Murder on St. Mark's Place: A Gaslight Mystery

** spoiler alert ** Finishing my second of the Gaslight mysteries, I’ve decided that other than the promise of the over arching relationship building between our protagonists, and some promising sub plots, the individual mysteries have little to offer me. The writing is too simplistic and basic. It’s all action and dialogue, with the occasional foray into a minor history lesson. There is nothing thought-provoking. There is no wit or humor. It reads like it's written for a pre-teen except for the adult themes. Here is an example:
Sarah found this the most pleasant of all the rides at the park, so she readily agreed. The line was long, but it moved quickly since the wheel was large and held many cars.

Here is what passes for humor:
SARAH LOOKED DOWN FROM HER PERCH AT the top of the Ferris wheel. The view indeed was breathtaking. She couldn’t seem to breathe at all.

Get it?
The killer is so obvious that I was dumbfounded by our heroine’s stupidity and blindness.
Sarah hadn’t thought of that. Another reason to ask Dirk to go with her. He’d know exactly how a man like that would behave since he himself was a man like that.

Exactly, Sarah, Dirk fits the profile of the Killer. But she doesn’t even suspect him until she is shown photographic evidence. She confronts him, but he gives her an alibi for one of the four of the killings, and she immediately decides he is innocent after all without even checking it out first. She confides some of facts of the case by way of an apology, and targets a witness who can identify him. A day later, Dirk murders the witness.
I killed her, Malloy, just as surely as if I beat her myself!” The tears were welling in her eyes, hot as lava, burning and stinging and begging to be ** spoiler alert ** Finishing my second of the Gaslight mysteries, I’ve decided that other than the promise of the over arching relationship building between our protagonists, and some promising sub plots, the individual mysteries have little to offer me. The writing is too simplistic and basic. It’s all action and dialogue, with the occasional foray into a minor history lesson. There is nothing thought-provoking. There is no wit or humor. It reads like it's written for a pre-teen except for the adult themes. Here is an example:
Sarah found this the most pleasant of all the rides at the park, so she readily agreed. The line was long, but it moved quickly since the wheel was large and held many cars.

Here is what passes for humor:
SARAH LOOKED DOWN FROM HER PERCH AT the top of the Ferris wheel. The view indeed was breathtaking. She couldn’t seem to breathe at all.

Get it?
The killer is so obvious that I was dumbfounded by our heroine’s stupidity and blindness.
Sarah hadn’t thought of that. Another reason to ask Dirk to go with her. He’d know exactly how a man like that would behave since he himself was a man like that.

Exactly, Sarah, Dirk fits the profile of the Killer. But she doesn’t even suspect him until she is shown photographic evidence. She confronts him, but he gives her an alibi for one of the four of the killings, and she immediately decides he is innocent after all without even checking it out first. She confides some of facts of the case by way of an apology, and targets a witness who can identify him. A day later, Dirk murders the witness.

I killed her, Malloy, just as surely as if I beat her myself!” The tears were welling in her eyes, hot as lava, burning and stinging and begging to be shed. ,

Yes, you did, Sarah. You really did. You are an idiot.
Some things are baffling:
Sarah saw no need to blacken the name of the entire Schyler family by accusing their son of murder when he wasn’t able to defend himself.

Defend himself? He just made a full confession including motive to beating 3 women to death, not to mention attempting to toss her off a Ferris Wheel, but fell off himself instead. What would be his defense?, pray tell.
It turns out that the original victim which got Sarah interested in the case was killed by her brother-in-law, who is a wife beater, which Sarah has gobs of experience in identifying the symptoms and characteristics thereof. There is no doubt about it. Yet…
“You didn’t get those bruises from falling down the stairs,” Sarah said. “Someone hit you. Was it your husband?

Who else, Sarah? Who. Else.
Could Lars Otto have been the killer (of the first victim, his sister-in-law) all along? That would explain so much…

Including the bruises on his hands that same day. And so on.
I hope I am not being too harsh. but this is one of the highest rated in the series. There is a lot to like in the first two, but for me, a mystery has to have either an intriguing puzzle, or some wit and humor, or great descriptions or thought provoking insights into social or psychological conditions. Or some snappy entertaining writing. I’m a sucker for a good romance, but the one in this is shaping up to be fairly predictable. I am interested in the subplots, including Sarah’s reconciliation with her wealthy snobby family. When she is not trying to solve a mystery, Sarah is likable and admirable.I can down load the series from the library. So, who knows?, I may be trying the next one. They are fast and easy, for sure.

