Murder on Washington Square (Gaslight Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Victoria Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gaslight Mystery | Publication Date: April 2, 2002

Turn-of-the-century New York City midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy are thrust into a twisted case of murder-when a seductress falls victim to her own charades.

"Victoria Thompson shines...Anne Perry and Caleb Carr fans rejoice!" (Tamar Myers)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425184307
• ISBN-13: 978-0425184301
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't put this book down, April 8, 2002

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder on Washington Square (Gaslight Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're looking for a good historical murder mystery, set in Victorian New York, that is full of atmosphere and ambiance, and that possesses a strong, intelligent, sensible and likable heroine, look no further. Any one of Victoria Thompson's excellent novels in the Gaslight Mystery series will do. I'm more of an Anglophile, and rather prefer historical mysteries set in England, but I'll admit that I'm hooked on Thompson's Gaslight series. Although the books deal more with the life of the underprivileged, rather than with the life of the decadent rich, all the novels so far have proved to be compelling and addicting reading. And this latest book in the series is every bit as interesting and intriguing a read.

Sarah Brandt (a midwife and the detecting heroine in this series) is approached by her neighbour's son, Nelson Ellsworth, for assistance in a delicate matter. Apparently Nelson's delicate and refined young mistress may be carrying his child. Nelson is just not sure, and because he believes Anna (his mistress) may not fully understand what's going on with her body, he wants Sarah to meet and advise Anna. The meeting however goes terribly wrong, with Anna becoming hysterical and accusing Sarah of being an abortionist. However, something about Anna makes Sarah wonder about her truthfulness, esp when she realises that Nelson is perfectly willing to marry Anna, and that it is Anna who is dragging her feet about the whole affair. The next day however brings news that Anna has been brutally murdered in Washington Square. The police zero in on Nelson as the most likely suspect, and suggest that he murdered her because she was about to blackmail him about her pregnancy. Sarah however believes that Nelson is innocent, and that there was something incredibly havey-cavey about Anna and her pregnancy. Determined to prove Nelson's innocence, Sarah inveigles Detective Frank Malloy to help her clear Nelson. Little do the pair anticipate what they will find however, and the depth of human malevolence and despair that they will uncover.

I really like this mystery series, and I enjoyed reading "Murder on Washington Square " immensely. The plot was not only an intriguing and fascinating one, but it also kept me guessing as to who Anna's murderer was. And Victoria Thompson did a wonderful job of pacing and structuring the novel so that everything unfolded smoothly and logically. I really liked the character of Sarah Brandt (she's probably my favourite female Victorian sleuth) -- she's intelligent, compassionate, brave and most of all NOT FOOLISH. I cannot recommend this series and "Murder on Washington Square" highly enough. All the books have proved to be tantalizing and fascinating reading, and "Murder on Washington Square" especially so.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, June 26, 2002

By 

Louis M. Perdue (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on Washington Square (Gaslight Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the fourth in the Gaslight Mystery series and is on a par with the earlier books. Sarah Brandt's neighbor's son is accused of murder and she, of course, must help find the real murderer to help her neighbor. The mystery in this one is easier to solve than previous mysteries and there were times that I could not understand why neither Sarah nor her policeman friend Frank Malloy could not see what I thought was obvious. The reason that they don't may have to be the time period in which these mysteries take place - the culprit is hiding himself in a manner that was unthinkable.
There is some movement in the personal side of Sarah and Frank's relationship as well, which I found as interesting as the mystery itself. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bountiful thanks to Ms. Thompson for this gift!, April 4, 2002

By 

Katherine N. Leteste "mlle_firebrand" (Buffalo, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on Washington Square (Gaslight Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've been an avid follower of the Gaslight mysteries, and was not the least bit disappointed by this newest addition. The combination of an intriguing backdrop of Old New York, a sense for the politics and social restrictions (that our characters happily resist... I love the modern twist) of the time, two captivating main characters and their developing relationship, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, an enigmatic mystery that involves a few simple turns (oh, don't get offended, mystery purists, it still has substance), and straight paths that the author leads you on that mislead the reader into making a few proud conclusions as to the identity of our villain, only to find oneself rather surprised by the conclusion. Quite a delight.

The story develops around the savage murder of a woman who, though seemingly innocent, actually lures numerous susceptible suitors for her own financial benefits. Unfortunately, one of her victims is the son of the kindly neighbor our heroine, Sarah Brandt, midwife/widow/tormentor of the local police because she's ACTUALLY worth something despite her demure sex, Mrs. Ellsworth. Nelson is automatically singled out by New York's yellow journalists as the murderer, and thus Sarah sets out to clear an obviously innocent man's tarnished name. To do so, Sarah now must involve herself once again with Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, her reluctant partner in, well, not crime, but solving such acts, and the two join forces to find our elusive foe. It seems also that as the tension of the need to solve the case increases, another tension heats up, which is a blessing to a reader who's been waiting for a little such evidence. Another delightful aspect comes in the subplot of Malloy's son, Brian, and seeing him progress and his father's love become more undeniable. With the end comes even perhaps a strong hint of our next book's topic, as we all hope to see Dr. Brandt murder solved.

All of our afore mentioned ingredients combine to give you a Gothic mystery for all to enjoy! I can't wait for the next!