Murder in Murray Hill

I love Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series set in turn of the century New York City. For those not in the know, Sarah Brandt is a widow who actually comes from a very rich Old New York family, but she married a doctor who didn't have a moneyed family background. He is murdered and leaves Sarah a young widow who doesn't want to go back to her family. She has a nursing background so she sets up a successful business as a midwife. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is a New York City cop, who unlike many in the force at that time is honest and doesn't take bribes. He solves crimes the old fashioned way and tries to bring law and order to the streets of New York City. Sarah and Frank met a few years ago and their romance has blossomed as they show more started solving crimes together. The series characters are wonderfully written, and I love the personal things that keep coming up about Sarah and Frank and their respective families. In this book Ms. Thompson is taking a swipe at lonely women who are preyed upon by unscrupulous men. Believe it or not, this is not a new phenomenon. The newspaper Lonely Heart ads were just like the cyber preying that is so prevalent nowadays, but at a much slower pace obviously since the women and the cads who tried to trap them had to conduct their business and set up their trysts by post. Sarah and Frank run into a particularly odious villain in this book who preys on the not-so-attractive and lonely women. What he does with them is horrendous and it is difficult to read about the poor women and their trials, but really it's not much different than what is in the news today. Ms. Thompson is a worthy nominate for the Edgar and Agatha Mystery awards with this historical series. show less

Sarah Brandt’s household is growing, and she will be looking for a much larger home to accommodate her growing brood (I am holding back on the “spoil”). Mrs. Ellsworth has plans of her own, since she likes to be in the thick of things and she is loath to part with Sarah, et al. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, in the meantime, has a new case. The father of a young woman has reported his daughter missing and he fears that she has been duped and compromised by a lonely-hearts predator.

As Frank begins to investigate, he is called to task by his supervisor. Now that Frank is a “man of means”, he no longer fits in with his fellow officers and is unceremoniously shown the door. But Frank is a man of his word and he knows that the show more case will not be vigorously pursued by anyone else in the department, so he enlists the help of Sarah and Maeve to independently pursue the case outside of the Force, as a Private Detective.

This case is by far one of the ghastliest stories I have read in the series. No giggling here and no amusing antics with Mrs. Ellsworth or Felix and Elizbeth Decker.

A predator posts lonely-hearts advertisements in the local newspaper, attracting spinster women with the promise of love and marriage. The women meet their intended in the park and then stroll off with him under the false pretense that he is taking them to meet his mother. The women are then stripped and trapped in cages for sexual bondage. Those who survive after being released are unable and unwilling to talk about their experiences. When one of the women murders her captor and later his fellow tormentor, other women survivors are persuaded to come forward and thwart any effort to bring her to trial, in a plan hatched by Sarah, whereby true justice will prevail. show less

Murder on Murray Hill
4 Stars

As news of his sudden inheritance threatens his position in the police department, Detective Frank Malloy investigates the disappearance of a young woman who answered a lonely hearts advertisement and uncovers one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.

Readers expecting a more cozy style mystery may be disappointed a the nature of the crimes is anything but cozy and involves some difficult descriptions of sexual abuse and torture. In this regard, the author's note is 100% right - nothing has changed when it comes to man's capacity for evil and depravity.

There are also some excellent developments in Frank and Sarah's ongoing relationship as they discuss the new direction their lives will take now that they show more are engaged.

Overall, this is definitely one of the best installments in the series so far. show less

In the sixteenth book of the Gaslight Mystery series, a young woman is missing and her father comes to Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy for help. It's Malloy's last day working as a police detective in 19th century New York City. When he discovers she's disappeared after responding to a personal ad in the newspaper he decides to take a look for her. Soon he finds out that many other women who answered the ads are missing. With fiancee Sarah Brandt’s help, they search for the women while trying to plan their future.

This has become one of my favorite historical mystery series. I love the atmosphere of turn of the century New York and the fictional incorporation of some of the most famous real life people. The author has done a great job show more of developing her characters over the course of the series. This book can be read as a standalone but I feel like this is a series best read in order. I would recommend reading the first book, Murder on Astor Place, to get a feel for where the characters started. show less

I love Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt. In the middle of a missing person investigation Frank is fired from the police force when it is learned that he has inherited five million dollars and the other officers resent his good fortune. The missing woman’s father hires him as a private investigator to find her and of course he enlists the help of his fiancée Sarah.

I enjoy the descriptions of turn of the century 1900 NYC and Frank and Sarah relationship and that of Mrs. Ellsworth, Frank’s mother, and Sarah’s parents, the Deckers, who were missing in this novel. Anxiously looking forward to the next installment into their lives.

The latest induction into the Gaslight murder mystery series.

In this volume, Sarah and Frank tackle a very modern day problem; the dangers of online dating. However, in this era the crimes are committed through lonely hearts ads placed in local papers.

The storyline itself was exciting however I am find all the characters are starting to lose their sparkle. These stories were originally more about Sarah and her job as a midwife. With her the readers was shown more of the seedier side of life in the tenements of NY city. She was the poor man's champion. Now she seems to play second fiddle to Frank.

The sexual tension created between she and Frank has now mellowed because they are engaged. I guess this is what happens when an author or show more writer feels they need to capitulate to public pressure and bring the two formally together. I don't necessarily like that tactic; not in books or in TV.

I am curious as to which way Victoria Thompson is going to take this series and how she is going to keep its uniqueness. show less

The Gaslight series by Victoria Thompson shows New York at the turn of the century with the vivid gamut between the rich and the poor. In this mystery, a young, unmarried woman disappears and her father wants to find her. The case involves the "lonely hearts" advertising in the newspaper, and what can happen. Mallory no longer needs to work as a policeman, due to a beneficial twist of fate, but he continues to aid the police department as a private investigator. Mallory and Susan are planning to marry and combine their families into one group. Thompson does an excellent job in depicting both the good and the bad characters. I missed having Susan's mother involved in the story, but not all the characters can appear in every book. The show more story moves quickly and the book finishes easily. show less