Monday's Musings On a Mystery

October 17, 2012

For the October meeting, the Monday Mystery Book Club read Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson. This book is #10 in Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries. This series follows Sarah Brandt, a midwife, and detective Frank Malloy through turn of the century New York City. In this particular story, Malloy has decided to solve the murder of Sarah’s husband from four years earlier.

Sarah actually feels like a secondary character in this book. Malloy and the Pinkerton detectives are more central to the story, which is okay. This one is a solid mystery. It’s not a bad read. The one complaint about the book is its lack of historical details. Most wished there’d been more. Overall, this is a cozy mystery that doesn’t take long to read. If you need character background to enjoy a book, you may want to start towards the beginning of the series.

On Nov. 12th we will be discussing Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva. Books for the current month’s selection can be picked up at the Blue Ridge Branch.

Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson:

1. Murder on Astor Place (1999)
2. Murder at St. Mark's Place (2000)
3. Murder on Gramercy Park (2001)
4. Murder on Washington Square (2002)
5. Murder on Mulberry Bend (2003)
6. Murder on Marble Row (2004)
7. Murder on Lenox Hill (2005)
8. Murder in Little Italy (2006)
9. Murder In Chinatown (2007)
10. Murder On Bank Street (2008)
11. Murder On Waverly Place (2009)
12. Murder on Lexington Avenue (2010)
13. Murder on Sisters' Row (2011)
14. Murder on Fifth Avenue (2012)

Michelle L.
Blue Ridge Branch