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344th out of 786 books
—
1,639 voters
Murder on Fifth Avenue (Gaslight Mystery #14)
by
Victoria Thompson (Goodreads Author)
Sarah Brandt’s family is one of the oldest in New York City, and her father, Felix Decker, takes his position in society very seriously. He still refuses to resign himself to his daughter being involved with an Irish Catholic police detective. But when a member of his private club — the very exclusive Knickerbocker — is murdered, Decker forms an uneasy alliance with Detect...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Berkley
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I enjoyed this historical mystery novel even if its hard for me to accept the snobby attitudes of the wealthy "upper" class. The main characters are well developed and believable. I'd read more of this series.
Plot: Sarah Brandt’s family is one of the oldest in New York City, and her father, Felix Decker, takes his position in society very seriously. He still refuses to resign himself to his daughter being involved with an Irish Catholic police detective. But when a member of his very exclusive p...more
Plot: Sarah Brandt’s family is one of the oldest in New York City, and her father, Felix Decker, takes his position in society very seriously. He still refuses to resign himself to his daughter being involved with an Irish Catholic police detective. But when a member of his very exclusive p...more
"Murder on Fifth Avenue" is a historical mystery set in New York city in the late 1890's. This is the fourteenth book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the previous mysteries.
There was a nice level of historical detail about the setting, social structures, etc. The characters were complex and reacted realistically to the situations, yet we didn't really get much character development with the main characters. The suspe...more
There was a nice level of historical detail about the setting, social structures, etc. The characters were complex and reacted realistically to the situations, yet we didn't really get much character development with the main characters. The suspe...more
Historical Mystery
This is book number fourteen in the Gaslight Mystery series and I still love the series. Sarah Brant and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy are great characters and they continue to work together to solve a new mystery. There is a big difference in this one. Both Frank Malloy and Sarah’s father, Felix Decker, ask Sarah and her Mother to help in solving the crime. Here is what Goodreads has to say about the book:
Characters: I keep wanting more development in the relationship betwee...more
ms. thompson has announced on her website that she has finally decided how to approach the way her midwife and detective can interact and be together, and it shows in the sheer delight and fun rampant in this latest addition to the "gaslight" series. a sense of humor and lightheartedness, not to mention direction, that has been missing from the past several adventures returns with a vengeance, and it becomes, quite literally, a mystery for the entire family to enjoy. i really admire the way ms....more
I agree with other reviews here, I sensed that Victoria Thompson has finally got a plan for moving Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy's relationship forward in this latest entry in this enjoyable, long-running historical mystery series (and putting us long-suffering fans out of our misery!) I've read every book in the series and I thought this was an excellent follow-up to Thompson's last strong, enjoyable mystery, "Murder on Sisters' Row"; for the last few books I've felt that spark and energy retur...more
I can always count on Victoria Thompson to deliver. After the last blockbuster of a book, she retreats back into her quiet corner with this one.
Mr. Decker, Sarah's father, calls Frank Malloy, everyone's favorite policeman, in to investigate a murder of a friend of his at the exclusive club in which they visit. That in itself, considering he thinks the police are below his station, is shocking. It gets more shocking- not only is the lead murdered, but when the trail starts to get hot, the lead's...more
Mr. Decker, Sarah's father, calls Frank Malloy, everyone's favorite policeman, in to investigate a murder of a friend of his at the exclusive club in which they visit. That in itself, considering he thinks the police are below his station, is shocking. It gets more shocking- not only is the lead murdered, but when the trail starts to get hot, the lead's...more
This was an excellent historical New York mystery. I have been enjoying the Gaslight series for some time now, but this book was even more enjoyable. Actually seeing some movement in Sarah's parents narrow-mindedness helped a great deal, and it certainly makes things easier between Sarah and Frank. Also, the motives behind the murders are motives that are still apparent today. Things have not changed that much really in the extent of peoples' depravity. In this book, a friend of Sarah's father i...more
The 14th installment of this enjoyable mystery series finds Frank Malloy called to the office of Sarah Brandt's father to investigate the death of a member of his club. Chilton Devries died under mysterious conditions, and Felix Decker wants to make sure justice is served. Perhaps he's also testing Frank for something beyond his detective skills? Frank brings in both Sarah and her mother to help him solve the strange mystery where almost everyone surrounding Devries had a reason to kill him.
For...more
For...more
My guilty little pleasure is getting a bit old. Same refrain, and in this story, it was a much weaker refrain. Thompson's writing is easy...in fact, these books would be great for adult readers that are learning to read as adults. The language is simple and there is a bit of history thrown in there to make it a bit interesting. This story was obvious from the beginning . . . a man dies at his Club and after it's found out it wasn't a natural death, it turns out he was a very bad man and everyone...more
I think I'm done with this series. For a long time, there was chemistry between Frank and Sarah that seemed to be building toward something, and the mysteries, while being the focus of the plot, seemed to drive them closer together. The last few books, that's just...gone. The banter, the friendliness, the longing for each other...gone. I don't think I missed some moment where they decided they didn't feel like they thought they felt -- in fact, I seem to remember some pretty impassioned kisses t...more
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This is a repeat of my review for the ebook edition.
