Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This author has done an incredible job of creating a true sense of time. We are taken back to the early 1900s so vividly and with such attention to detail that it is a truly immersive experience. The story itself is fast paced and I found Ingo to be an intriguing character. A great read.

Wow this is a rollercoaster of a ride. You have no idea what is going to happen next. Totally action packed you find yourself holding your breath as Ingo Finch escapes from another terrifying situation. This can be read as a standalone book but I now want to go back and read the others.

As with the other two books in this series, it was a learning experience. Although there are a few scenes shown to us before the actual narrative begins, they are important pieces of the puzzle. You can pick this up without having read the previous two, but I do not recommend it. It would not feel satisfying enough.


The actual narrative takes place in 1904 in New York where a city is coming to fruition thanks to the sweat and blood (literally) of many people working on different things for the city. It is both easy and hard to visualize the descriptions if you have ever visited NYC.
Our protagonist is Ingo Finch, who is on a reluctant mission. Powers that be have strong-armed him into a situation which he does not fully understand until he arrives in the country. Initially, he is not specifically aware of what is required of him and stumbles along, surviving to the best of his ability. A bit of luck and just plain guts, he sees his way to the end in (almost) one piece. The mission is to keep chaos from engulfing things and make sure international relations stay in a balance.
I began this review, mentioning it as a learning experience because the author provides accurate information about things that happened in and around the location at the time, which are fascinating. I kept spouting off a few of them to friends I visited the city with, and they were equally interested. It is an extremely fast-paced storyline, with constant movement and action. There is violence, but it is not something that is dwelt on for too long.
Overall, I think this was a very satisfying read, and I have a faint suspicion about the next place Ingo might end up in, and I look forward to seeing him survive that ordeal.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book and the previous works of the series.

Set in New York in the early years of the 20th century this books starts out really with a detailed historical background to the diverse cultures and actions of the time - the right wingers of German extraction, the Italians' Family, the Chinese - all wanting to be American but staying true to their history. Not an easy situation and there are plenty of others to raise tension and antagonism. Getting on for halfway it felt that the story really started - plots, murder, conspiracy and politics setting the stage for the First World War. Well-written and more compelling once into the story, bit gory at times, definitely brutal at times. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

What do you get when you have the...

National Bureau of Identification (NBI)
The 1904 intelligence branch for Britain, MO3
American Nationalism Party
The Mob
The gangs of New York
with a dash of violence, murdering and everyone peddling a new drug called Heroin? 💉🚬🔪

You most certainly have yourself on a rollercoaster, which I strongly advise you to buckle up and enjoy the intensity of traveling back in time to the 1900’s along side Ingo Finch, who faces his biggest challenge yet, and is caught in a deadly game, which only the Big Apple can hand out.

“And I see a man who’s gone astray...” her hands gripped him tightly
“Der Germanenorden... The Order of Teutons... The ancient ways...” she rasped.
“Do not dishonour the gods.”

Walk along side mr Finch, who is underprepared for this dangerous assignment but pretty resourceful, as he tries to solve this jaw dropping General Slocum case, which left the German community broken and devastated, whilst a populist senator who is preying on their grievances.

In this unputdownable actin packed, Gilded Age mystery third thrilling installment of the Ingo Finch crime series, the action never stops and barely slows down in this page turning series. Get your hands on a copy now! You’ll thank me later 😉

“That’s more than his family earn in a week,” breathed Krank.
“A family now in our pocket.”

P.S this book can be read as a stand alone novel💪🏼 the other two, No Ordinary Killing and The Cold North Sea are just as great. Check them out as well

I've been a fan of Jeff Dawson's Ingo Finch series since reading the first book, No Ordinary Killing, in 2017 and I absolutely loved the 2018 follow-up, The Cold North Sea. Although there are brief references to events in the previous books, Hell Gate can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. However I'm betting that, having read it, you'll want to go back to where it all began and find out just why Ingo Finch finds himself at the beck and call of the British secret service.

