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Murder On Sisters' Row (2011)

by Victoria Thompson(Favorite Author)

3.86 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0425241157 (ISBN13: 9780425241158)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Berkley Hardcover

series

Gaslight Mystery

review 1: This is part of a series - fairly deep into the series, at #13 - about a midwife who doubles as a detective. In the beginning of the book she goes to deliver a baby in what it takes her a long chapter, laden with the broadest hints imaginable, to figure out is a brothel. The unraveling of the mystery couldn't be more telegraphed if a gorilla and a stripper had delivered it. But in between, nicely readable, good period stuff -- including the interesting perception that it was particularly hard to be a detective in the late 19th century because the police force was effectively bought off by madams and millionaires alike. I'd like to be bought off by madams and millionaires alike, but there's not much chance of that.
review 2: *SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILER... moreS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS*This is book 13 of Victoria Thompson’s “Gaslight Mysteries” and it’s still not boring. On the contrary. I’m still not able to put the book away once I’ve started. Okay, I really think that Frank should seriously stop wondering how Sarah becomes involved in his cases in pretty much every single chapter and just accept that that’s the way it’s gonna be, because let’s be honest: that won’t change. Otherwise I’m pretty sure we readers will stop reading, because cases with Frank but WITHOUT Sarah would be like Holmes without Dr. Watson. So, there. I mean, if he wants to, he can, of course, aks that himself all the time, but in “Murder on Sisters’ Row” it got so repetitive that I consciously noticed it, and that it started to irritate me. I mean, of course, he’s allowed to worry about Sarah, but maybe he can worry in different ways?That aside, I love how Frank and Sarah manage to argue quite fiercely and still come out at the other end NOT hating each other. Or have the reader hating one of them. That’s rare.I had a short WTF-moment, when Sarah – who’d had helped Frank with a lot of cases so far, and had used her common sense (well, more or less) – suddenly divulged the information about Rahab’s Daughters and Mrs. van Orner to Mrs. Walker. Willingly and (apparently) unthinkingly. I mean, yes, she’s from wealthy parents and all that, but as a midwife she isn’t a stranger to crime and crooks and violent people. That was just… I don’t know. Rubbed me the wrong way.At the end… Yeah, well. I really don’t know who appalled me more: Amy for being the mean little bitch she was, or Mr. van Orner and Miss Yingling for being complete assholes. I can honestly say that Amy’s death was almost worth a celebration. I understand completely that poor women didn’t have much of a choice back in these days. I don’t judge Amy for becoming a prostitute or “just” a mistress or whatever. But I’m firmly with Frank on that matter: many women had it even worse and not all of them became stupid, arrogant, hideous bitches like Amy. As for Mr. van Orner and Miss Yingling: for their meanness and furtiveness alone I’d just have LOVED to see them rot away in jail, dying poor and with nothing left. Wankers!In the future I hope to see a bit more of Sarah’s parents again. I don’t like her father all that much, but I really like her mother. less

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