Secret of the White Rose

Reviews

"Pintoff is at the top of her game in this third entry in her Edgar® Award-winning historical series. ... Suspenseful and overlaid with symbols, ciphers, and early psychological study—a real winner."
—Library Journal, Starred Review

"The third in Edgar® Award-winning Pintoff's series of historical mysteries set in turn-of-the-century New York City is every bit as action-packed and intriguing as its predecessors ... again provid[ing] a zingy mix of old-fashioned detective work and then-newfangled forensic science."
—Booklist

"Edgar®-winner Pintoff proves with her third historical (after 2010's A Curtain Falls) that she's the equal of Caleb Carr. The author couples spot-on period details with her most sophisticated plot yet."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Pintoff explores New York at the turn of the century, from its society gentlemen's clubs to its teeming immigrant neighborhoods, without ever resorting to kitsch or stereotypes. Densely plotted, rich in moral ambiguity and guaranteed to grip readers to the very last page."
—Kirkus, Starred Review

"There are far too few historical mysteries that succeed in balancing their fiction elements with accurate historical details. In actuality, it's a real challenge. Too much history, and the story is overwhelmed, disappears. Too little history, and the scenes fade out to an uninteresting, anonymous gray before readers' eyes. Thankfully, Pintoff has a knack for balancing acts... In this next installment of hero Detective Ziele's adventures, Pintoff delivers again, providing readers with a gripping gothic tale of conspiracy, anarchy, and the struggle to bring justice to the city."
—Historical Novels Review

"This historical mystery is rich with detail about turn-of-the-last-century New York and the fledgling field of criminology... The characters, setting and plot are all great; plus, the anarchists remind us that terrorists are nothing new."
—RT Book Reviews

"Pintoff delivers a rousing and admirably fair account of the anarchist movement that was unnerving the city at this time. The fictional hook is the murder of the presiding judge in the sensational trial of an anarchist who caused the deaths of five people, including a child, during a failed bomb attack on the industrialist Andrew Carnegie. But the scene that really sizzles is the political rally at Ehrhardt's Beer Hall, at which anarchists, socialists and unionists vent their anger at the deplorable working conditions of the period—and make a stronger case for their cause than they're normally allowed in historical mysteries."
—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

A Curtain Falls

Reviews

"It's boom times in 1906 New York City, and the theater world is thriving. When a chorus girl is found dead on a Broadway stage, Capt. Declan Mulvaney asks his former partner Simon Ziele to help out. With the help of criminologist Alistair Sinclair and his daughter-in-law, Ziele must use all of his investigative powers, along with Sinclair's insights into motive and society, to solve this one. VERDICT: This worthy sequel to Pintoff's acclaimed Edgar Award-[winning] debut, In the Shadow of Gotham, brings to life New York's theater world at the turn of the 20th century and the fledgling science of criminology. Fans of Caleb Carr will like this one."
   —Library Journal (starred review)

"Set in New York City in 1906, Pintoff's worthy sequel to her Edgar-finalist debut, In the Shadow of Gotham (2009), finds Det. Simon Ziele pursuing another sensational case ... the convincing period detail and expert storytelling will hook most readers."
   —Publishers Weekly

"Set in 1906, Pintoff's A Curtain Falls depicts a New York City in transition and the beginnings of modern crime detection. Her comparison to Caleb Carr is well earned, although Pintoff shows a wider range and deeper affinity for storytelling than the author of The Alienist. Pintoff's meticulous research captures the heart of the era but her detailed characters and gripping plot about greed, jealousy and obsession for fame set A Curtain Falls on a higher plane ... Pintoff's debut, In the Shadow of Gotham, won the 2009 St. Martin's Press/Mystery Writers of America Best First Mystery Award and, more recently, an Edgar Award for best debut. Her high standards continue in A Curtain Falls."
   —Oline Cogdill, The Florida Sun-Sentinel (read the full review)

"Stefanie Pintoff's debut, In the Shadow of Gotham, won two major first novel awards. This sequel is even better. It's the early 20th century. Former New York police partners Simon Ziele and Declan Mulvaney have taken very different paths. Ziele relocated to rural Dobson, where he can solve crime without facing the violence of the city. Mulvaney, in Gotham, glories in the most violent crimes. But when a showgirl dies onstage, he's stumped and calls on his old partner for help. Pintoff seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of early criminal investigation, and fits it all into an excellent plot."
   —Toronto Globe and Mail

"The period detail places the reader as a participant in the action. Readers can imagine the streets of New York at that time and expect to find the author walking toward them on Broadway or Times Square in period clothing. The characters quickly become friends or enemies. Have you chosen which accurately? Suspense and action drip from the pages of this tightly plotted mystery. A Curtain Falls is a really good book by Stefanie Pintoff, who was an Edgar® Winner for Best First Mystery for In the Shadow of Gotham."
   —Bookloons.com

"The characters and the plot are well done, with a few good twists thrown in, but where Pintoff really excels is in vividly putting the reader into 1906 Manhattan. Not only does she shed information on police procedures—fingerprinting was still a new science, not yet used in courts as evidence, and Ziele relies on a handwriting expert, despite being dubious at first—but we also get marvelous tidbits about the Dakota building, Times Square, Central Park and Broadway. The book is so well-researched that we even get the menu of the day for a famed Fifth Avenue restaurant..... A Curtain Falls is an even stronger book than the first..."
   —Reviewingtheevidence.com

