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Nancy Bilyeau

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The Ghost of Madison Avenue: A Novella Kindle Edition

by Nancy Bilyeau (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 432 ratings

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From the author of The Blue, Dreamland, and the Joanna Stafford trilogy—a compelling mystery set at Christmastime in the faded glory of New York's Gilded Age.

In this unforgettable story, bestselling author Nancy Bilyeau takes readers to J. P. Morgan's private library in December 1912, when two very different people haunted by lost love come together in an unexpected way.

Helen O’Neill, part of a tight-knit Irish-American family in the Bronx, is only too happy to report to work at the spectacular private library built on Madison Avenue by millionaire financier J. P. Morgan. The head librarian, the brilliant and beautiful Belle da Costa Greene, had hired Helen away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art after she witnessed Helen’s unusual talent with handling artifacts.

Helen soon discovers the Morgan Library is a place like no other, with its secret staircases, magical manuscripts, and mysterious murals. But that’s nothing compared to a person Helen alone sees: a young woman standing on Madison Avenue, looking as if she were keeping watch. In learning the woman’s true link to the Morgan, Helen must face the pain of her own past. She finds herself with a second chance at happiness—if she has the courage.

From the author of The Blue, the Joanna Stafford trilogy, and Dreamland, set in 1911 Coney Island, comes The Ghost of Madison Avenue, a story both thrilling and moving.

Praise for Nancy Bilyeau’s Fiction

"Nancy Bilyeau's passion for history infuses her books"
—Alison Weir, bestselling historian and novelist

On The Ghost of Madison Avenue:

"The Gilded Age splendors of the Morgan Library come to life in this wonderful, warm-hearted tale of Christmases past, present, and future. Bilyeau weaves a wealth of gorgeous period detail into her ghost story of old New York, delivering genuine chills, family drama, and poignant romance with equal skill. A gorgeous holiday treat!"
—Mariah Fredericks, author of Death of a New American

On Dreamland:

"This fast-paced, engrossing novel from Bilyeau … gives readers an up-close and personal view of New York’s Gilded Age"
—Library Journal, starred review

"Beautifully written and impeccably researched, Dreamland is a rollicking ride."
—Fiona Davis, author of The Chelsea Girls

"A marvelous book!"
—Ellen Marie Wiseman, author of What She Left Behind

On The Blue:

"Definitely a winner!"
—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

"Fascinating"
—Ian Rankin, international bestseller

On the Joanna Stafford Trilogy:

"All the ingredients of the best historical fiction … will satisfy even the most ardent mystery fans."
—Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches

"Bilyeau deftly weaves extensive historical detail throughout, but the real draw of this suspenseful novel is its juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy and betrayal."
—Oprah Magazine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B082LXJ8X8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon (December 10, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 10, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 120 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1674496435

Best Sellers Rank: #684,913 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #389 in Historical Irish Fiction
- #3,113 in Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #4,699 in Ghost Mysteries

Customer Reviews:
4.1 432 ratings

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Nancy Bilyeau

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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 day. She loves crafting immersive historical stories, whether it's Jazz Age New York City in "The Orchid Hour," the 18th-century European chateaus and porcelain workshops in "The Versailles Formula," "The Blue," and "The Fugitive Colours," or Henry VIII's tumultuous England in "The Crown," "The Chalice," and "The Tapestry."

For her Genevieve Planche novels--"The Versailles Formula," The Blue" and "The Fugitive Colours"--she drew on her heritage to create a 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 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

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's story and visual style. They found it a delightful, fun read with lifelike visuals of great art that captured their imagination. The content was interesting and well-researched, providing an informative read about the Gilded Age. Readers described the book as a quick, fast-paced read that can be read in one sitting. They appreciated the writing style as warm and touching, with real characters like JP Morgan portrayed. The importance of familial connections was also highlighted.

