Allen,+Jordan

=In the Shadow of Gotham=

Review
I rather enjoyed In //The Shadow of Gotham// by Stefanie Pintoff, it was a good debut novel for the up and coming crime/mystery author. It was historically accurate as far as the crime investigation techniques go. Pintoff's use of Joe Healy as a foil to Simon Ziele made the story much more enjoyable and believable. Although I do not usually read crime novels I am glad I picked this book, I'd recommend it for anyone who likes crime novels set in the past.

Plot Summary
Three months prior to the beginning of the story, Detective Ziele's fiancee was killed in a terrible accident. Ziele was overcome with grief and chose to leave New York City in hopes of finding a much quieter life in Dobson. Shortly after coming to the quiet town Ziele becomes involved in the most horrific murder to have ever taken place there. Evidence suggests that it was the work of a psychiatric patient of criminologist Alistair Sinclair. But without a motive, Fromley, the patient, seems to be illogical. Ziele must uncover the truth behind the murder: was it really Fromley or was it someone impersonating him?

Setting
The book is set in 1905 in a small town near New York City. The city is essentially divided by the amount of money the people have, the richer live in their own little section while those less fortunate live closer to the heart of the town. As with any small town, word travels quickly especially if it involves the town's most notable family, the Wingates.

Characters
"//Police procedures, of course, were vastly different 100 years ago. It was fascinating to read about the early stages of fingerprinting techniques and the beginnings of what we know today as “criminal profiling.” Ms. Pintoff, herself a graduate of Columbia Law School, has done an excellent job of researching these areas and her richly-detailed plot makes for a smoothly flowing novel.//" - Pyle
 * Detective Simon Ziele** is a new addition to the Dobson police force. He is 30 years old and was a member of the New York City Police Department's Bureau of Detectives until a few months prior to the beginning of the story. He tries to bring modern crime techniques to the Dobson police force.


 * Joe Healy** was, until the advent of Ziele, Dobson's only detective. He dislikes Ziele and his new fashioned ideas about crime and believes that Ziele came to Dobson to replace him. He is always skeptical about various modern crime-solving techniques, like fingerprinting.


 * Alistair Sinclair** is a renowned criminologist from Columbus University. He is doing studies on the reasons why people turn to crime, such as genetics and seemingly insignificant events from childhood. During one of his studies he worked on the case of a murderer named Fromley who's killing style was particularly gruesome.

[[image:stefanie_press.jpg width="198" height="276" align="right"]]

 * Stefanie Pintoff** is a new face to the crime/mystery genre. Until just recently she was unknown to nearly everyone, and even still she's widely unknown. Her debut novel In the Shadow of Gotham, published in 2009, is to be part of a series involving the main character of the story, Detective Simon Ziele. She is a graduate from Columbia University Law School and has a Ph.D. in literature from New York University. Currently Mrs. Pintoff lives with her husband and daughter in Winchester County, New York.

Style
Pintoff's style is used to create an emotional atmosphere, making the reader really feel everything that is going on. She creates believable characters that could exist in modern day life. Her use of imagery makes everything seem very real, such as her descriptions of blood and the lay out of the Wingate Mansion. Although she is capable of creating an authentic atmosphere, the story becomes a bit too authentic and loses itself in historical accuracy.

In the story Healy is an obvious foil to Ziele, which provides for much insight into each of the characters and allows the reader to get a sense of just who they really are and what sort of life experiences have led them towards their current lives. The development of Ziele is very straightforward; early into the story his traumatic life is revealed, as well as his reasons for being in Dobson.

//"//In the Shadow of Gotham //is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel, replete with historical details that relate to the time and place of the story. But it's also rather flat, lifeless as it were//." - Mysterious Reviews

"//The bad part, though, is that tone. In sounding historically authentic, the novel also sounds stodgy and droll. The characters are too honorable and the case too straightforward for Ziele to need his every power//." - Vreeland