Hugh Breedlove is far from the most agreeable client private investigator Frank Malloy has ever had, but his case is impossible to refuse: his young niece, Julia, has been wrongfully committed to an insane asylum by her cruel and unfaithful husband, Chet Longly. Though Breedlove and his wife seem more interested in protecting the family reputation than their niece’s safety, Frank and Sarah agree to help for the sake of Julia and the young son she left behind.
Frank and Sarah’s investigation reveals a dark secret—a maid at the Longly home died suspiciously under Chet’s watch, and now it seems Julia’s son might also be in danger. The Malloys fear they are dealing with a man more dangerous than they had anticipated, one who will do anything to defame his wife. But all is not as it seems in the Longly family, and perhaps another monster is hiding in plain sight….
Release Date: Apr 25, 2023
Series:Â A Gaslight Mystery
Book:Â 26
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â BerkleyÂ
Price: $14.99
Frank Malloy is a former New York City police officer who is now a private detective. His former partner on the police force now works with him as a PI. Frank and Gino often get help from Frank’s wife, Sarah, a former midwife, and their part-time nanny, Maeve, who works part-time as Frank’s secretary. Frank has now been hired for a very unusual case. An investment banker comes into the agency and wants Frank’s help in proving his niece, Julia, was unjustly forced into an insane asylum by her husband. Frank knows this won’t be an easy task, but it becomes even more complicated when he can’t tell who’s telling the truth and who can’t be trusted. The background information about treatment and the stigma surrounding mental illness at that time in history is shown during the investigation and is very informative.
Murder on Bedford Street is the newest of the Gaslight Mystery books, which takes place in New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. Even though I’ve read most of the books in this series, this book would work well as a standalone for new readers. The author gives the necessary information about the main characters without bogging down the current story. Each of the four main characters, Frank, Sarah, Gino, and Maeve play a part in solving the case, with some added help from Sarah’s mother, who uses her prominent societal standing to gain access to people who wouldn’t otherwise cooperate. Maeve goes undercover and is crucial to getting a full understanding of the important players in the case. In the past, I’ve had mixed feelings about this character, but her intelligence and her softer side come out in this story, and I enjoyed her role.
The first part of the book is very intriguing, and the various people questioned each had different opinions about Chet and Julia. I like that the story doesn’t take the typical path, but I saw the direction it was headed way before Frank and Sarah did! However, I still enjoyed the book and the way the main characters all worked together to get to the truth in a complex situation. Not everyone gets a happy ending, but I like the way everything comes together at the end.
~ Christine
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