Another fantastic entry in one of my favorite mystery series. This one held my attention thoroughly. Now we just need to hear more about a certain partner and nanny's future.

I've had this book for a long time and for some reason kept overlooking it. I have to say, it was nice being back with Sarah, Frank, Gino, and Maeve. I enjoy these characters, even though the overarching plot involving their personal lives, moves at a snails pace.

As I've said many times about this series, the mysteries are too easy to figure out, and this book was the same. It was glaringly obvious what was going on, right from the beginning. This, as usual, ended up making our investigators look rather stupid and naive. Maybe the naivete came from this sort of stuff not being talked about much during this time period. I'm not sure, but I feel like they are not in Victorian times, so should have been a bit more informed. After all, at this point they've seen a lot already. Surprisingly, even though it reads as light mystery, this series has touched on some pretty dark subject matter at times.

Despite this constant annoyance about this series, I still keep coming back because I like the characters, and I like the historic details that are included. This time, the history of automobiles, and specifically electric cars are featured here. Frank bought an automobile a couple of books ago, and they go to a car show at Madison Square Garden in this book, because Gino is a car enthusiast. The book showed how ladies preferred electric cars because they were easier to start up. Cars with internal combustion engines had to be cranked, and took a bit of muscle. It also showed why electric cars weren't practical for everyone (partly because of the need to charge them, and partly because of the high price) and why they eventually died out. It was also interesting that there were way more cars being made than people buying them because they were still too expensive for most people to afford them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really like the Sarah and Frank mysteries and this one was no exception. But this one was harder to read than the others because of the subject matter. I knew what was going on long before the “detectives” figured it out. I could understand why Sarah didn’t immediately get what was happening, but I can’t believe it took Frank so long to realize what was going on. As a former police detective, he should have had an inkling. I also thought the killer was not who it turned out to be. But who it turned out to be, seemed like an easy out. I thought it would have been better if the 2nd murder was a mistake that was actually meant to take care of the 1st victim before he was killed. Otherwise, this was a good addition to the series. The only reason it wasn’t great was because of the subject matter. There were times it was hard to read.

Usually, I like all of Victoria Thompson’s novels and find her to be an excellent mystery writer. However, I did not really connect with this story. This was because there two characters did not really delve into the mystery until later on in the novel. The story itself is pretty predictable, and I like the romance in this installment. I did find the historical facts about cars to be very interesting, and it is clear that the author did her research. I am still looking forward to her books. I recommend this for fans of Anna Lee Huber, Tessa Harris, and Andrea Penrose!

Who knew electric cars were being developed in the early 1900s!

Investigator Malloy is approached by a woman desperate for a divorce. Back in the day, adultery was about the only way to get a divorce. Mrs. Bing just knows her husband has been unfaithful. Malloy declines to take the case. Mallow meets up with Mr. Bing at a car exhibit; Bing is very interested in investing in these new electric cars. Later that evening, Bing is run over by an electric car and killed. Now Mrs. Bing wants Malloy to help her find her husband's killer.

There are a number of people involved in this case, most are trying to solve the murder, but also trying to figure out how the electric cars came to be so involved in the case. Mr. Bing was not a pleasant person, and it becomes easier to see why Mrs. Bing wanted out of the marriage. There are many suspects, many trails to follow, but eventually, no surprise, Malloy with the help of his wife, Sarah, and Mother Malloy, figure out whodunit.

Just by taking a look at my blog, you can tell that I have long enjoyed reading this series. I remember when I first started reading historical mysteries and that this series was highly recommended to me. I have followed this series and the characters for many years now, so when a new installment is released, it is like catching up with old friends. This book was no different. We see the world changing in this book with automobiles becoming more popular and replacing the horse drawn carriage and more and more people buying them for their convenience. Frank Malloy has long owned a gas-powered automobile, but he is always curious about how the technology is changing and how advancements are being made. When a woman comes to see him at the detective agency about providing evidence of adultery so she can divorce her husband, Frank sticks to his principles and turns the case down. She leaves upset that Frank won’t help her and he thinks that is the end of the matter. Little does he know that he is soon to be embroiled in a murder mystery involving the same woman and her husband that she wanted to divorce.

