I love historical mystery novels with strong female amateur detectives and this is one the best. This is book 20 in the series and by know I would have thought the writer would have lost some of her edge, face it in most long series the books start repeating themselves and the characters stop developing we know it's all true.
This series had characters that are easy to follow without a roadmap or notes like some mysteries need.
While the characters were not very deep, they were likeable and expect the author will continue to evolve them in future books

If you enjoy mystery cozies - you will love this book. Well written with fully developed characters. It sticks to a general set-up and delivers the satisfying ending that readers want.

This book wasn’t for me. I decided not to review it on my site or any of the major retailers/Goodreads.

I enjoy a book that can give you shivers just by the details in the history. I loved feeling as though I was walking the streets hunting down clues with Frank Mallory. This mystery was interesting with the mention of the Bowery and how the “uncivilized” or lower class lived. In New York this place became the darkest of the area, creating a vision of mystery even in real life.

Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series continues to be a favorite of mine, and the latest book, Murder in the Bowery, the twentieth, was one of the best ones. I'm enjoying Frank and Sarah Malloy, who remind me of a sober Nick and Nora Charles, as a now married couple and while I adore the supporting characters I was glad to see they took more of a backseat this time around. Maeve and Gino are great, but not at the expense of Sarah and Malloy, who are the heart and soul of this not-so-cosy mystery series. I've learned so much about the fascinating history of New York City simply by reading these books; for instance, I had no idea Times Square was previously known as Longacre Square, or that there was ever such a thing as The Orphan Train or a newsies strike. The historical setting was as perfect as ever and the mystery was solid and kept me guessing until the end. Anyone looking for a fascinating, accurate historical mystery series with a strong female character, determined to live life on her own terms against all societal norms, combined with a sweet, slow-burning, highly rewarding romance with one of the most swoon-worthy male characters ever, need look no further than the gaslight series. Looking forward to number #21, hopefully next year. Fingers crossed for Sarah and Malloy to finally add to their growing family. Thank you so much for the advance digital copy, in exchange for an honest review. (edited on 11-9-17 because i forgot to include starred recommendation)

I love the Victoria Thompson midwife mystery series. This was an excellent book, and I enjoy reading another story with Frank and Sarah. With the orphans and the newsboys the reader gets a good image of what New York is like in the past. Can't wait for more!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Murder in the Bowery is the Victoria Thompson’s 20th novel in her Gaslight Mystery series, and it is fresh and fabulous. Her historical research history is thorough, especially the manner in which she includes real events. Her eye for detail adds rich colors and shadows to the sweeping landscape of 1899 New York City.

Frank and Gino are ready and waiting for a new client in Frank’s PI agency. Will Bert is a well-spoken young man who is looking for his younger brother Freddie. He claims that they were separated as a result of going west on the Orphan Train several years earlier. Will inherited the shop and holdings of the man he had worked for and wanted to take his brother to Minnesota to share his good fortune. It sounds like a straightforward case, but to find a 13-year old boy who may or may not have returned to NYC after leaving his adoptive family sounded quite literally like a needle in a haystack.

Frank had empathy for Will; he and Gino checked various sources as they looked for Freddie. The more they search, something doesn’t add up so they decide that when they do find Freddie, they will not tell Will where to find him – that they would let Freddie know where Will was staying so he could choose. After all, Will had no place for them to find him, and life – and trust – was different in the Bowery, where Freddie was familiar with a gangster, Black Jack Robinson, yet was hiding from his regular places. Will was surprised they found him so quickly, seemed to recognize Black Jack’s name, yet would come back the next afternoon to see if there was an update. The next day, however, Freddie had been found dead, and the body of a well-dressed young woman had been found near where he was a couple days earlier. Certain that the murders were connected based on the method of murder, Frank and Gino put forth their best work to not only find the young woman’s family but to find who murdered Freddie. What a surprise they had for Will the next time he arrived at their office for an update….

If I needed the help of private detectives, these would be the type of guys I would want on my side! Frank had been a police detective and Gino a young police officer with before opening the office. Even though, with the inheritance that surprised Frank, he and his bride would not have to work, Frank is diligent, not one to sit around; he looks at both the details and the big picture. Gino was a young man with good instincts who continues to learn from Frank and is a most excellent partner for him. Frank’s bride, Sarah, worked as a midwife, and their nursemaid, Maeve and Gino are heading towards being a couple. Sarah, Maeve, and even Sarah’s mother (who has secretly enjoyed the roles she played) provide helpful suggestions and sometimes participate in the men’s work when needed. Each of the characters are finely detailed, even those who may have minor or temporary roles.

