I am on a roll in reading Victoria Thompson whose mysteries provide hours of entertainment. In this caper, we descend into the Bowery, an unsavory section of New York where ladies do not venture. Victoria Thompson enjoys throwing a little history into her stories and we learn of the newsboys strike in 1899 when newsboys refused to sell newspapers in order to get better wages and the plight of Orphan Trains where orphans in New York were transported to farms in Minnesota, Iowa, and others farming states. Victoria Thompson also mentions that the wealthy citizens would seek guides to lead them into special places in the Bowery so these wealthy could see how the slums looked, hence the term “slumming”. We also see that wealth does not mean respectability and those in the Bowery may act better than their wealthy peers.

I don’t know what it is about these books but they are captivating. The characters are good...nice to read something that’s not about rich beautiful people of Hollywood...the reality of how things were back in the day certainly gives a reality check. Would definitely recommend these books. Enjoy

This is a solid addition to the Gaslight Mystery series. It is interesting to see the investigative duties begin to rest more on Frank and Gino's shoulders rather than mostly on Sarah's. Show character development through the series. Looking forward to seeing what happens next for Sarah's new venture and for Maeve and Gino. I also enjoyed seeing the Newsboy strike featured as well as the orphan trains and the tours that were offered through the Bowery. Like reality television, actually. If you like historical fiction and mysteries, this series is for you.

Absolutely one of the best in the series. I think Ms. Thompson has found her stride writing Frank and Sarah and the supporting cast. They have all become a team who solves crimes at the turn of the century. Wonderful use of historical facts woven into the story. Although I had guessed the unspeakable crime hidden in the background, if was fun to see it unfold in the story. There was actually even some passion between Frank and Sarah, even if it was subtle. Looking forward to seeing the Maternity Hospital take flight and it would be nice to see more of Catherine and Brian in the next story. Really nice addition to the Gaslight series.