The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau: A Book Review

The Orchid Hour

Author: Nancy Bilyeau

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense

Publisher: Lume Books Historical Fiction

Release Date: 2023

Pages: 320

Source: Netgalley/ Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue, returns with a tantalizing novel about one woman caught up in a secret nightclub that one can only reach through a certain florist on a cobblestone street.

New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered.

Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library.

But when a quiet poetry-lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia.

After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The Orchid Hour.

When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. A cousin with whom she has a special bond serves as a guide to the shadow realm of The Orchid Hour, a world filled with enticements Zia has shunned up to now.

She must contend with a group of players determined to find wealth and power in New York on their own terms. In this heady atmosphere, Zia begins to wonder if she too could rewrite her life’s rules.

As she’s pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret?

My Review: After WWI, Zia de Luca’s husband dies. This forces Zia and her son to live with her in-laws. Zia quickly receives a job at a local library. One day, a patron is murdered in front of the library. The police believe that Zia was the murderer. Zia learns that the patron’s murder is connected to a speakeasy named The Orchid Hour. In order to clear her name, Zia works at the speakeasy to find the murderer. Could Zia manage to clear her name and find justice?

I could not get into Zia’s character. I felt like she was a typical Mary Sue. She was also a passive protagonist. She did not do much to move the plot further. It just fell into her lap. There were also a few choices she made that I did not agree with. There were some traits that I liked about her. I liked that she has a talent for nurturing plants. As a fan of opera, I loved that she loves opera too. Therefore, she was likable in that aspect. Still, I wish she was developed further because I really wanted to get invested in her story.

Overall, this novel is about secrets, justice, and crime. I thought that the characters were thinly drawn and one-dimensional. I also could not relate to them. I found the mystery to be underwhelming. I also thought the book was very slow-paced. Nevertheless, I did like the setting of the Prohibition era. I also thought the author’s writing style was very exquisite and alluring! It was filled with vivid imagery. I recommend The Orchid Hour for fans of Becoming Bonnie, Murder Knocks Twice, and Dead Dead Girls!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The AncientWorld by Adrienne Mayor: A Book Review

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The Ancient World Author: Adrienne Mayor Genre: Nonfiction, History Publisher: Princeton University Press Release Date: 2014 Pages: 530 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Amazons—fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world—were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons. But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? Were Amazons real? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book, National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor presents the Amazons as they have never been seen before. This is the first comprehensive account of warrio...

Interview with Paula Margulies

Today, I have the opportunity to interview Paula Margulies. She has recently wrote a novel about Pocahontas called Favorite Daughter, Part One , which won an Editor’s Choice Award at the 24th Annual San Diego State University Writer’s Conference. The story creates a different perspective to the American heroine. It is told in first person narrative, and it is how Pocahontas at a young age embarks through the many changes of her life. By doing so she transforms into a strong, courageous, wise woman. I am very pleased that she took the time to grant me this interview and to generously donate a copy of her novel to the giveaway. I look forward to reading her books in the future, and check back for my review of Favorite Daughter’s Part One soon. This interview is to give readers insight about her and her novel. Thank you, Mrs. Margulies. 1. Where and when do you write? In my home office mostly, although I try to sneak away to artist residencies whenever ...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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