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Gaslight Mystery #26
Murder on Bedford Street
Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private investigator husband, Frank, must stop a killer lurking among a young family in the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mysteries.
Hugh Breedlove is far from the most agreeable client private investigator Frank Malloy has ever had, but his case is impossible to 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....
Hugh Breedlove is far from the most agreeable client private investigator Frank Malloy has ever had, but his case is impossible to 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....
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2023
171 people are currently reading
4689 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Thompson
83 books2,446 followersVictoria Thompson was a beloved authoress of 'standard mystery' novels.
This middle of the road tone is not violent like a 'thriller' but unsanitized (NOT light like a 'cozy mystery'), is unflinchingly adult, serious, and dark.
Humour, romance, family, and compassion balance out the crime part of dear Victoria's unforgettable mysteries.
This middle of the road tone is not violent like a 'thriller' but unsanitized (NOT light like a 'cozy mystery'), is unflinchingly adult, serious, and dark.
Humour, romance, family, and compassion balance out the crime part of dear Victoria's unforgettable mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
April 23, 2023
the setup…
Private investigator Frank Malloy has a new client, one he doesn’t particularly like but the case is intriguing. Hugh Breedlove has just returned with his family from England with the intention of introducing his daughter to society. However, he’s learned that his niece has been unfairly committed to an insane asylum by her philandering husband. He wants Frank’s help to get his niece released before the news of her commitment becomes public and ruins his daughter’s chances for a successful debut. With the help of his team, which includes his wife Sarah, Frank has his work cut out for him as he enters into unfamiliar territory.
the heart of the story…
I love being back in Frank and Sarah’s world! This case was peculiar and I learned a lot about how mental illness was treated (or not) at the turn of the 20th century. It was particularly troublesome for women as their spouses need only declare they were insane to have them permanently institutionalized. The issue for the team was to find out who from Julia’s servant staff might have witnessed her husband’s bad behavior that might sway the doctor and a judge. Investigating her husband Chet posed some difficulties, too, as he was unwilling to cooperate. But the biggest challenge was assessing Julia’s competency…was she or wasn’t she? And who was responsible for other disappearances from that house?
the bottom line…
The true mystery was whether or not Julia was mentally ill and it wasn’t as easy to figure out as one might think. I vacillated over the answer but eventually landed in the right place. It was also a bleak reminder of how women were treated more like chattel in that era rather than having basic human rights. It was wonderful reconnecting with the recurring characters, especially Maeve who balances her work as a nanny for Frank and Sarah’s children with side work for Frank’s PI firm. She’s really good as an investigator and her relationship with Frank’s partner Gino inches closer to something more romantic. This continues to be one of my favorite historical mystery series.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Private investigator Frank Malloy has a new client, one he doesn’t particularly like but the case is intriguing. Hugh Breedlove has just returned with his family from England with the intention of introducing his daughter to society. However, he’s learned that his niece has been unfairly committed to an insane asylum by her philandering husband. He wants Frank’s help to get his niece released before the news of her commitment becomes public and ruins his daughter’s chances for a successful debut. With the help of his team, which includes his wife Sarah, Frank has his work cut out for him as he enters into unfamiliar territory.
the heart of the story…
I love being back in Frank and Sarah’s world! This case was peculiar and I learned a lot about how mental illness was treated (or not) at the turn of the 20th century. It was particularly troublesome for women as their spouses need only declare they were insane to have them permanently institutionalized. The issue for the team was to find out who from Julia’s servant staff might have witnessed her husband’s bad behavior that might sway the doctor and a judge. Investigating her husband Chet posed some difficulties, too, as he was unwilling to cooperate. But the biggest challenge was assessing Julia’s competency…was she or wasn’t she? And who was responsible for other disappearances from that house?
the bottom line…
The true mystery was whether or not Julia was mentally ill and it wasn’t as easy to figure out as one might think. I vacillated over the answer but eventually landed in the right place. It was also a bleak reminder of how women were treated more like chattel in that era rather than having basic human rights. It was wonderful reconnecting with the recurring characters, especially Maeve who balances her work as a nanny for Frank and Sarah’s children with side work for Frank’s PI firm. She’s really good as an investigator and her relationship with Frank’s partner Gino inches closer to something more romantic. This continues to be one of my favorite historical mystery series.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
June 29, 2023
I believe I enjoy everything about this series! I must do since I am still five starring them after 26 books.
In Murder on Bedford Street Frank is engaged to help release a woman who is believed to have been wrongly committed to an asylum. She certainly seems to have been placed there on just the whim of her husband, and Frank and Sarah, feeling sorry for her, try hard to prove the husband at fault.
