The Undertakers
Ratings3
Average rating4.7
THE CONDUCTOR'S FILM RIGHTS NOW OPTIONED BY QUEEN LATIFAH In the exciting sequel to The Conductors, and the second book in the Murder & Magic series of historical fantasy novels set in post-Civil war Philadelphia, Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy face a case bigger and more dangerous than anything they've handled before. ___________________________________ Freedom comes at a cost... Hetty and Benjy have another death on their hands: Raimond Duval, a victim of one of the many fires consuming Philadelphia. His death is officially declared an accident, but Hetty and Benjy smell something more than just ash in the air. Their investigations point to a powerful Fire Company, known to let homes in the Black community burn to the ground, but before they can investigate further, Raimond's son, Valentine, is also found dead. It quickly becomes clear that there is something more here, something that connects Raimond and Valentine to the recent fires plaguing the city, and Hetty and Benjy have never been the kind to step aside. But this feels larger than the cases that have come before and now their lives hang in the balance. After all, even the most powerful magic can't hold back the ghosts of the past.
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Pros: excellent worldbuilding, fun characters, community, interesting mysteries
Cons:
Henrietta and Benjamin Rhodes's funeral parlour hasn't drummed up much business, but their work as sparrow and finch, solving murders and mysteries, has them questioning all the fires that have been breaking out around town. Fires that seem to have magical help. Fires the local firefighters aren't putting out. A fire killed Raimond Duval, a friend of their friends. The most recent fire burned down an entire street except for the house of Valentine Duval, Raimond's son. The Rhodes soon learn of stolen goods, a hidden treasure, and discover one of their old enemies is in town.
The book takes place a few months after the events of The Conductors. While you don't need to have read that to understand this book, it does introduce all of the characters and their interpersonal relationships, which along with the mystery is what makes these books so fun.
I love that there's a loving couple at the heart of the book. I love that Hetty has several female friends to talk to about everything. I love seeing the Rhodes interact with their group of friends. This sense of community is strangely missing in a lot of fantasy literature and it's so wonderful to read.
The setting is Pennsylvania in the late 1800s, with several flashbacks to some of the jobs the couple undertook as part of the Vigilance Society (basically the underground railway). It's a world where magic is real, and most cultures have their own kind of magic, with white Americans using wands for sorcery and the black Americans using celestial magic. In the background are mentions that laws are being considered to limit the use and teaching of celestial magic. Magic is integrated into every aspect of life, showing up at baseball games, balls, gunfights and for daily tasks. There's also potion craft, which one of Hetty's friends excels at.
The book touches on many goings on so it's not always apparent what's part of the central mystery and what isn't. Much like real life the characters learn things in offhand and unexpected ways.
This is a great series and I highly recommend it.
Not as good as the first one. The solution to some of the problems were rather unsatisfactory. :-(
But, all in all, a very good book. Totally recommend it to everyone who shares my taste in books, and I am eagerly waiting for the continuation. I love Nicole Glover's characters.
