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    Murder on Waverly Place
    Murder on Waverly Place
    Murder on Waverly Place
    Audiobook9 hours

    Murder on Waverly Place

    Written by Victoria Thompson

    Narrated by Suzanne Toren

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In Victoria Thompson's Murder on Waverly Place, midwife-sleuth Sarah Brandt is surprised by her mother's desire to attend sEances in an undesirable section of New York City. During one dark session, death strikes a participant while all are holding hands around the table. Now it's up to Sarah-and her detective sergeant friend-to deliver her mom from scandal and ferret out the murderer.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 18, 2009
    ISBN9781440760389
    Murder on Waverly Place
    Author

    Victoria Thompson

    Victoria Thompson is the author of twenty bestselling historical romances. She is also the Edgar nominated author of the bestselling Gaslight Mystery Series, set in turn-of-the-century New York City and featuring midwife Sarah Brandt. She also contributed to the award winning writing textbook Many Genres/One Craft. A popular speaker, Victoria teaches in the Seton Hill University master's program in writing popular fiction. She lives in Central PA with her husband and a very spoiled little dog.Please visit Victoria Thompson’s www.victoriathompson.homestead.com to learn about new releases and discover old favorites!

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    Reviews for Murder on Waverly Place

    4/5

    153 ratings32 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Murder on Waverly Place
      3 Stars

      When Sarah's mother, Elizabeth Decker, becomes involved with a psychic medium and finds herself at the scene of a murder, she immediately calls on Detective Frank Malloy for assistance. But how will Sarah and Malloy uncover the killer when all of the suspects at the seance were holding hands?

      Unfortunately, this is one of the weakest installments in the series. It took longer to get into the story as the mystery isn't all that interesting and the characters are very unappealing. Moreover, both Sarah and her mother behave in ways that are inconsistent with their characterization. It is difficult to believe that the sensible and practical Mrs. Decker would become involved with a psychic, and that Sarah would invite this obvious charlatan into her home (especially considering past events).

      The most disappointing aspect of this book and the previous one is the direction Thompson appears to be moving in with regard to Maeve's character. She seems to be removing Sarah from the action and having Maeve take her place, which is not at all appealing.

      Finally, there is no development in Sarah and Malloy's slow burn romance, and it is more than past time for something more definite to happen here.