All the family take part in this investigation. Sarah and her mother are out and about in the electric car visiting the gentry to find out gossip. Frank and Gino do the investigative part, and Maeve takes on the role of spy. Even Mother Malloy makes some very shrewd contributions when the debate gets heated.
I really love the period in which this is set. Just imagine horse drawn carriages jostling with cars in the streets, midwives birthing babies in the back parlour with no fancy equipment to help if things go wrong and ladies making morning calls (usually in the afternoon) and leaving their calling cards. And now when I push in the plug to charge my electric car I can imagine Sarah doing the same thing all those years ago.
An excellent book and well worth all my five stars.
In Murder on Bedford Street Frank is engaged to help release a woman who is believed to have been wrongly committed to an asylum. She certainly seems to have been placed there on just the whim of her husband, and Frank and Sarah, feeling sorry for her, try hard to prove the husband at fault.
All the family take part in this investigation. Sarah and her mother are out and about in the electric car visiting the gentry to find out gossip. Frank and Gino do the investigative part, and Maeve takes on the role of spy. Even Mother Malloy makes some very shrewd contributions when the debate gets heated.
I really love the period in which this is set. Just imagine horse drawn carriages jostling with cars in the streets, midwives birthing babies in the back parlour with no fancy equipment to help if things go wrong and ladies making morning calls (usually in the afternoon) and leaving their calling cards. And now when I push in the plug to charge my electric car I can imagine Sarah doing the same thing all those years ago.
An excellent book and well worth all my five stars.
April 23, 2023
3.5 stars.
This book started out great. I always enjoy visiting with Sarah, Frank, Maeve, Gino, and everyone else in the books. I also find the historic details interesting, and the author's writing has a way of pulling me right into the story. Unlike most of the books in this series, there wasn't a lot of historical detail in this one. Just some things about mental hospitals and mental health back in that time period. It was interesting though, and heartbreaking that some women were committed to mental hospitals when they were perfectly sane.
I liked that Sarah was able to use her midwife skills again, this time helping deliver a friend's grandchild. I would love to get more details about the clinic she set up in future books, and get to know more about the women she is helping there. I love when the midwifery and the investigating coincide.
This book eventually ended up frustrating me in a couple of ways but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. I think out of all the books I've read in this series, this was probably the easiest mystery to solve. That didn't bother me so much, but I wish Sarah and Frank hadn't been so clueless. Maeve and Gino were as well, with Maeve to a lesser extent. I'm beginning to think Maeve is the smartest one of them, and it's a real crime that she isn't allowed to investigate more. She does a really good job in this book. There was one point when Gino also did a good job investigating, but I was perturbed about it. He went around investigating and found out just about everything Maeve had already found out. What was the point in her being where she was—in possible danger—if all her work was going to be rendered useless by Gino, and he didn't even have to put himself into the household?
I also got frustrated that Sarah and Frank had these preconceived notions in their heads about what happened. At a couple of points, they even came to conclusions that were their own ideas, and then decided they were fact. They went on stating these conclusions as facts, saying they knew this thing had happened, and this was the reason another thing had happened. This is not good investigating. However, I believe the author was trying to show that we sometimes judge incorrectly, and our preconceived notions can get in the way. I do like this about the book, even though it was also frustrating that the characters had to remain so clueless to illustrate it.
Despite the frustrating parts, I enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down at times. I'm still invested in this series and will continue reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and my Facebook page.
This book started out great. I always enjoy visiting with Sarah, Frank, Maeve, Gino, and everyone else in the books. I also find the historic details interesting, and the author's writing has a way of pulling me right into the story. Unlike most of the books in this series, there wasn't a lot of historical detail in this one. Just some things about mental hospitals and mental health back in that time period. It was interesting though, and heartbreaking that some women were committed to mental hospitals when they were perfectly sane.
I liked that Sarah was able to use her midwife skills again, this time helping deliver a friend's grandchild. I would love to get more details about the clinic she set up in future books, and get to know more about the women she is helping there. I love when the midwifery and the investigating coincide.
This book eventually ended up frustrating me in a couple of ways but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. I think out of all the books I've read in this series, this was probably the easiest mystery to solve. That didn't bother me so much, but I wish Sarah and Frank hadn't been so clueless. Maeve and Gino were as well, with Maeve to a lesser extent. I'm beginning to think Maeve is the smartest one of them, and it's a real crime that she isn't allowed to investigate more. She does a really good job in this book. There was one point when Gino also did a good job investigating, but I was perturbed about it. He went around investigating and found out just about everything Maeve had already found out. What was the point in her being where she was—in possible danger—if all her work was going to be rendered useless by Gino, and he didn't even have to put himself into the household?
