Plot Summary
Fire on Barclay Street
Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, magical detectives and undertakers in post–Civil War Philadelphia, are drawn to a devastating fire on Barclay Street. The blaze has destroyed homes and lives, but one house stands untouched, protected by strange magic. As they investigate, Hetty and Benjy encounter wary neighbors, rumors of magical arson, and the shadowy Beatty Hose fire company, notorious for targeting Black communities and magical practitioners. The couple's probing reveals not only the community's pain but also hints of a deeper, more sinister pattern behind the fires. Their investigation is interrupted by the arrival of Valentine Duval, whose family's history is entwined with magic, activism, and secrets. The fire is not just a tragedy—it's a warning, and the first spark in a chain of events that will force Hetty and Benjy to confront ghosts, both literal and metaphorical.
Hexes and Hidden Tunnels
Following magical residue, Hetty and Benjy discover a powerful hex in the spared house, leading them to a hidden tunnel beneath the city. The tunnel, once used for smuggling and the Underground Railroad, is now blocked and dangerous, hinting at recent activity and old secrets. Their exploration is cut short by the return of the house's owner—Valentine Duval—who reveals his family's deep involvement in abolitionist work and magical resistance. The encounter is tense, layered with suspicion and shared history. The tunnels, hexes, and the Duval connection suggest that the recent fires are not isolated incidents but part of a larger, targeted campaign against the city's Black magical community. Hetty and Benjy realize they are entangled in a web of old alliances, betrayals, and unfinished business.
The Duval Family Secrets
The Duval siblings—Valentine, Adelaide, and their cousin Horace—are introduced as complex figures, each carrying scars from their family's legacy of activism, magic, and survival. Valentine's father, Raimond, was recently killed in a suspicious fire, and the siblings are divided by grief, suspicion, and unresolved rivalries. Hetty and Benjy's investigation into the Duval deaths uncovers layers of secrets: hidden tunnels, coded journals, and connections to the Vigilance Society, a clandestine network aiding runaways. The Duvals' history is a microcosm of the city's struggles—freedom, belonging, and the cost of resistance. As Hetty and Benjy dig deeper, they realize that the Duval family's enemies are still at large, and the past is far from buried.
Ghosts and Mediums
Seeking answers, Hetty, Penelope, and Darlene attend a séance led by Eudora Mason, a medium who claims to speak with the dead. The event is both spectacle and scam, but Eudora's performance unexpectedly pierces Hetty's defenses, dredging up grief for her lost sister and the traumas of enslavement. The séance becomes a crucible for the living and the dead, blurring the line between truth and deception. Meanwhile, the city is awash with rumors of ghosts, magical disturbances, and fraudulent spellbooks designed to discredit Celestial magic. The spiritual unrest mirrors the community's anxieties—about loss, justice, and the dangers of being seen. Hetty's skepticism is shaken, and she is forced to confront the ghosts she carries within.
The Past Returns
Flashbacks and interludes reveal Hetty and Benjy's early partnership, their daring rescue of Sarah Jacobs and her children from slavery, and their entanglement with Nathan Payne—a relentless bounty hunter. The past is not dead: Payne has returned to Philadelphia, now orchestrating magical thefts and violence for powerful clients. As Hetty and Benjy juggle their funeral business, friendships, and marriage, they are drawn back into the dangerous world of magical intrigue. The city's fires, the Duval murders, and the circulation of a mysterious cipher all point to a conspiracy rooted in old betrayals and unfinished revolutions. The couple must reckon with the consequences of promises made and enemies left alive.
The Stolen Children
In a pivotal flashback, Hetty and Benjy's commitment to justice is tested when they vow to reunite Sarah Jacobs with her children, held captive in the South. Their journey is fraught with danger—hostile magic, treacherous allies, and the ever-present threat of capture. The rescue, aided by an air balloon and a network of conductors, is a triumph of courage and ingenuity, but it comes at a cost. The scars of this mission—physical and emotional—shape Hetty and Benjy's relationship and their approach to every case that follows. The legacy of the stolen children reverberates through the present, as the same forces that once hunted them now threaten the city's fragile peace.
