Review: Murder on Astor Place

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I've been needing another historical mystery series to add to my bag, and I believe I've found one in the Gaslight Mysteries. Murder on Astor Place is a solid start to a series set in early 20th Century New York. As usual with this type of mystery, getting to know - and liking - the sleuth and their world is the most important part. Here, the amateur sleuth is a midwife, but we discover that Sarah's social background is not cut-and-dry, and the reasons why she became a midwife add a lot of depth to her character. I really liked her. She's tough and stubborn, but is also capable of changing her mind and realizing when she's in the wrong. I'm looking forward to seeing how she progresses in the rest of the series, which by the way is not finished yet.

There's also a grumpy, disillusioned detective that Sarah is forced to work with, and I liked him as a counterpart. Although I didn't actually like him very much to start with, I think he has a lot of potential as another complicated character with room to change. I'm fairly sure he's going to end up being a romantic interest eventually, but it is very subtle so far, and there's a long way to go. There's barely the beginnings of respect without even what could be called friendship at this point. I like that there's room to grow instead of everything being a done deal already.

Although I said the sleuth and the depth of her world is the most important part, obviously the mystery does need to hold together and keep my interest as well. Here, the mystery tied in very closely with getting to know Sarah's background, so the investigation revealed a lot about her while my mind was searching for clues. I ended up being mostly surprised at the solution, and enjoyed discovering all the pieces very much. This is a series I'm definitely looking forward to following.



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