I throughly enjoyed this book even though at the start I did have to keep referring to the glossary to find out what some words meant but eventually was able to work them out by myself. This is Paddy Hirsch second book with the main characters being Justice or Justy Flanagan and Kerry O’Toole. It is set in 1803 New York. Kerry found a young girl dying in an alleyway after being brutally stabbed and cut, Marshall Flanagan went to see what had happened and both he and Kerry couldn’t forget the sight and both were determined to find out who had done it. The two started to find out things in their own way instead of working together, and the story from there on in takes twists and turns and once you think you have worked out one thing you find you are completely wrong. Even if you don’t like historical fiction I don’t think that will matter with this book. Very well written

Set in 19th century New York the author describes the scene and time well making it easy to put yourself there and immerse yourself fully in the action. I found the two main characters well rounded and likeable. I found myself rooting for them despite being at odds with some of their actions. At times I found it a little tricky to keep abreast of the secondary characters but this did not stop me following the storyline. My favourite character is Hardluck - although seemingly minor following his journey throughout the book was fascinating. The writing is at times challenging as it contains a lot of 19th century slang - fear not, there is a handy glossary at the back to be of assistance! It's not my usual read but I found myself engaged and enjoying it - I'd recommend it.

As a historical thriller set in New York in the 1800s I wasn't sure what I was expecting especially as I hadn't read the first novel with these characters but Paddy Hirsch sets an exceptional scene. I could picture every scene clearly and I could hear the characters American and Irish drawls clear as day in my head while I was reading. I will say one thing - I found the lingo difficult in places as I often had to refer to the translation listings in the back of the book to tell me what some of the words meant! The narrative flows really well, switching between Justice (Justy) and Kerry smoothly and allowing the reader to follow the storyline with ease. I really enjoyed these characters and I will definitely be getting the first novel from this author so that I can catch up however I don't feel I needed to read it to understand what was happening in Hudson's Kill. Overall I would recommend this novel to those who read novels such as CJ Sansom & SJ Parris and enjoy the historical aspect to those novels.

Take a walk through the tense and seamy underbelly of New York City 1803, mingle amidst the Black, Irish, and Nativist gangs, all fighting for control of this expanding city - a place where lack of sanitation means cholera outbreaks are a regular occurrence, and where treachery, political conspiracy and violence are just a part of daily life. In a dark and filthy alleyway frequented by prostitutes, and used by men with a belly full of beer who wish to relieve themselves, a young black girl lays dying, and breathes her last amidst the stench and decaying detritus. The victim has been butchered, there’s no other way to describe what her killer has done. She’s discovered by school teacher Kerry O’Toole, who sends for her friend and ally Mayor’s Marshal Justy Flanagan to investigate. Justy reckons the victim was no older than 13 or 14 years old, and yet no one comes to claim her - nobody knows her identity. One thing’s for sure, this was no common prostitute, her clothes and shoes are of the finest material, worn only by the wealthy, and her hands show no sign of calluses that one would expect to see on a slave or housemaid. Justy and Kerry are determined to bring this killer to justice, but decide to go their own separate ways. Justy also needs to find out who the victim was, and why no one has come to claim her body for burial. Their investigations lead them separately to a high walled compound on the outskirts of the city, a community of which little is known - and that’s how it’s inhabitants intend to keep it, but for both Justy and Kerry this will be an extremely dangerous assignment, and they will have to fight to save themselves , as well as New York City itself. New York in 1803 was run by racketeers via means of violence and intimidation, with little in the way of law enforcement officers. Against this background Justy and Kerry have to face up to some extremely dangerous individuals who appear to have no moral compass, and to whom human life has little or no value. This was a tense, violent, yet atmospheric historical crime thriller, and (thanks to meticulous research) managed to vividly capture New York as it would have been in the very early 19th century. Though the narrative focuses on Justy and Kerry, it also introduces secondary characters who are equally as interesting. The pair of them manage to uncover many secrets, leading to some truly action packed scenes later in the book - scenes that left me breathless, and wishing I could read at twice the speed! Very enjoyable and entertaining, with a useful glossary at the end to explain certain words and phrases.

I really enjoy historical fiction so when this book I arrived I was so excited. From the first glance it sounded terrific, and the complete book lived up to all my expectations! The author's vast levels of research really do pay off as you absolutely do feel like you’re stepping back in time – it really is that authentic! A city marshal and a teacher are both pursuing a murderer - will they meet and will they ensure justice? It is very nicely written and sheds fascinating light social problems and conflicts that still endure so gives you real food for thought. I hadn’t read the first in the series, but don't worry - this didn't detract from it, and I am now looking forward to reading more from this author.