I recall describing The Cold North Sea as "Buchanesque" and, as regular followers of my blog (What Cathy Read Next) will know, there is no higher compliment as far as I'm concerned. I'll happily award the same accolade to Hell Gate. Although there's a terrific scene on a train that could have come straight out of a James Bond movie, the episode in which Finch infiltrates an anarchist group reminded me of the exploits of John Buchan's hero, Richard Hannay, in Mr. Standfast and a pursuit across open country recalled Hannay's adventures in The Thirty-Nine Steps.

Ingo Finch's latest mission sees him sent to New York, a city that in 1904 is a "growing metropolis in all its living, steaming, cacophonous glory". I enjoyed seeing him experiencing landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge and his exploits take him to many well-known parts of the city, including Central Park, Broadway, the Meatpacking District and Little Italy. I also loved his wide-eyed reaction to American innovations such as traffic lights and toothpaste you squeeze from a tube. He also has his first taste of pizza and a hot dog.

There are walk-on parts for some famous historical figures such as financier J.P. Morgan, chairman of the White Star Line, Bruce Ismay, and captain of the Baltic, the ocean liner on which Finch travels to America, Edward Smith (later to become infamous as the captain of another ship). There's even a mention of a Trump!

As in the earlier books, there are fascinating nuggets of historical fact around which the author has wrapped a gripping historical thriller. For instance, I hadn't appreciated how much of the population of New York at the time was made up of people of German extraction and to what extent this influenced political and economic power within the city. As one character says, "German labour built this city. German labour built the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg...".

As Finch reflects at one point, "The United States was a nation forged in blood" and it's not long before he's experiencing the realities of the melting pot that is New York with its rival gangs and political factions fighting for control. "All I can tell you is that it's getting worse - far worse. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews... We got Russian gangs, Chinese gangs, too... We got Black gangs, Hispanic gangs. And now...The Germans."

In the dedication to The Thirty-Nine Steps, addressed to his friend Tommy Nelson, John Buchan recalls their mutual fondness for ‘that elementary type of tale…which we know as the “shocker” – the romance where the incidents defy the probabilities, and march just inside the borders of the possible’.  It's an apt description of Hell Gate in which Ingo Finch lurches from one narrow escape to another and is constantly trying to work out - as is the reader - who he can trust. The short answer is pretty much no-one.

The author keeps the pace moving and the tension building as Finch seeks to achieve his mission. As with any good action hero, he gets rather battered and bruised along the way. I'll admit to having developed a slight crush on Finch making me think it might almost be worth being held captive by a mysterious cult in order to be rescued by him. However, I also suspect I might have some quite formidable rivals for his affections.

If you're a fan of historical crime thrillers that feature an intrepid hero, are set in interesting locations, that exude the atmosphere of the period and have a plot that cleverly combines fact and fiction, then this is the series for you. I loved Hell Gate and I can't wait for the next outing for Ingo Finch, not least because he has unfinished business...

A diverting spy thriller with a historical slant.

Our protagonist finds himself reluctantly (we are not told why) spying for the British government in pre-prohibition New York. Betrayal and subterfuge dog his steps and he finds himself a fugitive. Will he stay alive long enough to get his man and complete his mission?

The book takes some time to get started, as it spends the first third or so setting the historical scene. It does this very well, in that we do get a view of both the environment and the political context, but in doing so, the book seems a bit slow going. The adventure side does get going eventually, and from then on, I felt compelled enough to finish the book.

There are no great surprises, and it is a decent yarn. Good for those interested in political history, and has some good insights into national culturalism and the political and other tensions in pre-war America.

gangsters, the-mob, historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, espionage, thriller, political-intrigue, noir, action, early-20th-century, NYC*****

The action never stops and rarely slows down! IF is an agent for MO3, the 1904 intelligence branch for Britain, currently assigned to assist the National Bureau of Identification in NYC. There are great problems with various immigrant nationalism sects, the gangs of New York, the Mob, and something called the American Nationalism Party. Everyone is peddling heroin and violence. Despite all this, Mr. IF is woefully underprepared for this assignment but resourceful. No spoilers, but the publisher's blurb is a pretty good hook.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from @Canelo_co via NetGalley. Thank you!