Murder on Sisters' Row

I’m totally hooked on this series. I was pacing myself because I love it so much and I didn’t want to catch up and then have to wait each year for a new installment. (What was I thinking? – there are currently 24 books in the series, I could be dead before I finish!). But, THEN I read GRFriend Julie’s review of a later book in the series and I was off to the races (galloping noises). I read two books over the weekend and then a third and next a fourth!....All, so I could get to the “good stuff” I’ve been waiting for …there’s good stuff.

About the series...

As any follower can tell you, our heroine, Sarah Brandt, abandoned her role as a Society debutante to marry an impoverished doctor and become a midwife. She was show more widowed after only four years of nuptial bliss, during which time she was estranged from her parents Felix and Elizabeth Decker. The Deckers were one of the most prominent and wealthy families in New York City at the end of the 19th Century, and daughters of their station married for mogul unions and notfor love. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, an Irish cop and widower, crossed paths with Sarah in the first book of the series and quickly morphed from Malloy’s bane to the apple of his eye. There is much attraction between these two people who come from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Malloy is careful never to overstep his bounds, knowing that Sarah is above his pay grade, yet he is quickly and clearly besotted.

What else is fun about this series? Sarah always seems to get mixed up or calls Frank into a murder investigation. Her visits to the police station to seek him out result in the knowing titters of his fellow officers. No matter how many times Sarah promises not to butt in, Frank ends up tripping over her while visiting a murder scene or the family of a victim. He is protective and fears for Sarah’s safety, and well he should, since she is nearly poisoned, stabbed, clubbed or otherwise threatened at least once or twice in most of the novels. Generally, several bodies will turn up before a mystery is solved, and just when you think you have figured out the motive and the culprit – a new twist gets thrown in your path. If you are absolutely certain you know who committed the crime/s, the rug gets yanked out from under your feet and your person of interest turns up dead!

In almost every novel, the disgustingly rich either get murdered or become murder suspects. Frank knows that these people are untouchable – touch them, and you lose your job. Frank and Sarah manage to arrive at a satisfactory resolution to each of the mysteries (so far). Over the course of these books, the reader is introduced to the complicated relationships between Sarah and her parents, Sarah and her “daughter” Catherine and nanny Maeve, Sarah and her neighbor Mrs. Ellsworth, Frank and his mother, Frank and his son, everyone separately, and everyone together. All of the characters, especially Sarah and her mother Elizabeth, are interesting and have a sense of humor, except perhaps the fuddy-duddy, Felix Decker.

In this story, Sarah is collected by carriage to attend a delivery in the Nun’s Quarter. Nunnery=Brothel…Sarah does not immediately know where she is, as she has never seen the inside of a brothel, but quickly figures things out, especially when she delivers the baby of a young girl, who begs her to contact a philanthropic do-gooder woman who orchestrates an 1890’s special op team that “kidnaps” prostitutes from their Madams and delivers them from their bondage. Not everything is as it seems, not everyone is as they seem. This is one of two novels in this series that I read last week where the only value the baby has for its mother, is the rich man who fathered the child.

Did I forget to mention that the do-gooder woman is married to a frequenter of brothels?

Whether or not there is a happy ending depends on your point of view. The endings are always good for Sarah, Frank, et al – not so good for all the murder victims. show less

I thought I'd hit on the killer early on while listening to Murder on Sisters' Row, but as more facts came to light, I changed my mind. Then I changed it again as a new fact was revealed. I like it when the killer isn't obvious. Poor Frank Malloy -- this time he actually has to ask Sarah Brandt's help to investigate the murder (after he tried to keep her out of it too).

Among other facts we get to learn about New York City around the turn of the 20th century is another definition of 'pigeonhole'. As for Sisters' Row itself, they were big time brothels. I did appreciate Sarah educating her mother on why poor women turned to prostitution. No, it wasn't depravity. As late as the 1980s or 1990s I remember reading about a contemporary show more doctor's concern that the only way his patient could earn enough money to feed her children properly was by returning to prostitution.