Frank and Sarah attend the first auto show in Madison Square Garden and end up meeting the woman’s husband, Mr. Bing. He is an investor in the electric powered automobile and is very eager to show off his investments to customers at the fair. Later that evening, he is ran over by his own automobile and killed at the auto show. Mrs. Bing approaches Frank again and now asks him to help her solve the mystery of her husband’s murder. Frank and Sarah eagerly accept the case and start their investigation. Mr. Bing’s past comes back to haunt him and stirs up more trouble for Frank and Sarah. Apparently, Mr. Bing had a lot of secrets and a lot of people wanted him dead. It is up to Frank and Sarah, along with the help of Gino and Maeve, to find the murderer before someone else ends up hurt or worse, murdered.

This was another smashing read by Victoria Thompson. I simply cannot get enough of Frank and Sarah and love their stories and mysteries. Thompson has a way with making a well-established series seem fresh and never boring. I can never put her books down and always recommend this series for historical mystery lovers as a must-read series. I feel that I am never disappointed with her books and highly anticipate the next release in the series. Another well researched book by a historical mystery master. You will not be disappointed with this book or any of the others in this series.

Overall Rating: 5 stars
Author: Victoria Thompson

Series: Gaslight Mystery #25

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Pages: 348

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

I'm always on the lookout for a new cozy mystery series, and I don't care much if I start at the beginning or somewhere in the middle. That's how I came to pick up Murder on Madison Square by Victoria Thompson. It's book 25 in her Gaslight Mystery series. It's the first book I've read in the series.

Though no date is given for the series it is the early 1900s. Cars are becoming more popular but there are still horse-drawn carriages. It's set in New York City and cars play an important role in the plot.

Frank Malloy is a former police officer turned Private Investigator. He recently turned down a case where a wife was hoping to find dirt on her husband in order to secure a divorce. However, while he and his wife Sarah are attending the first-ever auto show in New York City, they come across the woman's husband who is an automobile investor. When the husband turns up dead, Frank and Sarah take on the case.

A quick Google search reveals that the first auto show in NYC occurred in November 1900 and it was indeed at Madison Square Garden. The date wasn't the only thing this book had me Googling. There is a lot about electric cars and the details sounded just like the ones we are hearing today - you can plug it in at your house, there are problems with making a long-lasting battery, etc. I didn't know we had electric cars from the beginning so I couldn't help but do a little searching to make sure it was historically accurate. it's true. In the early days of automobiles, electric cars were the most popular models (there were also steam-powered cars in addition to gas-powered). Thompson discusses the historical details a little more in her author's note at the end.

Frank and Sarah are enjoyable characters and the mystery is interesting. I don't read a lot of books set at the turn of the century so I found the historical details fascinating. Thompson really paid attention to little details that gave the story depth and made it feel realistic. I will be checking out more in this series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/07/murder-on-madison-square-by-victoria.html

Another solid installment in this series, with interesting background information on the history of electric cars!

Victoria Thompson continues her long running historical Gaslight mysteries with murder, bigamy and worse sins in Gasligh New York. Murder on Madison Square pits Frank Malloy, former policeman and private eye, and his midwife mate Sarah against the forces of iniquity as they try to establish who murdered bigamous business Mr Bing. Either of his two wives, a business rival, and other candidates. Intriguing look at early electric and gas powered cars. Read for setting and the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Murder on Madison Square.

I absolutely adored Murder on Wall Street, the previous book in the series, but this one was a bit less interesting. Parts of it I loved, although I figured out certain things way before they were revealed in the book. The storyline was certainly intriguing- a woman seeking a divorce, whose husband just happens to turn up dead soon after? Daughters, coworkers, a long lost wife who was supposedly dead mixed in with lots of drama and a bit of poison? Yes, please!