Even though I am a comparatively recent fan, I love this historical cozy mystery series! And thankfully, each novel in the series can be read as a standalone as the author fills in the blanks about the regular characters. This mystery intensifies with every clue, every person, which makes it that much more interesting. The historical element, the characters, and the challenge of the multi-faceted mystery make it a five-star novel for me. We see a slice of life for those in the bowery in contrast to those who have huge homes and servants, and everyone in between. We also see people with various physical and emotional challenges, from Frank’s son, who is deaf, to those who endured incestuous family relations, and young children and teens who are orphaned. While we think progress occurs too quickly in our lifetime, the people at the turn of the 20th century sometimes struggled to get used to telephones and early days of motorcars such as Gino wanted Frank to purchase. Peeling through the layers of deception to try to understand who the bad guy(s)/ gal(s) are is a challenge, and I’m not sure who I am more surprised by – those who are innocent or those who are guilty! Surprise it is, however, and the mysteries are solved leaving no loose ends. I highly recommend Murder in the Bowery, especially to those who enjoy well-written and executed cozy mysteries and historical mysteries from the end of the 19th century.

I love Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series!!!! I've been a fan since the first book, and they keep getting better and better. Other authors I've read get into ruts and don't keep their books fresh and interesting. That is absolutely untrue in Thompson's case. Her characters have grown and changed through the years, but she handles those changes expertly and effortlessly keeps the reader's interest in what will happen next. The main characters and their friends and family feel like old friends, but new characters call forth strong feelings - both good and bad. One of my favorite things about this series is that I always learn something new. I found the descriptions of the "newsies" and the orphan trains particularly interesting, especially since the latter took the reader beyond New York City. Berkeley is one of my favorite mystery publishing houses, and I appreciate their working with NetGalley to provide access to ARCs of their outstanding products.

This is a terrific historical mystery with Mr. Mallory, Sarah, and Gino. Nice historical details are woven into the mystery with interesting characters (some you'll like others you won't) but well written. I look forward to this series every year to catch up on the lives of the Mallory family .

New York City police detective Frank Mallow and midwife Sarah Brandt were friends for many years and Frank appreciated the help with his cases that Sarah frequently gave him. They also had a mutual attraction that couldn’t be acted on because of class differences. However, a change in Frank’s financial circumstances finally allowed the two to get together, and they still make a great team working on cases together now that they are married and Frank is a private detective. Their newest case is the search for a newsboy named Freddie on behalf of the boy’s older brother. Soon Frank fins himself in the middle of two murder cases and needs Sarah’s help to get to the truth of both cases.

I have been a fan of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mystery series for many years. I love the direction the series has taken and am glad to see Frank and Sarah finally married and Frank’s partner Gino and Sarah’s daughter’s nanny Maeve also joining in to solve cases. In this case, Frank, Gino, Sarah, and Maeve are all involved and are helpful in solving the cases, even though the murder of Estelle, a young woman from a wealthy family, involves sensitive issues and dangerous places like the Bowery that a typical “lady” of the times wouldn’t know about. Sarah isn’t embarrassed by Estelle’s shocking behavior and wants to see whoever killed the young woman is brought to justice. The parts of the book which follow Freddie and the other “newsies” are even more interesting because the information about their lives on the streets is based on facts.

Victoria Thompson has a talent of taking historical events and making them come alive. The novel is an easy and entertaining read, and I was kept guessing on both cases. If you’ve read some of the earlier books in this series, but have missed some of the latest books, you will be pleased in the developments in Sarah and Frank’s lives and the strong possibility of a future romance between Gino and Maeve. If you’re new to the series, but enjoy the books of Emily Brightwell or Anne Perry, I think you will be pleased with not only this book, but the entire series.

~ Christine

This series represents excellent historical fiction, and Victoria Thompson has peopled it with nuanced characters that grow with each entry. Private dectective Frank and midwife Sarah Malloy, their extended family, and friends make appearances in a mystery that involves the intertwining deaths of a newsboy and a society girl. While the mystery is well done with the disturbing secrets of a "good family" coming to light as it unfolds, it is the grit and darkness of turn of the century New York City that propels the story. The author is obviously an expert on this time and place in our history and the atmosphere is palpable. A pleasure to read.

Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

The Gaslight Mystery series is wonderful reading for fans of historical mysteries featuring independent women, a dose of authentic social commentary, and an intriguing juxtaposition of high and low society in turn of the century Manhattan. Thompson delivers a thoughtful, richly balanced mystery, once again. Highly recommended.

I loved this book. No matter how may I read, they are always fresh and interesting. The main characters feel like old friends now. What I appreciate most is that Ms. Thompson never fails to keep the guilty party hidden till the end, and the journey there is always fabulous.

Love this series and the main characters. Gino and Maeve are following in Sarah and Franks footsteps.
Goodreads