Murder on Marble Row

Gregory Van Dyke, a wealthy businessman, is killed in his office by an explosion. Teddy Roosevelt is sure that the perpetrators are anarchists, because as everyone knows the anarchists use bombs. He assigns the case to Malloy because he can count on his discretion when dealing with the upperclass.

When Malloy visits the family the first person he see is Sarah Brandt, she and her mother are on a condolence call. There will be no keeping Sarah out of this murder case. Or, Sarah’s mother either.

I am really enjoying this series, a step back to 120 years in New York.
At the beginning of the industrial revolution and the beginning of law and order. ( )

The plot of the sixth book in the Gaslight mystery series centers on the murder of wealthy industrialist Gregory Van Dyke who dies when a bomb explodes in his office. Was this the act of an anarchist group, those 19th century terrorists who were well known for both targeting rich business owners and using bombs, or was this a crime with a more personal nature? When Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy arrives at Van Dyke's home to investigate, he finds Sarah Brandt, a widowed midwife from an upper-class family, already there. Sarah becomes involved due to her family's association with the Van Dykes. She and Malloy have worked together on other cases, but Malloy swore that he would never see her again because he knows that the rigid social hierarchy prevents the expression of his burgeoning feelings. Sarah's mother gets drawn into investigating the deaths along with her daughter and not only shows how much they are alike but her wicked sense of humor comes across and adds so much to the story. I hope she joins Sarah in future books.

I admit to being addicted to Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series. She has developed the characters carefully and provided rich descriptions of the city and the various groups of people who inhabited it. I love that the mystery is set in turn of the century New York and the social barriers the characters must face are very realistic for the time. The interchanges between Sarah and Frank Malloy, as they weave their way through each mystery, is a high point in each story. The characters and their personalities are strong and well written. This is not a series for those who enjoy gritty thrillers but I wouldn't call it a cozy mystery series either. The themes are adult and the crimes are often quite vicious. I definitely plan to read the rest of the series.
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An explosion kills one of Sarah Brandt's father's contemporaries. Sarah rushes to assist the family in their time of grief. The young wife of the deceased doesn't seem very upset by his death but tries everything in her power to place the blame on her youngest stepson, who has joined a group of anarchists. Sarah and Frank Malloy join up again and solve the mystery. Very good

Teddy Roosevelt selects Frank Mallory to investigate and solve the death of a wealthy New Yorker. A bomb detonated in his office kills the man, Gregory Van Dyke. Of course, Sarah Brandt must assist Mallory since Sarah knows the families and can ask questions that Mallory cannot ask. Mallory is also investigating the murder of Sarah's husband, Tom Brandt. Mallory believes that Sarah's father, Felix Decker, is responsible for Tom Brandt's death. Thompson shows the confines of society, especially for women. As usual, Thompson throws into the story, many historic episodes such as anarchist, Emma Goldman, the use of bombs, medical advances, and the plight of the poor. In this novel, Sarah is trying to make a decision about the young girl, Aggie. ( )

I really like this series and reading about a time when the courtesies between the sexes were a priority. Detective Malloy is called to investigate the murder of a wealthy businessman and friend of Sarah Brandt's family. The family believes the bomb was the work of the oldest brother's anarchists friends. There's more background information in this book about Frank's personal life and the introduction of Sarah's mother, Mrs. Decker, to Frank. Surprise ending. ( )