Murder on Astor Place

Sarah Brandt is, in a squirmy twist for her upper-crust Knickerbocker New York City parents, a turn-of-the-century midwife, widowed and curious about everything. Women of her ilk don’t work. She meets Metropolitan Police Force detective Frank Malone and is his answer to prayer as well as his personal torment. The two meet each other uncannily all over town in this series from the Battery to the Bowery to the Bronx and back again; she, ever helpful, he, ever cynical, until their lives collide in a magically different, far more intimate way. The situations are always intriguing and built around impeccable… show more.

This book begins a long-running mystery series featuring another unusual protagonist—midwife Sarah Brandt. This is one of the first historical mysteries I read, and it made me come back for more! It also fascinated me with details about policing in that era. It was more business than service. If someone wants a crime solved, they are offered a reward—or bribe. Policemen themselves had to pay to work their way up the department ladder. I love the chemistry between Sarah and police sergeant, Frank Malloy. She often serves as his conscience while he keeps her safe.