The Boxer's Mask
Benjy's reputation as a boxer and Hetty's role as his "wife" at matches are both performance and survival strategy. The boxing ring becomes a stage for community pride, coded resistance, and the navigation of racial and magical politics. But beneath the bravado, Benjy struggles with the violence he must wield and the expectations placed upon him. The matches are also a front for gathering information, as the couple tracks stolen magical goods and the movements of Nathan Payne. The lines between performance and reality blur, and the cost of maintaining masks—both literal and figurative—becomes increasingly high.
The Shadow of Payne
Nathan Payne, scarred and vengeful, emerges as the orchestrator of magical thefts, arson, and murder. His vendetta against Hetty and Benjy is personal, rooted in past defeats and the loss of his own family. Payne's alliance with corrupt officials and his use of cloaking spells make him a formidable adversary. As fires rage and bodies fall, Hetty and Benjy realize that Payne is not acting alone—he is the weapon of someone with a deeper grudge and a long memory. The couple's home, friends, and very lives are threatened, forcing them to confront the limits of their magic and the strength of their bonds.
Letters from the Dead
The arrival of a crate from Hetty's deceased sister, Esther, reopens old wounds and offers new tools—herbal knowledge, enchanted jewelry, and cryptic notes. Meanwhile, journals and letters from the Duvals and other victims reveal a pattern: all were connected to a decades-old incident involving a lost treasure, a coded pamphlet (the Clarke Cipher), and a failed rescue. The dead speak through their words, urging the living to finish what they started. Hetty must balance mourning with action, using the wisdom of the past to solve the mysteries of the present.
The Spellbook Conspiracy
A dangerous spellbook, purporting to reveal the secrets of Celestial magic, circulates in the city, stoking fear and prejudice. The book is a forgery, designed to justify magical bans and incite violence against Black practitioners. Its spread is linked to the theft of magical items, the fires, and the murders. Hetty and Benjy, with help from allies like Evie Wong and the Magnolia Muses, trace the book's origins to Beatty Hose and their political patrons. The conspiracy is both magical and mundane, exploiting the city's divisions for profit and power. The fight for truth becomes a battle for the soul of the community.
The Cipher's Curse
The Clarke Cipher, a pamphlet promising hidden sapphires, is at the heart of the city's turmoil. Deciphering it requires a key text, long hidden and fiercely protected. As Hetty and Benjy race to solve the puzzle, they realize that the cipher is both a lure and a curse—those who seek it are marked for death. The true motive behind the Duval murders and the fires is revealed: revenge for a betrayal decades earlier, when a rescue went wrong and a family was destroyed. The treasure is real, but its legacy is blood and grief. The past demands justice, and the living must pay the price.
The Ball and the Blaze
At a grand charity ball, the city's elite gather, masks are dropped, and the final act of the conspiracy unfolds. Nathan Payne, Eudora Mason, and their allies strike, targeting Jay Evans and the remaining survivors of the old Vigilance Society. The ballroom becomes a battlefield—spells fly, the chandelier crashes, and fire consumes the building. In a desperate struggle, Hetty and Benjy confront Payne, finally ending his reign of terror. But the true mastermind, Eudora, escapes into the shadows, and the treasure's fate remains uncertain. The cost of victory is high, and the city is left scarred but unbroken.
The Final Séance
The Duval funeral is transformed into a theatrical trap, designed to draw out Eudora Mason and force a confession. With the help of friends, magic, and a staged ghost, Hetty and Benjy expose Eudora's crimes and her motive: revenge for her father, betrayed and killed in the quest for the Clarke Cipher. The confrontation is fierce, blending spectacle and sincerity, and ends with Eudora's defeat. The community, though shaken, finds closure—not just for the Duvals, but for all the victims of the past. The funeral is both an ending and a beginning, a celebration of survival and solidarity.
The Treasure's True Heir
With the cipher solved and the treasure unearthed, Hetty, Benjy, and Emily Jacobs face a choice: keep the sapphires or use them to build a better future. Emily, the true heir, chooses to invest in education and healing, honoring her mother's legacy and the sacrifices of those who came before. The treasure, once a symbol of greed and betrayal, becomes a tool for community empowerment. The cycle of vengeance is broken, and the living honor the dead by forging new paths. Hetty and Benjy, scarred but hopeful, look to the stars and the stories yet to be told.
