A Death of No Importance: A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
"A taut, suspenseful, and complex murder mystery with gorgeous period detail."—Susan Elia MacNeal
Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel, A Death of No Importance.
NEW YORK CITY, 1910. Invisible until she's needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a lady's maid to the city's upper echelons. She works for the Benchley family, who are dismissed by the elite as "new money," and who cause outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious eminent playboy Norrie Newsome.
But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned to find the killer—she's a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power but that of fierce intellect. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city's underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands; scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface—and can break out at any time.
*BONUS CONTENT: This edition of A Death of No Importance includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guide
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
Mariah Fredericks. (2018). A Death of No Importance: A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1. St. Martin's Publishing Group.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Mariah Fredericks. 2018. A Death of No Importance: A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1. St. Martin's Publishing Group.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Mariah Fredericks, A Death of No Importance: A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2018.
MLA Citation (style guide)Mariah Fredericks. A Death of No Importance: A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2018.
| Library | Owned | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Digital Collection | 1 | 1 |
OverDrive Product Record
- readingOrder
- 1
- images
- cover:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG100.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- thumbnail:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG200.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover150Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG150.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover300Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG400.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover:
- formats
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152985
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- identifiers:
- identifiers:
- type: ASIN
- value: B075QJG2J8
- name: Kindle Book
- id: ebook-kindle
- identifiers:
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152985
- name: OverDrive Read
- id: ebook-overdrive
- identifiers:
- otherFormatIdentifiers
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152978
- mediaType
- eBook
- primaryCreator
- role: Author
- name: Mariah Fredericks
- isOwnedByCollections
- True
- title
- A Death of No Importance
- seriesId
- 535114
- dateAdded
- 2018-04-05T19:36:31.257Z
- contentDetails
- href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=3566094
- type: text/html
- account:
- name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
- id: 1151
- sortTitle
- Death of No Importance Jane Prescott Series Book 01
- crossRefId
- 3566094
- series
- Jane Prescott
- subtitle
- A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1
- id
- 4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13
- starRating
- 3.7
OverDrive MetaData
- isPublicDomain
- False
- formats
- fileName: ADeathofNoImportance_9781250152985_3566094
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 3586170
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152985
- rights:
- type: Copying
- value: 0
- type: Printing
- value: 0
- type: Lending
- value: 0
- type: ReadAloud
- value: 0
- type: ExpirationRights
- value: 0
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- onSaleDate: 4/10/2018
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4554cb82-97ed-455b-9dce-9aa033716e13&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: ADeathofNoImportance_3566094
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 0
- identifiers:
- type: ASIN
- value: B075QJG2J8
- name: Kindle Book
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-kindle
- onSaleDate: 4/10/2018
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4554cb82-97ed-455b-9dce-9aa033716e13&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: ADeathofNoImportance_9781250152985_3566094
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 2853618
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152985
- name: OverDrive Read
- isReadAlong: False
- id: ebook-overdrive
- onSaleDate: 4/10/2018
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4554cb82-97ed-455b-9dce-9aa033716e13&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- keywords
- value: crime fiction
- value: murder mysteries
- value: crime
- value: coal miners
- value: Romantic Suspense
- value: suspense
- value: detective story
- value: Historical mysteries
- value: coal mining
- value: New York
- value: murder mystery
- value: female detectives
- value: historical mystery
- value: mystery series
- value: class conflict
- value: mystery and thriller
- value: detective novels
- value: detective books
- value: thriller books
- value: cozy mysteries
- value: mysteries and thrillers
- value: crime books
- value: mystery books
- value: regency mystery
- value: Murder mystery books
- value: New York society
- value: mystery thriller suspense
- value: historical mystery books
- value: cozy mystery books
- value: romantic suspense books
- value: female amateur sleuth
- value: woman detectives
- value: domestic servants
- value: library journal best books of the year
- value: mine disasters
- value: best books of 2018
- value: ladies maid
- value: gilded age new york
- value: 1910s murder mystery
- value: mystery tv shows
- creators
- role: Author
- fileAs: Fredericks, Mariah
- bioText: MARIAH FREDERICKS was born, raised, and still lives in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series, which has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, as well as several YA novels. She can be reached through her website.
- name: Mariah Fredericks
- imprint
- Minotaur Books
- publishDate
- 2018-04-10T00:00:00-04:00
- isOwnedByCollections
- True
- title
- A Death of No Importance
- fullDescription
"A taut, suspenseful, and complex murder mystery with gorgeous period detail."—Susan Elia MacNeal
Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel, A Death of No Importance.
NEW YORK CITY, 1910. Invisible until she's needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a lady's maid to the city's upper echelons. She works for the Benchley family, who are dismissed by the elite as "new money," and who cause outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious eminent playboy Norrie Newsome.
But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned to find the killer—she's a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power but that of fierce intellect. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city's underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands; scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface—and can break out at any time.
*BONUS CONTENT: This edition of A Death of No Importance includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guide- seriesId
- 535114
- reviews
- premium: False
- source: New York Times Book Review
- content: "Murder in the ranks of high society provides heady entertainment for the servants who toil in obscurity in A Death of No Importance, a lively upstairs/downstairs mystery by Mariah Fredericks set in New York City in 1910."
- premium: False
- source: Publishers Weekly (starred)
- content: "A sparkling mystery . . . The novel's voice, plotting, pace, characterization, and historical background are all expertly crafted, while the resolution--which feels both surprising and convincing--will leave readers hungry for more."
