Possibly the best yet in this series. Frank and Sarah investigate a bombing in NYC high society while Mrs. Decker takes a trip to the Lower East Side. The seamier side of the elite mixes with the better side of the poor. Well plotted, well executed and entirely satisfying.

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Pol. Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt asks Sgt. Malloy to investigate an explosion, suspects anarchists. Naturally midwife, Sarah Brandt is going to help Sgt. Malloy whether he wants her to or not. This is my favorite series set in this era (Gaslight period)

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"When an explosion kills wealthy industrialist Gregory Van Dyke, Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt presumes that anarchists are responsible and personally asks Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to track them down. Malloy is up to the challenge - but he faces a different kind of challenge when he encounters Sarah Brandt paying a condolence call on the Van Dykes. Faced with the impossibility of ever expressing his true feelings for Sarah, Frank had vowed never to see or work with her again." For her part, Sarah is glad to be working with Malloy once again in his hunt for a dangerous killer - though they clash over his conviction that the murder was politically motivated."

This was a pure delight to read! Sarah's mother gets drawn into the mysteries deaths in helping her daughter and not only shows how daughter and mother are much alike but her delightful sense of humor comes across, giving me a chuckle even! This was a more complicated mystery than the other ones in the series but also as good, quick moving, well written! So glad I've found Victoria Thompson's stories!

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This was a really good read, as Thompson further develops the characters. I am enjoying the whole series, but particularly liked this one and would rate it in the top three.

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This is the 6th book in Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries series. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is asked by Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt to investigate a possible bomb explosion that killed a wealthy businessman and seriously injured his secretary. Felix Decker, friend of the deceased and Sarah Brandt's father, personally requested that Frank be put in charge of the case. Whether it's because he feels Frank is best for the job or to set him up to fail is up for debate. In any event, Frank ends up involving Sarah Brandt in the case whether he wants to or not because her family is close friends with the victim's family (she happens to be at their home during several stunning revelations that she needs to let Frank know about so he can solve the case). Suspicious about who planted the bomb lay with local anarchists, especially since the victim's oldest son ran away from home to join them. The rest of the family as well as much of the wealthy society would like to lay blame on this son, but Frank isn't so sure that he's the one who is guilty, especially when he uncovers several secrets that lead to a number of worthy suspects, including the other family members, the injured secretary, and the victim's business partner. Will Frank solve the case and avoid the failure that he fears Felix Decker is setting him up for? All-in-all, this was a good read, you could figure it out mostly by the end, but there are quite a few twists and turns along the way!

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A good "authentic period" book!

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This is a great series! I have read four of them, have another on order and one other one to go. There is another available only in hardback---I can't wait to get the rest of them that I haven't read yet.

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For those who like turn of the century mysteries. Series gets better with each new book.

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