Author: Victoria Thompson
Published: 1999-2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

Synopsis:

This cozy mystery series takes place in the late 1800s in New York City and follows the lives of Sarah Brandt and Detective Frank Malloy as they work together to solve murders, each using their unique skills and abilities. Sarah is the daughter of one of the city’s elite Knickerbocker families but was estranged from her family when she married Tom Brandt, a doctor well below her class. Since his murder four years before the series opens, she has been supporting herself by working as a nurse and midwife. Detective Malloy, a widower, struggles in a corrupt and political police department. The couple initially dislike each other but are thrown together book after book and their relationship slowly develops. Back-and-forth banter between the main characters as well as the antics of Sarah’s nosy and superstitious but well-meaning neighbor occurs throughout the books, lightening what would otherwise be a very dark series. The books do need to be read in order due to the wonderful character and relationship development.

The weaving of historical people and places with the story’s characters is very well done.  You will fly through the entire series on the edge of your seat. The books are fairly clean but are dark for a cozy mystery. Some themes that you would normally not think of as “cozy”…rape, incest, on-page deaths…are forefront in some of the novels. Overall, they are a quick and engaging read. You will find yourself chuckling despite each plot’s dire circumstances. Victoria Thompson is a prolific author and book 27 in the series is due out in April 2024.

Murder on Astor Place is the first of 26 current novels in the Gaslight Mystery series. We are introduced to Sarah and Detective Malloy after a murder occurs at a boarding house where she delivered a baby the day before. When she returns to check on the mother, Detective Malloy convinces her to search the dead girl’s room and it is discovered that she knew the girl and her family, another wealthy and influential Knickerbocker family. When the girl’s father, fearing scandal, orders the police to stop their investigation, it is up to Sarah to find the killer. This first book is one of the darkest in the series, although they all have a dark element to them. Overarching themes of rape and incest (all off-page and in the past) form the plot. The books are focused more on Sarah and Frank’s relationship than the murder, however.

My Take:

These books are one of my favorite cozy mystery series. They are clean and fast-paced and there is enough of them that you can savor the developing relationships of the characters. Several new characters join the list as the books go on, many finding a permanent home. They have a cozy feel despite the situations the characters find themselves in. Highly enjoyable and addictive! Grab a blanket and your favorite cup of tea and transport yourself to 19th-century New York.