This dark and exciting historical thriller, set in nineteenth-century Chicago, marks the collaborative debut of two remarkable and well established British talents, the novelist William Horwood and the historian Helen Rappaport. When young, inexperienced but very ambitious female reporter, Emily Strauss, blags her way into newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer's office, she comes away with a treacherous assignment: to discover what happened to Anna Zemeckis, one of many women who have disappeared during the 1893 World's Fair. With the support of a young man who is just venturing into the burgeoning trade of news photography, Emily soon finds herself in a race against time to save Anna's life and to bring her story back to New York before Pulitzer's tough deadline expires. Chicago is a place of dangerous contrasts. Among all the glitz and razzmatazz of the Fair itself and the spectacular wealth and influence of a new middle class elite, Emily comes face to face with rival ethnic groups, the sinister underworld of pornography and prostitution, as well as the ruthless meatpacking giants of the Union Stock Yard, who control the lives and destinies of so many of Chicago's immigrant poor.
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Short chapters and tight plot invoke a cold dreak in the reader from the very beginning. -- Daily Telegraph
From the Publisher
A dark and exciting historical novel that is both an adventure story and a powerful rendering of 1890s Chicago
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Atmospheric, exciting and easy to read, this was easily one of the best books I have read in the last year. Chicago itself is central to the story, and if you have been there you will find it fascinating for that alone. The scenes set in the mental institution are heartbreaking,the characters well drawn, and the pace of the story keeps you hooked until the end - in fact rather further than that, as I will now have to do some research of my own to satisfy my curiosity which has been aroused by this stunning book
By SusieH
Format:Hardcover
Dark Hearts of Chicago
A fascinating look at the seamier side of life in Chicago in the late 1800s. How does Anna, a sheltered young woman from a good family, become a victim? Can Emily, would-be reporter, find out what happened to her? The twists and turns along the way as these questions get answered keep the pace moving steadily, and kept me turning pages instead of sleeping. Highly recommended
A fascinating look at the seamier side of life in Chicago in the late 1800s. How does Anna, a sheltered young woman from a good family, become a victim? Can Emily, would-be reporter, find out what happened to her? The twists and turns along the way as these questions get answered keep the pace moving steadily, and kept me turning pages instead of sleeping. Highly recommended
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Rosalind
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The cover of this book is a winner; it's very appealing and also conveys a sense of mood, place and story. More than that you can hardly ask, but we don't judge books only by their covers, so what's inside?
There is a cracking good story set against an enormous canvas of Chicago in 1893. I read it twice, once for the story and again to appreciate the subtleties and to sort out the huge cast of characters. I found I really cared what happened to Anna Zemeckis; rather less how Emily Strauss (the heroine) fared. The latter found herself learning a martial art so she could defend herself (always a useful skill for a young female reporter.) Apparently a fan, hands and feet can be lethal weapons; please don't anyone tell aircraft security personel!
Some of the themes are still relevant over a hundred years later- how we regard and treat immigrants for example, and what constitutes valid medical consent. You cannot help but learn a lot about Chicago, and if I have a negative comment, it's that perhaps there is just a shade too much background. I would also have preferred the violence to have been less detailed and I wondered why the word play in the title was there at all.
It's a very satisfying tale- the parts of the story are neatly woven together, ends all tucked in. This book is nothing like others Mr Horwood has written (buy with a box of tissues) and I assume the same goes for Ms Rappaport. Reading a novel, I like to be entertained, and I was, or to learn something, and I did. The awe that "Skallagrigg" engendered wasn't there, or the throat-catching of "The Boy With No Shoes", but this isn't that kind of book.I checked a few facts (the refrigeration of box cars at that date, for instance) and, of course, they were fine. One would expect nothing less from someone who writes history.
No doubt we shall read more of Miss Strauss. I shall be buying the sequel(s)
There is a cracking good story set against an enormous canvas of Chicago in 1893. I read it twice, once for the story and again to appreciate the subtleties and to sort out the huge cast of characters. I found I really cared what happened to Anna Zemeckis; rather less how Emily Strauss (the heroine) fared. The latter found herself learning a martial art so she could defend herself (always a useful skill for a young female reporter.) Apparently a fan, hands and feet can be lethal weapons; please don't anyone tell aircraft security personel!
Some of the themes are still relevant over a hundred years later- how we regard and treat immigrants for example, and what constitutes valid medical consent. You cannot help but learn a lot about Chicago, and if I have a negative comment, it's that perhaps there is just a shade too much background. I would also have preferred the violence to have been less detailed and I wondered why the word play in the title was there at all.
It's a very satisfying tale- the parts of the story are neatly woven together, ends all tucked in. This book is nothing like others Mr Horwood has written (buy with a box of tissues) and I assume the same goes for Ms Rappaport. Reading a novel, I like to be entertained, and I was, or to learn something, and I did. The awe that "Skallagrigg" engendered wasn't there, or the throat-catching of "The Boy With No Shoes", but this isn't that kind of book.I checked a few facts (the refrigeration of box cars at that date, for instance) and, of course, they were fine. One would expect nothing less from someone who writes history.
No doubt we shall read more of Miss Strauss. I shall be buying the sequel(s)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent value
The book arrived as scheduled and was exactly as described I would us this seller again
Published on 20 Oct 2009 by S. Watts
4.0 out of 5 stars
Same book as "City of Dark Hearts"
It is not really stated on the Amazon website but this is the same book as "City Of Dark Hearts" by James Conan. Read more
Published on 14 May 2008 by cherokee40
5.0 out of 5 stars
A jolly good read!!
An excellent read which I thoroughly enjoyed, in fact one which I couldn't put down! The book was well written and well researched. Read more
Published on 9 April 2007 by S. Ware
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