ARC Review: The Conductors by Nicole Glover

Title: The Conductors

Author: Nicole Glover

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery/Historical Fantasy

Publisher: John Joseph Adams/Houghton

Publication Date: March 2nd, 2021

Edition: Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Source: NetGalley

Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | BAM

Synopsis:

As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Hetty Rhodes helped usher dozens of people North with her wits and magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband Benjy have settled in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch. When they find one of their friends slain in an alley, Hetty and Benjy bury the body and set off to find answers. But the secrets and intricate lies of the elites of Black Philadelphia only serve to dredge up more questions. To solve this mystery, they will have to face ugly truths all around them, including the ones about each other.

    This is the first time I have read a mystery and while I really enjoyed it, it had a slow start and didn't really pick up through the book. It was also difficult for me to follow along with the many characters introduced closely together at the start of the book. The magic system was also difficult for me to grasp. It's also non-linear with flashbacks, that sometimes felt disjointed.

    I loved Hetty as the protagonist though. She was a fantastic character. She is intelligent and driven, and I liked her relationship with her husband. While not a marriage built on love, they respect each other and that was nice to see. They solve crimes the White authorities ignore, but I was expecting more of a gritty mystery than what this is.

    Most of my issues with this book, is the pacing, it was just really slow and made it hard for me to stay engaged. I don't know if this is a common thing for mystery books, or if it's just me not being used to the genre. 

    I found it odd though that there were no Native American characters at all, considering it's set in a Post-Civil War America. There should have been some beyond a brief mention. 

    I am just unsure if I like this book or not. It has a very interesting premise, but I just don't know how to really feel about it as a whole. It's all about the pacing, it never picked up for me. I think a lot of people who regularly read Mysteries might like. And it has a very interesting Historical Fantasy twist.