Book Review: Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson

Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson
Book Details
Publisher: Berkley Books, Kindle,320 pages
Publish Date: May 2, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Historical Mystery
Source: Penguin First-to-Read digital edition
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SynopsisFrank Malloy’s latest client is the well-dressed Will Bert. He’s searching for his brother, a newsboy named Freddie, so he can share his new financial good fortune. Frank makes quick work of the case and locates Freddie, but a happy reunion between brothers is not in the cards. When Will’s name is mentioned, Freddie runs off—only to be found dead a short time later. Suspicious, Frank tracks down Will who spins a tale of lust and deceit involving a young society woman, Estelle Longacre, also recently deceased. Frank can’t be sure if Estelle’s risky behavior and the company she kept was to blame, or if her own ruthless family had a hand in her death. Frank will need Sarah’s help to unearth the dark secrets of the wealthy Longacres and to discover if there is a connection between Estelle and Freddie’s death. Together they must navigate a perilous underground web of treachery to find the truth. ~Goodreads

My Review

I totally LOVED Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson. This was my first read by this author and I have added her to my favorite author list. The book is #20 in the Gaslight Mystery Series. I believe it can be read as a stand-alone. The author does a good job introducing all of the characters and I was able to pick right up and understand what is going on. There were a few times the author mentioned a certain character had been involved in other mysteries in the series but it wasn’t something that you needed to know to enjoy this one.

This is a historical mystery set in 1899 in New York City. The main characters are Frank Mallow, a private detective. His wife, Sarah, a former midwife. Frank’s partner in the detective agency, Gino Donatelli, and Maeve Smith, nursemaid for the Malloy children. All four of these characters work together to solve the mystery. I loved the characters in this dialogue-rich book.

The story starts with a man hiring Frank to find a newsboy that he claims is his younger brother. He says they were separated about six years ago when they were sent to Minnesota on an Orphan Train but the man thinks his brother is back in New York City. Once Frank begins investigating, he soon realizes there is much more to the mystery. This is a fast-paced read that held my interest throughout. I loved the author’s note at the end where she shares what characters were real and what events in the book were true historical events.

I would recommend this book to those who love historical mysteries. After reading this I ordered the first three books in the series. I am now a Victoria Thompson fan!! I am giving this one 5 STARS *****

Thank you Victoria Thompson, Berkley Books and Penguin’s First-to-Read program for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Child by Fiona Barton

The Child by Fiona Barton
Book Details
Publisher: Berkley Books, Kindle,336 pages
Publish Date: June 29, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Source: Penguin First-to-Read digital edition
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby? As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss. But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn—house by house—into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women—and torn between what she can and cannot tell… ~Goodreads

My Review

I totally LOVED The Child by Fiona Barton. This mysterious and suspenseful story unfolds over a period of about a year (2012-2013), with flashbacks added from the 1970’s and 80’s. Each chapter alternates between four characters: Emma, Kate, Angela, and Jude.

Emma is the main character and her chapters are told in first person point of view. Emma is a troubled young married woman who has a dark secret that haunts her and has practically taken over her entire life. She rarely leaves her home and forces herself to even work from home. Emma is married to an older gentleman named Paul. Paul feels bad for her and tries to help but he is totally unaware of the burdensome secret Emma is carrying. I didn’t like Emma at first but as the story progressed I had a different view of her.

The next character in the story is Kate, a reporter working for a newspaper called The Post. Kate is an old-school investigative reporter who finds herself in the middle of a mystery…trying to identify a newborn baby skeleton that was found on a local building construction site. Kate’s chapters are told in 3rd person. I really liked Kate, she is pretty tough and wasn’t just after the story as a reporter. You could tell she actually cared about the people she was writing about.

Another character is Angela Irving, the mother of a newborn baby named Alice that disappeared from the maternity ward soon after her birth in the 1970’s. Angela has spent many years trying to keep herself together for her surviving family…husband Nick and now two grown children. Angela has obviously never forgotten Alice and agonizes over what had become of her baby. You can’t help but feel for Angela. Her chapters are told in 3rd person.

The author kept me interested throughout. The multiple points of view worked well, was easy to follow since the chapters were fairly short. The ending…wow didn’t see that coming. I love books that throw you for a loop and this one surely did. I would highly recommend this book and I would definitely read more by this author.***** 5 STARS *****

Thank you Fiona Barton, Berkley Books and First-to-Read for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

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