Murder on Gramercy Park: A Gaslight Mystery

This is the third in the series and just as good as the first two novels. It is well written and presents engaging (and sometimes quite amusing) characters. The series seems to flow quite well with plausible story lines and various side themes constantly developing to keep the reader interested in the main characters and the next novel. This series reminds me a lot of Anne Perry's victorian mysteries with Charlotte Pitt.

New York Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy summons Sarah Brandt, a midwife, to the elegant home of famed magnetic healer Edmund Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell has gone into labor after finding her husband dead in their home.Frank determines that Mr. Blackwell was murdered although it appears the killer tried to make it look like suicide. As he begins investigating, Sarah, who has helped him with previous investigations, has to keep returning to the Blackwell's since their new son has become ill. In her many trips to their home, she begins to find out some important information regarding his death. Frank does not want her helping with the investigation, but realizes his wishes will not be heeded.Frank and Sarah find that things were not as happy in the Blackwell household as first thought. Then there are all Mr. Blackwell's female clients who seem overly upset over his death. And there is a scandal that was about to be made known in Blackwell's past. Is his assistant too eager to take over? Who killed him and why? Could it have been regarding one of these issues or is there another issue they don't know about yet.Normally I don't like mysteries set back in time, but this is one of the few series that are the exception. This series is so well written. The characters are so real and the time-period laid out so well. I often find myself amazed that the police back then were so brutal and so many people were living well below poverty. The darkness of New York really adds to this series. Her writing of the time and the way she lays out the story without giving the killer away is terrific. You never know until the killer is revealed who did it.This cozy mystery is great. I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series.

I have all of the books in this series and enjoyed all of them. If you like Anne Perry you will like Victoria Thompson. The latest one of Victoria Thompson's I found to be as engrossing as her earlier ones. She will keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are real and interesting. I can't wait for her next book.

This is the third and best installment of the Gaslight Mystery series featuring midwife Sarah Brandt and detective sergeant Frank Malloy. In Murder on Grammercy Park they are reunited to find the murderer of a popular society healer and to discover the killer of two subsequent murders. Thompson's historic and social details of the time period are close to perfect, and the way she weaves in the growing attraction between the characters is wonderful. I can hardly wait for the next book.