This book was fine, I just didn't completely love it. I love Sarah and Frank together, but we only got a tiny bit of Mrs. Ellsworth, who is one of my favorite characters. I'd love to see Sarah return to her midwifery a bit in the near future, honestly.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This stunning new novel in one of my favorite historical mystery series was excellent! I enjoyed seeing Frank, his wife Sarah, Gino, and Maeve in a complex new case! It includes the automobile industry in the election year 1900. I was very surprised to see that there were fully electric vehicles in the early years of automobile history. I continue to laugh at how five miles per hour seems fast to Frank! This novel, and others in the series, can be read as standalones, with sufficient background to fully enjoy them.

Frank and Gino, former police officers, are partners in a private investigation firm. Maeve works in the office while Frank and Sarah’s children are in school and is their nanny the rest of the time. Sarah is a nurse and midwife, and still works at the women’s hospital she established. She also helps Frank and Gino with their cases.

Ethel Bing was referred to Frank from an attorney in his office building. She wanted a divorce but could only get one if her husband of less than nine months was found to be unfaithful. She didn’t say why she wanted the divorce, and Frank was unwilling to set her husband up in a false situation. She and her husband had both lost their first spouses; Pearl, his adult daughter, resented him for remarrying. Ethel’s teenage daughter, Carrie, from her first marriage, seemed to genuinely care for Alvin.

It was shocking, a few days later, when Ethel’s husband Alvin was killed, run over by his own car after leaving the automobile show at Madison Square Garden. He had been an investor and partner with Will, who designed, built, and sold electric autos.

Ethel came to the Malloy home to see Frank, but instead spoke with Sarah. The murder of her husband came too soon after her recent attempt to divorce him, so she won’t go to his office. Sarah will bring Frank to the Bing home to make a condolence call so they can meet. Ethel wants his help to find who killed Alvin. Alvin’s first wife, despite what he told everyone, is still very much alive and had appeared at their door days earlier. Alvin had abandoned her several years ago when he took Pearl to New York. Nora spent those years working her way east to find them.

Each of the characters are crafted with care. I enjoyed getting to see the regulars again. Frank and Sarah, Gino, and Maeve are each a delight, bringing diverse backgrounds and qualities. They each have a delightful sense of humor, as does Frank’s mother, who lives with Frank and Sarah. I enjoy Mrs. Malloy’s dry input into their cases, and she comes up with some real zingers! I admire her for how she volunteers at grandson Brian’s school so she can learn sign language to better communicate with him and to help others. Between the five of them, I don’t believe there is a mystery in the Big Apple they can’t solve.

The historical background was very well researched, as I was sufficiently curious about an event to look it up. The author brings this era to life throughout the series, from lifestyles to politics and even the three different types of autos being engineered then.

The author is equally adept at bringing to life a mystery that could easily come from today’s headlines. Frank, Gino, Maeve, and Sarah follow every lead to find Mr. Bing’s killer in this fast-paced mystery. When a second murder takes place, determining if there is one killer or two added to the challenge. There were small “tells” throughout that led me to my main suspect, yet two others seemed to have equal if not stronger motives. I was extremely grieved by the motives various characters had for his murder, especially the real killer(s). The murders were fully resolved without any loose ends, with some pleasant and not-so-pleasant outcomes for characters. I highly recommend this mystery and series to fans of historical mysteries and the author.

Ethel Bing comes into former NYPD Detective Frank Malloy’s private investigation agency and wants to hire him to set up phony evidence that her husband has been unfaithful. This was the only way a divorce could be granted in New York in 1900 when the story takes place. Frank turns her away since he doesn’t do that type of work. When Frank and his wife Sarah attend the very first auto show at Madison Square Garden, they cross paths with both Ethel and her husband, Alvin, who is a major investor in a company that makes automobiles. Soon afterwards, Alvin is the victim of a hit and run from one of his own automobiles, and Ethel hires Frank to prove she isn’t the murderer.

Murder on Madison Square is the latest in the long-running Gaslight Mystery series. I have followed this series from the beginning, but the case stands on its own and I think there is enough background information about the main characters that the story would be just as enjoyable to new readers. I am happy Sarah plays such a large role in this book helping her husband get to the truth behind the strange family dynamic between Ethel, her daughter, Alvin, and his daughter. She and Frank get a lot of help from Frank’s partner, Gino, as well as their former nanny, Maeve. There is just enough of Maeve to add to the story but not so much as to take over the story. I like the way they are each able to use their individual strengths to get information and then put it all together to solve the case.

The new “horseless carriages” play a big part in the story, and I really enjoyed the information about the fledgling automotive industry both in the story and in the author’s note at the end of the book. Some of the clues to the murder seemed obvious to me early on in the story and I’m surprised Frank and Sarah didn’t also catch on sooner. However, some appalling details come out that I never predicted. I’m glad the story ends on a hopeful note for some of the characters who experienced so much tragedy in their lives.

~ Christine

Wow, what a ride. The twists in the book had me trying to figure out who did it. I loved reading about the first electric cars. This was my first Victoria Thompson book. I was excited to see this is book 25 in the series. I love finding really good mystery series. The book did good explaining characters and some of their backstory. So this book could be read as a standalone.

Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries have become true comfort reads for me. While the whodunnit answer is usually obvious, the true appeal lies in watching the characters solve the puzzle and in spending time with them as they do. And okay, maybe I shouted at them a couple times in this book because they've run into this particular family dynamic enough times that they should have suspected the truth sooner (indeed, it may be time for Thompson to shelve it), but sometimes it's nice to have a predictable mystery so you can simply enjoy the characters and the familiar formula — and that's exactly why Thompson remains at the top of my wishlist and pre-order list every year. And knowing her usual release schedule, my countdown to the next Counterfeit Lady book begins.... now!

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/04/28/murder-on-madison-square-by-victoria-thompson/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I have been loving this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41275-gaslight-mystery" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Gaslight Mystery</strong></em></a> series.  I enjoy all the characters but particularly Frank and Sarah.  I'm glad they are the primary ones investigating rather than Gino and Maeve.  It's a little sad to see less of their children, Brian and Catherine, and Sarah's parents but they can't be involved in every case.

The murder and the family involved were not pleasant.  I didn't like or trust any of them very much except for the "widow" who tried to hire Frank to help with her divorce from Mr. Bing  and later did hire him to solve her husband's murder.  I won't spoil the story but the husband really deserved to die.  He left a real mess in his wake.

Mr. Bing was an investor in an electric car manufacturer.  Frank, Sarah, Gino and Maeve went to an auto show not long before he died and met him.  They saw him and learned about the cars.  I really enjoyed this part, as I have an electric car.   The author's note gave a lot of the history about car manufacturing and I loved it.  The author's notes with historical information is always a joy for me.

I really loved this exciting mystery with my favorite investigators.  They are always compassionate to others' grief and misfortune.  No matter how convoluted, they always ascertain the killer with motive and evidence.

Right from the first page I was hooked and completely reminded of just why I love this series. Thompson has created a world with fully developed characters and light with plenty of danger lurking in the corners and it was a delight to revisit it.

The team of Frank, Sarah, Gino and Maeve reminds me a bit of the character dynamics in Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby series but without quite as much tension. It was seen to see Gino in his element as his main passion, automobiles, is an important element in this mystery. One of the reasons I love historical fiction is that I get to pick up bits of knowledge that I wouldn't otherwise come across and that was the case in this book. The history of automobiles has never really interested me in the slightest but I feel like I learned so much about it in this book without it weighing down the story and getting in the way of the mystery.