The concept of the deserving poor and the undeserving poor is at the heart of the Charity Organization Society that is part of the background of this installment. I was appalled by the reason the leader didn't want to give poor mothers what she considered too much aid. It is as tragically wrong as the notorious Eastern State Penitentiary's hope that solitary confinement would rehabilitate prisoners.

There's some slight progress on the Frank and Sarah front. The reader can tell they're falling for each other, but they can't. show less

I love Sarah and Frank! She promises him she won't be involved in anymore of his cases and, of course, it happens again. Sarah delivers a baby to a prostitute in a brothel who begs for help in escaping. Sarah can't refuse and enlists the aid of a woman who runs a charity that helps "fallen women." She's murdered and the prostitute disappears and the case begins.

A man turns up at Sarah Brandt's home needing her services to deliver a baby. Until she gets there, she is not aware she is at a brothel on Sisters Row. Her patient Amy seems earnest in her efforts to get away from the house of ill repute where she is being held against her will. She tells Sarah about Mrs. Jeffrey VanOrner's rescue efforts, pleading with Sarah to plead with the woman to rescue her. Sarah locates the woman, and a rescue is scheduled. After Amy is at the safe house, Mrs. Van Orner is found dead in her carriage following a visit. Soon afterwards, Amy leaves the safe house with her baby. Detective Frank Malloy is impeded in what he can do because of the "protection money" paid by wealthy New Yorkers who frequent the show more brothels. He does, however, receive the go-ahead from Jeffrey Van Orner to investigate his wife's murder.

Although I really don't enjoy reading about the seedy side of society, Thompson created an interesting puzzle. Although I suspected the murderer's identity, her red herrings left me with enough doubt to keep me engaged. I'm interested in learning a bit more about the Charity Organization Society which inspired this installment. The author included a little about it, but I'd like to find additional information. Similar organizations exist today although they do not attempt to be as controlling of whether another can assist a person and usually they only serve to inform charities about what assistance was received. Many times the persons at such organizations today know whether or not the person is playing the system and truly in need. Although they don't usually comment, many times they will tell the calling charity when they know a person to truly be in need. show less

In Murder on Sister's Row, midwife Sarah Brandt, is called to a brothel to aid in the birth of Amy, one of the prostitutes. Amy insists she is there against her will, and in need of rescue. She gives Sarah the name of a woman who rescues girls and provides them with a home until they can find employment. We know this won't be a simple solution and once again the police need to be brought in to investigate a murder. Usually Detective Frank Malloy can do the investigation but in this case Sarah can get into places Frank can’t and Frank recruits her to help him out.

I like this series even though it can be repetitive. I like the authenticity of turn of the century New York City. I especially like Sarah's unconventional life and her show more relationship with her adopted daughter, Catherine, nursemaid Maeve, and superstitious next door neighbor Mrs. Ellsworth. There seems to be no movement in the relationship between Sarah and Frank and I hope that changes soon. I think of this as a comfort series, one I read when I just want to relax and enjoy a different period of time. I'm planning to read the next book soon, Murder on Fifth Avenue. show less

I too used to enjoy this series, but nothing seems to change from book to book. I found the plot for this book tiresome and it was easy to figure out who the killer actually was. That tells me that this series is getting too predictable. The characters don't seem to grow and change much either. I love the idea of this series, late 1800's in New York City. You can't get much more potential for history than that, but I find that the era isn't ever expanded on. I would love to know more human interest stories from this era and from this place, but I never seem to get any. They even seem to converse like present-day people, and I'm sure that that is not authentic either. I love historical mysteries for the insight that they give me into the show more era in which the story was written, but these books do not offer much insight at all. I still like the characters, so hope that Ms. Thompson can do something more with them. show less

Once again Victoria Thompson delivers a great murder mystery, this time set in the world of brothels, whores and well-to-do do-gooders.

Loved the characters in this one and the plot was intriguing and believable.

Each of the Gaslight Mysteries has an interesting way of exposing the underbelly of old New York and the sometimes desperate denizens of the big apple

All held together as always by Malloy and co.