I loved this newest story that I have read in this series. I love Frank, Sarah, Gino and Maeve. I loved that Frank and Sarah need to help prove that Gino is not guilty of murder. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Gino and his family in this story. I loved all the suspense in the story. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Thompson delivers yet another smart, evocative historical mystery in her 23rd outing featuring Sarah and Frank Malloy. The work of settlement houses and the threats of the Black Hand criminal syndicate among other contrasting forces fuel the well-crafted mystery, which Thompson combines with effective characterizations and vivid use of historical detail. This novel, like Thompson’s other Gaslight Mysteries, is sure to please readers who enjoy New York City history, 19th-century events and experiences, and satisfying mystery plotting.

Victoria Thompson immerses the reader in Murder on Pleasant Avenue, a Gaslight mystery in New York's Italian community. Italian Harlem's criminal gangs kidnapped for ransom boys and women from Italian families. A gangster is found dead and an associate of Frank Malloy, Gino is arrested. The hunt is on for the actual killer. A female worker at the Settlement House also goes missing and then turns up without explanation. Is there a connection? Then the wife of the gangster is killed. Follow the evidence and the family relationships of Malloy's associates. Enjoy this historical mystery.

Title: Murder on Pleasant Avenue

Author: Victoria Thompson

Ch: 15

Pg: 324

Series: A Gaslight Mystery book 23

Genre: Historical Mystery

Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Berkeley



Nurse on Pleasant Avenue is the 23rd book in the A Gaslight mystery series by Victoria Thompson. An historical mystery series set in New York at the turn of the 19th century into the 20th century. Though each mystery is a standalone it’s best to read the series in order otherwise you miss out on the relationships that develop throughout the series.


This one was one of my favorite books in the series. And I was thrilled that something happened that I was hoping would happen since at least book 16. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I love this series and it's lovable characters! There have been a lot (24) of stories in this series, but each can stand alone. However, if you read them all in order you get to know the characters best and "live through" their life events with them.

If you are looking for a good historical mystery that is a "cozy", pick up any of Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries! You will be a fan of Sarah Brandt as I am! I also really enjoy reading about NYC in the old days.

Thank you for my ARC!

When a young woman is kidnapped from the area known as Italian Harlem, Frank Malloy and his assistant Gino Donatelli are called to investigate. In order to get more details from the voluntary group where the young woman was working, Maeve also joins in on the investigation and goes undercover.

It becomes evident that the Black Hand, an organized crime group, has been terrorizing the residents and when Gino Donatelli gets more involved and tries to look into matters on his own, he suddenly finds himself at the scene of a murder and he’s becomes the prime suspect.

Sarah, Malloy’s wife, also becomes involved in the investigation as she tries to learn more about the young woman and other women who have been kidnapped. Of course as Sarah digs into the background story she finds out the young woman may also be hiding other secrets.

This is the 23rd installment in the Gaslight Mystery series and as I’ve been saying about these latest entries, I feel like the witty banter we saw between Sarah and Frank at the start of this series is gone. Also, some of my favorite characters are almost non-existent. I realize that this book is so Gino and Maeve have their moment in the spotlight but it’s a shame that some of the other characters felt like an afterthought. Unfortunately a bit of a disappointment.

I enjoyed this book but realized very early on that I need to read the series in order. It took me much too long, in my opinion, to understand some of the reoccurring characters. I have read one book previously and had forgotten that was my conclusion then.

Being of Italian descent I found this book very interesting especially regarding the difference in the Calabrians and Sicilians. My grandfather was from Sicily and passed away when I was 2 so I never had the chance to ask him about his heritage.

A word of warning this book deals with the kidnapping of children and the sexual assault of women. There are no detailed scenes of sexual assault. This is a cozy mystery with more of a bite to the story. While reading I do not have the light, airy feel as I usually do while reading cozies. I am already on the hunt for book 1 so I may understand this series better.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Berkely Publishing Group. through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Murder on Pleasant Avenue is #23 in the Gaslight Mystery series. In this latest installment Gino, Frank Malloy’s partner in his private investigation firm, is accused of murder. Gino is more than just Frank’s partner, being a dear family friend. So of course Sarah and Maeve or on the case as well, as usual! Even 23 books in, I’m still eager to see where the story goes. I love that in this one we see more of Gino’s family and get a glimpse of their lives in Little Italy. I also always enjoy the historical details about class and etiquette, police corruption at that time, and anything else that might pertain to the case. It feels like a favorite tv show that is back for the next episode, I hope the author keeps them coming!

