
Member Reviews

Not what I expected.
I enjoy Nancy Bilyeau's novels so did not take much notice of the blurb, expecting it to be a botanical themed book.
I was surprised to find it set in New York with two time lines and set in the time of prohibition..
Audenzia is a widow with a young son, she lives in little Italy with her in laws, they have a delicatessen and she helps out there, she is close to them both but particularly her Father-in-law. Adenzia has a job at the local library so does have some independence, she befriends a library user a shabby, older man and also has some conflicts with another member of staff. Staff at the library have to be reduced and Audenzia is the one to loose her job, at the same time Mr Watkins her shabby friend is shot and killed. During a police interview, it is revealed that Mr Watkins was deputy Mayor of New York and involved in cleaning up speakeasies and the import of illegal liquor. The local gangs in Little Italy are involved in all of the illegal operations and murders.
Audenzia has to strive to break from the traditional Italian family role to help find the killers of Mr Watkins and her Father-in-Law, this leads her on a very dangerous path.
Slightly confusing at first, but once the characters are sorted out a compelling and interesting read.
Thank you Nancy and NetGalley.

New York in the '20's is a far cry from today, and a far cry from the old country of Italy for Zia, a young widow in her twenties with a young son. Working as a librarian at a Carnegie library with a large number of immigrant patrons, Zia is the model Italian daughter-in-law until an enigmatic patron is murdered right outside the library. Zia didn't know him well, but he had asked her to do an Italian to English translation of some poetry, and his death, besides being distressing, was also financially impacting. When Zia initially seems to be a suspect, she becomes obsessed in finding the real killer. Her investigation will take her from an undercover job in a speakeasy for the politically connected and seemingly immune from consequences. to an attempt on her life. In a way it's a coming of age story as Zia questions her old country beliefs and aspires to more than traditional norms. The Orchid Hour is a super compelling read, a fantastic historical mystery!

Who doesn't want to jump in the roaring 20s world of gangsters and speakeasies?
This book promised a glittering world and a roaring story, but for me it lacked luster. Where it did excel and interest was in the history of the Orchid and the clubs of the day. I found that very fascinating.
The characters.... I just didn't root for them or find them endearing. I wasn't invested in them or their story. Despite offering numerous insights into them with the chapters shifting points of view.
As for that chapters from other points of view that just interrupted the flow for me and give it a disjointed feel.
Overall it wasn't for me.
Grab this book and few drinks to slip between the chapters and enjoy a tipple.

This was such a clever and immersive historical fiction novel. It was set during a time period that I had never read about before and I was so ignorant of the issues that Sicilians had gone through when they moved to the US.
Not only did I learn a lot while reading the book, but I grew very fond of the main character. It was lovely to see her throw off the 'shackles' that had been placed upon her by her feelings of responsibility to her in-laws after her husband's death. It was quite melancholic at times, but the atmosphere of the book shone throughout and I felt myself researching orchids afterwards.
I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

The year is 1923 and the reader is immersed in the not so 'good 'ol days' of Little Italy, New York. A time when prohibition was the law and the 'Black Hand' enforced a protection racket. A time of first generation immigrants, overcrowded tenements, speakeasy's, rum runners, racketeers, bootleggers, and police corruption.
It was also a period of intense racial prejudice and xenophobia. The Italians disliked the Jewish. The Jewish disliked the Irish. The Irish disliked the Asians. The Protestants disliked the Catholics. And... EVERYBODY hated the Sicilians because of their fear of the Sicilian gangsters. Scarily, it was also a time when the push for eugenics was at its peak.
Our protagonist, Zia De Luca, is a first generation immigrant from Sicily. Since landing in America she has lost her parents to the Spanish Flu, and also her beloved husband and brother in the Great War. Now, at twenty-seven years of age, she and her young son live with her late husband's parents on Mulberry St. in Little Italy. She works in a public library and help out with her father-in-law's cheese shop.
After a library patron enlists her assistance to translate a play, events culminate in his being murdered outside the library. Thus begins a dark spiral that consumes Zia in its wake. Then another murder hits very close to home and Zia is determined to see justice done. She thinks the two murders are connected in some way to a speakeasy called 'The Orchid Hour' and she enlists the assistance of Charles Luciano (formerly named Salvatore and Zia's cousin) to secure her access to the club. She and Salvatore had a strong bond that originated when they suffered the deprivations and squalor of travelling in steerage on the same ship from the old country.
With themes of avarice, bribery, power, and corruption, this novel immerses the reader in its world. The book was well researched and the characters believable. Interspersed with the fictional characters were real historical characters such as J. Edgar Hoover, 'Lucky' Luciano, and many more. New York, the 'Big Apple' is shown to be rotten through to its core. Fans of historical fiction will relish this foray into a rather sordid time in American history.