I also got frustrated that Sarah and Frank had these preconceived notions in their heads about what happened. At a couple of points, they even came to conclusions that were their own ideas, and then decided they were fact. They went on stating these conclusions as facts, saying they knew this thing had happened, and this was the reason another thing had happened. This is not good investigating. However, I believe the author was trying to show that we sometimes judge incorrectly, and our preconceived notions can get in the way. I do like this about the book, even though it was also frustrating that the characters had to remain so clueless to illustrate it.
Despite the frustrating parts, I enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down at times. I'm still invested in this series and will continue reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and my Facebook page.
November 4, 2025
Private Investigator Frank Malloy has a new case. Hugh Breedlove has just returned to the city with his family. He has learned that his niece, Julia Longly, has been unjustly committed to an insane asylum by her cheating husband Chet Longly. Mr. Breedlove wants Frank to find evidence that proves that Julia is sane.
Frank and his wife Sarah visit Julia at the asylum. They find her perfectly normal and feel sorry for her after she tells them how she was treated by her husband. Sarah and her mother work the case by talking to Longly's neighbors to see what they know. Frank attempts to interview Chet Longly, but Chet refuses to talk with him. Maeve knows that Longly's nursemaid left the household a few weeks ago and they haven't filled the position yet. She takes a position in the Longly household caring for Julia and Chet's four-year-old son. This way she can talk to the staff to find out what exactly has been happening in the home.
Even after 26 books, I still love this series. It's such an interesting time where the world is changing quickly. We learned in this book that a husband could quite easily have his wife declared insane just to get her out of his hair. And, of course, there really wasn't any medical procedures that would help a person with mental illness.
The whole team works to find proof that Julia was unjustly committed. Both Frank and Sarah have a pre-conceived idea about what happened. They stuck with that idea for a long time. I loved how Maeve stepped up to go undercover in the Longly household. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
Frank and his wife Sarah visit Julia at the asylum. They find her perfectly normal and feel sorry for her after she tells them how she was treated by her husband. Sarah and her mother work the case by talking to Longly's neighbors to see what they know. Frank attempts to interview Chet Longly, but Chet refuses to talk with him. Maeve knows that Longly's nursemaid left the household a few weeks ago and they haven't filled the position yet. She takes a position in the Longly household caring for Julia and Chet's four-year-old son. This way she can talk to the staff to find out what exactly has been happening in the home.
Even after 26 books, I still love this series. It's such an interesting time where the world is changing quickly. We learned in this book that a husband could quite easily have his wife declared insane just to get her out of his hair. And, of course, there really wasn't any medical procedures that would help a person with mental illness.
The whole team works to find proof that Julia was unjustly committed. Both Frank and Sarah have a pre-conceived idea about what happened. They stuck with that idea for a long time. I loved how Maeve stepped up to go undercover in the Longly household. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
May 9, 2023
This book was so frustrating for me.
Frank and Gino take a case that seems straight-forward, but truly isn't. As they, Sarah,and Maeve investigate they all keep trying to fit the information they learn into a preconceived idea of the True Story. This tendency left me wanting to smack all 4 of them with the clue-by-four.
Other than that, it was nice to check-in with everyone. The author obviously had fun dropping in all the comments about the Malloy's electric car. [Yes, they did have electric cars in 1901. Yes, how far they could go on a charge, and availability of charging stations were problems then, as now]
Part of my frustration can be traced to the fact that I had just finished a really good mystery right before picking up this one. Another comes from figuring out what was really going on quite early in the book--so I spent a lot of time waiting for the truth to come out. The baddie is caught and dealt with at the end, but the damage done by that time left a sour taste in my mouth. Oh well, here's hoping the next one will be better.
Frank and Gino take a case that seems straight-forward, but truly isn't. As they, Sarah,and Maeve investigate they all keep trying to fit the information they learn into a preconceived idea of the True Story. This tendency left me wanting to smack all 4 of them with the clue-by-four.
Other than that, it was nice to check-in with everyone. The author obviously had fun dropping in all the comments about the Malloy's electric car. [Yes, they did have electric cars in 1901. Yes, how far they could go on a charge, and availability of charging stations were problems then, as now]
Part of my frustration can be traced to the fact that I had just finished a really good mystery right before picking up this one. Another comes from figuring out what was really going on quite early in the book--so I spent a lot of time waiting for the truth to come out. The baddie is caught and dealt with at the end, but the damage done by that time left a sour taste in my mouth. Oh well, here's hoping the next one will be better.
