Murder on Mulberry Bend: A Gaslight Mystery

Victoria Thompson

Mar 2003 · A Gaslight Mystery Book 5 · Sold by Penguin

About this eBook

Sarah Brandt, a midwife in turn-of-the-century New York City, has seen more than her share of joy and sorrow, birth and death. Now she will see for the first time how the squalor of the streets can breed madness and murder…

 

The Prodigal Son Mission on Mulberry Bend stands as a refuge for girls who otherwise would have to live by selling the only thing they have of value—themselves. The work being done there so impresses Sarah that she volunteers to help out however she can—with clothes, with medical assistance, with the organization of a benefit dinner. And when one of the girls is found dead and refused burial because of her former life, Sarah’s passion for justice is aroused.

 

Reluctantly, Sergeant Frank Malloy agrees to look into the death, if only to keep Sarah from endangering herself by pursuing the matter. But Sarah cannot be kept out of the investigation—and just as Malloy feared, her attempts to find the cause of the unfortunate girl’s death in the circumstances of her life put her in deadly danger—from an unexpected source…

 

Ratings and reviews

While the writing flows well and the characters are pleasant to have around, the plot was not developed very well and I actually knew the killer from their first introduction. The ending also seemed very hurried and lacking of some logic. Still, Sarah Brandt is a charismatic heroine which I'll still follow through her adventures in New York, despite the uneven quality of the series. Some books have been real gems, others mere plastic jewelry - pretty but shallow.

Not really fond of crimes implicating religion or faith, but this book is still well written.

Bold.story

About the author

Victoria Thompson is the Edgar(r) Award-nominated author of the Gaslight mystery series and 20 additional historical novels. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family.