THE GODS OF GOTHAM

Author Lyndsay Faye tells how the effects of the potato famine in Ireland spill into the busy streets of New York City in 1845. That was the year the booming city’s police force was created, in part to control its masses of immigrants. Narrator Steven Boyer immerses himself in the character of newly appointed police officer Timothy Wilde. Faye’s dark and detailed story recounts the hardships both the Irish and Americans faced in that tumultuous period. Boyer is gripping and emotional in his portrayal of the array of rich characters Wilde encounters on his mission to solve grisly crimes against Irish orphans. When the story is at its darkest, Boyer is at his best, striking just the right balance between disgust and courage as multiple crimes unfold and Wilde’s world unravels. S.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]