May 28, 2023
Holding off on rating this one while I think it over. I can't tell if this was just wrong story at the wrong time, if I judged this harshly because I hold this series to such a high standard, or if it just didn't work. Maybe it's a little of all three.
The bottom line here is the group/family time that always is such a driving force of this series was really absent. We missed out on a lot of the group brainstorming and discussing what they'd learned scenes, and without that to frame the mystery, the mystery has to stand on its own. The problem with the mystery, for me, was it was clearly obvious who was responsible from very early on, and that made the team not seeing it particularly frustrating, even if frequently their misconceptions made sense.
The bottom line here is the group/family time that always is such a driving force of this series was really absent. We missed out on a lot of the group brainstorming and discussing what they'd learned scenes, and without that to frame the mystery, the mystery has to stand on its own. The problem with the mystery, for me, was it was clearly obvious who was responsible from very early on, and that made the team not seeing it particularly frustrating, even if frequently their misconceptions made sense.
April 28, 2023
The charm of this series comes in the family moments and they are few and far between in this book. We don’t actually see Brian or Catherine until page 283 and that is their sole scene.
Maeve and Gino have a little time together, but their relationship development seems stalled.
Frank and Sarah are together a lot, but the little moments showing affection between them are missing.
The mystery is pretty good, though the reality of the situation is clear pretty soon after the investigation begins.
Maeve and Gino have a little time together, but their relationship development seems stalled.
Frank and Sarah are together a lot, but the little moments showing affection between them are missing.
The mystery is pretty good, though the reality of the situation is clear pretty soon after the investigation begins.
May 16, 2024
Predictable but entertaining.
April 29, 2023
The worst of the series. It was annoying to see the author ignore the obvious culprit, which was obvious from almost the beginning of the story.
November 27, 2023
Doing some catch up in the Gaslight Murder Mysteries…reading the last four this month. A new one is due out soon. I can hardly wait – reviews to follow (eventually).
Murder on Pleasant Avenue
Murder on Wall Street
Murder on Madison Square
Murder on Bedford Street
For me, all the books in the series are solid 4-4.5 Stars
Murder on Pleasant Avenue
Murder on Wall Street
Murder on Madison Square
Murder on Bedford Street
For me, all the books in the series are solid 4-4.5 Stars
May 8, 2023
Twenty-Six books in a series is no easy feat to keep the reader entertained, but Victoria Thompson has done just that.
These are light easy entertaining mysteries featuring ex-cop now private investigator Frank Malloy and his wife Sarah.
In spite of the title this story does not begin with a murder.
Frank is approached by a Mr. Breedlove who claims his niece, Julia Longly, has been unjustly committed to an insane asylum by her unfaithful husband. Mr. Breedlove is extremely anxious for Frank to find a way to have her released.
This being 1900 a husband can do pretty much as he pleases with his wife, no questions asked, so Frank knows this won’t be an easy fix.
Having a sane woman locked away by a cruel husband is an outrage therefore Frank feels obliged to take Sarah along to see the woman in the asylum for himself and come up with a plan.
When Frank and Sarah visit Julia in the asylum she seems quite sane to them. Both Frank and Sarah decide Mr. Breedlove must be right and something must be done to get the poor woman out and now a closer look at the husband is necessary.
As Frank and Sarah along with Gino and Maeve begin to look into the Longly household it becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems. Some very odd goings on have taken place within the walls of the Longly home.
By the end of the book there have been four murders, we have learned a good deal about how mental illness was totally misunderstood at the time. We also learn how first impression can be very, very wrong.
An enjoyable addition to this entertaining series.
These are light easy entertaining mysteries featuring ex-cop now private investigator Frank Malloy and his wife Sarah.
In spite of the title this story does not begin with a murder.
Frank is approached by a Mr. Breedlove who claims his niece, Julia Longly, has been unjustly committed to an insane asylum by her unfaithful husband. Mr. Breedlove is extremely anxious for Frank to find a way to have her released.
This being 1900 a husband can do pretty much as he pleases with his wife, no questions asked, so Frank knows this won’t be an easy fix.
Having a sane woman locked away by a cruel husband is an outrage therefore Frank feels obliged to take Sarah along to see the woman in the asylum for himself and come up with a plan.