This mystery is quite the puzzle with a different dynamic than I've seen before. The victim and his family led complicated lives and it was interesting to see it all unravel. I've only read the most recent few mysteries in this series and have really come to love these characters. This was a fast paced intriguing read that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Mrs. Edith Bing visits Frank Malloy, now a private investigator, seeking his help to divorce her husband. That would require him to prove her husband had committed adultery and it’s just not what he does. She never discloses why she wants the divorce and leaves without explanation. Her husband, Alvin Bing, is an investor in an electric car manufacturing company so Frank and wife Sarah decide to visit a motor show at Madison Square Garden to meet him. The next day, they learn he was run over by a car and killed. Mrs. Bing now hires Frank to find out who is responsible, especially as she’s a prime suspect.

This case took so many twists and turns as Frank, his wife Sarah, his partner, Gino Donatelli and assistant Maeve Smith work to figure out what was going on in the Bing household. While I figured out much of it early on, following the group as they gathered information and assembled clues was highly entertaining. But what was extremely interesting was the background given on the infancy of electric cars. The early generation of motor cars was pretty awful and solutions provided by the electric version was far more beneficial. I had no idea how really close we came to adopting this technology in the early 1900’s. If only Edison could have figured out a smaller design for the battery.

I loved being back with the Malloys and their friends. The case also had an insidious nature to it that was slowly revealed through the course of the story. I wasn’t sure of exactly who killed Alvin Bing as there were a host of likely suspects but I was certain of the why. As always, I enjoy the historical elements where I’m able to learn something, which sent me on a fact finding mission to learn more about the early generation of electric cars. It was fascinating and who knew that they were primarily marketed to women? This series continues to be one of my favorites.

#MurderonMadisonSquare #NetGalley. Thanks to Victoria Thompson and Berkley Publishing.
I've read I've read and reviewed every one of her Gaslight mysteries at least twice and buy them as gifts. I'm very happy to have this one, #25 to review.

It was a great read as always with some surprises at the end. I was hoping for a wedding or a baby announcement, maybe next time! I guess what I love the most is how all the main characters have gotten together as one big family type situation! The mysteries are also very well done, not too scary at all. Just right, and the awards the author has gotten highlight that.

This mystery had a somewhat different twist at the end and everyone had a different take on it. The historical context in all the mysteries makes them special also, this one was no exception. Frank and Sarah attend the Madison Square Garden Auto Show in 1900 and the murders abound!

Frank, Sarah, Gino, and Maeve all participate in investigating. It's a very good thing that the older Mrs. Malone is there to watch the children. Loved it!!

Frank Malloy gets a visit from a potential new client named Mrs. Alvin Bing who wants to divorce her husband. The only grounds for divorce in New York are adultery though which she says is not the problem. But she won't tell Frank what the problem is.

Then Frank and Sarah attend the first ever auto show in Madison Square Garden and meet Mr. Alvin Bing who is a part-owner of a shop making electric automobiles. Frank is an enthusiast for this new form of transportation and Sarah is intrigued by the ease of operating these electric vehicles. Both are interested in Mr. Bing.

When Mr. Bing is run over by one of his own automobiles, Mrs. Bing hires them to find out who murdered him even though she's a suspect herself because of her desire to divorce him. There are plenty of suspects including the first Mrs. Bing who he had abandoned in the mining camps of Colorado and who has now tracked him down. Other suspects include his daughter Pearl who was taken with him when he abandoned his wife and his stepdaughter Carrie who is the current Mrs. Bing's daughter.

Will Warren who is Bing's partner in the automobile factory and who is the designer behind the electric vehicle also has reasons to want Bing dead.

While I had a pretty good idea why the current Mrs. Bing wanted a divorce and what Mr. Bing was like, it took a while, and a few more murders, for me to figure out who the villain was in this story. I enjoyed the historical detail about the early days of the automobile industry.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode. It also worked well for me even though I have only previously read the first book in this series. The characters and setting were interesting and engaging.

I sped through this! Thompson has some of my favorite cozy mysteries and this one did not disappoint (#25!!!). My favorite part of her books is the history she includes. In this book it's motorcars. She always makes it so interesting and uses it to move and support the plot. This book also definitely kept me guessing but I think Thompson is so good at giving clues that by the time it's revealed you could actually guess it.