack the Ripper copycat. As threatening letters to newspaper editors proclaim, no woman is safe from his blade.
Desperate to know who murdered her favorite student, ambitious typewriting teacher Fanny Newcomb launches into a hunt for the self-proclaimed Irish Channel Ripper.
Fanny quickly enlists her well-connected employers—Principal Sylvia Giddings and her sister Dr. Olive—to help, and the women forge through saloons, cemeteries, slums, and houses of prostitution in their pursuit.
Fanny’s good intentions quickly infuriate her longtime beau Lawrence Decatur, while her reckless persistence confounds the talented police detective Daniel Crenshaw. Reluctantly, Lawrence and Daniel also lend their investigative talents to Fanny’s investigation.
As the murderer sets a date for his next heinous crime, can Fanny Newcomb and her crew stop the Irish Channel Ripper before he kills again?
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My Review
This book had charm, wit, and humor about it. The outcome was an entertaining read. While, the title mentions the Irish Channel Ripper; this book is not dark and overly gruesome. Therefore, readers who are a bit skirmish can still read this book.
Fanny, Olive, and Sylvia sure brought the entertainment. These three ladies really tried their hardest to solve the killings. They may not have always had the best approach but they showed heart. In fact, I believe a big part of the mystery solved goes to these ladies. I enjoyed them all.
Although, I would be remiss if I did not mention the two men in this book as well. There is Lawrence and Detective Crenshaw. These two men worked well together,; despite the circumstances that brought them together. Besides, any man that can put up with Fanny is a good guy.
The story was brought to live by these characters. The author did a nice job of bring the time period to life as well. It was like I was transported back in time. I could picture everything. For my first read by this author, I enjoyed it and would read more books by this author.
About the Author
A native of California, Ana Brazil lived in the south for many years. She earned her MA in American history from Florida State University and traveled her way through Mississippi as an architectural historian. Ana loves fried mullet, Greek Revival colonnades, and Miss Welty’s garden. She has a weakness for almost all things New Orleans. (Although she’s not sure just how it happened…but she favors bluegrass over jazz.)
The Fanny Newcomb stories celebrate the tenacity, intelligence, and wisdom of the dozens of courageous and outrageous southern women that Ana is proud to call friends.
Although Ana, her husband, and their dog Traveller live in the beautiful Oakland foothills, she is forever drawn to the lush mystique of New Orleans, where Fanny Newcomb and her friends are ever prepared to seek a certain justice.
For more information, please visit Ana Brazil’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads.
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Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook
Giveaway
Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook
THE SULTRY FRIDAY evening had enticed the inhabitants of the
Irish Channel out of doors, and young Liam gamely maneuvered between men,
women, donkeys, and dogs as he led Fanny and Olive through the soft darkness.
Fanny had never been in this direction from Wisdom Hall, and quickly
inventoried the new landscape: the battered old mansions that were as large and
imposing as Wisdom Hall; the tall brick warehouses that were built almost into
the streets; the slight shotgun houses that seemed to sink into the soft soil;
and…was that a church steeple?
After five blocks and one near-miss with a pair of drunken
roughs, Liam pointed toward a swelling of gaslight coming from between two
saloons. “There!”
As Liam led the women forward, Fanny saw dozens of men and
women crowded together, staring into the dimly lit space between the saloons.
Just beyond the crowd, the doors and windows of both saloons were pinned open
to the warm evening. Lights bounced from lamp to mirror in the saloons,
illuminating tables of card players, drinkers, and the women who entertained
them.
Conner’s Court, New Orleans, America ~ Irish Only was
painted in broad strokes on a wall. Even from the calmness of her father’s
downtown law office, Fanny had heard about Conner’s Court, a well-known enclave
of New Orleans’ depravity. Could it really be as evil as it was reputed to be?
Liam grabbed Olive’s arm and plowed through a hole in the crowd. Fanny followed, but Olive turned and
commanded, “Not you; this is doctor’s work.”
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