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Gaslight Mystery series, 13
Victoria Thompson
Berkley
June 7, 2011/ ISBN 0425241157
Historical Mystery
Amazon
Reviewed
by Brenda Weeaks
Sarah Brandt is once again rescuing the unfortunate, this time
with the help
of the NY COS (New York Charity Organization Society) and Rahab's
Daughters
(a charity that rescues prostitutes). Sarah is taken to Sisters'
Row, an
infamous group of seven houses named after seven New England sisters
who
each ran a bordello catering to the rich. She delivers a baby for
a young
woman named Amy. Amy wants to be rescued before the madam takes
her baby
away. Sarah tells Amy where to get help. Right after Amy is rescued
a
member of the charity is murdered. Sarah seems stunned, but Detective
Sargent Malloy isn't. He warned Sarah the rich bordellos were protected
by
the police and the rich of New York. Malloy continues to avoid his
personal
feelings for Sarah, but does show his frustration concerning the
case and
her luck with murders. The two follow their own avenues of clues
and Malloy
warns Sarah to protect herself. But does she listen?
Murder on Sisters' Row is quite the puzzler. The mystery and the
scenes move
back and forth between various suspects, as well as Sarah and Malloy.
The
two make a great tag team when investigating. The culprit is a well-kept
secret until the very end. Thanks to Sarah's late husband, a doctor,
she
makes a living as a midwife and lives in the real world. Sarah can't
say the
same for her parents, but she's determined to enlighten her mother
and other
wealthy people on the plight of the poor and unemployed. Sarah has
two girls
to take care of and she, too, continues to hide her feelings for
Malloy. And
Malloy is on his own now because his mother and deaf son are living
at the
School for the Deaf. His son does make a brief appearance.
It was nice to be back in Sarah's world; I haven't kept up with
the Gaslight
Mystery series, but I do remember its beginning. Thompson continues
to draw
out the best in her characters. The mid-century atmosphere is flawless,
yet
sad as it moves from the wealthy, closed-minded class to the bare
existence
of the poor. The Gaslight Mystery series continues to entertain
historical
mystery readers. Still Highly Recommended.
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