"Murder on St. Mark's Place" is a historical mystery set in 1896 in New York City. This is the second book in the series. You don't need to read the previous book to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous mystery.

Vivid historical details were woven into the story to bring it alive in my imagination, and these details were relevant to the story (rather than just filler). The mystery involved Sarah and Malloy following up vague leads as best they could. I guessed whodunit as soon as the character was introduced. When a slight twist was added near the end, I correctly guessed where it was headed (and Sarah figured this one out pretty quickly, too). So the story's more about the characters and the process than the surprise whodunit.

I grant this is only the second murder case Sarah has worked on, but she did several very naive things that ended up putting people in danger. I was disappointed that she wasn't more careful, though I expect this is the reason she's more careful in the future.

There was a minor amount of bad language. There were no sex scenes (and when sex was mentioned, it was done vaguely). Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.

Set approximately two months after the events of [book:Murder on Astor Place|686718], this book opens with Sarah stumbling across another murder. The murder victim is another 16 year old girl which seems a bit repetitive since the victim in the first book was also a 16 year old girl. That said, the plot takes enough turns that it very quickly doesn't matter. I really enjoyed reading reading about turn-of-the-century New York (Coney Island in its heydey!) and the writing makes it easy for me to envision the crowds, feel the sweltering heat, and smell the rotting garbage and the sweat (of course it helps that I watch "Copper" on BBCAmerica). However, as enjoyable as the setting and the mysteries are, I am becoming just as invested in the characters of Sarah and Frank. Watching their relationship begin a slow shift is fast becoming an addictive pleasure.

Sarah Brandt is a descendent of the original Dutch settlers, the Knickerbockers, who founded New Amsterdam, later renamed by the English as New York. Her heritage provides Sarah with entrance into the world of wealth and privilege, but she rejects that lifestyle preferring to reside in Manhattan's tenements. She serves as midwife to many of the poorer immigrants. Many children of that time work in factories in order to assist their impoverished families. Some of the young women become "charity girls" who give their bodies to strange men in exchange for attention and pretty baubles.

Sarah is called to the apartment of Agnes Otto, a pregnant patient. There she learns that someone killed Agnes's sister, a charity girl. The shock sends Agnes goes into labor and a healthy baby is delivered. An irate Sarah starts sleuthing with the help of her friend, Police Sergeant Frank Malloy. They soon discover that an unknown assailant has murdered several charity girls. Sarah risks her life to see that the culprit is caught.

As Victoria Thompson colorfully demonstrates in her latest "Gaslight Mystery," New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century is a dangerous place for its melting pot immigrants. This aspect of urban dwellers along with the distinct class structure brings life to a vibrant historical novel. The romantic subplot reduces the tension level without slowing down the story line of MURDER ON ST. MARK'S PLACE. Inside the portrait, Ms. Thompson weaves a fine mystery for readers who enjoy solving a difficult puzzler.

Harriet Klausner

I really like this series. Sarah, a midwife, teams up with Frank Malloy, a reluctant NY detective to solve what appear to be unsolvable murders. I love that it is set in a corrupt New York City when Teddy Roosevelt is trying to clean up the city. I find the history captivating and the characters engaging and believable.

In the 2nd book in the Gaslight mystery series, Sarah Brandt is sure that she has arrived too late for the healthy delivery of one of her patient's babies. When she arrives at the home of Lars and Agnes Otto, a death has just occurred and the family is in mourning. The midwife assumes that Agnes' baby has died and prepares herself for the worst. Instead, she quickly learns that Agnes' sister, Gerda, was the victim of a murderous beating that has taken her life. The family is in mourning and feeling ashamed, as Gerda was known as a "Charity Girl", or someone who offered men "favors" for gifts or a night out dancing and drinking. The police are reluctant to look into the murder, as they feel that the list of suspects would be too long and no one is able to pay them the proper bribes. Sarah is shocked at the senseless loss of young life, and enlists the help of her friend, Sergeant Frank Malloy, to help catch the killer. Sarah puts herself in grave danger trying to unearth the killer, and must work fast before she becomes his next victim.

I have been haunted by this series ever since picking up the first book! A bit darker than traditional cozies, I still would classify it in the genre due to the fact that it does not contain gore or graphic descriptions of violence. Sarah and Malloy are very strong characters with troubled pasts, and it appears as though the two will build a lasting friendship based on some of the items that have bothered them in the past. I loved how Sarah was able to help Malloy with his son, and the romantic tension that is starting to build between the two. The mystery itself offered many twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the book stayed on my mind long after I had finished it.

