January 1, 1988
Starting with the industrial revolution sparked by the steam engine, Gordon ( Overlanding , etc.) chronicles with clarity and wit the evolution of the free-market exchange of the booming post-Civil War era, during which Wall Street became the world's second largest financial center. He focuses on the cutthroat competition and legislative and legal battles for control of New York's regional railways. The Eriethe eponymous Scarlet Womanwas the object of fierce speculation by the notorious confidence man Daniel Drew and such financial tycoons as ``Jubilee'' Jim Fisk and Gould, the latter's gold speculations having almost single-handedly caused the 1869 panic in the Street. By 1870, as competition for Chicago and Western rail connections became acute, a rate war instigated by Vanderbilt broke out between his New York Central and Erie. The assassination of the popular Fisk led to the violent ouster of his partner Gould from Erie's presidency, followed by a steady decline in the railroad's fortunes until its demise as a separate company in the early 1970s. Illustrations not seen by PW.
December 7, 2015
At the start of this riveting Nashville-set standalone from bestseller Ellison (What Lies Behind), Aubrey Hamilton’s husband, Josh, is declared legally dead. The past five years have been hell for Aubrey; not only did she lose the love of her life, but she was tried in connection with his disappearance, and despite being acquitted, everyone assumes she’s guilty. Aubrey finally resigns herself to moving on, but then meets a man who’s strongly reminiscent of Josh—and, shortly thereafter, she receives evidence suggesting her husband wasn’t the man she thought he was. What follows is a skillfully plotted story that’s equal parts mystery, psychological thriller, and cautionary tale. Comparisons to Gone Girl are inevitable; the setup and early beats are similar, and readers will spend much of the book questioning Aubrey’s reliability as a narrator. Ellison’s twists are fresh, though, and the novel’s action-packed conclusion will shock, even if it doesn’t fully satisfy. Artful and evocative prose complements the fully fleshed and realistically flawed characters. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group.
February 15, 2016
Aubrey Hamilton's husband, Josh, disappeared five years ago. She was initially accused of murdering him, but without a body, there was no proof. Josh's mom declares her son legally dead, and suddenly the grief consumes Aubrey again. After finally deciding to go on with her life, she begins to suspect that she is being watched. As in The Girl on the Train, to which this novel inevitably will be compared, the story line jumps back and forth in time as the reader becomes enthralled with Aubrey and her life while also desperate to learn answers. The payoff succeeds in surprising, but some readers may find the author guilty of unnecessary manipulation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
May 30, 2016
Schnaubelt’s performance as Aubrey Hamilton, the dicey heroine of Ellison’s standalone thriller, is entirely convincing. Aubrey bemoans the loss of her husband, Josh, who is declared legally dead at the start of the Nashville-set story. Schnaubelt’s portrayal makes us feel the character’s unbearable loss, loneliness, panic, and escalating anger as the story folds and unfolds, the current scenes intertwined with flashbacks to the days of her husband’s disappearance five years earlier. We’re given to understand that no one, including Aubrey, knows Josh’s whereabouts. Voice actor Podehl soon pulls us into Josh’s bouts of fear, jealousy, anguish, and treachery as Josh tries to extricate himself from a dangerous situation of his own making. Though the listener is sometimes bemused by tone changes and awkward plot complications, the story is an entertaining brainteaser with a surprising ending. A S&S/Gallery hardcover.