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This #gaslightmystery action is mostly set in East Harlem,then known as Italian Harlem (1899).It‘s inhabitants were Italian immigrants.The Harlem Settlement Hall was established by volunteers to offer immigrants classes on English,citizenship,etc.A volunteer goes missing, presumed kidnapped by Italian gangsters,the”Black Hand” for ransom.What transpires is an intricate tale of gang warfare,greed,betrayal,& justice when in the peoples‘ hands.

Set in early 1900s NYC, this entry in the series features a murder involving the notorious Black Hand, a decentralized Italian crime syndicate who terrorized NYC during this time. (They were the precursor to the Mafia.)
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Kudos to the author for using Joseph Petrosino, the real life cop who took down The Black Hand, as a character in the book. Thompson really did her research. [For more info on Petrosino, read The Black Hand by Stephen Talty].

I was hesitant when I picked up this book. I seldom read murder mystery‘s. I ended up finding it a quick read, that kept me interested from beginning to end.
I enjoyed the historical aspects , especially being of Italian descent.
A 3 rating would be too low, but a 4 is bit too high. The biggest downfall was I figured out “who done it” too quickly in the story. All in all, I would recommend this book I will read more books by this author.