When Frank and Sarah visit Julia in the asylum she seems quite sane to them. Both Frank and Sarah decide Mr. Breedlove must be right and something must be done to get the poor woman out and now a closer look at the husband is necessary.
As Frank and Sarah along with Gino and Maeve begin to look into the Longly household it becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems. Some very odd goings on have taken place within the walls of the Longly home.
By the end of the book there have been four murders, we have learned a good deal about how mental illness was totally misunderstood at the time. We also learn how first impression can be very, very wrong.
An enjoyable addition to this entertaining series.
May 9, 2023
As much as I love this series and the narrator, this was so predictable. Frank, Sarah and the gang seem blind to the truth. I wanted to slap them. 2.5 stars.
November 21, 2023
I guess it’s something at even the weaker entries in this series are strong enough that I feel engaged in the story but this was definitely one that missed the mark.
The biggest issue, beyond that so many deaths could have easily been prevented, is that both Sarah and Frank were so quick to go along with the premise presented to them. They didn’t question it once and it took so long for them to get around to thinking maybe they should be questioning it. It seemed really out of character since even when they’re steered wrong they usually pick up on it in a reasonable amount of time.
That said, always looking forward to more of these.
The biggest issue, beyond that so many deaths could have easily been prevented, is that both Sarah and Frank were so quick to go along with the premise presented to them. They didn’t question it once and it took so long for them to get around to thinking maybe they should be questioning it. It seemed really out of character since even when they’re steered wrong they usually pick up on it in a reasonable amount of time.
That said, always looking forward to more of these.
April 25, 2023
Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson
Gaslight Mystery #26
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
I’m not opposed to starting a book, particularly mysteries or romances, well into a series order. Can’t say I’ve ever started at book number 26 though. TWENTY-SIX. According to Goodreads the first book in this series was published in 1999. I would have had to start reading this series when I was 9 in order to have kept up with it. Apparently, Victoria Thompson is to historical mysteries what James Patterson is to every other genre.
The series follows Sarah, a midwife, and her husband Frank, a detective, as they solve crime in the early 1900s. This one was particularly interesting because it wasn’t traditionally what we think of when we think of crime. I guess after 26 books you have to start thinking outside the box. This book explores the institutionalisation of women by their husbands.
Maybe the character exploration and progression took place in the other twenty-five books and I missed it but it was a straight-forward, easy to follow, unlayered mystery that I was kind of here for. I’ve been working two jobs for the last 3 months and my brain cells have frankly turned to mush towards the end of the day. I kind of appreciated that the book captured my attention, entertained me, gave me a little food for thought but didn’t really require a lot of work on my part.
I was a little thrown off by the last minute plot point inclusion towards the end, which I feel only made sense to anyone who read the previous books. To me it didn’t make any sense and I was genuinely confused by why the climax of the book was suddenly interrupted by this seemingly random occurrence.
Now the question is do I read the other 25 books?
Thank you to Berkeley for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Gaslight Mystery #26
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
I’m not opposed to starting a book, particularly mysteries or romances, well into a series order. Can’t say I’ve ever started at book number 26 though. TWENTY-SIX. According to Goodreads the first book in this series was published in 1999. I would have had to start reading this series when I was 9 in order to have kept up with it. Apparently, Victoria Thompson is to historical mysteries what James Patterson is to every other genre.
The series follows Sarah, a midwife, and her husband Frank, a detective, as they solve crime in the early 1900s. This one was particularly interesting because it wasn’t traditionally what we think of when we think of crime. I guess after 26 books you have to start thinking outside the box. This book explores the institutionalisation of women by their husbands.
Maybe the character exploration and progression took place in the other twenty-five books and I missed it but it was a straight-forward, easy to follow, unlayered mystery that I was kind of here for. I’ve been working two jobs for the last 3 months and my brain cells have frankly turned to mush towards the end of the day. I kind of appreciated that the book captured my attention, entertained me, gave me a little food for thought but didn’t really require a lot of work on my part.
I was a little thrown off by the last minute plot point inclusion towards the end, which I feel only made sense to anyone who read the previous books. To me it didn’t make any sense and I was genuinely confused by why the climax of the book was suddenly interrupted by this seemingly random occurrence.
Now the question is do I read the other 25 books?
Thank you to Berkeley for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2023
Another entertaining mystery in this series. Well-written, as usual, and it had some great character development moments for Gino and Maeve.
A lot of readers have complained that they figured out the truth and whodunit LONG before the characters did, and that the characters' blindness/ignorance seemed stupid and forced. I agree that the truth about the mystery was fairly obvious to the reader very quickly, and after a while I did start to feel frustrated about how stubbornly Frank and Sarah refused to see the clues the way I did.