- premium: False
- source: Library Journal (starred)
- content: "Jane is an appealing amateur sleuth . . . With its vivid depiction of contrasting worlds this series debut should appeal to readers of Alyssa Maxwell's 'Gilded Age' historical mysteries."
- premium: False
- source: Booklist
- content: "Deftly woven...[An] intricate historical mystery and pointed commentary on human nature."
- premium: False
- source: BookPage
- content: "The prewar world of New York City in 1910 comes to life through the colorful social settings and real historical events...[a] debut adult novel with period details and strong characterizations."
- premium: False
- source: RT Book Reviews
- content: "A deliciously intriguing peek at 1910 New York. A well-plotted mystery with a plucky amateur sleuth--and an ending that could promise more cases for Jane to solve in the future!"
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
Starred review from January 29, 2018
YA author Fredericks (Season of the Witch) makes her adult debut with a sparkling mystery set in 1910 Manhattan. Lady’s maid Jane Prescott works for the Benchleys, who have the money but not the sophistication to be part of elite society. When the Benchleys’ daughter Charlotte falls for Robert “Norrie” Newsome, the playboy heir to a mining fortune, drama ensues. At the Christmas Eve ball Norrie’s parents reluctantly hold to announce his engagement to Charlotte, he’s found dead, his eyes gouged out. Charlotte, the young woman Norrie jilted when he took up with her, and their families all have motives, as do local anarchists with a history of violent protest and the families of those killed in a recent Newsome mine disaster. Concerned for her employers, Jane looks into the murder with help from an attractive reporter and a chemist knowledgeable about emerging forensic techniques. The novel’s voice, plotting, pace, characterization, and historical background are all expertly crafted, while the resolution—which feels both surprising and convincing—will leave readers hungry for more. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary.
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
March 1, 2018
The title of YA novelist Fredericks' first book for adults suggests the theme of its intricate historical mystery and pointed commentary on human nature. In 1910, for New York's wealthiest citizens?the New York 400?who hold the city's purse strings, the sad truth is that only some lives are important. At the same time, disagreeing anarchists plot violent revolution to force changes in working conditions, crime, and poverty. Deftly woven around these issues is the murder of a playboy, Norrie Newsome, whose family is one of the 400 and whose murderer may be one of the two women he had promised to marry. The story is told through the first-person narration of lady's maid Jane Prescott, perfectly positioned to observe the very rich. The murder plot unspools against the vividly evoked background of a horrific mine disaster, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and the growing campaign for women's rights. Readers can enjoy a similarly down-to-earth and quick-witted heroine in Rosemary Simpson's puzzler What the Dead Leave Behind (2017) and the same wealthy cesspools of greed in Victoria Thompson's Murder in the Bowery (2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
- premium: True
- source:
- content:
Starred review from February 1, 2018
Years after Jane Prescott joined the wealthy but parvenu Benchley family as maid to the two daughters, she recalls the 1910 crime that made all the New York papers. Younger daughter Charlotte had flung herself at notorious playboy Norrie Newsome, heir to the Newsome fortune. On Christmas Eve, before the announcement of their engagement, Jane finds Norrie's body in the library. As the scandal sheets waver between suspecting anarchists or Charlotte, the observant Jane teams up with a reporter to uncover other suspects. Fredericks's (The Girl in the Park) first adult mystery is a richly detailed historical that addresses the social issues and class inequities of the early 20th century. Jane is an appealing amateur sleuth, an orphan exposed to the excesses of the wealthy while remaining friends with union organizers and anarchists. VERDICT With its vivid depiction of contrasting worlds this series debut should appeal to readers of Alyssa Maxwell's "Gilded Age" historical mysteries.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- popularity
- 678
- links
- self:
- href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/4554cb82-97ed-455b-9dce-9aa033716e13/metadata
- type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
- self:
- id
- 4554cb82-97ed-455b-9dce-9aa033716e13
- starRating
- 3.7
- readingOrder
- 1
- images
- cover:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG100.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- thumbnail:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG200.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover150Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG150.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover300Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2390-1/{4554CB82-97ED-455B-9DCE-9AA033716E13}IMG400.JPG
- type: image/jpeg
- cover:
- isPublicPerformanceAllowed
- False
- languages
- code: en
- name: English
- subjects
- value: Fiction
- value: Mystery
- value: Historical Fiction
- publishDateText
- 04/10/2018
- otherFormatIdentifiers
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781250152978
- mediaType
- eBook
- shortDescription
"A taut, suspenseful, and complex murder mystery with gorgeous period detail."—Susan Elia MacNeal
Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel, A Death of No Importance.
NEW YORK CITY, 1910. Invisible until she's needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a lady's maid to the city's upper echelons. She works for the Benchley family, who are dismissed by the elite as "new money," and who cause outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious eminent playboy Norrie Newsome.
But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned to find the killer—she's a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power but that of fierce intellect. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city's underbelly, morals can become cheap in...- sortTitle
- Death of No Importance A Jane Prescott Novel Series Book 01
- crossRefId
- 3566094
- series
- Jane Prescott
- subtitle
- A Jane Prescott Novel Series, Book 1
- publisher
- St. Martin's Publishing Group
- bisacCodes
- code: FIC014000
- description: FICTION / Historical / General
- code: FIC022060
- description: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical
- code: FIC022100
- description: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth
