I thought that Liz Freeland's first Louise Faulk mystery, Murder in Greenwich Village, was one of the best debut mysteries I'd read in years, and, to my amazement, this second installment in the series is even better. It started a tad slowly but, once it got going, it was outstanding.

I like how the author has created a terrific cast of characters, including "our sleuth" Louise Faulk, and the other supporting/recurring characters. Even better, she changes things up and doesn't let things go stale. I also love how the author manages to bring the New York City of 1913 to life.

I am very eager to see what happens next with Louise Faulk and hope that this top-notch series has a long life. Highly recommended!!

I was given a ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Love this mystery series because the story expands and moves along with each book at a quick pace. Louise has to dig deep to keep going after all the terrible events in this book but I know she's going to surprise us again. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Murder in Midtown is set in New York in 1913 and is the 2nd book in a mystery series featuring Louise Falk. Louise Falk is a highly independent and resourceful young woman who aspires to become a member of the New York Police Department. Her character is very well developed and extremely believable. She comes across as a very open minded, gregarious character who holds her family and friends close, her secrets even closer and her enemies had better watch out.
The morning after writing her exam for the New York police service Louise returns to her job as a secretary for Guy Van Hooten at the publishing house of Van Hooten and McChesney to find it burnt to the ground and even more unsettling Guy was found deceased amongst the ruins. Louise sets out to investigate who would have a motive for setting the fire and wanting Guy dead. She is more than distressed to fine her Aunts close and elderly friend Ogden McChesney arrested for murder after admitting setting fire to the building for insurance purposes. Louise is even more determined to find the real murderer of her former employer. She is aided by Detective Frank Muldoon with whom there is a subtle indications of a romantic relationship blooming.
I absolutely enjoyed the varied cast of characters and look forward to getting to know them more with the 3rd installment of this series. If you enjoy a good historically accurate mystery then I strongly recommend Murder in Midtown to be added to your to be read list.
I would like to thank Netgallery and Kensington Books for an advanced copy of Murder in Midtown in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in Midtown presents a new heroine called Louise Faulk. Louise has a secret in her past which affects the way she sees the world. In 1913, Louise took the police civil service exam to fulfill a dream she has of becoming a policewoman. Earlier Louise was involved in a murder investigation and had aided Detective Frank Muldoon in the arrest of a violent criminal which was the start of her ambition.

Agatha Christie was 23 years old in 1913 which fact might be of interest because Murder in Midtown takes place across the Atlantic in New York and is of the same ilk as an Agatha Christie cozy mystery.

Louise’s current job at a publishing house came through her Aunt’s connection with one of the partners, Ogden Chesney. Louise is Guy Van Hooten's secretary; Guy, the son of the other partner, is found dead in his office after a fire burned down the building. It's not long before rumors begin. "Could Guy have been murdered?"

I like the exciting cast of many, many characters and thus many suspects. Guy Van Hooten’s mother Edith is the equivalent of privilege and aristocracy in England. She will do anything to prevent the sullying of the family name with a scandal. Guy’s brother Hugh has a vested interest in the publishing house business as do various employees of the publishing house.

Louise has good friends with intricate relationships. Aunt Irene has amazing connections and convenes weekly social gatherings attended by a host of people. Aunt Irene’s Thursday evening get-togethers provide a convenient venue for some of the characters.

I admire Louise’s character also; in common, with other female investigator’s she is fearless in tracking down each suspect and frequently places herself at risk. She is spirited, witty and occasionally foolhardy. She is empathetic towards many of the characters in the story, and they respond readily to her. As a result, she makes progress in tracking down each suspect, weeding out the ones that do not feel right, and making intuitive leaps as to whom to pursue next. We follow right along because the book is easy to read, and we never seem to run out of villains.

The book lightly touches on some of the social issues of the period by including a mixed marriage couple. The husband has never introduced his wife to anyone at the publishing house. A surprise famous entertainer who was born in 1886 gets embroiled in the story. The plot includes a nightclub owner who is a money lender, operates a gambling caper, and has people killed if they run afoul of him. Will Louise retain the upper hand with this unpleasant character?

