Thompson, Victoria – MURDER ON LENOX HILL

[LJ Roberts]

MURDER ON LENOX HILL (Mystery-New York City-1800s) – G+ Thompson, Victoria – 7th in series
Berkeley
Prime Crime, 2005- Hardcover

Midwife Sarah Brandt has been asked to look at the daughter of a wealthy couple. Grace, although a teenager, is mentally still a child, never goes out on her own and yet is pregnant. Once Sarah determines she has not been abused by her father, she is determined to learn who is responsible. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy has been asked by Sarah’s wealthy father to find out who murdered Sarah’s husband four years ago. Mr. Brandt believes if Sarah finds out unsavory things about her husband’s past and Frank is the one to disillusion her, she’s return to her “proper” place in society. But Sara needs Frank’s her uncovering who took advantage of Grace and stop them before someone else is hurt.

Ms. Thompson does a wonderful job of presenting turn of the century life and the social structure of the time. At the same time, the story resonates with incidents in today’s news. Her characters are well developed, even if one has not read the previous books in this series. You feel the emotions of the characters and the situations are realistically handled. There are a couple of twists that enhance the story, but the characters are the main focus. I have only two criticisms: the dust cover gives away way too much of the story—not the author’s fault; and I’d like to see Sarah and Frank’s relationship progress, but the author is handling it in a way very appropriate to the period. This is a very good book in a well done series.