Reviews

Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson

spevensie's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jimmacsyr's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed the descriptions of the New York life descriptions for the time period even more than the story itself. Bouncing between China town and Irish tenement neighborhoods, and their contrasting atmospheres, the story works very well. It has a satisfying end, and finishes with the continued backstory to this series that provides hooks to read the next installation. Fun read.

retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition

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4.0

Kept me guessing right up to the end; enjoyed yet more about Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy. One day, they will admit their attraction...

machadofam8's review against another edition

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4.0

this one kept me guessing

ihavenouseforit's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

beverlie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

cassiehelfer's review against another edition

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informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Solid read from the little library box. Interesting to see NYC life back in the day. Def racial tensions and slurs were slightly jarring. I kinda figured out ending early on and wasn’t super engrossed. Interesting female lead yay women in medicine

xlynt's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

laurenjodi's review against another edition

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3.0

Murder in Chinatown
3 Stars

Midwife Sarah Brandt finds herself embroiled in another murder when the young niece of her latest client goes missing and is later found dead. The case is made all the more difficult by the fact that the victim is of mixed Chinese-Irish parentage and the suspects from both ethnic groups abound.

A good mystery with interesting historical background on the interracial marriages between the Chinese men and Irish women. The information on the restrictions places on Chinese immigrants was eye opening.

The range of suspects and motivations make the investigation particularly intriguing, and the eventual revelation of the culprit is satisfying.

So why only 3 stars? Well, this is actually the first book in which Sarah's actions annoy me. She makes a certain request of Frank Malloy that is very disconcerting particularly in light of the crimes committed against women both in the past and to this day. Thankfully, the issues is resolved quite easily, but it still put a damper on my appreciation for the story.

The romance between Frank and Sarah is progressing as they both appear to have accepted their feelings for one another even if they have yet to admit them out loud.

The next book will focus on the murder of Sarah's husband and I am eager to find out who killed him and why.

leavingsealevel's review against another edition

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1.0

Just FYI, gratuitous use of racial slurs isn't the only way you can make your book authentic to the time period in which it's set.