Frank and Sarah Malloy had been enjoying a lovely day at their home in New York City on the first day of 1900 when their their neighbor, Mrs. Ellsworth, rushed in with very distressing news. Her new daughter-in- law, Theda's father, Clarence Pritchard, a well-respected owner of Pure Milk Diary had been found murdered the night before near Trinity Church. Having just attended a New Year's Eve party where Mr. Pritchard was present, the Malloys are surprised by the news. Who would kill this honest man and why?

Soon frustrated by the lack of interest by the police, Theda asks Frank, a former police officer and now a private investigator, if he would take on the case to find out what happened to her father. As Frank and Sarah follow the few clues they discover, they realize that the truth may be a little closer to home than they imagined. What do they tell the newly married Theda? Is the family still in danger?

MURDER ON TRINITY PLACE is written by bestselling author Victoria Thompson and it is the 22nd book in her her highly regarded Gaslight Mystery series. Thompson's many fans are sure to appreciate this murder mystery with its focus on the wonderful characters of Frank and Sarah, yet it can also be easily read as a stand alone and complete novel on its own.

What I particularly love about MURDER ON TRINITY PLACE and the Gaslight Mystery series is Thompson's ability to immerse the reader into everyday life and the moralistic attitudes of life in the fast-changing city of New York at the turn of the last century. I found it intriguing how she effectively used the change in the milk delivery system with its much-needed emphasis on purity and pasteurization as a strong plot devise while seamlessly bringing in historical facts on social conditions, especially affecting children, into the discussions between the characters.

While I found the story a little slow to start, I was quickly caught up in the story and the investigation by the Malloys. I particularly relished the intertwining story of Sarah's work at her clinic for unwed mothers and especially her creative ways to help people out of difficult situations. Like those new-fangled motor cars; once this story gets going, it really rolls to its very surprising ending!

So, if you are fans of murder mysteries and/or love historical fiction, there is a lot for you to enjoy in old New York and MURDER ON TRINITY PLACE! Read all about it!