Read it or Weep

New York City is in the middle of its hottest summer in history in August 1896, and the heat is causing a record number of deaths, amplifying the divide between the have and have-nots.

Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt is touring the city to assess the situation in the slums, while also attempting to eliminate the corruption in the police force. His assistant, Otto “Rafe’ Raphael, the first Jewish officer on the force and victim of perpetual abuse from his fellow officers, feels the divide more than most when he goes home each night to the Lower East Side.

When wealthy newspaper owner William Mann is found murdered, Rafe sees solving the crime as a chance for a promotion, but Roosevelt tells him to back off. Rafe refuses and soon finds himself entwined in a case involving the blackmail of many of New York’s elite and a possible plot to kill the Democratic candidate for President.

Hot Time by author W. H. Flint is impeccably drawn historical fiction with a fast-paced plot that alternates between Rafe’s point of view and that of Dutch, a ten-year-old newsboy who was witness to the crime. This suspenseful mystery blends real and fictional characters expertly and is a perfect read for fans of The Alienist. Grab a copy of Hot Time and warm yourself up on these cool Autumn nights.

-Carol