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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Sprinkled with fascinating details of turn-of-the-century New York City, Thompson's old-fashioned mystery takes the reader from the mansions of Fifth Avenue to the flophouses of the Lower East Side. Sarah Brandt is a midwife who has been estranged from her wealthy family for years. When Alicia VanDamm, a young woman from a prominent family, is murdered, Sarah must return to the upper-class society she has scorned to find the killer. Haunted by her past and disgusted by police department corruption, Sarah takes it upon herself to avenge the girl's death. Annoyed at first by her interference, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy asks for Sarah's help only when he has been taken off the case at the request of the victim's scandal-fearing family. The feisty midwife and the ambitious policeman grudgingly become allies in their search for justice. Sarah and Frank are appealing characters, and the author develops their rapport subtly and believably. In this first installment in a new series of historical mysteries, Thompson vividly re-creates the gas-lit world of old New York, concluding her mystery with revelations that will shock even 20th-century readers.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
As a midwife in turn-of-the-century New York, Sarah Brandt has seen pain and joy. Now she will work for something more--a search for justice--in a case of murder involving one of New York's richest families.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good start to a new series...,
This review is from: Murder on Astor Place (Mass Market Paperback)
After reading The Alienist (Carr) with my face-to-face reading group, I began looking for similar historical mysteries. I could not believe my luck in finding another mystery set in turn of the century New York City. Add in a pre-feminist heroine and a cranky NYC cop, and you're definitely in business with this reader.Sarah Brandt is a successful midwife making her own way in a middle class neighborhood when a nearby landlady's tenant is found murdered. The murder victim happens to be an old friend of Sarah's family, the young and beautiful Alicia VanDamm. Sarah, along with the reluctant help of detective Frank Malloy, investigates the murder despite the VanDamm family's best attempts to foil the process. All in all, I thought this was a decent read enjoyable for all cozy mystery fans. However, this was not nearly as suspenseful as The Alienist, so I give it a good three stars.
4.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD HISTORICAL MYSTERY...,
By
This review is from: Murder on Astor Place (Mass Market Paperback)
For those who like historical mysteries, one can't go wrong with this book, which is set in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City. The author takes the reader from the teeming tenements of the slums to the homes of New York City's elite. Replete with period details and the rigid social mores of the times, the author weaves an intriguing mystery, while introducing the two pivotal characters, Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. This book is the first in a series of books showcasing these two characters.Sarah is a midwife, who is estranged from her family. They are members of high society. Frank is an Irishman employed by the corrupt New York City Police Department that Teddy Roosevelt, the New Police Commissioner, is trying to clean up. Sarah and Frank are thrown together when a murder occurs and it turns out that the victim, Alice Van Damm, is none other than someone Sarah knew from her upper-crust past. When the murder is hushed up through the influence of the victim's family, fearful that scandal will impugn their place in society, and Frank is taken off the case, the outraged Sarah vows to seek justice for the victim herself. Frank and Sarah become unlikely partners, determined to solve the mystery surrounding Alice's death. Frank and Sarah are both likable characters, and the author takes great pains to develop them. Their blossoming relationship is key to the story and, as details of their lives emerge, draws in the reader. There are interesting secondary characters that are intertwined in the story, as well. Those who enjoy historical mysteries will like this book. It is a successful first book in a series, and I look forward to reading all the others.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tough call,
By
This review is from: Murder on Astor Place (Mass Market Paperback)
If the purpose of a murder mystery is to surprise the reader with the identity of the killer and the how and why it was done, this book didn't pass the test. I saw the ending coming like a T-Rex down Broadway. On the other hand, as a novel, it satisfied me enough. The characters and their situations were well-drawn, and intriguing. While you knew the relationship between Sarah and Frank would intensify, it was fun watching it develop. I liked the book well enough, but the ending let me down.Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points
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