ASIN: B00FX7R4UO
ISBN-13: 978-0425260425
Publisher: Penguin Group
Line: Berkley
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 304
Digital Retail: 25.95
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Genre: Mystery
Rating:
When facing injustice, the residents of nineteenth-century New York City’s tenements turn to midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect their rights. Now, as the Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated series continues, the two must track down a cruel criminal preying on the hopes and dreams of innocent women…
A Gaslight Mystery
Frank Malloy has never known any life other than that of a cop, but his newfound inheritance threatens his position within his department. While trying to keep both his relationship with Sarah and his fortune under wraps, he’s assigned to a new case—finding a missing young woman for her worried father, Henry Livingston.
It seems the girl had been responding to “lonely hearts” ads in the paper for months before she disappeared. Her father thinks that she’s eloped with a deceptive stranger, but Malloy fears the worst, knowing that the grifters who place such ads often do much more than simply abscond with their victims. But as Sarah and Malloy delve deeper into a twisted plot targeting the city’s single women, it’s their partnership—both professional and private—that winds up in the greatest peril…
Review
New York City Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is happy to be a policeman and wants to help concerned father Henry Livingston locate his missing daughter. However, if anyone on the force finds out he has recently inherited a fortune, he will lose his job. He enlists the help of his fiancée Sarah Brandt, who takes time between her duties as a midwife to help find Grace. Grace’s father thinks she has been taken in by a deceptive suitor and will be embarrassed and possibly disappointed when she comes home. However, Frank and Sarah fear Grace has been abducted and is facing something far more sinister than heartbreak and are willing to put their own lives in danger to try to rescue the young woman.
Sarah and Frank are finally talking about marriage and they prove in this book that they have what it takes to be partners both personally and professionally. I love the way they work together on this case, even though the case itself is horrible and disturbing. The case and the investigation are interesting, even when some of the atrocities described are hard to read. Female victims are targeted through newspaper ads they place in the “Lonely Hearts” section. The author describes some of the research she did on actual cases from the 1800s. It’s sad to see the similarity to recent modern-day cases. It’s also terrible to see that some things never change – evil people hurting others and society judging and blaming unfortunate victims. Sarah and Frank try to be the voice of reason in the case they are working on exposing the true villains as the abductors and con men, not the women who are taken in by the men’s lies. They get through to some people, which is very satisfying to read.
There is a definite lack of babies in this installment as Sarah doesn’t have any deliveries in this book. I think there was enough going on in the book without it, but some fans may be disappointed. Although the focus of the book isn’t on Sarah’s patients this time, all of the usual main characters are there. In fact, Maeve and Mrs. Ellsworth play an important part in the plot. In fact, both are involved with the case which was enjoyable to read. There is a surprising development concerning Frank’s mother that will surprise readers who have been following this series.
New readers who enjoy Anne Perry’s novels would enjoy this series. However, there are many changes going on in Sarah and Frank’s lives, so readers will enjoy this book more if last year’s Murder at Chelsea, the book immediately prior to this one, is read first. Long-time readers of the series will enjoy the direction the author is going with the main characters and won’t want to miss this one.
Reviewed by Christine