However, I also chose to read the story (and their blind stubbornness/cluelessness) as an interpretation on how everyone, no matter how open-minded, has their own prejudices and blind spots and preconceived ideas about things. While the reader might feel annoyed that the characters were being so dumb, they weren't, really. Frank and Sarah, just like real people in any place or time, are products of their culture and their own experiences. Even fictional characters have flaws, shortcomings, blind spots, and make mistakes. While this wasn't my top favorite Gaslight Mystery, I felt that the characters realizing their (blind, stupid) mistakes almost too late gave the story an element of tension and believability.
A lot of readers have complained that they figured out the truth and whodunit LONG before the characters did, and that the characters' blindness/ignorance seemed stupid and forced. I agree that the truth about the mystery was fairly obvious to the reader very quickly, and after a while I did start to feel frustrated about how stubbornly Frank and Sarah refused to see the clues the way I did.
However, I also chose to read the story (and their blind stubbornness/cluelessness) as an interpretation on how everyone, no matter how open-minded, has their own prejudices and blind spots and preconceived ideas about things. While the reader might feel annoyed that the characters were being so dumb, they weren't, really. Frank and Sarah, just like real people in any place or time, are products of their culture and their own experiences. Even fictional characters have flaws, shortcomings, blind spots, and make mistakes. While this wasn't my top favorite Gaslight Mystery, I felt that the characters realizing their (blind, stupid) mistakes almost too late gave the story an element of tension and believability.
May 22, 2023
This series just gets less interesting as each book comes out. The characters are way too predictable, and the storyline gets more shallow. This particular story felt, page by page and even the ending, like something I'd read before. Was it even one of the books in this very series? So disappointed.
May 17, 2023
Miss Thompson, I'm gonna need you to stop telegraphing your twists from the start.
May 31, 2023
3.5. The character, Sarah, doesn’t ring true in this episode of the series. Other than that, the plotting was good.
March 9, 2023
Another winner from Victoria Thompson. A very strong mystery that was disturbing and kept me guessing. It’s so nice to visit with Sarah and Frank again.
August 5, 2023
Great series and I am finally caught up. All the characters we have grown to know and love along with a new storyline and more of New York history. I was somewhat surprised and disappointed that the true villain seemed to take awhile for Frank and Sarah to find out the truth. The problem with catching up with a series you look forward to reading is ow, my wait for the next adventure will be longer.
January 31, 2023
I'm afraid I did not love this one! The mystery felt rather heavy-handed and not particularly mysterious. I always enjoy reading about the collection of supporting characters, and Sarah's mother makes several appearances...so there's that.
Thanks NetGalley for access to view a proof, in any event.
Thanks NetGalley for access to view a proof, in any event.
January 30, 2023
Loved the newest edition to the series! It was an exciting read with lots of twists and turns. Can wait to return to these characters in the next book!
August 2, 2023
I absolutely love this series!!! 5 stars again and again! Victoria Thompson is an incredible author.
May 6, 2023
https://openbooksociety.com/article/m...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
I was delighted to be back in Greenwich Village with Frank and Sarah Malloy! This mystery was brilliantly constructed and executed. I enjoyed spending more time with Maeve than usual. Something I noticed and didn’t recall from past mysteries is how humorous some of the descriptions are, this time beginning with the first scene at the initial introduction of Frank and Gino to a new client, Hugh Breedlove. Frank is a former NYPD detective and Gino, a former police officer, so they knew they would meet interesting people in their private investigations firm.
Hugh, his wife Amelia, and daughter Ruth recently returned to New York after Hugh managed his firm’s London office for several years. Amelia wanted Ruth to make her formal introduction to society in New York and meet eligible young men in their home country. They sought Hugh’s brother’s daughter Julia Longly, and her widowed mother, Ellie Breedlove, to introduce Ruth to society. What Hugh learned was shocking. Ellie had disappeared shortly after Julia married Chet Longly several years earlier. Chet had recently committed Julia to the Manhattan State Hospital.
Hugh and Amelia visited their niece at the asylum and learned disturbing things about Julia’s husband, including his drinking, gambling, and flaunting of a mistress. When he finally tired of Julia’s nagging, he had her committed to the insane asylum. None of the doctors would believe she was of sound mind, but Hugh and his wife were convinced she was. He asked them to find a way to quickly, discreetly, get her out, as his daughter’s coming out couldn’t be marred with introduction by a family member who was suspected to be insane. Frank and his wife, Sarah, a nurse and midwife, would visit Julia so he could learn more about the situation.