I read another of this author's books - 'Dreamland' - and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, despite some strengths, I didn't really like 'The Orchid Hour'.
Here, we have the protagonist, Zia, who lives in 1920s New York. She works at the public library, living her life in and around the Italian immigrant community. Two major things happen: a man she has been helping in the library is shot dead outside. Then, her father-in-law is shot dead in his shop. Zia makes it her mission to get to the bottom of who is responsible. Getting a job at the speakeasy (this is prohibition-era America) 'The Orchid Hour' is high on her list. She knows the answer lies in the dingy back alleys of New York.
The reason I didn't love this is that I don't feel it evokes the time period effectively. Characterisation is quite strong, and there is some well-written prose here. However, it feels too modern - it didn't evoke the 1920s for me in the way that other books have (one notable example is 'The Great Gatsby'). I feel that 'Dreamland' did this and took me to a very different place. 'The Orchid Hour' didn't have the same effect. However, I realise this is subjective and others love it, so maybe it's me!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A slow burn mystery in 1920s New York with prohibition and all the glitz and glamour of the age really appealed to me. I also really enjoyed Nancy's previous books: The Fugitive Colours and The Blue. I had a harder time with this novel though, which I found a little slow for my taste but this would be a cosy read for an autumn night.

The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau was a good mystery read with tons of twists and unraveling bits. I enjoyed the slow burn of the mystery and all of the history that the author included. The main character Zia was a woman of perseverance despite several early tragedies and she definitely didn't take no for an answer. I admired her quiet strength throughout the trials of the book. The 1920s scene was full of bootleggers, gangsters, and private clubs. The glamour of the scene was balanced by the gritty underbelly of crime and desperation that many immigrants faced. I thought the mystery and sleuthing was done well and it was a good read but it was slow at times and I couldn't really get into the story as much as I had hoped.

I found this book to be a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the idea of Audenzia (Zia) Di Luca taking matters into her own hands to pursue justice in a world run by fear and violence. The character development of Zia was really interesting and I loved watching her confidence and her knowledge of what she can do expand. The main thing that hooked me in this book was the mystery and how the three view points weaved together to give such a complex view of this time in New York. Unfortunately the characters other than Zia and Sal seemed a little one dimensional and the romance that emerges also seemed to come from no where. I do wish that the mystery was fleshed out a little bit more but overall I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more by the author.

I received an AD PR copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Insta Book Tours.
The Orchid Hour is a novel set in the 1920s Prohibition era in New York and we follow Audenzia (Zia) as she navigates life as not only a single parent war widow but also navigating the rules and regulations within the sicilia families she was not only born into but married in to too. I loved seeing Zia develop across the course of the book from a timid librarian into an investigator after her father-in-law and an elderly accuantance she was fond of are killed. Zia had so much strength and courage, especially for the era and her heritage. Her investigation takes her to the Orchid Hour, which is a nightclub owned by a very dangerous gangster. The author did an amazing job of mixing fictional characters with real-life people, and the book really pulls you in! I didn't want this book to end!

Perfect blend of history and mystery, Nancy Bilyeau creates characters that you empathise with. You feel the atmosphere of the 1920s - both the struggle of the Italian immigrants and the underworld of prohibition New York.
A great story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Orchid Hour.

This was a great read. The feeling I had after reading this can only be described as book-hangover. It was interesting, captivating. and the descriptions of New York in the 20s made me want to go back in time and travel there. Since this is historical fiction, there are also mentions of the mafia and their empire at the time, and about the social status of immigrants in the US. The way all of this is written about and described is engaging and it didn’t feel like I was taking a history lesson. All the facts blend perfectly with the murder mystery and Nancy Bilyeau makes it seamlessly.
The mystery kept me reading and guessing until the very end. All the ends get tied up beautifully, creating an perfecting ending to the story. While it started off slow, when it picks up, it picks up. This is definitely a page-turned that will get you hooked and not let go.
The jewel of this book though, is the main character. I fell in love with Audenzia de Luca aka Zia. She’s a strong, independent woman who just started working at the Seward Park branch of the New York Public Library, raising her young son while also helping her late husbands’ parents run their cheese shop in Little Italy. She’s brave, courageous and feisty. She just blossoms throughout the story, and it made me very happy to see her grow.
An absolutely fantastic read. Go read it!

