Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $0.99

Save $4.00 (80%)

Kindle Countdown Deal
Price goes up to $4.99 in

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $21.83

Save: $14.34 (66%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Nancy Bilyeau
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

THE ORCHID HOUR a 1920s Manhattan murder mystery Kindle Edition

by Nancy Bilyeau (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 261 ratings
See all formats and editions
GOLD CATEGORY WINNER FOR HISTORICAL MYSTERY AT THE 2023 HFC BOOK OF THE YEAR CONTEST.

Featured in Town and Country's 'Must-Read Books of Summer 2023'.

There is a certain hour, in the dead of night, when the orchid’s scent can put you under a spell . . .

'Literary tour de force, brimming with tension, intrigue, danger, romance, and murder.' The Historical Fiction Company

'Historical mystery fans will find this irresistible.' Publishers Weekly Starred Review

'From the family shops of Little Italy to the bright lights of Dreamland, Nancy Bilyeau takes you on a glittering tour of a bygone New York . . .' Mariah Fredericks, author of The Lindbergh Nanny

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?

PRAISE FOR NANCY BILYEAU:

'Bilyeau paints a vivid portrait of 1923 New York City — particularly its insular Italian community, alluring speakeasies, and Prohibition-fueled organized crime — in this impeccably researched historical mystery.' Publishers Weekly

'Nancy Bilyeau's passion for history infuses her books.' Alison Weir, the biggest selling female historian in the UK

'A beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale . . . and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine.' Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award

'Nancy manages to combine a murder mystery with a love story and set it all against a world which seems palpably real.' Griff Hosker, bestselling author of the Lord Edward's Archer series

'Nancy Bilyeau’s loving recreation of Jazz Age New York hums with authenticity . . . Her heroine, underdog Italian immigrant Zia, is irresistible . . .' Carole Buggé, author of the Ian Hamilton mystery series and Edgar nominated Cleopatra's Dagger

'With a heroine you can’t help rooting for, a fascinating cast of characters, and a tense, high-stakes mystery at its heart, this is a book you can’t stop reading.' Olivia Hawker, bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow

'reeks with the smell of lasagna in Little Italy, the smell of cheap gin in a 1920s speakeasy, and most importantly and most delicately with the scent of orchids at midnight . . . her best by far, and she’d already set a high bar.' Timothy Miller, author of The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle

'Nancy Bilyeau has become my go-to author for brilliantly written historical suspense . . . Read it and be seduced.' Kris Waldherr, author of Unnatural Creatures
Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    August 10, 2023
  5. File size
    1773 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
Next page

From the Publisher

mystery, murder, Manhattan, glittering, seductive, tantalising, suspense

mystery, murder, Manhattan, New York, seductive, heroine, suspense, widow

mystery, murder, Manhattan, New York, seductive, heroine, suspense, widow

mystery, murder, Manhattan, New York, seductive, heroine, suspense, widow

Lucinda Riley, Robert Galbraith, Karen Heenan, Anne O'Brien, Pamela Holmes

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Historical mystery fans will find this irresistible." Publishers Weekly

"Nancy Bilyeau has created a beautifully layered and utterly seductive tale... and, at its living, tender heart, a strong-willed and magnetic heroine." - Emilya Naymark, author of Behind the Lie, finalist for the 2023 Sue Grafton Award

"From the family shops of Little Italy to the bright lights of Dreamland, Nancy Bilyeau takes you on a glittering tour of a bygone New York... " - Mariah Fredericks, author of The Lindbergh Nanny

"Nancy Bilyeau's loving recreation of Jazz Age New York hums with authenticity... Her heroine, underdog Italian immigrant Zia, is irresistible..." - Carole Buggé, author of the Ian Hamilton mystery series and Edgar nominated Cleopatra's Dagger

"With a heroine you can't help rooting for, a fascinating cast of characters, and a tense, high-stakes mystery at its heart, this is a book you can't stop reading." - Olivia Hawker, bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow

"The Orchid Hour... reeks with the smell of lasagna in Little Italy, the smell of cheap gin in a 1920s speakeasy, and most importantly and most delicately with the scent of orchids at midnight... her best by far, and she'd already set a high bar." - Timothy Miller, author of The Strange Case of Eliza Doolittle

"Nancy Bilyeau has become my go-to author for brilliantly written historical suspense... Read it and be seduced." - Kris Waldherr, author of Unnatural Creatures and The Lost History of Dreams


