Evil of the Age

“An amazing mix of historical lore . . . The seamiest settings of old New York, an intertwined plot of murderous suspense and political corruption” (Mysterious Reviews).
The year is 1871 and Lucy Maloney, a kept woman, has been found murdered and stuffed in a trunk at the Hudson railway depot and New York journalist Charles St. Clair is on the story. The clues lead him from the mansions of Fifth Avenue to the brothels of SoHo to the dangerous saloons on Water Street. When the medical examiner reveals that the woman died from a botched abortion, St. Clair sees a connection to his late wife’s death from the same procedure. St. Clare and his boss hire a beautiful actress to visit abortion clinics gathering information for an article he plans to run called “Evil of the Age.” Deceit at the highest levels of political power comes to light when they uncover Lucy’s connection to a ring of abortionists and to a wealthy woman known as “Madam Killer.”
As St. Clair dives deeper into the city’s sordid politics, he finds villains in surprising places and comes to suspect that while petty crime in New York is rampant, organized crime trickling from the top down is the true scourge on society.
“Great research and great fun make this a winner.” —The Globe and Mail
“Based on real people and events, the mystery is satisfying and the historical detail fascinating and topical.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Evil of the Age is history revealed in sordid and fascinating detail. It’s also a mystery—a chilling and believable tale. It simply doesn’t get any better than this.” —The Hamilton Spectator