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A review by laurenjodi
Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson
4.0
Murder on St. Mark's Place
4 Stars
Attending to a routine delivery, midwife Sarah Brandt learns that the pregnant woman’s younger sister has been murdered. The victim, Gerda Reinhard, had been supplementing her seamstress salary by “working” as a “charity girl” - a young woman who exchanges her “company” for trinkets and an evening’s entertainment. With little police interest in the case, Sarah enlists the aid of Detective Frank Malloy and the two uncover a trail of death that leads from Coney Island to the drawing rooms of Fifth Avenue.
As with the first book in the series, the mystery is straightforward and predictable, but the historical setting and character development shine through.
Frank and Sarah's slow burn romance is the highlight of the story as the two begin opening up to one another albeit reluctantly. Readers also learn more about Frank’s son, Brian and his physical impairments, and about Sarah’s strained relationship with her father.
The details on the social conditions of women at the turn of the 20th century are absorbing. Whether it be the young girls using their feminine wiles to stretch the social and financial boundaries that constrain them, or the married women forced to cope with multiple pregnancies and often times abusive husbands, the lives of the women of the time were harsh and cruel.
The mystery is well-developed despite its simplicity and there are some gripping moments in which Sarah must struggle for her very life. That said, the ultimate culprit and explanation are quite obvious mainly due to the fact that there are few worthy suspects.
All in all, a well-written and entertaining historical mystery and I will be reading the next book sooner rather than later.
4 Stars
Attending to a routine delivery, midwife Sarah Brandt learns that the pregnant woman’s younger sister has been murdered. The victim, Gerda Reinhard, had been supplementing her seamstress salary by “working” as a “charity girl” - a young woman who exchanges her “company” for trinkets and an evening’s entertainment. With little police interest in the case, Sarah enlists the aid of Detective Frank Malloy and the two uncover a trail of death that leads from Coney Island to the drawing rooms of Fifth Avenue.
As with the first book in the series, the mystery is straightforward and predictable, but the historical setting and character development shine through.
Frank and Sarah's slow burn romance is the highlight of the story as the two begin opening up to one another albeit reluctantly. Readers also learn more about Frank’s son, Brian and his physical impairments, and about Sarah’s strained relationship with her father.
The details on the social conditions of women at the turn of the 20th century are absorbing. Whether it be the young girls using their feminine wiles to stretch the social and financial boundaries that constrain them, or the married women forced to cope with multiple pregnancies and often times abusive husbands, the lives of the women of the time were harsh and cruel.
The mystery is well-developed despite its simplicity and there are some gripping moments in which Sarah must struggle for her very life. That said, the ultimate culprit and explanation are quite obvious mainly due to the fact that there are few worthy suspects.
All in all, a well-written and entertaining historical mystery and I will be reading the next book sooner rather than later.