      Hopefully, the next installment will be better.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I've read in a long time. Had a clue how it would turn but not the twists and turns along the way. Thoroughly the story line about the rought life in the tenements. Will gladly read more books by this author.
    • 4/5
      I am a big fan of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, about a female private investigator/psychologist in post WWI London, having read all of the books. Chelsea Clinton is also a fan, posting on Facebook about her memories of reading the books with her grandmother. Chelsea asked if anyone had recommendations for books like Maisie, and someone posted about Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series, about Sarah Brandt, a midwife living in New York City around the turn of the 20th century.I kept that in mind, and when I was waiting for a book signing at Barnes & Noble 86th St. store in NYC recently, I found myself in the Mystery section, and remembered the books. I found the first one, Murder on Astor Place, and picked it to read while waiting.Once I started it, I knew I had found a companion for Maisie across the pond. Sarah was a widow who lost her husband, a doctor, to a violent crime. She served her community as a midwife, and one night while helping a boardinghouse owner deliver her baby, she sees a teenage girl who looks very much like a woman she knew as a teen. The girl looks frightened, but Sarah had other duties at hand.The next day she discovers that the scared teen had died, and Sarah met Sergeant Frank Malloy of the NYPD, who was investigating the case. Sarah gives Malloy some help with the case, and they discover that the girl was pregnant when she died.Sarah becomes curious, and finds out that the girl, Mina, was the younger sister of the woman she knew. She entangles herself in the police case, at first to the consternation, then at the request of Sgt. Malloy. Sarah came from a prominent New York society family, although she has been estranged from her family since her younger sister died tragically.She uses her connections to insinuate herself in the middle of the case. Mina's family does not want to help the police find their daughter's killer, which only makes Malloy and Sarah more suspicious.The mystery of who killed Mina is a puzzler, and there a few red herrings to throw the reader off the track. This is a fine mystery series, and I especially liked the setting of NYC at the turn of the century. You get a real sense of time and place in this book, and others in the series include Murder on Lenox Hill and Murder in Gramercy Park, so I imagine that working your way through the series would be a real snapshot of New York at that time.If you are a history buff, you would enjoy learning about Teddy Roosevelt and the NYPD reforms he put in place, and the medical aspects and the society angle of the book fascinated me as well. And for those going through Downton Abbey withdrawal, there is a bit in here about "the merits of marrying off wealthy American girls to poverty-stricken English noblemen just to have a titled lady in the family- a practice that had become so widespread it had a name: Anglomania."The author has a sturdy, honorable heroine in Sarah Brandt, and her budding relationship with Sgt. Malloy is one I look forward to discovering in future books. If you are a Maisie Dobbs fan looking for a new series, give Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries a try.
    • 5/5
      Sarah Brand, a midwife, while visiting her patient discovers a murder. A young girls, who turns out to be the sister of her friend and is from a well known New York family, is strangled while residing in a boarding house. Fear of scandal and family secrets impede the solving of the mystery.
    • 4/5
      I saw an ad for Victoria Thompson in the back of one of the recent Christie novels I read, so when I was at the bookstore, I picked up her first one. I wasn't disappointed.Her use of the turn-of-the-century New York City made me smile first off. It was such an interesting time period (and I have a fondness for Teddy Roosevelt, I won't lie) and I've lived in NY my whole life. So to read about my "backyard", so to speak, was nice.Characters first: We have Sarah Brandt, a midwife with a past that is very easily figured out, so I doubt it was meant to be mysterious. A once-well-off woman who decided to follow her heart rather than her parents rules, she is considered to be somewhat lower classed now. It's fascinating to see just how differently she's treated, and the shock that everyone gives her when they learn her maiden name.She's feisty, to say the least, and a bit headstrong. I do like that in my female characters, so I didn't mind. Sometimes she may have been a bit too much (such as visiting the VanDamms all the time, even if it was necessary), but she got her job done.The other main character is Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, your Irish New York Cop. (Sidenote: All the Irish names in the police force made me smile). He's brutish, hot-headed, and only wants to do things that help himself. But as the book progresses, a bit of his softer side (and his past) comes out and it makes a reader appreciate him a bit more.One thing that did annoy me: the constant reminder in the beginning that they found each other annoying. It felt almost to the point of telling the reader, "Hey! If you couldn't figure this out for yourself, I'll tell you again. She annoys him. He annoys her. Got it? I can say it once more..."As for the plot, I'll say what I can with little spoilers: the sister an old friend of Sarah Brandt turns up dead. Afraid that the corrupt police won't solve anything on their own, she sticks her nose in. Chaos and plot twists ensue. The mystery wasn't hard to figure out, especially near the end. The subject matter is a touchy one, but I'm sure something you've heard before (even if you didn't want to). While not the best mystery I've read, certainly one that will keep me reading the Gaslight series.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Brandt is a midwife in New York City in the late 19th century. During a routine middle of the night delivery in the squalor of a tenement rooming house, Sarah discovers that one of the tenets is a girl she recognizes, the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. When it is discovered that the girl was murdered in the wee hours before dawn, Sarah feels compelled to find out who did it and why this girl was living in such squalid circumstances. Because Sarah herself is the estranged daughter of a wealthy man on Astor Place, she uses her societal connections, weak though they are after all these years, to help her gain entrance to houses she hasn't visited in years. Police Sergeant Frank Malloy is not very comfortable working with an upstart female with a mind of her own, but he has to admit, he can't solve this on his own.This was a very well written book and I enjoyed it quite a bit, even though I figured out what was going on about halfway through the book. I'll read more in this series.
    • 4/5
      This book introduces us to Sarah Brandt, a young widow who is earning her own way as a midwife. The story deals more with the introduction of characters than it does with the underlying mystery but it is a good read. Ms. Thompson does an excellent job of blending the fictional mystery with the historical facts and customs of the turn of the century. The police department is very corrupt and no one will pay to solve the murder of a young girl. Frank Malloy is one of the few honest cops and he and Sarah join in a very tenuous partnership to solve the mystery.
    • 3/5
      This is the first in the Gaslight Mysteries set in turn of the Century(1900) New York City. The central character is Sarah Brandt, a midwife who was born to the aristocracy but married "beneath her station" and now that she s widowed must earn her way in the world. The mystery centers around a young woman who is strangled in a boardinghouse. Our heroine's involvement is that she recognizes the victim as being the sister of an acquaintance of her youth. Sarah makes every effort to assist Detective Sega rent Malloy in apprehending the murderer. The twisting and turns which reveal social taboos of the day lead to a gruesome ending but not something that is surprising. IMHO, not a great mystery but readable.
    • 3/5
