I have been a fan of this series since it began, and haven't missed a book, but I was terribly disappointed with this latest one in the series. It almost seemed like someone else wrote the book. Gone were the warm and real characterizations, and the usually tricky plot. Gone was the excitement and the fun of getting to the denouement. I found this book very predictable and formulaic. I had the motive and the killer figured out early in the series, so I just kept on listening to the end in order to confirm my suspicions. I also did not care for the narrator. The different voices she used for the characters just didn't ring true for me. This book had a particularly odious victim, and to me it was a wonder that someone hadn't killed him long ago. Alvin Bing is killed by someone driving deliberately over him with an automobile. There are more than enough suspects for Frank and Sarah to research in this one, but I felt that it took them too long to get to any decisions. Heck, even Frank's Mom Mrs. Malloy is more on the ball than her son and daughter-in-law. The book and its plot was fairly repetitive as well which gave me more time to refine my theory. I'm afraid that this series has run its course for me. I probably will not be reading further books in the series. ( )

https://girllostinabook.com/2022/08/04/review-murder-on-madison-square-by-victor... ( )

Story starts with a client, Mrs. Bing, looking to divorce her husband and hoping Frank Malloy will set up a compromising photo for her but he says he doesn’t do that sort of work. Mr. Bing is then run over in car accident (?) in one of his own automobiles. The Malloys call on Mrs. Bing and discover what an unusable family they are and Mrs. Bing wants him to investigate and find out who ran over her husband.

Lots of talk about the early automobiles and characters who are lying to shift through. Maeve, Gino and Mrs. Malloy all contribute to the outcome. ( )

Murder on Madison Square by Victoria Thompson is a 2022 Berkley publication.

When Malloy is approached by Mrs. Bing, a woman who is desperate for a divorce, asking him to help set up a sting operation to prove her husband has been unfaithful, he declines to help her. As it turns out he and Mrs. Bing will cross paths again, this time at a car exhibit. Mr. Bing is an investor in automobiles, specifically the electric car models, but when he is run over and killed, Mrs. Bing returns to Malloy’s office asking him to help find her husband’s killer…

Once again, Thompson engages the reader with not only a murder mystery, but the interesting topic of early automobiles. The characters in this one are certainly interesting. The murdered Mr. Bing was not at all a likeable fellow, to say the very least, which of course created quite a few suspects. The reader will catch on to what the situation is like in the Bing household, but will have no idea how things will eventually play out.
I have to say, this was one of the more disturbing mysteries in this series.

Thompson always does her research, and her explanations on electric cars was fascinating. Once again, I want to say how much I am enjoying Gino and Maeve being a part of the detective team and as always, I love touching base with Sarah and Frank- one of my favorite book couples.

Overall, this was an exceptional addition to the series- and of course, as always, I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment! ( )

Frank Malloy gets a visit from a potential new client named Mrs. Alvin Bing who wants to divorce her husband. The only grounds for divorce in New York are adultery though which she says is not the problem. But she won't tell Frank what the problem is.

Then Frank and Sarah attend the first ever auto show in Madison Square Garden and meet Mr. Alvin Bing who is a part-owner of a shop making electric automobiles. Frank is an enthusiast for this new form of transportation and Sarah is intrigued by the ease of operating these electric vehicles. Both are interested in Mr. Bing.

When Mr. Bing is run over by one of his own automobiles, Mrs. Bing hires them to find out who murdered him even though she's a suspect herself because of her desire to divorce him. There are plenty of suspects including the first Mrs. Bing who he had abandoned in the mining camps of Colorado and who has now tracked him down. Other suspects include his daughter Pearl who was taken with him when he abandoned his wife and his stepdaughter Carrie who is the current Mrs. Bing's daughter.

Will Warren who is Bing's partner in the automobile factory and who is the designer behind the electric vehicle also has reasons to want Bing dead.

While I had a pretty good idea why the current Mrs. Bing wanted a divorce and what Mr. Bing was like, it took a while, and a few more murders, for me to figure out who the villain was in this story. I enjoyed the historical detail about the early days of the automobile industry.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode. It also worked well for me even though I have only previously read the first book in this series. The characters and setting were interesting and engaging. ( )