A Deadly Fortune
Gilded Age New York City is a world of possibilities—one woman’s oyster, another’s fraught with danger. Amelia Matthew’s subtle gift for seeing the future has appeared few and far between compared to her sleight of hand, but an accident leaves her with night terrors and a radically different—and much more prominent—set of abilities.
A series of events has been put in motion, culminating in Amelia waking in the city’s most infamous asylum. Here she is drugged and beaten, adding to a chorus of women protesting their stay. She is sane—and yet, explaining the circumstances that led her here will most certainly confirm their perspective. Amelia slowly explores the confines of her new world and the fellow patients whose stories range from personal tragedy to pure marital mischief, hoping against hope that her brother will find a way to break her out before the medical professionals find a way to break her spirit.
While she works to find a way free, Dr. Andrew Cavanaugh searches for redemption in the grimy asylum. Chased by the ghosts of his past, he cannot tell whether Amelia Matthew is a blessing or a curse. Drawn together through common interest, the two find a measure of comfort, of sanity, in their seemingly impossible task.
A Deadly Fortune spins a haunting vision of 19th-century womanhood, drawing back the curtain in a chilling reminder that emotion and circumstance could easily take everything. Murphy artfully explores the seedy underbelly of the asylum cultures, the early years of psychology, and the ever-tumultuous concept of “for the greater good.” It was a pleasurable and engrossing read, leaving me with a sense of gratitude for the progress we’ve made and a reminder that we have not yet come far enough.