      The endless detail gives this book a good sense of historical accuracy. The sights and smells are well described and definitely give a good picture of the setting. The plot however, was a bit slow paced and it took me a bit of time get into this book and be interested enough to finish. The main character, Sarah is very well done though. I like her independence and how she broke away from her high society obligations. It’s admirable especially for a woman during this time period. She’s able to make a name of herself and become self sufficient. Besides her independence she also had a bit of a temper, which makes a fun read but also gave her a bit of spark of life to her character (which was needed, because the plot remained flat for a while.) If it were not for Sarah, I’d probably would have set the book down and moved onto something else. Frank on the other hand, I found hard to like. Not because he was mean or bad (well he was rather stubborn and pig headed, and was a bit rude to Sarah at times) but I didn’t find him very interesting to begin with. His personality was pretty boring and the potential chemistry he has going with Sarah, well I don’t feel that it’s really there. He improves a little towards the end of the book but it wasn’t enough to change my mind about him.The plot, although slow, had few interesting hooks with it. What really got my attention was the last third of the book because all of a sudden you’re blinded with a very shocking (and might I add really skin crawling) revelation So, in some part, the slow pace of the plot was forgivable, because the ending really did make up for it. Those who have a taste for historical mysteries might be able to like this one. The book isn’t really that long, it’s the pace that makes it long. I say stick with it, it’s worth the read - if only to see Sarah argue with Frank.
    • 3/5
      Story was interesting but reader did an horrible job acting out the other characters' voice
    • 5/5
      Great Story, kept me guessing.
    • 4/5
      Good series with a well-drawn picture of the separation of rich and poor, "good" and "bad" people, corruption in the police, the "proper" place of women, immigrates and established families, birth defects, child labor, child prostitution - Victoria builds her stories around all of it.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Brandt was born into wealth and priviledge in New York City. But when she marries a doctor beneath her class, she is disowned. When her husband dies, she becomes a midwife to make a living on her own. When paying a call on a patient, Sarah discovers that a boarder in the house has been murdered. Much to her amazement, she soon relizes that the murdered girl is the daughter of one of the most influential families of New York. How did the poor girl end up in a boarding house much less murdered? When Sarah offers to help, the detective, Frank Malloy, is doubtful. But Sarah's knowledge of society and ablility to move about in that world will prove helpful, even if he does not want to admit it.I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about the corruption in the NY police department and about NY society. Sarah is a smart and caring characters. Frank is a tough cop with a soft center. The mystery is good but I also enjoyed the personal stories of Sarah and Frank. I plan to read more in the series.
    • 4/5
      A good "whodunit" mystery story and a good introduction to the series' characters. I'm looking forward to reading others in the series to find out how the relationship between Sarah and Frank develops. The local colour of NYC in the late 19th Century and the upper class mentality portrayed in the story are interesting too.
    • 5/5
      Title: Murder on Astor PlaceAuthor: Victoria ThompsonGenre: Cozy, Historical Fiction# of pages: 288Start date:End date:Borrowed/bought: borrowedMy rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best]: A+Description of the book: With the Victorian backdrop of New York City, this cozy introduces us to Sarah Brandt, a midwife who is estranged from her wealthy family. When Alicia VanDamm is found strangled to death in the boardinghouse of a client of Sarah's, she must put aside her midwife duties to help Detective Sargeant Frank Malloy solve the mystery behind her death.Review: This is probably one of the best written cozy's I have ever read. The author was very historically accurate in a lot of the aspects of the story, and everything was very well written. Sarah was very intelligent and both characters were very interesting. If you enjoyed Titanic or Gangs of New York, the historical background created in this story is for you! I wonder if we will see some romance in the subsequent novels?
    • 5/5
      To date, this is Thompson's best book in this series.
    • 4/5
      Set in late 1800's New York City, former elite family member, Sarah Brandt is now a widow working as a midwife having been estranged from her family since her husband's death. While at a delivery late one night a familiar face from her prior life is seen briefly. Later, Sarah discovered the young girl had been murdered. For various reasons Sarah finds herself caught up in this murder and wants desperately for the murderer to be brought to justice. This brings her into Detective Frank Malloy's life as much as he'd like to keep her out.I found this book to be filled with wonderful historical details about New York City that really made the story come alive. The pacing was well done. Motivations for both Brandy and Mallow were revealed in time with the story. Both characters also grew while trying to unravel the mystery. And, as for the mystery, it was full of extra twists and turns that made the book a real page turner from start to finish.I'm looking forward to reading more books in the Gaslight series!
    • 3/5
      A fair start to a historical mystery series. The setting of New York about 1900 seems like a good era for a lot of different cultural and historical areas with which to play at. This novel's mystery was pretty good. The characters are a bit stereotyped, but the lead woman (midwife) and man (police detective) were good and hopefully will be fleshed out further in later novels.
    • 4/5
      I first found this on iBooks and immediately thought that a mystery about New York during the period of the beginning of the 20th century sounded right up my alley. I was right. In, fact I read the whole book through on my iPhone, instead of using a bigger venue. And, discovered that the mystery for me moved along so quickly that I often forgot I was reading an e-book. Quite an achievement when you consider how much I love the paper books on my shelves. I didn't realize that it was the first book in a Gaslight Mystery series, I thought the book stood alone very well. I guess one of the things I enjoyed was the obvious contrast between Sarah a member of the upper class in New York City, and Detective Malloy an Irish New York cop. A handy juxtaposition that adds a bit of drama and even comedy to the story. And, bodes well for the future.My only problem with the book was the ending that seemed a bit far fetched and not in keeping with the realism of the rest of the book. A good look into the classes of society and enough mystery and action to keep things moving, I am ordering the next book in the series as soon as possible.
    • 3/5
      This is the first book in the Gaslight Mystery series, set in turn of the century New York and featuring Sarah Brandt, a midwife, and Frank Malloy of the New York City Police. I enjoyed the historical tidbits and details regarding life in the city at that time, especially those related to the corruption and attempted reform of the police force. The mystery was solid and interesting, though the ending was both unsurprising and rather melodramatic. I plan to continue reading the series, as it is light and eminently readable, perfect for when I am not in the mood for anything complex or brain-taxing. I look forward to the development of the relationship between Sarah and Frank, two likeable and intriguing characters.
    • 4/5
      This is the eleventh book in the Gaslight Mysteries series by Victoria Thompson. Midwife Sarah Brandt’s sister, Maggie died many years ago after giving birth to her son. She had been disowned by their father who subsequently ruined her husband’s chances of getting a job that could support them. Mrs Decker, Sarah’s mother, has never forgiven herself for the role she played in her daughter’s death. Now, one of her friends has introduced her to Madame Serafina and the world of seances. Unwilling to go without support, and desperate not to involve her husband, she asks Sarah to join her. Sarah is suspicious from the beginning but feels better going with her mother to make certain she won't be taken advantage of.