"Pintoff has proved that she's more than a one-hit wonder with this novel."
   —Marlene Pyle for Genre Review

"Pintoff has demonstrated an incredible ability to bring historical New York City to life, and this book is no exception ... The mystery in A Curtain Falls was well-written and very puzzling. So many times, I thought I had it figured out, but then Pintoff would throw a curveball that had me rethinking my theory. I also loved the creative nature of the murders. Pintoff does a fantastic job with the descriptions in this novel and really makes each scene vivid in the reader's mind. A Curtain Falls was an exceptional mystery; I raced through it, but was very sad when it was over. This is an excellent series, and I hope Pintoff keeps with it for a long time to come."
   —S Krishna Book Reviews (read the full review)

In the Shadow of Gotham

Reviews

"Pintoff's debut, winner of the first Minotaur Books/MWA Best First Crime Novel award, will remind many of Caleb Carr at his best. The wreck of the steamship General Slocum in 1904 cost Det. Simon Ziele of the New York City police both his fiancee and the full use of his right arm. In response to those losses, Ziele has abandoned big-city policing for the quiet dullness of Dobson, a town in Westchester County, but a brutal murder interrupts his retreat from the world. Someone slashes and bludgeons to death Sarah Wingate, a Columbia mathematics graduate student whose brilliance evoked jealousy in her peers, in her home under circumstances that resemble the notorious murders of Lizzie Borden's parents. Ziele's investigation is soon co-opted by Alistair Sinclair, a student of criminology who's convinced he knows the culprit's identity. The period detail, characterizations and plotting are all top-notch, and Ziele has enough depth to carry a series."
   —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The first winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competion nicely contrasts academic theorizing with the reality of police detection set against the backdrop of a vividly depicted turn-of-the-century Gotham."
   —Library Journal (starred review)

"Pintoff excavates a rich vein of early criminology... She also delivers a gripping detective story... Great for dexterous plotting and for New York atmosphere at the turn of the last century."
   —Booklist Review

"What a fabulous first novel. Set in New York City in the early 1900s, Pintoff's fascinating historical mystery has believable, multidimensional characters. Her attention to the societal mannerisms and the crime-solving techniques of the period provides interesting detail without slowing the pace. Plus, the mystery is original and carefully planned. Clues are present throughout, but the ending still brings a surprising twist."
   —Romantic Times Review

"In a setting rich with period detail, the Gothic horror spirals to a satisfying conclusion."
   —Kirkus Reviews

"[A] superior historical mystery... The author has inevitably been compared to Caleb Carr, whom she certainly rivals in her meticulous research into the period and its fledgling forensics. For a first novelist especially, she does an outstanding job of blending historical detail with engaging characters and a suspenseful plot."
   —The Denver Post

"Congratulations to Stefanie Pintoff on this outstanding debut novel! An appealing character, terrific suspense, and skillful interweaving of historical detail make In The Shadow of Gotham a winner."
   —Marcia Muller

"Stefanie Pintoff captures time and place expertly while displaying the procedures and challenges of police work at the dawn of a new age in forensics in this fine first novel. In The Shadow of Gotham will fascinate and educate even as it holds the reader in the suspense of a good mystery. That's a special package."
   —Michael Koryta

"I am not usually a fan of historical novels, but this kept me enthralled from the very beginning to the end. The plot is absorbing, the characters well drawn and the time and place beautifully depicted, particularly the role of women in that time ... VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."
   —Eden Embler for I Love a Mystery Newsletter (April 2009)

"Pintoff won the 2008 St. Martin's Minotaur/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel contest with this book. It's a damn good book. I knew early on (before page 100) who the killer was, but it was an intuitive thing, based on one phrase, and I was not quite correct. I spent the rest of the book trying to figure out if I really was right, looking for the red herrings and the diversions. Reading the book with that perspective demonstrated Pintoff's grasp of the craft, her plotting skills, and her ability to develop good characters. I'm really hoping the second book comes out quickly."
   —P.J. Coldren, Reviewing the Evidence

"It was fascinating to read about the early stages of fingerprinting techniques and the beginnings of what we know today as "criminal profiling." Ms. Pintoff, herself a graduate of Columbia Law School, has done an excellent job of researching these areas and her richly-detailed plot makes for a smoothly flowing novel. As a winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writer's of America First Crime Novel Competition, In the Shadow of Gotham will be a tough act to follow for future entrants."
   —Marlene Pyle, The Genre Review

The Chicago Daily Candy features In The Shadow of Gotham as one of their six picks for Best New Summer Books.
   —Chicago Daily Candy

"[A] magnificent debut mystery ... Some authors can lay a story before you with smooth-flowing prose, making it easy to become engrossed in the plot, even when nothing heart-pounding is happening. Ms. Pintoff is one of those authors. Don't miss this deep, mesmerizing mystery by first-time author Stefanie Pintoff. You owe it to yourself to get lost in a great read like In the Shadow of Gotham."
   —Margaret Marr, Nights & Weekends

Pintoff's debut mystery is a complex story, combining history, a memorable police detective, a new criminology science, and action. It's an outstanding historical mystery in which the story doesn't bog down in details. Pintoff's debut is a success.
   —Lesa Holstine, Mystery News