CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau Book Review!

The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

The invitation to the luxurious Oriental Hotel a mile from Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of nearby Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.

Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.

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 descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Pierre's stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State.

Nancy's mind is usually in past centuries, but she lives with her family in upstate New York.

Visit Nancy's website at www.nancybilyeau.com

My Thoughts

I have been a fan of Nancy's books since the very first one. So when promoting her new book The Orchid Hour I noticed that there was a book I missed, Dreamland. When this book was published I was sick with Covid and didn't read much. Thought I better remedy that and decided to read Dreamland. Sure glad I did.

It is 1911, and Peggy Batternberg, her sister Lydia and their mother are invited to spend the summer months at the Oriental Hotel which is not far from Coney Island. The Batternberg family is a wealthy and powerful family in New York City. The family made their money from mines that are scattered across the US.

Peggy is reluctant and is talked into going. She thinks that her time there will be boring, with the Batternberg men ruling the roost, so to speak. Peggy would rather continue working at a bookstore. That was not going to happen if her uncle had anything to say about it. Since he controlled the purse strings of the family, she did not have much choice in what she did for the summer.

Peggy's sister, Lydia is engaged to Henry Taul, and he will be at the hotel also with his mother, who wants to meet the Batternberg family. Peggy's time there is nothing but boring, in fact, it will become dangerous for her. One day she goes to Coney Island and is mesmerized by the sights and sounds. While there she meets and falls in love with a man who is Serbian, Stefan, an aspiring artist.

They spend time together at Coney Island, where their relationship grows. It is marred by a murder that takes place where they had been. Of course, being an immigrant, Stefan is questioned and held because the police think that he is the murderer.

Another woman is murdered and now Peggy finds herself at the police station being questioned regarding the murders, what does she know? Her relationship with Stefan comes under scrutiny. This happens to be the summer that Coney Island is struck with a horrible heat wave, the rich are pampered and the poor have to suffer.

Peggy is determined to find out what happened to the woman and she enlists the help of her sister Lydia, well at least to cover for her when she goes to Cone Island after dark. By this time Stefan is sitting in a jail cell. If Peggy is found out, it would not be a good thing, especially with the men in her family. Peggy finds that some of the men have been engaging in immoral activities and would not be happy if she outed them. Could one of them be the killer?

Peggy's relationship with Lydia's affianced is not a good one. She had previously been courted by Henry but he brushed her aside because he felt that she was 'spoiled'. So needless to say they are not on the best of turns. Peggy is still trying to figure out why Henry was insistent that the family spend the summer at his expense. What are his motives?

The story culminates at Dreamland, one of three parks at Coney Island where Peggy enlists the help of some of the workers. They know Stefan and she is determined to get him out of jail because she believes in his innocence. This encounter puts Peggy's life at risk.

Like I said before, I love all of the author's books. This one included. Nancy's writing puts the reader right into the time period and story. I love historical fiction, my favorite genre. Nancy's words are all-encompassing and the research is impeccable. If you have not had a chance to read any of Nancy's books, what are you waiting for?

I give the book 5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.