      I like the series and while figuring out who the murderer was is not the hardest thing to do, in this case I couldn't figure out how the crime was actually committed. I also love seeing Sarah's mother, Mrs. Decker, transition over the past few books. She's an engaging character and the perfect person to focus this story around.

      Murder on Waverly Place is a very entertaining entry in this series. I always enjoy the exchanges between Sarah and New York City policeman Frank Malloy when they solve a mystery together. The author provides historical details that add authenticity to the story. I enjoy the secondary characters, particularly Maeve, and hope Frank finds a way to use her in his future investigations. The supernatural element adds a bit of intrigue and any fan of the series will enjoy this one. It can definitely be read as a standalone, as well.
    • 4/5
      Murder on Waverly Place, the eleventh book in Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series, gives us a glimpse into the workings of the spiritualists or mediums of the late 19th century. By 'workings' I mean tricks of the trade. Sarah Brandt doesn't believe in ghosts, but her mother talks her into attending. Elizabeth Decker wants to beg her dead daughter's forgiveness and is certain Maggie will talk to her sister, if she'll talk to anyone. (Maggie's story is tragic. No wonder the Mrs. Decker feels such guilt!)Sarah isn't present when her mother attends a second seance, one in which a murder is committed. While I didn't believe some of the things said by some of the characters involved, I didn't guess how the murder was done. I did guess what the object was that Frank gave to Maeve to help protect her. The information provided about it was interesting.Sarah, Elizabeth, and Maeve all play their part in solving the mystery, somewhat to Frank Malloy's annoyance. We also learn more about Maeve's family. The unmasking was fun to listen to. Do I believe that the medium, Madame Serafina, could talk to ghosts? No, but there is a hint she might be a little psychic. There are some references to earlier events. They come from book ten, Murder on Bank Street.
    • 4/5
      I liked this...Sarah Brandt goes with her mother to a seance, so that her mother might contact her sister who died in childbirth after being disowned by her parents.... The woman who hosts the seance is murdered, but it was dark and Everyone was holding hands!

