The Alchemy of Murder [Hardcover]

Carol McCleary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

The world’s most famous reporter, the intrepid Nellie Bly, teams up with science fiction genius Jules Verne, the notorious wit and outrageous rogue Oscar Wilde, and the greatest microbe-hunter in history, Louis Pasteur.  Together, they must solve the crime of the century.

They are all in Paris—the capital of Europe and center of world culture—for the 1889 World’s Fair.  A spectacular extravaganza dedicated to new industries, scientific discoveries, and global exploration, its gateway is the soaring Eiffel Tower.  But an enigmatic killer stalks the streets and a virulent plague is striking down Parisians by the thousands.  Convinced that the killings are connected to the pandemic, Nellie is determined to stop them both... no matter what the risks.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Nellie Bly goes in search of Jack the Ripper in Paris, falls in love with Jules Verne, weasels her way into Louis Pasteur’s lab, and finds a fast friend in Oscar Wilde. The Eiffel Tower is newly erected for the 1889 World’s Fair, which is in full swing, and a maniacal slasher, transplanted from London, has more destruction on his depraved mind than cutting up prostitutes: nothing less than the utter desolation of Paris by plague. Well over the top in believability, often awkwardly phrased (“What did that mad Russian anarchist leader have in mind?”), and often broken up with clumsy authorial interjections of footnotes and historical explanations, McCleary’s debut historical suspense novel still has one big thing going for it: it showcases an appealingly flesh-and-blood Nellie Bly, one of the first women to break into a man’s world as an adventurous and plucky investigative journalist. Fans of Arruda’s Jade Cameron and Bowen’s Mollie Murphy mysteries will enjoy Bly, another unflappable female sleuth. Let’s hope McCleary works out the rough spots by the next episode. --Jen Baker

Review

"This is just the kind of book I like--atmospheric, intriguing, rife with drama. What a fabulous debut!"
--New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak

“Doing for the City of Light what Ann Perry has done for Victorian London and what The Alienist did for 19th century New York, Carol McCleary has written a gripping, atmospheric, electrifying masterwork!”
--Barbara Woods, international bestselling writer, and author of The Blessing Stone

“Feisty, funny, opinionated, persistent, Nellie Bly’s as tough as any male she meets.  A tale of peril and pursuit that is sure to keep you turning pages long after you should have been asleep.  Dazzling entertainment, so well constructed you'll re-read it after you’re done!”
--William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Constitution 

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076532203X
• ISBN-13: 978-0765322036
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb historical mystery, March 18, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Alchemy of Murder (Hardcover)

In 1885 Nellie Bly began her reporting career at the Pittsburgh Dispatch after reading an inane article about a woman being at fault for a man assaulting her. Two years later, she travels to New York where she seeks a journalist position at the New York World, but the Gotham newspaper Gods rejected her. She sells the idea of going undercover as a woman committed to the notorious Blackwell's Island Asylum for ten days; Mr. Pulitzer and his managing editor Mr. Cockerill are stunned but accept.

However, once inside as a mad woman, she realizes that Dr. Blum was murdering New York prostitutes. Pulitzer showed no interest, but Nellie was hired for other undercover exposés. She soon learns of a serial killer in Whitechapel London using the name Jack. She went there after Ripper, but failed to catch him. She soon follows the homicide trail to Paris where the World's Fair introduces the Eiffel Tower while a plague kills many residents, but the killer remains loose. She meets Jules Verne, Oscar Wilde and Louis Pasteur while stalking a psychopath.

This is a superb historical mystery told in the first person by the intrepid heroine. Her obsessive hunt for the prostitute killer spans two continents and several years as the audience obtains a feel for time and place. The two literary greats seem a bit forced into the plot although both assist the intrepid reporter and enhance the era; on the other hand Pasteur is a great inclusion especially his tour of the Paris sewers. Filled with drawings to better describe some of the happenings, readers will enjoy the escapades of four famous people trying to solve the serial murder crimes of the late nineteenth century.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not well written, March 26, 2011

By 

Kitsilanoguy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alchemy of Murder (Hardcover)

I must not have read the same book as the other reviewers on Amazon because this book was a complete mess. The writing style is awkward and switches around between first and third person perspectives, with little notes from "the editors" on many of the pages. I "get" it, and I know what the author is trying to achieve but for me it just didn't feel very polished. Story is pretty predictable and the inclusion of historical figures felt more like a gimmick than anything. Overall, unless you're a mystery buff, pass on this.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars so so mystery, July 13, 2011

By 

D. Dubuque (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Alchemy of Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

Wanted to like this more because I love historical mysteries. But both protagonist and antagonist were portrayed in exaggerated ways - SO evil and the ONLY person who knows the truth. Just could not like Nellie Bly as portrayed here. She was so stupid and willful at times and just like in some horror movies you want to say "don't do that", but she does. The historical characters seemed gimmicky except perhaps Jules Verne. The evil antagonist was SO evil he is nearly the anitchrist, having assasinated the Russian czar, was Jack the Ripper, etc. Book was too long considering Nellie's personality and the excessive exaggerated evil of her opponent.