Reviews

Murder in Morningside Heights by Victoria Thompson

alise410's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Another good one! 

Spoiler

I figured out the murderer and the scandal as soon as Abigail's mother said that Abigail went to a small town in France

nursenell's review

5.0

I had heard the term Boston marriages but it was interesting learning the history of the term, and what it meant in Sarah and Frank's world.

noelrk's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

saviem01's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

veereadstoomuch's review

3.0

Since Frank got kicked out of the NYPD, he was convinced by Maeve, Gino and the Deckers to actually start the detective agency that they all started while he was on his honeymoon. He finally gets a good case investigating a murder of a woman professor (instructor) at a Normal School (I am glad there was a definition of what that meant, I was wondering!).
The victim was a bright shining star to her parents. The subjects that come up are higher education for women, Boston Marriages, universities.
The mystery seems a little out of the blue. I guessed it, but not because of the things that came up. The book felt a little disjointed to me.

johnw613's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another stellar entry in this always satisfying series. A young woman who teaches French at a teacher’s college in Morningside Heights is found murdered on campus. Frank Malloy has just established a private detective agency with his former police department colleague Gino Donatelli (and, let’s be honest here, his wife Sarah and her maid Maeve are also in on the investigating), and he gets the call to track down the killer before the school (which sounds like an early representation of the teachers’ college at Columbia University) is enveloped in scandal. Was the murderer one of the “spinster ladies” the young teacher lived with, or the young gentleman who wished to court her? Or someone else? A spine tingling resolution wraps up a satisfying mystery, along with Sarah having an opportunity to again provide midwife services to a young lady, in a side plot that foreshadows a tantalizing direction for the now Mrs. Malloy’s daily life. 

xkay_readsx's review

3.0

My first for this series and by this author. It was good but not much of a mystery. Still entertaining and fun.

melissasbookshelf's review against another edition

2.0

I love Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mystery series. Unfortunately, this is one of my least favorite mysteries in this series. Hoping the forthcoming mysteries will be better. It was too predictable and just wasn't that interesting.

thesubwayreader's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I liken this series to a pair of warm fuzzy socks. It's the familiarity that I appreciate. I know how it will be shaped, how it will feel, but there are variations in material and pattern with each one that I try. This time around, Malloy and Sarah have settled into their marriage and their new lives. Sarah still volunteers at the Mission and is no longer a midwife. Malloy has opened a detective agency and Gino is his assistant. They've been called to investigate the murder (with a scredriver!!) of a teacher at the teacher's college. The victim's parents don't want a scandal or for the story to be sensationalised which is bound to happen when the victim is a young lady. Of course, Sarah gets involved in the investigation and even Mrs. Decker makes an appearance. I've said it before, but I like learning small bits of history through these books. This time I learned about Normal Schools - basically, teachers colleges. But it was called "Normal" because the school taught normal teaching standards. I also learned about Boston marriages. All in all, this was a good addition to the series.

argentrabe's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

3.75