This captivating story begins with three mysterious characters plotting one of the biggest robberies of their time, stealing over a half-million dollars in diamonds from the great jewelry firm, Diamond & Co. The owners of the company wish for the robbery to be kept secret, so as not to lose the faith and trust of their customers. As such, the hunt for the thieves begins. Police detective Murray Hazard takes one route to attempt to solve the mystery, while millionaire amateur detective Lionel Dangerfield takes another. A reporter and philanthropist, Ruby Sharpe, asks to join Dangerfield on his search, as she blames herself for the robbery after publishing a story revealing how Diamond & Co. secure their valuables and wishes to make it right.

Journalist Nellie Bly who is famous for uncovering a number of criminal activities in the late 1800’s was also a fiction novelist unbeknownst to many. While her novels were lost for decades and left unpublished, David Blixt has discovered them. He is now editing and publishing the lost novels. Nellie Bly wrote New York by Night using inspiration from some of the stories reported on. This novel is a suspenseful “who done it” mystery full of unexpected twists, intriguing criminal acts, and surprising alliances. 

Readers are taken on a fast-paced journey as Danger investigates and questions anyone who could have been involved, from the watchmen on duty to the son and lover of the owner of the company himself. He begins to suspect a well-known thief, Admiral Great and hits every roadblock imaginable while trying to catch the clever criminal. During this saga, Ruby and Dangerfield fall madly in love until Dangerfield finds out that Ruby knows more about the crime than she is letting on. Will this discovery lead to solving the crime, break the millionaire detective’s heart, or both?

This was an enjoyable read. Bly’s writing style is filled with wit and intrigue, readers will be entranced in the complexity of the character’s story. I found the constant ‘coincidental’ run-in’s between Danger and Ruby to be humorous and entertaining and rooted for both of them, wishing for a happy ending. Blixt did a wonderful job editing it to make it more readable for modern readers while keeping the integrity of Bly’s work. I look forward to reading more lost novels by this author!

New York By Night: A Female Reporter Tracking A $500,000 Robbery is a rousing mystery novel set in the 1800’s. With strong characters and a complex plot, readers will find this historical romance to be an exciting addition to their Victorian novel collection.

Pages: 290 | ASIN : B08TLHC8FW