A late Victorian murder is a classic framing for a mystery novel, and Victoria Thompson has made a career of providing interesting variations on the formula. Her Murder on Pleasant Avenue is the latest in the author’s “A Gaslight Mystery” series. It also gives something of the game away in the title. Specifically, that there is a murder. While that is common enough in mystery novels, the first crimes the reader learns about, and that the investigators focus on, are something else entirely.

At the start of the book the primary problem is a series of kidnappings, performed by a group called the Black Hand. The relatively decentralized nature of these crimes is discussed briefly; however as one specific sect is being dealt with, treating the organization as a unified whole it is still the standard in the book. While one woman has recently been recovered, another young woman working in a relatively charitable capacity is missing and presumed as another kidnapping victim, albeit with much more difficult motives to discern. Immediately detectives Frank and Gino begin looking into the matter, particularly since the people of Italian immigrant community, where these crimes have been happening, are quite afraid of the police. The problem only becomes more complex as, when found, the local ringleader for the kidnappings insists that no such thing had happened and that the girl they asked about is fine. He further insists that she will be seen again before long, and indeed she does reappear soon after with a very different story from most of the kidnapped individuals. Sights and sounds, as well as a number of oddities related to her behavior, lead to questions as to what really happened to the woman.

Already this little twist and turn will place the book as an interesting mystery for many readers, but it is not long before the crime boss in question is found dead in an apartment. Further, Gino, who finds the body, also quickly finds a police officer has already been dispatched to the apartment, and the racist officer quickly makes assumptions as to the guilty party. Frank begins trying to solve the crime, and finds a number of difficulties due to the many biases and fears of those in New York, both in the Italian immigrant community and otherwise. The question quickly arises as to who might have more specific motivations to kill the man, with everyone from former victims and their loved ones, to partners in crime, to the dead man’s own wife seeming extremely likely suspects.

Frank, with the help of Maeve, a local midwife, and a number of other allies quickly begins to try to sort out who the most likely culprits are in the matter of the death, and just how tangled that particular web might be.

This volume focuses a great deal on the particulars of turn of the century Italian immigrant communities in New York and the peculiarities that might come with solving crimes related to them. The flat-out distrust of the police in immigrant communities is examined, particularly distrust of the police and of outsiders in general. At one point an amusing aside is given to the former Theodore Roosevelt, who has found himself in the position of vice presidential candidate and is pitied for it by reform-minded characters. While this sentiment is all true enough to history for the time, those who know the course of events will undoubtedly find this humorous in the extreme.

As this book relates to organized crime and kidnapping, the problem of sexual assault comes up more than once. Overall this is dealt with respectfully, showing women’s reactions to these violations both as victims of the crime and of a society that would blame them for it. The narrative presentation is more than respectful, and such actions were more than likely in such abductions, yet it might still be more disturbing in some ways than a reader going in expecting a cozy mystery would appreciate.

After the plot itself a note comes from the author in which she discusses the history of Italian-American communities in relation to these types of crimes, the Black Hand, and Victoria Thompson’s own family history. It is an interesting read, as a reminder of how involved and personal the writer finds many of the concepts within. For those curious about the historical background it also provides names of individuals and organizations who are well worth researching.

The focus on the Italian immigrant community in New York has the added benefit of allowing this particular story to more or less stand on its own. Past character interactions and events are referenced, however none of them make a reader feel lost. Instead the references merely make the world feel more lived in, a combination of factors building up the lives of those involved.

Overall this represents another wonderful entry into the “Gaslight Mystery” series, with the same lovable characters and careful plotting the books are known for. The use of historical factors to build a particular mystery is always a nice treat, and the issues of Gino, Frank, Maeve, and other characters recurring and not. There is romantic teasing, love proper, and a mix of different historical and personal motivations. An easy book to recommend to most mystery readers.

(Berkeley 2020)

Always a pleasure to read another of Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery Series. For those who don't know these books, they fill the need for historic color, romance and a menacing murder. In the latest the plot takes place in the area of what is now East Harlem when it was very much an Italian neighborhood filled with immigrants in NYC. The boss of the neighborhood is involved with kidnapping children and women for ransom and nobody cares but the family. But when one young woman goes missing and Gino's aunt asks him to help find her. This is when married detectives Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy get involved and find lots more than the missing woman.
This is a must for public libraries where historical mysteries are popular.

When you're 23 books into a series it can be hard to keep it fresh and to continue to move the characters forward. Some authors have trouble doing this in ten books let alone more than twice that. I feel that in the last few Thompson has drifted the burden of crime solving from the original primary two characters Sarah and Frank Malloy to the newbies of Gino Donatelli and Maeve Smith, which helps to keep thing moving along. With Sarah and Frank, we now have an established couple with a home and family, and while they still have their adventures, it's not the same as when they were younger and first met. With the advancing of Gino and Maeve we get a bit of both worlds. The great established couple and the fiery young one. All of whom are great at solving crimes.

When writing about crime solving in Victorian/early 1900s New York it would almost be impossible to not include The Black Hand. A prolific, yet somewhat decentralized, crime group, their terror swept across New York during this time and their tactics were routed in fear and intimidation. Bringing in the Joseph Petrosino, the real life cop who took down The Black Hand, was a great addition to the story and shows the authors dedication to researching the era.

Another good entry in the series, I'm interested to see if Thompson continues down the road of splitting the narrative four ways now, or if she reverts back to having it focus more solely on Sarah and Frank. Regardless, readers will enjoy their time with the entire team.

Even though there are 23 books in this series, Murder on Pleasant Avenue is only the second one I've had the chance to read. I don't usually start a series from anywhere but the beginning because I don't like to miss out on world building and character development. I can say, however, that not having read the majority of the previous books didn't detract from the story. There were things referenced that were unfamiliar to me but in no way caused me to be confused or lack understanding of the current goings-on in the book.

I enjoyed the story and found the mystery behind the kidnapping of women and children, and the accusations made against Gino, to be interesting and full of twists and turns. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the real culprit was as I read along, since it's clear Gino wasn't the murderer. The path taken to solve the murder is filled with interesting characters, hidden agendas, lies, deceit, and sadness. I was constantly on edge as Frank and Sarah Malloy investigated the Murder on Pleasant Avenue.

I fully plan to go back and start this series from the beginning. I enjoyed Murder on Pleasant Avenue and look forward to properly meeting Sarah, Frank, and the rest of the cast.

I was given a copy of this book to read.

Another great installment of the Gaslight Mystery Series. A great sleuthing team with Frank and Sarah and the amazing New York setting and Italian Harlem too. I think it is amazing that the location is always a big part of the narrative. This is my first book in this series and I enjoyed this a lot and worked for me even though this is book #23. The pacing and characterization is spot on and I immediately became invested with Frank and Sarah and will be ordering the rest of the Gaslight Mystery Series. I enjoyed the writing and loved that I can spend an afternoon reading this book for a great escape read.

Frank, Sarah, Maeve, and Gino are pulled into an investigation in Italian Harlem when Gino is arrested for the murder of a crime boss. During this time, in the Italian communities, there are a number of kidnappings of women and children. The women are often raped or abused during the time they are held. When one of the female volunteers is kidnapped, Gino’s sister-in-law asks Frank and Gino for help. Gino gets in trouble when he goes out on his own to “talk with” Esposito, which highlights his naiveté and his idea that his fellow Italians will do the right thing.

The historical setting of late 1800s New York City is educational as well as entertaining. I didn’t realize that there was an Italian section of Harlem, where Pleasant Avenue is located. The philanthropy of the time is changing as settlement house. The Harlem Settlement Hall offers classes in English, cooking, resident rooms, and other services to help immigrants gain skills and assistance to move forward.

What I enjoy about this series is the dynamic among the main characters as well as the interactions with lesser characters. Sarah and Maeve are women ahead of their times; both are independent and struggle with the limitations on women's careers. Now, Frank immediately contacts Sarah in a situation that he feels she is most qualified. Before they married, Frank always resisted. The dynamic between Gino and Maeve is evolving. They always snap at one another, but now they are showing a deeper connection. I have a connection of Frank and Sarah’s family, now we are meeting Gino’s family. It is fun to see their dynamics. The teasing among the brothers, and the way they welcome their oldest brother’s wife.

I came to this series late and binged most of the early stories. I’m a little bummed now that I’m up to date and need to wait with everyone for the next installment. I highly recommend this series. For all historical and/or mysteries. It is a lovely police procedural, set in a time when forensics isn’t as sophisticated as it is today. Just the same, a good detective can follow the clues.

Once again Sarah and Frank get mixed up in a murder case. Gino is accused of killing a member of the Black Hand and they must clear his name. We see a lot of Maeve in this story, especially in the interactions with Gino. I enjoyed reading their dialogue and loved to picture them flirting with each other. I also got a kick out of Maeve sitting forlornly at her typewriter, practicing her typing while wishing all the while for an interruption.
One thing you can always count on is getting some history while hearing of Sarah and Frank’s adventures. The setting for this story is Italian Harlem, and the author paints a wonderful picture of how the inhabitants lived (and died). This is one of my favorite aspects of the Gaslight Mysteries: Thompson always makes me feel like I have been taken back in time and am living right alongside all her characters. One point of interest is that the author doesn’t censor the seedier parts of the period. We get to see the homeless, we hear about abortions, and we get to experience tenement life. Thompson does her best to make nearly everyone sympathetic, so this makes the story friendlier, and the book very readable as well.
Speaking of characters, some new ones are introduced in this book. We meet Teo, Gino’s sister-in-law, as well as the rest of Gino’s family. One of the funnier sequences in the book is when Maeve needs to go to Gino’s house; her family misunderstands her reason and want to get her out of the house. Thank goodness Maeve is able to straighten everyone out!
I was unable to figure out who dunnit, and that was a plus. It can get frustrating when you know who the bad guys are before the main characters do. My guess was between two characters, and I was surprised to finally learn who it was. As always, the story gets tied up neatly, with the last page a portent of what is to come in the next installment. I enjoyed this book very much and am looking forward to her next one.

Murder on Pleasant Avenue by Victoria Thompson is a 2020 Berkley publication.

A nail- biting historical mystery and adventure!!

Over the past couple of months, I have been fortunate to have several of my favorite mystery authors publish a new novel. I have found it quite comforting to touch base with familiar characters and landscapes, so the timing of this latest release couldn't have been better.

In this 23rd installment of the Gaslight series, we get to know Gino Donatelli a little better- although not under the best of circumstances. Gino’s sister-in-law asks for help concerning a settlement house resident who appears to have gone missing, the main concern being the possibility the young woman may have been kidnapped by ‘The Black Hand’- a gang operating in Little Italy- East Harlem.

As Frank and Gino begin their investigation, it becomes clear they need help from Sarah and Maeve while dealing with sensitive situations. But, in a horrible turn of events, Gino becomes a murder suspect, which lands him in jail. Not only that, he could be in grave danger. Can Frank find the real murderer before it’s too late?

Victoria Thompson always provides the most interesting history in her books. Seriously, every novel is like a mini history lesson- and it is always fascinating! This story is no exception. I always find myself Googling something, curious to learn more. This installment shines a light on the 'Black Hand' gang, of which I knew practically nothing.

As to the mystery, there are some tense moments of suspense, as the behavior of some of the characters becomes curiously erratic. It was an absorbing and puzzling situation. Naturally, I worried about Gino, who can be a bit stubborn.

On a lighter note, I found myself grinning with delight over some key developments between the recurring characters and I'm betting fans of this series will be just as pleased as I am!

Overall, I am impressed with how Thompson continues to keep this series fresh. Great characters, interesting history, and compelling mysteries- what’s not to love?

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Readers are drawn into Gino Donatelli’s world in Italian Harlem when his sister-in-law seeks his and Frank’s help in finding a settlement volunteer whom they think has been kidnapped by the Black Hand. Gino finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when the police discover him standing over the body of an Italian Harlem crime boss. As far as the police are concerned they have caught their killer, and Frank, Sarah, Maeve, and Gino do all they can to clear Gino’s name and break up the extortion ring.

I always enjoy my time with Frank and Sarah Malloy, but I really like this book’s greater emphasis on Gino and Maeve. It is so fun to get to know some of Gino’s family, and they provide comic relief to balance the heavy subjects of murder and women and children being kidnapped. Sarah is ahead of her time, but it seems appropriate for her character, and I appreciate Thompson’s acknowledgement of her unique position through the actions and attitudes of some of the other female characters. Gino and Maeve’s teasing and simmering relationship have been going on for quite a while now, and fans of the series should be pleased with them here.

The mystery is pretty straight forward and easy for readers to figure out even though it takes the protagonists much longer to get to the bottom of things. They get in their own way with assumptions, and uncooperative witnesses and suspects slow the investigation down. That said the pace is steady, and the story is engaging throughout. I can always count on Thompson to provide accurate historical tidbits without being tedious. I knew nothing of Italian Harlem, the volunteer programs to help immigrants, or the Black Hand before reading about them here. Interesting stuff.

Murder on Pleasant Avenue is a nice contribution to the long running Gaslight Mystery series sure to please series devotees and new readers alike.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*

While I haven't been reading this series since the beginning I have become a devoted fan in the last few years and even though this has one of my least favorite mystery tropes - the wrongly accused main character - I couldn't resist picking this one up. Thompson excels at bringing the world her characters inhabit to vivid life and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Little Italy and Italian Harlem in New York City which are two areas I know very little about during this time period. I found the politics and the social rules fascinating. I loved the detail of the settlement houses and general life in Little Italy at this time. And I also really loved that while Sarah and Frank are very prominent characters this book is really Maeve and Gino's time to shine.


But while the setting is vivid and interesting it never overshadows the mystery itself. It was well paced and detailed though perhaps with an ending that wasn't so shocking. There were a few things that seemed so obvious to a reader that none of the characters seemed to pick up on which got a bit irritating. I especially felt that they should have questioned one character's story much more closely then just blindly accepting it. It felt a bit out of character for them. That said this is still a Gaslight mystery so while there were a few minor irritations the pacing was excellent and this was a mystery I enjoyed from beginning to end (even when I wanted to shake the main characters).

Murder on Pleasant Avenue by Victoria Thompson is the twenty-third installment in the Gaslight Mystery series. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, but this was a great introduction for me.

Sarah and Frank Malloy find themselves embroiled in another sticky situation. Gino Donatelli, Frank’s business partner and friend, has been arrested for murder. The Malloy’s are determined to prove his innocence and keep him safe in the process. The events leading to Gino’s arrest get more mysterious by the minute.

Murder on Pleasant Avenue is well-written. The characters are vibrant and believable with complete backstories. The plot is engaging with a good mystery and enough twists to hold the reader’s attention throughout. Humor is injected making the story even more entertaining. Ms. Thompson has done thorough research and gives an accurate accounting of the time period. I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. Readers of historical fiction will find this story to be captivating.

My thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

A Settlement Worker Goes Missing and Murder Ensues

Gino’s sister-in-law, Teo, volunteers at a settlement house, one of the volunteers has gone missing and she’s looking for help from Gino to find the woman. Gino takes on the task with some help from Maeve, Sarah, and Frank. They are afraid she may have been kidnapped by the Black Hand which operates in Italian East Harlem in the area of the settlement house.

Nunzio Esposito’s gang operates under the Black Hand and Gino thinks they may be responsible. He learns that Nunzio has a flat in the new tenement he just built on Pleasant Avenue. When Gino goes to the flat he finds Nunzio, but he’s dead. The police surprise Gino bending over the body and immediately conclude that he’s responsible. Now Frank, Sarah. and Maeve must find the real killer to save Gino.

This is one of my favorite books in this series. I’d been hoping for more about Maeve and Gino’s romance. They’re front and center in this story, and their partnership works well. All the other characters are there, but the emphasis is on Gino and Maeve.

The historical background in this book was very informative. I didn’t realize that East Harlem was considered part of Little Italy at the start of the twentieth century. I also found the description of settlement houses where well-to-do young ladies lived to serve the community very interesting.

If you follow the series, this is a must read. If you’re new, it works well as a standalone.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.