      We find out that Detective Sargent Malloy has found and arrested the man who murdered Sarah Brandt's husband four years previously.....but there are no details to that...and I know there wasn't details about that in the previous book.....so it just happened between times.

      We do learn about fake seances and con games....we also learn about about "leading" the querant with open ended questions....
    • 4/5
      Short but very good!
    • 4/5
      Sarah's mother (Mrs. Decker) talks Sarah into accompanying her to a seance to try to talk to Sarah's deceased sister. Her mother returns for a second one which ends up with one of the attendees being murdered. She insists on calling Detective Frank Malloy to the scene because she knows he will find the truth. Malloy calls Sarah to try to get her mother out without being seen. They end up taking "Madame Serafina" to Sarah's house to prevent her being taken to the Tombs while the murder is investigated. All the participants at the seance were holding one another's wrists, yet someone in that room had to have committed the act of murder. It was an interesting puzzle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with seances and other occultic practices in books, but this one at least showed that it was fraudulent.
    • 3/5
      Light reading enjoyable as well
    • 3/5
      Been awhile since I've picked up one of these books, nothing much has changed. Interesting glimpse of life in New York at that time period, simmering feelings between Sarah and Malloy, no substantial change in the status quo.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Brandt reluctantly agrees to accompany her mother, Mrs. Felix Decker, to a séance. Mrs. Decker wants to contact Sarah's older sister, who died while estranged from her parents. Unbeknownst to Sarah, her mother goes back for a second séance. When one of the attendees is murdered during the session, Mrs. Decker requests that Sarah's friend, officer Frank Malloy, be assigned to the case.This variation on a locked room plot is a refreshing change for the series. Sarah's career as a midwife gives her access to women and families from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds. While Sarah has often assisted Malloy with murder investigations, the necessity of a having a pregnant woman as one of the central characters of the mystery has its limitations in a long-running series. The murder during a séance and Sarah's mother's involvement provides a good reason for Sarah to become involved with the investigation without a need for her professional services. It wasn't too difficult to spot the murderer. However, the cast of characters and the new revelations about Sarah's nanny, Maeve, made up for any weaknesses in the mystery.
    • 3/5
      Victoria Thompson and Shirley Tallman both utilize the invention of new technology in the story. Thompson brings into the picture the introduction of a flashlight. The invention was not doing well because the light did not last too long, so the police department received this "defective" invention to use at night. The story centers on the mystic world of a séance, and the conviction that the departed spirits really contact the living. Thompson goes into more detail than Tallman about the participants holding of hands. The members of the séance in fact hold wrists and this can allow a member to free a hand and no one will be aware this has happened. Thompson also shows the life of grifters, people who easily part a fool and his money. Tallman presents an interesting story, but I feel that Shirley Tallman presented a better séance setting.
    • 4/5
      Good mystery with intriguing look at seances and spiritualists and some fascinating bits of history