I will not repeat the whole plot as some do because you can get that elsewhere and is a waste of space in my opinion.
This series has always been an enjoyable read but there seemed to be something missing this time around. Yes, it seems Frank has become more acceptable and his and sarah's relationship has developed quite well but so much of the background seemed to be missing from this one.
There was nothing of Sarah interacting with the masses i...more
I will not repeat the whole plot as some do because you can get that elsewhere and is a waste of space in my opinion.
This series has always been an enjoyable read but there seemed to be something missing this time around. Yes, it seems Frank has become more acceptable and his and sarah's relationship has developed quite well but so much of the background seemed to be missing from this one.
There was nothing of Sarah interacting with the masses i...more
Sarah Brandt gave up her position in society when she married a physician. Now widowed, Sarah supports herself and her foster daughter by working as a midwife. Although he doesn’t always welcome her assistance, Sarah also helps Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy of the New York City police force investigate many of his cases. Sarah’s father, Felix Decker, hasn’t been pleased with Sarah’s involvement in murder cases or with her friendship with Frank. However, when a friend of Decker’s is found dead...more
Although I liked the book,I knew what the essential plot point was going to be right away and knew whodunnit as well. I'm started to get annoyed with Frank doing detecting and Sarah & Mrs. Decker doing detecting and then we all get together and replay the previous scenes over again. That style is getting tiresome.
One other little thing that's niggling at me - why hasn't Frank taken a little time to learn some signs so he can speak to his son? His mom is learning, why not Frank? And where is...more
One other little thing that's niggling at me - why hasn't Frank taken a little time to learn some signs so he can speak to his son? His mom is learning, why not Frank? And where is...more
I really, really enjoy the Gaslight Mysteries. They're a somewhat guilty pleasure I have.
Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy team up in this, the 14th book, to find out who killed Mr. Decker's friend and fellow Club member.
I must say this installment was a little more twisty turny than the last couple books but little to no real chemistry with Sarah and Frank, it's more a setup of the Deckers admitting they will tolerate Frank in Sarah's life.
All in all the mystery was decent but the back story of S...more
Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy team up in this, the 14th book, to find out who killed Mr. Decker's friend and fellow Club member.
I must say this installment was a little more twisty turny than the last couple books but little to no real chemistry with Sarah and Frank, it's more a setup of the Deckers admitting they will tolerate Frank in Sarah's life.
All in all the mystery was decent but the back story of S...more
Once more I thoroughly enjoyed the latest offering in the Sarah Brandt/Frank Malloy "Murder on..." mystery series by Victoria Thompson. I like those two main characters and their relationship very much, as well as the regular secondary characters. I enjoy the interaction of the characters, and the murders that they're trying to solve are always complicated enough for a challenge, but make sense in the end. In this one, Ms. Thompson had me going in several different directions before she revealed...more
This series has always been an enjoyable read but there seemed to be something missing this time around. Yes, it seems Frank has become more acceptable and his and sarah's relationship has developed quite well but so much of the background seemed to be missing from this one.
There was nothing of Sarah interacting with the masses in her profession of midwife. The secret "fizz" was missing between Sarah & Frank. There was very little of the nosy neighbour or Frank's son Brian and nothing at all...more
There was nothing of Sarah interacting with the masses in her profession of midwife. The secret "fizz" was missing between Sarah & Frank. There was very little of the nosy neighbour or Frank's son Brian and nothing at all...more
Excellent. The newest entry in the series involves a death at the elite men's club where Sarah's father is a member. When a stab wound is discovered, Mr. Decker summons Detective Malloy. The scenes involving Sarah's mother are particularly delightful. The author has done a very good job evolving the characters and their relationship with their wilfull, independent and unconventional daughter. The interplay between Frank Malloy and Felix Decker is cautiously respectful. Does Decker want the crime...more
Jun 19, 2012
Alyson
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-historical,
romance
I've never been a huge fan of this series; they've always just been light, fun mysteries with a smidge of romance to keep things interesting. Good enough to read before bed, but not something I'd pick up and read again, basically. Having said that, this installment was especially bland, lacking any interpersonal development between the main characters and completely missing any romance (these have never been romances, but we usually get SOME sweet scene). This mostly felt like a police procedura...more
My grade is more of in a relative nature than an absolute since this is probably the best gaslight book since I don't when. The mystery is a lot more compelling with twists and turns that keep me guessing. The main relationship everyone's been waiting for a new chapter shows sign of such. Not in this book though, the last page of this book just gives us a promise. It seems the author decided to stop stalling or dragging us along and to do something about it. Good news for me because after her la...more
This most recent Gaslight Mystery is one of Thompson's best in the 14-book series. As with the other books, it is set in the late 1890s, and the main characters are Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, and Midwife/amateur sleuth Sarah Brandt. The book revolves around the case of a man who was stabbed but didn't know it was a fatal wound, and so died far away from wherever the crime took place. Finding out who killed him, and why, and where, is the focus of the story.