The first book in the series is called "Murder on Astor Place". Enjoy!

The second book in the series, picks up right where the first left off. Interesting story with insightful thoughts on society in late 1800s New York. Frank and Sarah's story is certainly interesting and growing in depth. I find the side story (or is it the REAL story?) of their relationship very intriguing.

While I must agree with a few reviewers who said that the mystery was easy to figure out as you near the end of the book, I have never completely figured each of these out. Did I figure out most of the murder? Yes, but there is always a little twist Mrs Thompson has for us that I didn't see coming. The depth of the story, the growth of the characters, and the continuing saga of Frank and Sarah keeps the reader coming back for more and certainly makes for great reading. I knocked this story off in only 2 sittings.

Already have number 3 and cannot wait to get started!

I really like this series and love the time frame. I seem to learn a lot in Victoria Thompson's books. I love the characters and was surprised about the murder. i have read the previous books in the series and have enjoyed them very much. I highly recommend them but I suggest that you read from book 1 of the gaslight series.

Sarah is called to St. Marks deliver a baby. Instead she finds the Mother to be in deep grief over the death of her sister. Sarah wants to give the woman some relief and promises to find the killer. Sarah visits Frank Mallory's home to enlist is help and realizes his son is deaf. They owe together to solved the case. The investigation finds that 3 other girls from the area have also been beaten to death. In order to find out more Sarah makes peace with her parents. There are twist and turns in the story. This the second book in this outstanding series of Victorian New York.

I have now read the first two of Victoria Thompson's "Gaslight Mystery" series, and have mixed feelings about what I've read so far. On the plus side, these novels are readable, concise, and somewhat interesting. On the minus side, they lack depth, contain some redundancies and ambiguous sentences, and are way too stereotypical in their portrayal of New York City policemen at the end of the nineteenth century. Sure, there was corruption and bribery going on, but Thompson casts ALL policemen as lazy and uncaring, unwilling to investigate even a heinous murder unless paid handsomely in cash. I feel the author misses a wonderful opportunity to portray the turn-of-the-century NYPD as it really was -- a force occupied with plenty of bad apples but also a lot of noble public servants who truly cared about the public and saw their career as a chance to do some good for the city they had come to love. Ms. Thompson's writing is good but not great, and surprisingly flawed for someone who had already published several romance novels before beginning the Sarah Brandt/Frank Malloy series. I suggest that she do a little more homework about the period she is writing about. She makes the point twice in this book that women were not allowed to join the police force at that time. True, there were no female detectives or patrol officers, but around 1891 the police did hire some women as "police matrons" to search and process female arrestees and prisoners, of which there were more than a few. I love history and I love the city of New York. I have been there twice in the past two years researching my own historical novel. There is a wealth of fascinating stories and facts to be discovered that would make any historical novel, mystery or otherwise, a great pleasure to read, but research takes time and effort. I would suggest that Ms. Thompson slow down a bit, enriching her stories with the historical information and settings they truly deserve, even if it means publishing less often.

The second book of the series has once again, captivated this reader. Thompson is moving the story line along nicely but not too rapidly. Of course, the stand-off nature of the two primary characters - Sarah Brand, midwife and Malloy, cop in a corrupt cop society - is what lures the reader to continue probing the series.

The story lines Thompson follows are plausible, historically accurate and with enough but not too much "noise in the background" to please the reader. She keeps things simple with a minimum number of characters. And, the characters she introduces are not only necessary to the story line, but have a purpose in the plotting.

This most grateful reader is delighted there are many books to go. Keep 'em coming is what I would tell Ms. Thompson

Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson is the second book in the Gaslight Mystery series featuring New York midwife Sarah Brandt. Sarah investigates the death of a "Charity Girl" named Gerda who got caught up in the glamorous, but dark underside of life in late 19th century New York City. And of course if Sarah is involved, then Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy can't be far behind. Sarah gets herself a little caught up in the seedy side of Gerda's life in trying to find the murderer's identity and almost gets killed herself twice! Despite that bit of over-the-top, I enjoyed this mystery very much. Thompson does a great job of getting inside Sarah and Frank's heads and showing us their growing attraction and care for each other without either acknowledging it. Sarah's involvement in Frank's son's Brian's life really helps keep the characters tied together emotionally as well. The twist at the end about the killer is fairly well projected. It's another good solid entry in the series.

I really like Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series. I love the insights about life in those Victorian times. Loved learning about Coney Island and its attractions. But this is the weakest one I have read so far. The murderer was known to readers early in the book but it took midwife Sarah Brandt practically the whole novel to figure it out.

