The Gods of Gotham

By: Lyndsay Faye

Narrated by: Steven Boyer

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1845. New York City forms its first police force. The great potato famine hits Ireland. These two seemingly disparate events will change New York City. Forever.

Timothy Wilde tends bar near the Exchange, fantasizing about the day he has enough money to win the girl of his dreams. But when his dreams literally incinerate in a fire devastating downtown Manhattan, he finds himself disfigured, unemployed, and homeless. His older brother obtains Timothy a job in the newly minted NYPD, but he is highly skeptical of this new "police force". And he is less than thrilled that his new beat is the notoriously down-and-out Sixth Ward - at the border of Five Points, the world's most notorious slum.

One night, while making his rounds, Wilde literally runs into a little slip of a girl - a girl not more than 10 years old - dashing through the dark in her nightshift... covered head to toe in blood.

Timothy knows he should take the girl to the House of Refuge, yet he can't bring himself to abandon her. Instead, he takes her home, where she spins wild stories, claiming that dozens of bodies are buried in the forest north of 23rd Street. Timothy isn't sure whether to believe her or not, but, as the truth unfolds, the reluctant copper star finds himself engaged in a battle for justice that nearly costs him his brother, his romantic obsession, and his own life.

©2012 Lyndsay Faye (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Truly enjoyable

I truly enjoyed this story. I must admit as a retired NYC Policeman of Irish heritage I have a particular fascination with the story line.

Starts off Good

It gripped me at the beginning, but by the time it was over I was completely out of the story. Steadily throughout the story one feels less and less like you are reading about early 19th century until the end when, noble though they may be, modern ideas are slammed into the reader in such a way as to be completely out of place for the period. This is good fiction, but it is terrible historical fiction.

Well written historical fiction.

The words by the author bring NYC in the 1840’s to life. Very enjoyable.

Good intro to a series

I am always looking for a new historical mystery series. This one piqued my interest and I am glad I gave it a listen. The author starts things off with a bang--a action sequence that reminded me of William Leonard Marshall (of "Yellowthread Street" and "The New York Detective"). But Faye balances forward momentum with backstory and character development, so this feels like a solid foundation for a series. There's just enough Flash slang to set the mood. The period quotes at the start of each chapter are appropriately jarring. This was the era of the Know Nothings, and we forget that even before that was a long dark history of Guy Fawks parades in colonial NY, so absolutely nothing should come as a surprise (no, not even the behavior of one of the female characters--read "City of Eros"). I liked the nod to realism in there being no black and white ending--with both plenty of guilt to go around (and an uneven distribution of punishment).

First NYPD Detective Tim Wilde

Great history wrapped in a serial killer murder spree. all is not as it seems though. wonderful character development. a bit wordy and yet it makes the characters fit into their time in early New York. worth listening to, great performance. go for it.

Couldn't finish - tedious

It's rare that I can't finish a book, even one I don't particularly enjoy. I got through 4 hours and it is just so slow and tedious and the language is so stiff I just can't continue. It takes so much description and dialogue for the smallest action. For me the story is just not compelling enough and I don't feel invested in the characters to care how it comes out. I am in the minority obviously, as there are so many glowing 5-star reviews, but this is my experience.

NYC 1845 Protestants, Catholics, and Politics

This primer on the formation of the first police department in New York City at the time of the potato famine in Ireland and great migration to America is an eye opener for sure. If it doesn't make you think twice about how we got to where we are today, I'd be greatly surprised. The hatred for Catholics, Irish and Blacks ran rampant in NYC; bribes were the norm; opioids were legal; prostitution wasn't, but might as well have been. And this was what the first police department, or the Copper Stars came up against. The story focuses on two brothers, Valentine and Timothy Wilde, who had seen their parents burn to death when they were young. The brothers are as different as night and day, Val addicted to opium and a democrat, Tim, wanting nothing to do with "the party" is a bartender and in love with the local protestant preacher's daughter . . . until a fire destroys downtown Manhattan, taking his livelihood, his home and his savings with it. Permanently scarred and lucky to be alive, Tim is forced to take a post with NYPD, where his brother, Val is a captain. When Timothy runs into a young girl in a bloodied night dress in the streets, he takes her to his landlord and it leads to a tale of unbelievable horror that he doesn't know whether or not is true. But its only the beginning of the nightmarish things that Tim will encounter on the streets as he carries out his duties as a Copper Star. This book is at times dark and you don't know who is evil and who is not. The discrimination against immigrants and blacks is frightening and sad, and worse yet is the domination and misuse of children. However, there are always those fighting for and defending these who so deserve it. Excellent first in the series.

Very well written, a nice surprise

There is so much garbage out there today it's always a pleasure to read a well written book with a great plot and characters all the way to the end

A solid detective novel

Had some usual detective story clichés and a few dialogues that were longer than necessary, but the world building of 1840s New York City was fascinating!

Engrossing from start to finish

I first encountered author Lyndsay Faye’s work when I came across her novel, Jane Steele, which reimagines Jane Eyre as a serial killer of sorts. Obviously, no self-respecting person with an English degree could pass up such a tempting tale. :) Next came the Paragon Hotel and now The Gods of Gotham in all its riveting, horrifying glory. As something of a book snob, the only two instances I could ever imagine listening to audio books were as the driver on a long road trip, or if suddenly struck blind. Readers read. They don’t listen to someone else read, or so my previous thinking went. But life and pandemics happen and suddenly you realize you’ve been an idiot, missing out on things like the brilliant performance of Gods of Gotham Narrator Steven Boyer because of silly preconceived notions. Boyer is fantastic and Faye’s writing is incredible. This is the kind of story and performance that stays with you once it’s over and makes you reflect on our country—where it’s been, where it’s going, how much—and how little—things have changed. Highly recommend.