Engrossing, atmospheric, informative and accessible historical fiction set in 1800’s New York.
Hudson’s Kill is the second novel in the Justice “Justy” Flanagan series set in New York around the turn of the nineteenth century and having not read the first, The Devil’s Half Mile, I approached this book without knowing the background or the protagonist. I can comfortably confirm that this didn’t prove a hindrance to my understanding and entertainment from a rousing story and a meeting with Justy Flanagan, a flawed protagonist who fights for the truth.
1803 Manhattan and crime is escalating as the city expands and the Irish, black and American nativist gangs fight for control and with immigrants flooding into the city, neutral territory is scarce. Whilst the powerful men who dominate the city are protected and attended by slaves, for other citizens the streets can be lawless and the atmosphere bristles with tension as the melting pot threatens to spoil over with violence or an outbreak of fire. Intimidation and maiming might be prevalent, but an obvious murder is far less frequent and when twenty-year-old Kerry O’Toole discovers a dying dark-skinned teenage girl with a horrific knife wound she immediately sends for Marshal Justice Flanagan, knowing that he will do what is right by the victim. However, feisty Kerry is equally determined to find answers, all of which is compounded by the fact that nobody comes to claim the victim.
Justy has spent four years acting as one of five Mayor’s Marshals having oversight of the city but lacking in power to stave off the rising wave of crime. Whilst his superior, High Constable Jacob Hays, lobbies the Mayor for a permanent police presence, the upper-classes are opposed to what is essentially an English idea. And with his military background, imposing stature and strong moral compass, Justy, is a man who loathes injustice and is not afraid to fight dirty if he has to. His very unofficial ally is mixed-race reformed pickpocket, Kerry O’Toole, the daughter of an Irish gangster and a runaway slave with links - and protection - from the two most powerful gangs, who together rule the city with their racketeering.
Through a series of observations (skin colour, religious tattoos and expensive attire), delicate inquiries and the word on the street, Justy and Kerry separately arrive at the same conclusion that the victim hails from inside the walls of a secretive compound beyond the slums of Canvas Town. Both have their own ingenious ways of getting beyond the walls but discovering the real reason why the victims body was never claimed is a far more sordid one. As the Muslim encampment and their leader, Umar, prove openly hostile, the heads of two rival gangs (Justy’s uncle Ignatius ‘The Bull’ Flanagan and Kerry’s cousin Lew Owens) start circling..
Not only is the research that has gone into the story phenomenal but it is made incredibly accessible by Paddy Hirsch with a constant drip-feed of the knowledge needed to enable the story to flow and be comprehensive. The Manhattan setting is richly described with every aspect from the unsavoury to the hard realities brought to life and the brutal pecking order that dictates the class hierarchy explored. A continual underlying debate on morality and social hierarchy rumbles on throughout the story making for a thought-provoking aside to Justy’s endeavours. The story draws in the good, bad, rich and poor across the city as Justy leaves no stone unturned and refuses to be treat the entitled as off limits or beyond answering to wrongdoing, meaning his interaction with the lowly to the most eminent of men has a charged edge.
There is a liberal smattering of ‘flash’ (underworld slang) in the narrative and although much of it can be understood in context, there is a handy glossary included. The violence is graphic and frequent but feels appropriate for the dog eat dog culture of the era. Admittedly the plot contains quite a number of convenient coincidences, however this feels necessary in order to keep the pace brisk and momentum high.
Justy and Kerry are both credibly flawed characters with Justy street smart and not beyond violence but inherently kind-hearted with a respect for all, regardless of status or creed, and genuine compassion. In this quality he is united with Kerry, who although internally wrangling with her own background and path in life, sides fiercely with the oppressed and disenfranchised, whether it be through their gender or class. Although Justy and Kerry don’t work in tandem, both of them are loosely aware of the others activity as they vie for the same cause. And with clear romantic tension between the pair with Justy wearing his heart of his sleeve and Kerry’s tough exterior making her reluctant to reciprocate, who knows what the future has in store for this dynamic duo..!
This is definitely a series I intend to follow with the first book already on my list!
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
1803 Manhattan and crime is escalating as the city expands and the Irish, black and American nativist gangs fight for control and with immigrants flooding into the city, neutral territory is scarce. Whilst the powerful men who dominate the city are protected and attended by slaves, for other citizens the streets can be lawless and the atmosphere bristles with tension as the melting pot threatens to spoil over with violence or an outbreak of fire. Intimidation and maiming might be prevalent, but an obvious murder is far less frequent and when twenty-year-old Kerry O’Toole discovers a dying dark-skinned teenage girl with a horrific knife wound she immediately sends for Marshal Justice Flanagan, knowing that he will do what is right by the victim. However, feisty Kerry is equally determined to find answers, all of which is compounded by the fact that nobody comes to claim the victim.
Justy has spent four years acting as one of five Mayor’s Marshals having oversight of the city but lacking in power to stave off the rising wave of crime. Whilst his superior, High Constable Jacob Hays, lobbies the Mayor for a permanent police presence, the upper-classes are opposed to what is essentially an English idea. And with his military background, imposing stature and strong moral compass, Justy, is a man who loathes injustice and is not afraid to fight dirty if he has to. His very unofficial ally is mixed-race reformed pickpocket, Kerry O’Toole, the daughter of an Irish gangster and a runaway slave with links - and protection - from the two most powerful gangs, who together rule the city with their racketeering.
Through a series of observations (skin colour, religious tattoos and expensive attire), delicate inquiries and the word on the street, Justy and Kerry separately arrive at the same conclusion that the victim hails from inside the walls of a secretive compound beyond the slums of Canvas Town. Both have their own ingenious ways of getting beyond the walls but discovering the real reason why the victims body was never claimed is a far more sordid one. As the Muslim encampment and their leader, Umar, prove openly hostile, the heads of two rival gangs (Justy’s uncle Ignatius ‘The Bull’ Flanagan and Kerry’s cousin Lew Owens) start circling..
Not only is the research that has gone into the story phenomenal but it is made incredibly accessible by Paddy Hirsch with a constant drip-feed of the knowledge needed to enable the story to flow and be comprehensive. The Manhattan setting is richly described with every aspect from the unsavoury to the hard realities brought to life and the brutal pecking order that dictates the class hierarchy explored. A continual underlying debate on morality and social hierarchy rumbles on throughout the story making for a thought-provoking aside to Justy’s endeavours. The story draws in the good, bad, rich and poor across the city as Justy leaves no stone unturned and refuses to be treat the entitled as off limits or beyond answering to wrongdoing, meaning his interaction with the lowly to the most eminent of men has a charged edge.
There is a liberal smattering of ‘flash’ (underworld slang) in the narrative and although much of it can be understood in context, there is a handy glossary included. The violence is graphic and frequent but feels appropriate for the dog eat dog culture of the era. Admittedly the plot contains quite a number of convenient coincidences, however this feels necessary in order to keep the pace brisk and momentum high.
Justy and Kerry are both credibly flawed characters with Justy street smart and not beyond violence but inherently kind-hearted with a respect for all, regardless of status or creed, and genuine compassion. In this quality he is united with Kerry, who although internally wrangling with her own background and path in life, sides fiercely with the oppressed and disenfranchised, whether it be through their gender or class. Although Justy and Kerry don’t work in tandem, both of them are loosely aware of the others activity as they vie for the same cause. And with clear romantic tension between the pair with Justy wearing his heart of his sleeve and Kerry’s tough exterior making her reluctant to reciprocate, who knows what the future has in store for this dynamic duo..!
This is definitely a series I intend to follow with the first book already on my list!
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.