The Funeral's Last Act
The aftermath of the case brings both celebration and reckoning. The friends gather for plays, meetings, and quiet moments, reflecting on what they have lost and gained. The funeral home, once struggling, becomes a place of gathering and remembrance. Hetty and Benjy's marriage, tested by danger and doubt, emerges stronger. The city, though still beset by prejudice and violence, is also a place of resilience and magic. The final act is not just closure for the dead, but a promise to the living: to remember, to resist, and to create new stories from the ashes.
New Beginnings, Old Wounds
As the dust settles, Hetty and Benjy face new challenges—rebuilding their business, supporting friends, and confronting the ongoing threat of magical oppression. The fires may be out, but the embers of injustice still smolder. Yet, with the help of allies old and new, and the wisdom of those who came before, they are ready to face whatever comes next. The story ends not with triumph or despair, but with a quiet determination to keep fighting, keep loving, and keep telling the stories that matter.
Analysis
Nicole Glover's The Undertakers is a rich, genre-blending tapestry that uses the conventions of mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction to explore the enduring legacies of trauma, resistance, and community in Black American life. At its core, the novel is about the power of memory—how the past shapes the present, and how the stories we tell (and the ones we inherit) can be both burdens and sources of strength. Through the intertwined journeys of Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, Glover examines the costs and rewards of vigilance: the necessity of confronting injustice, the dangers of vengeance, and the healing found in solidarity and love. The book's inventive use of magic—rooted in improvisation, craft, and everyday ritual—serves as a metaphor for Black creativity and survival, while its detective structure foregrounds the importance of truth-telling and accountability. In a world where the fires of racism and violence still burn, The Undertakers insists on the possibility of new beginnings, forged from the ashes of old wounds. Its ultimate lesson is one of hope: that by honoring the dead, protecting the living, and daring to imagine better futures, we can break cycles of harm and create communities where magic—literal and metaphorical—can flourish.
Characters
Hetty Rhodes
Hetty is the heart and engine of the story—a fiercely intelligent, stubborn, and resourceful Black woman whose life has been shaped by slavery, escape, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Her magical prowess with Celestial sigils is matched only by her sharp wit and deep empathy. Haunted by the loss of her sister and the traumas of her past, Hetty channels her pain into action, refusing to let the dead be forgotten or the living go unprotected. Her marriage to Benjy is both partnership and sanctuary, marked by playful banter, mutual respect, and shared scars. Hetty's journey is one of healing, learning to balance vengeance with mercy, and finding hope in community and love.
Benjy Rhodes
Benjy is Hetty's husband and equal, a skilled blacksmith, boxer, and magical practitioner. His calm, analytical mind complements Hetty's impulsiveness, and his skepticism about ghosts and the supernatural grounds their investigations. Benjy's past is marked by loss and resilience—he is a survivor who channels his pain into creation, whether in the forge or the boxing ring. His love for Hetty is unwavering, and their relationship is a model of partnership, trust, and shared purpose. Benjy's arc is one of learning to trust in magic, community, and the possibility of change, even as he grapples with the violence and injustice of the world.
Valentine Duval
Valentine is the charming, enigmatic son of Raimond Duval, burdened by his family's legacy of activism and magic. His return to Philadelphia sets the plot in motion, as his death reveals a web of secrets, betrayals, and unfinished business. Valentine is both victim and instigator—his actions, driven by guilt and a desire to make amends, inadvertently endanger those he loves. His relationships with his sister Adelaide, cousin Horace, and the Rhodeses are fraught with tension, affection, and regret. Valentine's arc is a tragic one, but his legacy is ultimately one of truth and reconciliation.
Adelaide Duval
Adelaide is Valentine's sister, a talented sculptor who has carved out a life of independence and creativity despite the weight of her family's history. She is pragmatic, guarded, and fiercely loyal to those she loves. Adelaide's grief for her father and brother is complicated by old wounds and rivalries, but she ultimately chooses solidarity over suspicion. Her role in the story is both witness and participant—she helps orchestrate the final trap for Eudora and becomes a mentor to Emily Jacobs. Adelaide embodies the resilience and adaptability of those who survive trauma and choose to build anew.
Horace Duval
Horace is the Duval cousin, a Creole man whose ambitions and resentments make him both suspect and pawn. He is manipulative, self-serving, and often at odds with the rest of the family. Horace's pursuit of inheritance and status blinds him to the true dangers around him, and he is ultimately used by Eudora and others for their own ends. While he provides comic relief and misdirection, Horace's arc is a cautionary tale about the costs of greed and the importance of community.