Characters are well developed. It's obvious that the Era was meticulously researched & appropriately applied. I am thoroughly enjoying the series & hope she continues to write faster than I read!! Great author!!

I gave this book three stars strictly because of a mathematical average: it got one star as a murder mystery, and earned five stars for being an enjoyable novel. This is the third novel in this series that I've read (yes, I read them out of sequence) but predictable patterns are developing. In the three novels I've read, the murderers were well-known society figures and almost all the victims were females. It becomes pretty obvious, early on, who the killer is and which female character is going to get killed off. (My only regret is that Sarah's neighbor, the extremely annoying Mrs. Elsworth, isn't one of those female victims. Am I the only one who is irked by this character?) But, like the old Columbo tv shows, there is an enjoyment in finding out how Sarah and Frank will catch the killer. In that sense, this installment in the series is recommended. The vivid descriptions of Coney Island during its heyday are particularly enjoyable. Pick up this book. Like a scary Coney Island ride, you know it will end okay, but its the bumps and turns along the way that make it worthwhile.
Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

In the second installment of the Gaslight Mystery series, Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy team up to find out who has been murdering the city's charity girls - girls who work at a dance hall and dole out favors in exchange for money and items they usually couldn't obtain.

This book is gritty and, at times, uncomfortable. Thompson doesn't pull any punches in describing pre-1900s New York City. It's a dirty, dark, dismal place and the people Sarah and Frank interact with reflect that.

I love Thompson's ability to create a realistic relationship between Brandt and Malloy as they continue to learn about each other and strengthen their friendship.

This is an excellent book. If you haven't read the first one, you'll still be able to follow the story.

As a historian I am most familiar with British history of the last few hundred years and tend to favor fiction reflective of the times or written during this period of time. I was desperate for a new series, however, and gave the Gaslight series a chance. I was not disappointed. Midwife and only child of the wealthy Decker family, Sarah Brandt and Irish Catholic Detective Sergaent Francis "Frank" Malloy are wonderful creations, their interaction is humourous and interesting. Brandt, like Peter's creation, Amelia Peabody Emerson, tends to put herself in jeopardy...repeatedly. While the Gaslight series is set during the same period as Perry's William and Charlotte Pitt series (though countries apart) the mood is lighter. Brandt is a bit on the polictically correct side...she scolds her mother's prejudices and associates with an Irish Catholic cop! I love their interaction, though, and eagerly await the next in the series; I'm constantly rereading the series in its entirety.

Last year, MURDER ON ASTOR PLACE introduced us to Sarah Brandt, a mid-wife in turn-of-the-century New York City. Not what she would appear to be on the surface, Sarah was a delightful, prickly daughter of society who ventured to new worlds when her dearly beloved husband died. The world of the ordinary person is so far removed from that of the Upper Four Hundred as decreed by the inhabitants of Society as to be incomprehensible. The author never mis-steps in showing us both worlds.
Fortunately for the reader, MURDER ON ST. MARK'S PLACE continues this excellent travelogue. There are so many hardships for young women to overcome in the big city, when working in a sweatshop may be the only legal way to earn a living. A living that is barely that, more of a mere existence. When the young women are mainly immigrants, the way is even more difficult. All too many of them fall into the trap of becoming a Charity Girl, the name for one who trades her favors to a 'gentleman' for a pretty bonnet or pair of shoes, or a visit to Coney Island.
There would appear to be one of these men who wants more than just favors -- instead he wants her very life, and it's the dedicated Sarah who persists in tying the three women victims to one man. Before the days of computerization, a murder in one precinct might well be unknown to the detectives in the precinct right next door. Once again, Sarah turns to Sergeant Frank Malloy to help her in her detection. Of course, appealing to Malloy exposes Sarah to his particular burden--his young son who has been considered a mentally deficient, rather than the deaf child he really is.
I do hope Ms. Thompson continues this series so that we may learn more about the efforts to assist young Brian, not to mention the marvellously-detailed history of New York in this bustling era. As long as we can tag along while they solve a few more crackling good mysteries.

The 1900s setting is interesting, and Thompson obviously has a good time creating and describing her two protagonists, but the murderer's guilt is too easy to guess, and the whole story is too moralistic. The deaf boy aspect is especially heavy handed. It costs Thompson credibility; I can't buy the idea that the father couldn't figure out about the boy's disability without Sarah's help. I realize Sarah's discovery serves the story, but it's not realistic.