--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau, a former magazine editor, has written seven historical novels. After working at newsstand magazines ranging from ROLLING STONE to GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, she pursued her love of historical fiction by plunging into writing. In 2012, Nancy published her debut novel, THE CROWN, which was selected as a 'Page-Turner You'll Tear Through' by OPRAH magazine. She followed it with Tudor thrillers THE CHALICE and THE TAPESTRY before writing THE BLUE, an 18th century-set novel revolving around the porcelain and art world, and its sequel, THE FUGITIVE COLOURS. In 2020, Nancy published DREAMLAND, set in early 20th century New York City. Her latest novel, THE ORCHID HOUR, continues her novels set in the Big Apple. Born in Chicago and raised in Michigan, Nancy has lived in New York, and reveled in learning its history, since the 1990s. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVBB7M5K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lume Books Historical Fiction (August 10, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 10, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1773 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 261 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Nancy Bilyeau

Nancy Bilyeau

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

If you tell Nancy Bilyeau that reading one of her historical novels of suspense is like strapping yourself into a time machine, you'll make her a happy woman. She loves crafting immersive historical stories, whether it's Jazz Age New York City in "The Orchid Hour," the 18th-century European porcelain workshops and art galleries in "The Blue" or "The Fugitive Colours," or Henry VIII's tumultuous England in "The Crown," "The Chalice," and "The Tapestry."

A magazine editor who has worked on the staffs of "Rolling Stone" and "Entertainment Weekly," Nancy drew on her journalism experience to research "The Orchid Hour," which includes real-life figures such as Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein, and Lous Buchalter. While working as deputy editor of the nonprofit Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York City, Nancy covered organized crime as well as cybercrime and terrorism.

For her Genevieve Planche novels--"The Blue" and "The Fugitive Colours"--she drew on her own heritage to create her Huguenot heroine. Nancy is a direct descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Nancy's ancestor, Isaac, was born on the boat crossing the Atlantic. Pierre's stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State.

Nancy's mind is always in past centuries but she currently lives with her husband and two children in upstate New York. Her quest to cook the perfectly flavored cassoulet is ongoing.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
261 global ratings
Journey to a thrilling destination
5 Stars
Journey to a thrilling destination
Zia, an educated widow working at a library in Little Italy during the ‘20’s, unwillingly becomes inserted into the shadowy world of nightclubs, movie stars and alcohol. Soon leading a double life to solve a murder, Zia learns to step outside her sheltered life and embrace the Jazz Age’s new morality and its inherent dangers. Nancy Bilyeau skillfully builds the teeming worlds of tenements against the elegant riffraff trying to conquer cosmopolitan New York City. Well-paced to a thrilling climax, The Orchid Hour is a fascinating read, one you can’t put down until you reach its bittersweet ending.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

sparky
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
I've read all of Nancy's books and found each of them a treasure! The Orchid Hour is no exception. At first, I thought I was reading a story about a widowed librarian, a simple woman whose family was her main focus, but as I kept reading, I discovered quite a heroine! Thrust into the world of high crime in an effort to find out who murdered her father in law, Zia becomes embroiled in the seedy night life surrounding her cousin, Sal's, new night club, The Orchid Hour. Against her family's wishes, Zia spends more and more time at the night club, and as she does, she meets the criminals who frequent the speakeasy. She cuts her long hair into a bob, wears makeup, buys a new wardrobe so that she will fit in with the dangerous crowd. She listens and learns, trying to keep an open mind so that she can find the killer she seeks. She becomes a fixture at The Orchid Hour. Toward the end, Zia decides to leave the dangerous world of the criminal element. But since she is so involved in the workings of The Orchid House, leaving is not as easy as she thought it would be, and besides, she has fallen in love with one of the men who works with her. This book is a true page turner, filled with tension, danger, romance, and, of course, murder. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich layers of story that filled every page of this book. If you are a Nancy Bilyeau fan, it is a MUST READ!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mercedes Rochelle
4.0 out of 5 stars A great view of the underworld
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is outside of my normal historical period; in fact, I know little about the 20th century underworld. But I do know that Nancy Bilyeau writes a lively story, and I wasn’t disappointed. Our protagonist, Zia, is a soon-to-be street-wise Italian gal who is just beginning to get an itch for liberation. Her husband was killed in the war, leaving her with a son and a dependence on her in-laws, which doesn’t sit well once she inadvertently finds herself involved in a suspicious murder. To make matters worse, because of her involvement, her father in-law is murdered and she feels responsible. Discovering a not-so-coincidental tie between the murder, her cousin Sal, and the New York gangsters, Zia decides to get to the bottom of the situation by getting a job at Sal’s upcoming Orchid Hour nightclub—though the family is not to know. We’re in the middle of the Prohibition, remember:

