Murder on St. Mark's Place (Gaslight Mystery Series #2)
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780425173619 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 03/28/2000 |
| Series: | Gaslight Mystery Series , #2 |
| Edition description: | Reissue |
| Pages: | 288 |
| Sales rank: | 97,123 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.19(w) x 6.72(h) x 0.75(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Murder on St. Mark's Place (Gaslight Series #2)
4.2 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
31 reviews.
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Sarah Brandt is a descendent of the original Dutch settlers, the Knickerbockers, who founded New Amsterdam, later renamed by the English as New York. Her heritage provides Sarah with entrance into the world of wealth and privilege, but she rejects that lifestyle preferring to reside in Manhattan¿s tenements. She serves as midwife to many of the poorer immigrants. Many children of that time work in factories in order to assist their impoverished families. Some of the young women become ¿charity girls¿ who give their bodies to strange men in exchange for attention and pretty baubles. Sarah is called to the apartment of Agnes Otto, a pregnant patient. There she learns that someone killed Agnes¿s sister, a charity girl. The shock sends Agnes goes into labor and a healthy baby is delivered. An irate Sarah starts sleuthing with the help of her friend Police Sergeant Frank Malloy. They soon discover that an unknown assailant has murdered several charity girls. Sarah risks her life to see that the culprit is caught. As Victoria Thompson colorfully demonstrates in her latest ¿Gaslight Mystery¿, New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century is a dangerous place for its melting pot immigrants. This aspect of urban dwellers along with the distinct class structure brings life to a vibrant historical novel. The romantic subplot reduces the tension level without slowing down the story line of MURDER ON ST. MARK¿S PLACE. Inside the portrait, Ms. Thompson weaves a fine mystery for readers who enjoy solving a difficult puzzler. Harriet Klausner
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Midwife Sarah Brandt, delivers Agnes Otto's baby on the same night as the news arrives that Agnes' sister Gerda has been murdered. Trying to calm her patient, she agrees to try to find the murderer. The mystery evolves showing the background of Sarah's former life as well as that of Officer Malloy. The historical references of the time as well as the founding of Coney Island was very entertaining.
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Great read
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I'm really enjoying this series. Sarah and Frank investigate the murder of several young shop girls leading them to dancehalls, Coney Island and of course the Deckers' social circle. Meanwhile Frank goes to deaf schools to determine if that would be the best thing for his son Brian.
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Sarah Brandt, midwife to the poor women in the slums of Victorian New York City, becomes embroiled in a search for a serial murderer who is preying on "Charity Girls," shop girls trying to eke out a living who sell their favors for "nice" things. She seeks out Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, the quiet and stern Irish cop she worked with a few months ago, and together, they plot to not only find the murderer, but bring him to justice.This is the second book in this series, and I enjoy the setting, the characters, the writing, and nearly everything about the stories. It strikes me that the author is writing from an outline, though, and for some reason, I'm not able to fully immerse myself in the time period. I'll keep reading the series, though. Maybe it's just me.
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Thompson writes of New York in the 1890's with a midwife, Sarah Brandt, as the main character of this mystery series, Gaslight Mystery. Thompson shows the plight of young, unmarried immigrants women who desire more than the hard life of a married woman. These unmarried pleasure-seeking women are called Charity Girls due to the fact that they give sexual favors for trinkets instead of money. Sarah Brandt jumps into the investigation of the murder of four of these girls when she learns the police will not pursue the murders. Thompson exposes the state of the police department in New York and hints at the reform started by Teddy Roosevelt. Thompson also points out the differences between the poor and the rich, and the origin of the term Knickerbockers. Thompson describes the pleasures and sights at the newly opened Coney Island, as well as presenting a perspective of the expense of pleasure. Sarah Brandt, a widow, is a strong-minded, independent woman at a time in history when women married or lived with parents. I hope to read more of this series.
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Liked the book, hard to put down. Loved the German comments, especially the thick ankles.
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Midwife Sarah Brandt, delivers Agnes Otto's baby on the same night as the news arrives that Agnes' sister Gerda has been murdered. Trying to calm her patient, she agrees to try to find the murderer. The mystery evolves showing the background of Sarah's former life as well as that of Officer Malloy. The historical references of the time as well as the founding of Coney Island was very entertaining.
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Really enjoy period piece murder mysteries and now I've found a new series to enjoy.
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Solid world building and character development.
I really feel totally immersed in turn of the century New York city.
This follows the original book in the series with the same main characters and inter-personal tensions.
We have the challenge of a woman who will not adhere to the mores that her society uses to restrict women. She is tough, independent, and bright.
Her police officer companion wants to do "right", but feels trapped by the reality of the NYC police department. To get ahead and make decent money, a police officer must take bribes and only takes time to work on cases that pay. The down and out are without recourse.
We watch them each develop how they see and deal with their world.
Adding to the excitement is the office's son, who appears to be feeble minded. The officer's mother takes care of him. They are why he needs to advance and make as much money as he can.
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Murder of a Charity Girl
I didn’t plan it this way, but in April I’ve read three historical mysteries. I’m not complaining because I enjoy getting some history with my mystery. That was the case with Murder on St. Mark’s Place. It plunges us into a sad side of society in 1896 New York City.
Midwife Sarah Brandt is called to the tenement apartment of a client only to find that the woman isn’t in labor. Instead, she is crying because her sister, Gerda, has been murdered, bludgeoned to death in a nearby ally. While the shock does send her into labor shortly after Sarah arrives, Sarah feels compelled to help her more after the baby is born.
Knowing that the family is too poor to bribe the police into solving the murder, Sarah calls on her friend, New York Police Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. However, Sarah soon realizes just how hard finding the killer is going to be. Gerda would go out every night to meet men at dances, often trading “favors” for nice things. The number of men that could have motive to kill Gerda seems overwhelming. But then Frank and Sarah make a connection to several other women who have died in similar ways in the last few months. With the stakes raised, can they find the killer before he strikes again?
Like the first book, this one flirts with the line between cozy and traditional mystery since it is a tad darker in tone that the usual cozy. However, it still doesn’t get too graphic. The details we do get are enough to be heart breaking. I wasn’t aware of these so called “charity girls” before reading this book – essentially prostitutes who took goods instead of money for their services to supplement their wages, thereby trying to keep everyone’s consciences clear. It’s sad, and this book makes you feel just how trapped these women felt.
The mystery itself is strong, with a steady pace. I did figure out a few things before the characters did, but I was surprised by twists up to the end of the book. Sarah finds herself in some harrowing situations as she works to uncover the killer.
The characters drew me further into the book. This is especially true for Sarah and Frank, who both have some developments in their private lives that helped bring them to life. The story is told in third person point of view from both of their perspectives, which also helps us get to know them better. And I’m enjoying the slow burn romance that neither one of them is willing to admit to yet. The supporting players are just as strong. In fact, one provides some nice laughs at the end of the book.
All of this really helps bring the time and place to life. When I was reading, I felt like I was in summer of 1896 in New York City.
Since Murder on St. Mark’s Place is the second in the series, I obviously have a long way to go to catch up. But based on the two I’ve read so far, I’m looking forward to doing just that.
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