Secret of the White Rose Summary and Reviews

Secret of the White Rose

A Novel

by Stefanie Pintoff

Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff X
Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff
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  • Published May 2011
    384 pages
    Genre: Mysteries

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Book Summary

The murder of Judge Hugo Jackson is out of Detective Simon Ziele's jurisdiction in more ways than one. For one, it's high-profile enough to command the attention of the notorious new police commissioner, since Judge Jackson was presiding over the sensational trial of Al Drayson. Drayson, an anarchist, set off a bomb at a Carnegie family wedding, but instead of killing millionaires, it killed passersby, including a child. The dramatic trial has captured the full attention of 1906 New York City.

Furthermore, Simon's assigned precinct on Manhattan's West Side includes the gritty Tenderloin but not the tonier Gramercy Park, which is where the judge is found in his locked town house with his throat slashed on the night before the jury is set to deliberate. But his widow insists on calling her husband's old classmate criminologist, Alistair Sinclair, who in turn enlists Ziele's help. Together they must steer Sinclair's unorthodox methods past a police force that is so focused on rounding up Drayson's supporters that they've all but rejected any other possibilities.

Once again, Stefanie Pintoff's combination of vital characters and a fascinating case set amongst the sometimes brutal and sometimes glittering history of turn-of-the-century New York makes for totally compelling reading in Secret of the White Rose, the third novel in her Edgar Award–winning series.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. The author couples spot-on period details with her most sophisticated plot yet." - Publishers Weekly

"[E]very bit as action-packed and intriguing as its predecessors... Filled with great period detail." - BookList

"Starred Review. Pintoff is at the top of her game... Suspenseful and overlaid with symbols, ciphers, and early psychological study - a real winner." - Library Journal

This information about Secret of the White Rose was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Diane S.

Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff
Probably a 3 1/2 because although I did enjoy the third book of this series, I did not like it as much as the first. Do like all the history imparted though, the beginning of criminology, the anarchist movement and the beginnings of the fight for workers rights. Also the recurring characters are very interesting, Alastair the criminologist, his daughter in law who helps him and Simon Ziele a policeman who is often called to assist in investigating the crimes. Historical mystery lovers will enjoy this series.

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Author Information

Stefanie Pintoff

Stefanie Pintoff is an Edgar Award winner for Best First Novel as well as a nominee for the Anthony and Sue Feder Historical Mystery Awards. She is also a graduate of Columbia University Law School and has a Ph.D. in literature from New York University. The author of three other novels, she lives with her husband and daughter in New York City.

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