“Sal, I’d like a job at The Orchid Hour.”
My cousin laughed for a few seconds before looking closer. “You’re not kidding. Zia? Oh, c’mon, that’s ridiculous. It’s a nightclub. You go to bed by ten, right? We’re gonna open at eleven.”
“I can stay up late. And I was a waitress the summer before I got married, remember? At the De Paulo Coffee Shop on Grand. I could be a waitress at The Orchid Hour.”

To say Zia is playing with fire is an understatement, but she’s a clever gal and Sal is looking out for her. This story takes us on a merry chase, where we see the fledgling Cotton Club, among many other sordid joints that barely merit the name nightclub. At least the Orchid Hour has class, and Zia develops a taste for a world she has never encountered before. This book is full of imagery and atmosphere, and we get a solid peek at the beginning of the Prohibition counter-culture, along with the corruption that goes all the way to the top.
Helpful
 Report
Maddy65
5.0 out of 5 stars The Orchids Hour
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
Once again, Nancy Bluesy transports you to another era. It's as if you are watching the live history of a bygone era right before your eyes. And her care with characters is amazing- the words written for Arnold Rothstein could have been spoken by him and expressed his character to the tee. But the heroine of the story is one you'll fall in love wirh.
Helpful
 Report
JRP
3.0 out of 5 stars A good read that might have bern better
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was almost a DNF for me. The first few chapters—intended to establish the protagonist’s back story were very slow and, for this reader, not very compelling. Once the first murder occurs, the pace picks up. What follows is interesting, the characters are well-chosen, and the threads are intertwining. The information about Sicilian-Italian families interrelationships was nicely weaved in. The story never fully gripped me, but the author has a nice writing style. The denouement was rushed and lacked punch, but the ending somewhat made sense within the context of the story. I’m not sorry I stuck with the book, but am unsure if I will read any more from this author. 50/50 chance.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
LindaR
4.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
A vivid picture of 1920s New York City with all its grit, grim, and glamour. If you love historical mysteries ripe with real-life characters sewn together with fictitious ones that jump off the page, this is the book for you. Add to that two murders, a heroine you’ll root for, cheap gin, and all you’ll glean about orchids with their mysterious scents, you won’t be able to put the book down.
Helpful
 Report
rturner
5.0 out of 5 stars Read in one day!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
Really good read. Well written. Author created "living" characters and vibrant historical settings. I highly recommend this engaging, absorbing book.
Helpful
 Report
Rebecca D'Harlingue
5.0 out of 5 stars A woman defies convention to uncover a killer
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I had already been entranced by Nancy Bilyeau's The Blue and The Fugitive Colors, both set in the 18th century, so I was anxious to see what she would do with 1920s New York City. As I expected, I was immediately pulled into the period, with all of the glamour and grit, with places of entertainment for the wealthy, and tenement houses for immigrants. There is the intertwining of gangsters and crooked politicians, and of Ziegfeld girls with strictly brought-up Italian girls.

Immersed in this was Zia, the protagonist, living within the confines of the "ordine della famiglia," which prescribes how a young Italian widow should live. Her transformation as she prioritizes finding the person who killed the deputy mayor, whom she had befriended, and then a member of her family, was a fascinating look at how a woman can begin to understand and act upon the knowledge that her life is her own to live. Her actions endanger her in more ways than one, but she chooses her own path and does what she knows to be right.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Eileen Joyce Donovan
4.0 out of 5 stars 1920s life in NYC
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great read that revolves around the life of a young woman who inadvertently gets involved with NYC's Italian mafia in the 1920s. Lots of actual historic names mingled with fictitious ones.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Janine
3.0 out of 5 stars 3/5
Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was okay but not great.
Report
ML reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric historical fiction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Prepare to be transported back in time! Perfect for anyone who loves New York, or who has an interest in New York during a particularly fascinating and compelling period. Highly recommend.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report