Murder on Marble Row

Victoria Thompson's Gaslight mystery series is an intriguing look at society and crime in turn-of-the-century New York City. With previous bestsellers in paperback, this captivating series makes its hardcover debut with Murder on Marble Row— a story filled with fascinating characters from all walks of life. This time out, Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt calls Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy into his office for an especially difficult assignment. A wealthy factory owner has been killed by a bomb in his office, and anarchists are high on the list of suspects. Malloy isn't so sure that the easy answer is the right one but Roosevelt wants justice done, whoever the culprits are. That could be tricky, when the other suspects include not only disgruntled employees but also the victim's friends and relatives — people adept at wielding money and power to get what they want and at hiding their secrets behind marble-walled Fifth Avenue mansions. Malloy is distressed to once again find Sarah Brandt involved in one of his cases. He wants the lovely society heiress-turned-midwife out of the line of fire. But he cannot afford to refuse when Sarah insists on using both her connections among to New York's elite and her experience in New York's seamy underside to bring the evidence Malloy needs to light. Sue Stone