Reviews

This series is fun but the villain is usually obvious; it certainly was here! But there were twists and turns (not always believable) to keep it going to the end. Less new historical information, but that figures--as we move along we're in the same place and time period so not much has changed.

machadofam8's review against another edition

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3.0

a bit predictable but still fun

ihavenouseforit's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

saranel81's review against another edition

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2.0

I love turn-of-the-century mystery stories, but this really fell kind of flat. For me, the setting was never really evoked - I never really got the feeling of gaslight-era New York, it could have been any random big city. There was effort there, but nothing connected to anything else, like looking at random snapshots and trying to force a story that's not there.

The mystery was lame, in that it didn't go anywhere. I like a story where the sleuth is a step ahead of me, not where I'm three steps ahead of him. For two people who are supposed to be clever about solving crimes, the two protagonists made obvious connections 40 pages after I did. The murder - when it finally came - was laughably easy to solve. And with people lining up to confess to it, it felt less like a taut mystery and more like a comedy of errors. And I just kept smacking my head at how ridiculously obtuse the sleuths were being.

Given the setting and the set-up, I wanted to like this story, but it was just okay. Not sure if I'd read anything else by Thompson. Maybe one more, just to give her the benefit of the doubt. But I'm really hoping for more mystery and less . . . whatever it is that I got.

steven_v's review against another edition

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5.0

Out of the first seven Gaslight Mystery novels, this one is by far my favorite. The setting is once again the 1890s, shortly after the election of President McKinley, and the stars are Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt. There are three mysteries being investigated in this novel -- the murder in its title, the rape of a retarded teenage girl, and the "cold case" murder of Sarah's husband. The investigations into these crimes aren't necessarily related, yet the story is woven together masterfully, creating a seamless and enjoyable novel.

I particularly like how Victoria Thompson has slowly advanced the charming and wonderful relationship between Sarah and Frank, and I particularly appreciate their love of children.

This book takes a lot of dramatic twists and turns. None of the solutions turned out the way I expected. If you enjoy historical novels or Agatha Christie style mysteries, this is definitely one for the bookshelf (or in these days, the Nook).

xlynt's review

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

beverlie's review against another edition

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dark emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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