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Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML:In A Free Man of Color and Sold Down the River, Benjamin January guided readers through the seductive maze of New Orleans' darkest quarters. Now January joins the orchestra of the city's top opera house �?? only to become enmeshed in a web of hate and greed more murderous than any drama onstage. In 1835, the cold February streets glitter with masked revelers in Carnival costumes. An even more brilliant display is promised at the American Theater, where impresario Lorenzo Belaggio has brought the first Italian opera to town. But it's pitch-black in the muddy alley outside the stage door when Benjamin January, coming from rehearsal with the orchestra, hears a slurred whisper, sees the flash of a knife, and is himself wounded as he rescues Belaggio from a vicious attack. The bombastic impresario first accuses two of his tenors, then suspects his rival, the manager of New Orleans' other opera company. Could competition for audiences really provoke such violent skulduggery? Or has Belaggio taken too many chances in the catfight between two sopranos, one superseded by the other as his mistress and his prima donna? But burning in January's mind and heart is a darker possibility. The opera Belaggio plans to present �?? a magnificent version of Othello �?? strikes a shocking chord in this culture. Is the murderous tragedy of the noble Moor and his lady, the spectacle of a black man's passion for a white beauty, one that some Creole citizen �?? or American parvenu �?? would do anything to keep off the stage? Bloody threats and voodoo signs, poison and brutal murder seem to implicate many strange bedfellows. And Benjamin must discover who �?? in rage, retribution, or an insidious new commerce in this beautiful cutthroat city �?? will kill and kill ... and who will… (more)
User reviews
This book happened to catch my eye at the library. I don't think I knew that Ms. Hambly wrote mysteries before I found this volume. It's actually the 5th book featuring Benjaman January, a free man of color in New Orleans in the early 1800's. Like other Hambly characters, January is prone to
Like all Barbara Hambly's books I've read, the setting is lavish in realism and detail. The plot almost, but not quite, gets lost in the rush and whirl of New Orleans during Carnivalle. The mystery was nicely done, and the characters were all lushly real. I've already requested the first book in this series from my local library.
If you're ONLY interested in the mystery aspect of a novel, skip this one. While the mystery alone is good, it only sings in the context of the setting and outstanding characters. However, if you enjoy historical fiction of any sort, if you enjoy a character-driven story, or if you're interested in what Opera was like in the early 19th century in New Orleans, read this book.
I
don't know where to begin...... Benjamin January, a French/Spanish/English speaking Freeman in New Orleans, is the pianist for the Opera Othello...... The impresario is threatened & attacked as is the Ballet Mistress......
There is shady dealings, jealousy, hatred, and major rivalries.
The book
There was too much confusion for me..... I could never tell what was going on. All the background information of the era, characters' histories, and jumping from part to part within the chapters, confused the hell out of me, and this all made for very difficult (many times boring) reading. Which is such a shame because I like M'sier Janvier's character and his history, he is a very interesting & likable character..... I really wanted to like this book, I get sad when I am disappointed like this