I've always loved a good mystery and especially when the story is set in historical times in New York City. MURDER IN CHELSEA by Victoria Thompson has suspense, murder, great invigorating characters, a touch of love and romance, a child of love and a "who done it" that had me turning the pages very quickly, it was hard to put this book down! Victoria Thompson is the crerme de la creme of mystery writers and I look forward to reading many more of her Gaslight Mysteries.

Now that the nursemaid is dead, it gives Sarah a small taste of relief that no one will take her daughter away from her. But both Sarah and her dear friend Mr. Malloy who is a Detective Sergeant on the New York Police, know that justice must be served. They must find the nursemaid's killer for they both will protect little Catherine with their lives. As they travel through New York from the richly built homes in Upper West Side to the poorest sections of lower Manhattan they come across many hidden secrets of Catherine's past. Malloy will stop at nothing to protect both Sarah and Catherine from harm, but the chances they take could be deadly to all.

Felix Decker who is Sarah's father, comes from the oldest and wealthiest family in New York City is not so happy that his daughter is involved with a police detective who is of lower class, but when an acquaintance of his is murdered, Decker teams up with Frank Malloy, Detective Sergeant to help solve the crimes as soon as possible to keep his daughter safe. The journey they embark on is very dangerous and they come across many shady and not so shady characters, but time is of the essence for both Sarah and her daughter Catherine are in danger of this killer who haunts the secrets of Catherine's past.

MURDER IN CHELSEA is a recommended read. Fans of mysteries should not miss Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series.

Book Summary

Sarah Brandt is shattered when she learns that a woman has inquired at Hope's Daughters Mission for Catherine, the abandoned child she has taken as her daughter. The woman claims she was Catherine's nursemaid, now acting on behalf of the girl's mother to reunite them.

Unwilling to simply hand Catherine over to a complete stranger, Sarah asks Malloy to investigate. But when he goes to interview the woman at her tenement in Chelsea, he finds she has been murdered.

Though her death leaves Sarah's claim to Catherine unchallenged, her sense of justice compels her to work with Malloy to find the killer. Their search takes them from the marble mansions of the Upper West Side to the dilapidated dwellings of lower Manhattan and into the deepest and darkest secrets of Catherine's past.

And while Malloy helps Sarah determine the fate of the child she loves, he faces a challenge of his own—and his decision could change both their lives forever...

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