When they first met Julia, Frank and Sarah felt Breedlove’s assertion of Julia’s sanity was correct. Julia described the horrors of Chet’s behaviors, which matched what she told her uncle and aunt. She told Frank and Sarah even more, including living conditions in the asylum. It must have been terrifying for a young lady in society to be locked away with people thought to be irretrievably insane. Sarah had spent much of her career helping women who had been abused and worse, and was sympathetic to her plight.
Frank and Sarah determined to find a way to get Julia released from the asylum. The Breedloves would need to secure a place for her and her four-year-old son, Victor, to stay, presumably getting funds from her husband. Maeve, the live-in nanny for Frank and Sarah’s children, works in Frank’s office when the children are in school. She wanted more involvement with investigations they work, and this time got her wish. The last nursemaid for Julia’s son died when “falling from” the nursery window. With her experience and expertise with children, Maeve was hired as Victor’s nursemaid in hopes of finding the truth about Chet Longly. Sometimes the truth is not what one expects, and the huge twist to this tale was like a bucket of icy cold water when Maeve and Sarah finally found it.
Each of the primary characters continues to grow with the series. Snippets of their backstories, along with behaviors and conversations, can help a reader new to the series enjoy it as much as a long-term fan. The historical touches are enlightening, including more information about the electric motorcars introduced in the last mystery.
The mystery seems almost cut and dried very early on, but there was far more than met the eye. The plot twists and turns were shocking and at times horrifying. It is brilliantly written with surprises, heartwarming scenes of Maeve caring for little Victor, and Gino’s constant concern for her welfare while at the Longly home. The end was very different than anticipated and very satisfying, and I am again eager for the next in series! I highly recommend this and earlier novels in the series!
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
I was delighted to be back in Greenwich Village with Frank and Sarah Malloy! This mystery was brilliantly constructed and executed. I enjoyed spending more time with Maeve than usual. Something I noticed and didn’t recall from past mysteries is how humorous some of the descriptions are, this time beginning with the first scene at the initial introduction of Frank and Gino to a new client, Hugh Breedlove. Frank is a former NYPD detective and Gino, a former police officer, so they knew they would meet interesting people in their private investigations firm.
Hugh, his wife Amelia, and daughter Ruth recently returned to New York after Hugh managed his firm’s London office for several years. Amelia wanted Ruth to make her formal introduction to society in New York and meet eligible young men in their home country. They sought Hugh’s brother’s daughter Julia Longly, and her widowed mother, Ellie Breedlove, to introduce Ruth to society. What Hugh learned was shocking. Ellie had disappeared shortly after Julia married Chet Longly several years earlier. Chet had recently committed Julia to the Manhattan State Hospital.
Hugh and Amelia visited their niece at the asylum and learned disturbing things about Julia’s husband, including his drinking, gambling, and flaunting of a mistress. When he finally tired of Julia’s nagging, he had her committed to the insane asylum. None of the doctors would believe she was of sound mind, but Hugh and his wife were convinced she was. He asked them to find a way to quickly, discreetly, get her out, as his daughter’s coming out couldn’t be marred with introduction by a family member who was suspected to be insane. Frank and his wife, Sarah, a nurse and midwife, would visit Julia so he could learn more about the situation.
When they first met Julia, Frank and Sarah felt Breedlove’s assertion of Julia’s sanity was correct. Julia described the horrors of Chet’s behaviors, which matched what she told her uncle and aunt. She told Frank and Sarah even more, including living conditions in the asylum. It must have been terrifying for a young lady in society to be locked away with people thought to be irretrievably insane. Sarah had spent much of her career helping women who had been abused and worse, and was sympathetic to her plight.
Frank and Sarah determined to find a way to get Julia released from the asylum. The Breedloves would need to secure a place for her and her four-year-old son, Victor, to stay, presumably getting funds from her husband. Maeve, the live-in nanny for Frank and Sarah’s children, works in Frank’s office when the children are in school. She wanted more involvement with investigations they work, and this time got her wish. The last nursemaid for Julia’s son died when “falling from” the nursery window. With her experience and expertise with children, Maeve was hired as Victor’s nursemaid in hopes of finding the truth about Chet Longly. Sometimes the truth is not what one expects, and the huge twist to this tale was like a bucket of icy cold water when Maeve and Sarah finally found it.
Each of the primary characters continues to grow with the series. Snippets of their backstories, along with behaviors and conversations, can help a reader new to the series enjoy it as much as a long-term fan. The historical touches are enlightening, including more information about the electric motorcars introduced in the last mystery.