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Story quality Enjoyment Visual style Engrossed content Readability Writing style Character development Family connections

38 customers mention "Story quality"38 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it engaging and personal, celebrating family dynamics and love beyond the veil. Readers appreciate the historical fiction and its exploration of a fascinating time and place. The book is described as an enjoyable ghost story for Christmas or any time of year.

"...I highly recommend this deeply emotional story to readers. Historical fiction at its best and a novella to boot!..." Read more

"...I wanted to know so much more about that fascinating time and place, the rich and interesting people who inhabited that world, and the smells, the..." Read more

"...-written story of love, grief, and Christmas, and the role a ghost plays in understanding each...." Read more

"In THE GHOST OF MADISON AVENUE, Nancy Bilyeau gives us a heartwarming treat of an historical novella perfect not only for Christmastime but year-..." Read more

13 customers mention "Enjoyment"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it delightful, excellent, and a wonderful find. The history of the library is a fun touch. Readers appreciate the well-crafted world and realistic characters.

"...Read in an afternoon and would honestly say one of the better books I have read. I highly recommend this deeply emotional story to readers...." Read more

"...As with every great read, the turning of the last page opens more doors. I now want to return to the Morgan Library to look at it with a new eye...." Read more

"...Weaving a ghost story into the history of the library was a fun touch." Read more

"...Nancy Bilyeau's Joanna Stafford trilogy, I anticipated excellent world-buildng, complex and very real characters, and a story that intrigues and..." Read more

11 customers mention "Visual style"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the visual style of the book. They find the references to great art and the Madison Avenue of 1912 appealing. The story captures their imagination and brings them to the Gilded Age. They describe the period as lifelike and Gothic, with many wonderful touches.

"...the famous Morgan library during this period of the Gilded Age are lifelike and brought this reader immediately into that era...." Read more

"...and the Irish immigrant experience in America, and it shows beautifully in the story." Read more

"...Ms Bilyeau does her research. There are many wonderful touches here-one can not only smell the Connolly family dinners, but taste them as well...." Read more

"...in a way that allows the tale’s touch of fantasy to become real and charming. Most of all, Helen grows and changes within this short work...." Read more

9 customers mention "Engrossed content"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its well-researched content about the Morgan Library and New York. They appreciate the references to art and visuals. The story is described as an engrossing read that keeps readers hooked from the start.

"...The Ghost of Madison Avenue is a novella by Nancy Bilyeau is a deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas, and the role a..." Read more

"...The author's exceptional research into and knowledge of the period brings Gilded Age New York to vivid life along with the fascinating personages..." Read more

"The details of the Morgan library were delightful, especially as I've spent a great deal of time there...." Read more

"...There are a lot of interesting references to and visuals of great art, and Madison Avenue of 1912 really comes alive...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's readability. They find it a quick and engaging read that can be read in one sitting. The well-researched story takes readers to a different time and keeps them page-turning. It is a perfect quick and engrossing read for any time of year.

"A fast read it was (it’s a novella) but one that will stay with me...." Read more

"...and very real characters, and a story that intrigues and keeps me page-turning...." Read more

"Historically correct and imaginative. I enjoyed this fast paced story because many of the places described were ones I had been to...." Read more

"...It is the perfect quick and engrossing read for any time of the year, but especially around Christmas and the winter season. Brava!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the story touching and warmly written, perfect for reading by the Christmas tree.

"I absolutely love Bilyeau's style of writing...." Read more

"...Avenue is a novella by Nancy Bilyeau is a deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas, and the role a ghost plays in..." Read more

"...Perfect to read curled up by the Christmas tree. Loved it!" Read more

"...Ms. Bilyeau is a wonderful writer and it was just what I needed to escape to another time and place for a little while." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the realistic characters and depiction of real people like JP Morgan.

"...trilogy, I anticipated excellent world-buildng, complex and very real characters, and a story that intrigues and keeps me page-turning...." Read more

"...It’s great to also see real people like JP Morgan portrayed...." Read more

"The characters were so real. I wish it was t a novella. Would have liked to get to know them all better" Read more

"...It really brought the time period alive, along with heart-felt characters and intrigues around J.P Morgan, his librarian Bella da Costa Greene, and..." Read more

4 customers mention "Family connections"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the family connections in the book. They also appreciate the importance of familial connections despite everything.