Murder in Midtown accurately depicts the pitfalls of Louise’s first few weeks as a new police officer. She gets to look after the thieves, the crazies and the prostitutes from the streets of New York, in the claustrophobic basement of the police station. Louise finds out that her duty roster includes making coffee for the policemen who come in after their beat. All the guys try making fun of her, but she quickly learns how to stand up for herself, and her investigative talents come to her aid.

Murder in Midtown is professionally edited, I found no errors in grammar or spelling. I rate the book 4 out 5 stars based on a good plot, with well-drawn characters and a cozy appeal. I did not find anything to dislike. I recommend the book to mystery lovers, people who like the 1920s era, people who love easy reading, and young adults. It might not suit people who like international thrillers, blood-thirsty murders or older period pieces.

I love a good historical fiction mystery series. The time period doesn’t matter if it contains strong characters with accurate depictions of that time. When I read the first book in the Louise Falk series, Murder in Greenwich Village, I knew it was a match for me. And after recently finishing Murder in Midtown my thoughts about this were reinforced.

It was such fun to catch up with Louise, her friends/family, and Detective Muldoon. In this outing we find Louise determined to become a NYC Police Officer and therefore taking the exam. While awaiting the results she sets out to discovered who burned down her place of employment and killed her boss. Of course this leads to adventure and a little mayhem!

And once again, I was delighted by Louise’s independent spirit and determination to ferret out the truth. Both her personal and professional life had me flying through the pages to see what would happen next. The mystery was engaging and had a slight twist twhich I appreciate. I am curious t if we will see anymore of Hugh Van Hooten as his relationship with Louise was thorny and tense yet their seemed to be an interesting dynamic between them.

I couldn’t review this without discussing Louise and Detective Muldoon. Their relationship continues to intermingle between professional and borderline personal and I am really looking forward to what will come next for them.

Overall a strong addition to the series that makes me excited for when I can next meet up with Louise again!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Murder in Midtown follows Loiuse Faulk as she is determined to find the culprit who burned down the book publishing company she worked for. Throughout all of her investment, she is also trying to become a police woman during a time when women who had aspirations above being a secretary or homemaker would have been looked down upon. This is the second book in the Louise Faulk series, but it is not necessary to have read the first book. This book has made me a Louise Faulk fan and I will be reading the first book in the near future.

Louise is an endearing character and has a whole cast of characters that supports this whodunnit mystery. As a reader some of the out of touch with reality characters make you roll your eyes, but they truly grow on you. This was fun to read and has twists and turns I wasn't expecting. I would recommend Murder in Midtown to anyone looking for a good mystery with a strong female main character.

Murder in Midtown is the second book in the Louise Faulk series.
Louise takes the morning off from her secretarial job at Van Hooten and Mcchesney to take the police entrance exam. On her return to work, Louise is shocked to find the premises smouldering and her co-workers tell her that her boss Guy’s body had been found at his desk, the last place he was expected to be.
The surviving partner, who is her aunt’s friend, asks her to investigate and Louise finds herself in hot water with her the police, her friends and her co-workers.
I had never considered how the original female police officers were treated but Murder in Midtown gives us some insight. Louise is a forceful character if somewhat inpatient and lands herself in trouble with family and gangsters and all sorts during her investigations. The story is fast paced and weaves its way through several leads and false starts until the culprit is revealed.
A good read.

This is a good and cozy mystery. It was very lighthearted and easy to follow. It was well written and was both fun to read and entertaining. I recommend both this author and novel!

A good follow-up to the first book in the series. The characters have depth and personality and you want to know what happens to them. The setting in early twentieth century Manhattan is fascinating. Introducing historical figures such as Al Jolson lends interest and authenticity.

This was a wonderful second entry in the series! Louise is a great character who is well written for a somewhat progressive woman in 1913. The mystery was good, I always enjoy trying to figure out the whodunnit when reading and this book was just a good story to read. I enjoy the secondary characters and getting to know them too. A slowly building romance rounds this book out nicely. There were some good period details that made the historical setting realistic. I'll certainly be reading the next book in the series!