The mystery seems almost cut and dried very early on, but there was far more than met the eye. The plot twists and turns were shocking and at times horrifying. It is brilliantly written with surprises, heartwarming scenes of Maeve caring for little Victor, and Gino’s constant concern for her welfare while at the Longly home. The end was very different than anticipated and very satisfying, and I am again eager for the next in series! I highly recommend this and earlier novels in the series!
May 25, 2023
The gang is all together in this 26 th book in this series. Frank and Gino take on a case that is disturbing. A woman named Julia Langley has been locked away in an asylum, and taken from her child. Her husband has had her committed. The whole book is about her heart breaking story, and she tells some awful tales. Her uncle and his family arrive from England, and after hearing her tale want her released. Frank is trying to get to the bottom of the story, and Sarah has become her champion. The mystery shows a series of deaths, all ruled accidents. Was it Julia ? Is she truly so very evil ? Is the husband guilty of getting tired of his wife after she bears him an heir, and takes a mistress a few houses down. There were lots of twists and turns. The ending was good with lots going on, and finally the person guilty has to pay. The cost by then is to high though. I gave it five stars. Great storyline, and lots of fun catching up with our favorite millionaire detective, his rich wife, two children, her parents, his mother, his friend, and partner Gino, and Maeve. The note of electric cars is mentioned, and having to plug them in. They were thought mostly for a woman to use, because they didn’t have the smoke of the gas engines. Yet the gas won out.
February 15, 2025
Actual rating 4.5 stars!!
Okey me coming into this series by starting on book #26 may not have been my smartest move but honestly I loved it sm & now i've wishlisted all of Thompson's earlier books on audible 😅
This was such an easy and enjoyable listen, which was exactly what I needed! The plot was kinda predictable but I was still so eager to see how it would all play out and to learn more about the characters; which i've of course now fallen in love with! 🥹
I truly went into this book so blindly, I didn't even know when it was supposed to be happening and the mention of electric cars and carriages in the same sentence did not help me at all lmfaooo 😭 After a quick google search I realised this story takes place in 1901 and damn honestly give me more historical mysteries books !!! i wanna read more about all of the scandalous things that could happen!
Okey me coming into this series by starting on book #26 may not have been my smartest move but honestly I loved it sm & now i've wishlisted all of Thompson's earlier books on audible 😅
This was such an easy and enjoyable listen, which was exactly what I needed! The plot was kinda predictable but I was still so eager to see how it would all play out and to learn more about the characters; which i've of course now fallen in love with! 🥹
I truly went into this book so blindly, I didn't even know when it was supposed to be happening and the mention of electric cars and carriages in the same sentence did not help me at all lmfaooo 😭 After a quick google search I realised this story takes place in 1901 and damn honestly give me more historical mysteries books !!! i wanna read more about all of the scandalous things that could happen!
November 22, 2023
When a series has 26 installments it can get a little stale. I was afraid this was happening with one of my favorites- the Gaslight Mysteries. But Ms. Thompson has kept it steady and this most recent book has been one of the better ones. I admit at first I was frustrated with just how dense and slow to figure things out Frank and Sarah were, but then I began to wonder if I really had it all figured out myself. Was Julia insane or not? Was Chet controlling and manipulative or falsely accused? While I did solve the mystery before the Malloys, I have to say the ending was exciting and kept me reading. It was fun to see a lot of the old characters make an appearance as well. Now if Gino and Maeve would just get off the fence and admit their feelings, all will be right with the world.
June 3, 2023
3.5, but I'm not rounding up because of how frustrating this one was. I do think that was intentional - we as modern readers are much better equipped to see the truth of the matter than the characters. Pre-Law & Order, that just wasn't something people knew about, and everything in their society told them to assume It's actually a very good twist on what has become a standard of historical fiction. I just don't necessarily enjoy screaming at the characters to just think for 350 pages.
May 22, 2023
This installment in the series wasn't my favorite. There there was no progress in the lives of our four main characters and I felt bad about the situation Maeve put herself in. However, the cast of characters introduced for this mystery kept me guessing. A nice addition to the Gaslight series.
July 28, 2024
I like that this book broke away from the routine of the past books in the series. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I'd continue reading the series, as it was becoming so family focused.
I like that the characters stuck to their values, and that the person of interest didn't follow along the victim line. I appreciate that the author switched it up.
I like that the characters stuck to their values, and that the person of interest didn't follow along the victim line. I appreciate that the author switched it up.
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