"...himself, the close-knit and diverse Irish-American community, family ties that bind, hurt and heal, and twin stories of love lost...." Read more

"...the power of love beyond the veil, and the importance of familial connections despite everything...." Read more

"Beautifully written story of love, grief and family...." Read more

"...The perfect Christmas ghost story; one of love, and loss, and family. A sweet and tender nod to the author’s ancestors...." Read more

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C Woods
Entrancing novella!
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020
Verified Purchase

I absolutely love Bilyeau's style of writing. This story set in 1912 New York City about a middle-aged widow who begins employment at J.P. Morgan's private library has a very creative plot.

The descriptions of life in New York City and the famous Morgan library during this period of the Gilded Age are lifelike and brought this reader immediately into that era. I felt as if I were there as scenes are described through the eyes of the Irish Mrs. O'Neill even as she flashes back in her memories of her late husband Sean. The emotions rose within me as I could easily embrace her feelings of aging and loss as she struggles to continue a normal life with her immediate family. The pain becomes more prominent when she sees a young woman in spirit form outside the Morgan library, later within its walls, and seeks within herself as to the purpose of this sight as no one else sees what she does.

The ending brought tears to my eyes, which is amazing to me as this is but a novella, not a long drawn out saga of events. I felt totally invested in the story by its end. And I usually spurn novellas as a reading choice feeling they don't have much impact on me. This is a first for me, and I am so glad I chose it now.

Read in an afternoon and would honestly say one of the better books I have read. I highly recommend this deeply emotional story to readers. Historical fiction at its best and a novella to boot! Thank you, Ms. Bilyeau, for a beautiful story!

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Jeff Currie
Soft and haunting, an artist's sketch of a deeper portrait
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2020
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It is, in many ways, a mere ghost of a story--fully formed in silhouette, but never quite fleshed out. There is a constant sense when reading to always want more ... more setting, more development, more color, more action, and even more dialogue.

This is an author (full disclosure, I do know her) who can deliver exquisite quality. She is what a knowledgeable baseball insider would call a five-tool player, a writer who can wield all of the tricks of her craft to deliver big-time results. The tiny snippet at the end of this story of her new book, "Dreamland" is indicative of that awesome power, where every word of the teaser is read three times while hungering for more, and the moment I get this review finished I will be purchasing a copy of that book.

This book shows off some of that ability, but in many ways it plays around the edges of what could have been possible. Don't misunderstand me, I liked the story, but it felt a bit like the aftermath of eating a low carb muffin, as there was a sense throughout that the author was holding back a bit, or writing to a preordained word count.

I wanted to know so much more about that fascinating time and place, the rich and interesting people who inhabited that world, and the smells, the grit, and the vibrancy of an era that will forever live just beyond my comprehension. I wanted to get to know the protagonist so much better, to understand her more deeply, and I wanted to hold her small, delicate hand in mine and reassure her that it would be ok.

Perhaps it is a bit much to ask of a novella, and perhaps I am too critical, but that might be in keeping with the overall theme, where the specter of what was and what could be remain forever locked away from view.

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Glynn Young
Deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
It’s New York City in December 1912, and Helen O’Neill has found herself in a wonderful work situation. She’s been hired as a curator for J.P. Morgan’s personal library and extensive artifact collection. Helen has had a gift from birth, an ability to do things with her hands that generally astonish family and friends alike, like easily picking up all 10 jacks together in a jacks game. The talent amuses most but frightens her Irish mother, who knows the legends of people with this ability. They often can see what others don’t.

Helen is a widow in her 30s, her husband having died of typhoid fever in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. She still mourns him deeply, but says little about him to the large, extended family she’s part of and lives with.