This is one of Thompson's best my...more
This is one of Thompson's best my...more
Victoria Thompson spins a delicious story about New York in the 1890's. In this caper, Sarah Brandt's father asks Frank Mallory to investigate the death of a member of the Knickerbockers Club. Thompson gives a glimpse of life for rich women of New York society. This story lacked some of the punch of prior stories. The murder seemed tame and spiritless, even though the victim was a mean and selfish individual. The story line seemed too trite. The relationship between Sarah and Frank seemed lackin...more
This was excellent! It dealt with issues that are surprisingly modern but kept the historical feel that makes this series so absolutely wonderful. The characters are delightful as ever and I finished the book already craving the next one. The mystery was delightful, although again I despair because sometimes the characters are so willfully idiotic... But at least this solution made sense. It was really an excellent book and the realism of the 1880's era New York makes the book so much more epic.
This should be retitled "coming together". This is the installment where Sarah and Frank along with Mr. and Mrs. Decker all become meshed together. A member of Mr. Decker's club, Chilton DeVries, is found murdered and he asks Frank to "discretely" look into the murder. This installment also gives us much more insight into the relationship between the senior Deckers. This is a good mystery but the back story is the one that got the best of my attention.
Felix Decker summons Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to investigate the murder of a friend at the exclusive Knickerbocker club. It isn't long until Decker's daughter, Sarah Brandt, becomes involved in the investigation with Malloy. With Sarah's help, Malloy begins to unravel horrible secrets within the Devries family for which any one could be the reason to murder Chilton Devries. The question Malloy wants answered is whether Decker will want Devries killer brought to justice.
I love the Gaslight Mysteries series, and while I missed more interaction between Sarah and Malloy, the mystery and story in this book did not fail to disappoint. In light of recent stories of wealthy people misusing their wealth upon others less fortunate and taking advantage of them, I thought that this was an excellent fictional application of an issue that has plagued societies for ages.
Overall, a great read. Too bad we have to wait another year for the next one!
Overall, a great read. Too bad we have to wait another year for the next one!
This is one of the series that I often pick up at my library and enjoy reading for diversion. Sometimes they get a bit tedious, but this moved along with a nice relationship between the characters and a satisfactory ending. I'm not sure why Thompson puts the little teaser in the ending that ruins the level of satisfaction unless it is just to make someone buy the next book. It's a good, fun, read.
This was a good mystery. In contrast to others in this series, policeman Frank Malloy is brought into the case first and then asks his friend Sarah Brandt to help out. Usually Sarah is the one who finds the case and Frank keeps trying to get her to stay clear while he investigates. The victim is a rich businessman and the bulk of the book takes place among the rich, where Frank isn't as comfortable.
I really enjoyed this series when I first began it, but I have to admit that the plots are becoming tiresome and the characters are stagnating. The two main characters, Sarah and Frank, are interesting in their own right, and their odd relationship was quite promising at the start. However, it, too, has stagnated. If the individual mysteries in each book were sufficiently gripping, then I wouldn't mind so much that nothing seems to be happening with regard to the development of the relationship...more
This is the 14th book in the Gaslight Mystery series. I love the series - great characters, wonderful setting ( New York City at the turn of the century) and always a murder to solve. I am sorry I have to wait a year for the next book to come out. I think next year's book will find Sarah and her detective friend moving forward in their relationship. Can't wait!
Glad to see Sarah's dad join the "party".
"Sarah Brandt’s family is one of the oldest in New York City, and her father, Felix Decker, takes his position in society very seriously. He still refuses to resign himself to his daughter being involved with an Irish Catholic police detective. But when a member of his private club — the very exclusive Knickerbocker — is murdered, Decker forms an uneasy alliance with Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to solve the crime as discreetly as possible."
"Sarah Brandt’s family is one of the oldest in New York City, and her father, Felix Decker, takes his position in society very seriously. He still refuses to resign himself to his daughter being involved with an Irish Catholic police detective. But when a member of his private club — the very exclusive Knickerbocker — is murdered, Decker forms an uneasy alliance with Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to solve the crime as discreetly as possible."
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Edgar® Nominated author Victoria Thompson writes the Gaslight Mystery Series, set in turn-of-the-century New York City and featuring midwife Sarah Brandt. Her last book, MURDER ON FIFTH AVENUE, has been nominated for an Agatha Award. Her latest, MURDER IN CHELSEA, is a May 2013 release from Berkley Prime Crime. She also contributed to the award winning writing textbook MANY GENRES/ONE CRAFT. A pop...more
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