Eudora Mason (Dora Reynolds)
Eudora is the story's primary antagonist—a skilled con artist and magical practitioner who uses her talents to exploit grief and sow chaos. Her quest for revenge is rooted in personal loss: her father, Alvin Jacobs, was betrayed and killed in the quest for the Clarke Cipher. Eudora's ability to blend truth and lies makes her a formidable foe, and her manipulation of Nathan Payne and others leaves a trail of destruction. Yet, she is also a tragic figure, consumed by the very ghosts she claims to command. Her defeat is both justice and a warning about the corrosive power of vengeance.
Nathan Payne
Payne is the Rhodeses' nemesis—a bounty hunter turned magical assassin, driven by loss, hatred, and a twisted sense of justice. Scarred by past encounters with Hetty and Benjy, Payne is both predator and prey, manipulated by Eudora and the city's corrupt elite. His violence is personal and systemic, targeting not just individuals but the entire community. Payne's arc is one of escalation and self-destruction, culminating in a final confrontation that forces Hetty and Benjy to confront the darkness within themselves and their world.
Penelope Caldwell
Penelope is Hetty's best friend and surrogate sister, an herbalist and potion-maker whose kindness and optimism balance Hetty's intensity. She is the emotional glue of the group, offering support, humor, and practical magic. Penelope's own struggles—with family expectations, self-doubt, and the dangers of magical work—mirror the larger themes of the story. Her relationship with Hetty is a testament to the power of chosen family and the importance of vulnerability and trust.
Darlene Needham
Darlene is a painter, adoptive mother, and member of the Vigilance Society. She is practical, imaginative, and fiercely protective of her family and friends. Darlene's arc is one of stepping into her own power—balancing art, activism, and motherhood while supporting Hetty and Benjy's investigations. Her near-death experience at the ball and her role in the final trap for Eudora highlight her courage and resourcefulness.
Emily Jacobs
Emily is the daughter of Sarah Jacobs, rescued as a child by Hetty and Benjy. Now a young woman, she returns to Philadelphia seeking justice, closure, and a better life for herself and her sister. Emily's knowledge of the cipher and her inheritance of the treasure make her the key to resolving the story's central mystery. Her arc is one of agency and empowerment—choosing to use her legacy for healing and community rather than revenge or escape.
Plot Devices
Interwoven Timelines and Flashbacks
The novel's structure relies on interlaced timelines, with flashbacks to Hetty and Benjy's early adventures, the rescue of Sarah Jacobs, and the origins of the Clarke Cipher. These interludes provide crucial context, deepen character motivations, and reveal the cyclical nature of trauma and resistance. The interplay between past and present underscores the story's central theme: history is never truly past, and the struggles of one generation echo in the next.
Magical Realism and Celestial Sigils
The use of Celestial magic—rooted in star sigils, sewing, and everyday rituals—serves as both a literal power and a metaphor for Black resilience, creativity, and community. Magic is not standardized or easily categorized; it is personal, improvisational, and deeply tied to memory and identity. The novel uses magic to explore questions of agency, belonging, and the limits of power, while also providing inventive solutions to practical problems.
The Detective Story and the Heist
The narrative is structured as a detective story, with Hetty and Benjy piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and staging elaborate traps. The conventions of the genre—red herrings, coded messages, and dramatic reveals—are subverted and enriched by the characters' awareness of performance, both in the boxing ring and the funeral parlor. The final act, a staged ghostly intervention at the funeral, blends detective work with theater, magic, and community ritual.
Social Commentary and Historical Resonance
The plot is driven by the realities of post–Civil War America: racial violence, political corruption, and the precariousness of Black freedom. The fires, magical bans, and forged spellbooks are not just plot devices but reflections of real historical threats. The novel uses its speculative elements to interrogate the legacies of slavery, the fragility of progress, and the ongoing struggle for justice and dignity.
Foreshadowing and Symbolism
The recurring motifs of sewing, birds (especially crows and sparrows), and storytelling serve as both foreshadowing and thematic anchors. Threads connect past and present, individuals and community. Birds symbolize freedom, vigilance, and the persistence of memory. Stories—told, retold, and revised—are the means by which characters make sense of their world and claim agency over their fates.