One afternoon, leaving the library to return home, she sees a young woman, with an old-fashioned hairstyle and dress, staring the museum from across the street. No one else seems to notice her, and here she is with no coat or gloves in the winter cold. Helen spots the woman several more times and has the impression the woman wants to speak to her. But every time Helen moves to speak with her, the woman vanishes.

One afternoon, she sees the woman walking and talking with J.P. Morgan himself in the garden. And that will lead to a series of actions that Helen is sure will get her fired. What she doesn’t expect is where else it will lead her.

The Ghost of Madison Avenue is a novella by Nancy Bilyeau is a deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas, and the role a ghost plays in understanding each. Bilyeau especially researched New York of the period, J.P. Morgan, and the Irish immigrant experience in America, and it shows beautifully in the story.

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Hope Tarr
Haunting and Heartwarming Historical Novella
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
In THE GHOST OF MADISON AVENUE, Nancy Bilyeau gives us a heartwarming treat of an historical novella perfect not only for Christmastime but year-round. The protagonist is Helen, an Irish-American widow still grieving the death of her husband in the Spanish-American War. From childhood, Helen's hands have been imbued with strange powers -- a preternaturally deft touch. Those powers land her a position at the library of robber baron, J.P. Morgan, where she is charged with cleaning and caring for Morgan's extensive collection of rare artwork, artifacts, and illuminated manuscripts. Almost immediately, strange things begin happening in and around the library, things only Helen seems to see. The author's exceptional research into and knowledge of the period brings Gilded Age New York to vivid life along with the fascinating personages who populated it, including Morgan and Belle Da Costa Greene, his personal librarian and curator and later, the director of the Morgan Library and Museum.

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John M R Males
A delightful read from a favourite author,
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2019
Verified Purchase

I have to confess that as a fan of every Nancy Bilyeau book to date I was hardly surprised to find myself downing this 100-page novella in one gulp. I hadn't intended to, but time disappeared and other duties went by the board.

Ms Bilyeau immediately transports her reader to the home of an Irish immigrant family in the winter of an Edwardian New York, its sense of place conjured up with her usual skill. Under disturbing circumstances our young widowed protagonist, Helen O'Neill, finds herself connected to America's richest man, the banker JP Morgan, with unexpected consequences. Other characters are portrayed sympathetically as the tension builds up, and the conclusion is both unexpected and satisfying.

This slim volume is a delightful read and would make a perfect gift for just about any occasion. And I certainly recommend to you Ms Bilyeau's other unputdownable novels.

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Jullay
Beautifully haunting
Reviewed in Australia on December 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
I always love Nancy's writing and this one though short doesn't disappoint. It's a beautifully haunting tale of love, she captures the mood wonderfully. Importantly she conjures up a real sense of the Irish community in this era.
Once more Nancy gifts her reader with vivid images of times gone by and brings both the period and her characters to life.

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DressageDreamer
Disappointing
Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
I loved The Blue but this novel was simple and fairly boring. The plot really had no depth, neither did the characters. I thought the setting would at least provide a key to the novel, but it could have been set anywhere. Such potential but not achieved.

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Whitelight
Atmospheric short story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
What a lovely find! Really enjoyed this tale. Well written with a keen eye for detail. My only complaint is I wish it had been longer!

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Birgit
Wow. A perfect novella.
Reviewed in Australia on January 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
The second of Nancy Bilyeau’s books I have read. What a talented writer. I can’t wait to read the next one.

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The Ghost of Madison Avenue: A Novella Kindle Edition

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A beautiful story of love and loss

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Entrancing novella!

4.0 out of 5 stars Soft and haunting, an artist's sketch of a deeper portrait

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and Heartwarming Historical Novella

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful read from a favourite author,

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully haunting

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing

5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric short story

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. A perfect novella.

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Entrancing novella!

Soft and haunting, an artist's sketch of a deeper portrait

Deeply researched, well-written story of love, grief, and Christmas

Haunting and Heartwarming Historical Novella

A delightful read from a favourite author,

Beautifully haunting

Disappointing

Atmospheric short story

Wow. A perfect novella.