The Conductors
What do readers say about The Conductors?
Synopsis:
-Tananarive Due, American Book Award winner, author of Ghost Summer: Stories
From a bold new voice in speculative fiction comes a vibrant historical fantasy of magic and murder set in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, were Conductors on the Underground Railroad, ferrying dozens of slaves to freedom with daring, cunning, and magic that draws its power from the constellations. With the war over, those skills find new purpose as they solve mysteries and murders that white authorities would otherwise ignore.
In the heart of Philadelphia's Seventh Ward, everyone knows that when there's a strange death or magical curses causing trouble, Hetty and Benjy are the only ones that can solve the case. But when an old friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a wasp nest of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets- and a mystery unlike anything they handled before. With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbors . . . and themselves.
"An unforgettable debut ... Wholly original and thoroughly riveting."
-Deanna Raybourn, New York Times best-selling author of A Murderous Relation
Excerpt:
WHEN THE WAGON ROLLED into view, Hetty took another small step along the tree branch. Lookout was not a role she would have chosen, but Benjy had argued a trap was useless if it wasn’t sprung in the r...
About the Author:
NICOLE GLOVER works as a UX researcher in Virginia. She believes that libraries are magical places and that problems seem smaller with a cup of tea in hand. Her life outside of books includes bicycles, video games, and baking the perfect banana bread. The Conductors is her debut novel. She can be found at nicole-glover.com.
Ratings (1):
Loved It (1) |
Reviews:
Cynthia C. Scott If you love mysteries, historical fiction, and fantasy, then you'll love Nicole Glover's 2021 novel The Conductors.
Featuring one of the most compelling duos in fiction, Hetty and Benjy, The Conductors takes place in Philadelphia's Seventh Ward during the Reconstruction Era, when Hetty and Benjy, former conductors for the Underground Railroad, use astrologically-divined magic to solve several murders in their community. While the mystery drags a bit (though there's plenty of action that keeps it interesting), Glover's world-building and the burgeoning love story of two of the most fascinatingly pragmatic characters ever written is what gives this story its real drive. You'll fall in love with Hetty and Benjy and the black community in Philadelphia during the Reconstruction.
