The Winner of the ST. Martin's First Crime Novel award is Stefanie Pintoff for her book In The Shadow Of Gotham. This is a fast paced police procedural that takes place in 1905 New York.

Ms. Pintoff's main character is Simon Ziele. The story opens with the murder of a young woman, Sarah Wingate. Sarah has been staying in Dobson, New York but had been living in New York City. Ziele had fled his job as a detective in New York for calmer police work in Dobson. This brutal murder takes him back into the city. There he meets Alistair Sinclair and his daughter in law, Isabella. Sinclair is a professor in the budding field of criminology. Sinclair contacted Ziele with the purpose of suggesting a suspect. Together they travel the city from the new Dakota hotel to the various dens of iniquity. Their suspect always seems one step ahead of them and takes some viscous steps to stay that way. There's a twist a little past mid book that really turns the story around but doesn't lessen the intensity. Ms. Pintoff has, with In The Shadow of Gotham, gotten off to a respectable start. If you're looking for a police procedural, historical, with a modern feel and a thriller tinge, In The Shadow Of Gotham is the book to satisfy that search.

Dave Biemann