A great read, enjoyable characters, setting and plot that took me into that world. A real page turner.

“I didn’t need an obnoxious reporter to tell me about the Valachi hearings. That … broke the most important rule in front of the entire world last year. “We call it Cosa Nostra,” Valachi said to the senators, lawyers, and reporters in Washington, D.C. … Leave it to Vito Genovese to keep this guy around.”
My thanks to Lume Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Orchid Hour’ by Nancy Bilyeau.
In recent years I have enjoyed a number of Nancy Bilyeau’s novels and was especially drawn to her latest given the 1920s setting. As the above quote indicates its protagonist is quite a tough cookie.
New York City, 1923. Audenzia (Zia) de Luca had been widowed during the Great War and now lives with her son and in-laws in Little Italy. She works at the public library and while there befriends one of its regular visitors, the quiet Mr. Watkins.
When he is shockingly murdered outside the library, Zia is brought in and questioned by the police. Then there’s another tragedy, even closer to home. One of the police detectives lets slip that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.
With the police investigation getting nowhere, Zia decides to find her own answers. When she learns that her cousin Salvatore (Sal) is involved with The Orchid Hour, she asks him to help her get a job there. She impresses its manager, David la Costa, with her knowledge of orchids and is hired to assist with the rare orchids used to decorate the club.
Still, undercover work is dangerous and Zia comes into contact with powerful and dangerous men. Will she be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?
I found this a rich work of historical fiction that drew on the glamour of Manhattan during the Jazz Age when Prohibition led to the rise of bootleggers and organised crime. The 1920s narrative is framed by chapters set in 1963 as Zia reflects upon her colourful life and infamous family connections, including her cousin Sal, who the world came to know as ‘Lucky Luciano’.
In her Author’s Note Nancy Bilyeau clarifies that while characters such as David la Costa, Zia and the de Luca family are fictional, she has placed them in the context of the historical figures of the period, including its notorious crime families, politicians, and of course, J. Edgar Hoover.
Overall, I enjoyed ‘The Orchid Hour’ very much. I found it an engaging read and feel that Nancy Bilyeau captured the ambiance of the period with ease. So without doubt Jazz Age glamour, gangsters, speakeasies, and a bright young librarian determined to uncover the truth proved a winning combination for me.
Highly recommended.

What a fascinating journey into Jazz Age New York during the roaring 1920s-- prohibition, speakeasies, crime bosses and vengeful murders. Nancy Bilyeau has written a fantastic ensemble of characters that bring this era, the glitz, glamour and the danger, to life! The pacing of the book was perfect. It captivated me right from the first few pages and kept a steady pace right until the end. I particularly enjoyed the author's notes at the end which described in detail some real life individuals and their representation in the story. This was historical fiction as it should be- vivid storytelling intertwining historical accuracy with fictional characters and events.
Thank you to Lume Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I always love a good period novel set in 1920’s New York. I loved reading about the speakeasy during the prohibition era. The author did a great job really setting the tone and describing the scene. I will say, I was not invested in the characters as much as I would have liked. But overall this was still a good read!

A well crafted and beautiful story, loved the period and theme. The ending was wrapped up too quickly but overall a LOVELY novel!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Set in 1920s New York, Zia is trying to make what she can of her life following the death of her husband. Life is turned on its head when, following the death of the Deputy Mayor, Zia is drawn into The Orchid Hour, a brand new speakeasy which is at the heart of the murder.
Whilst I enjoyed the backdrop of prohibition New York and the glamour of the jazz age the lack of real plot was disappointing. I found the characters quite one dimensional and was disappointed with the flatness of the ending. It felt very much style over substance for me.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. The views here are entirely my own.

“There is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid’s scent can put you under a spell.”
1920s New York and Zia De Luca, a young widow is working in a local Public Library.
After she loses her job, she discovers that a library borrower had been murdered outside the library and as she discovers another murder closer to home, she becomes a super sleuth and gets a job at the speakeasy The Orchid Hour as she is convinced the murderer has links to the speakeasy club.
A powerful and evocative read, beautifully layered and utterly seductive.
The roaring 20s is an era that I love and I found the historical details of corruption and prohibition during this period fascinating.
Thanks @tudorscribe @lumebooks & @netgalley for the eARC