This was a really good, solid historical mystery set in New York as rival black and Irish gangs fight for control of the city. The book was obviously very well researched by the author and you really do get a sense of the time period in which the book is set and the writing and description are very evocative of that time. I really liked the writing style and the pacing was good and I was never bored. The book is about the brutal murder of a young girl and about the two characters who try to investigate it, Marshal Justy Flanagan and Kerry O'Toole. They both do their own investigating which lead them into contact with conspiracies both criminal and political and they are the only ones who can solve it and save the city. Brilliant and thrilling from start to finish.