Murder in Chinatown

Suzanne Toren deserves a better vehicle for her talents than this predictable historical mystery set in early-twentieth-century New York City. Author Victoria Thompson has been praised for her Gaslight mysteries, which explore themes related to poverty and race relations. This installment focuses on the Irish and Chinese cultures of the period, whose members tended to intermarry because of their shared poverty. When a missing Irish-Chinese girl turns up murdered in an alley, midwife Sarah Brandt asks her detective friend, Frank Malloy, for help. While the story's Irish and Chinese characters, suspects all, are made fully believable through Toren's vocal skills, the development of the plot is hackneyed. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 15, 2008
Edgar Award-nominated Thompson continues her "Gaslight" mystery series with this ninth title featuring midwife Sarah Brandt and police detective Frank Malloy. This work provides a vivid portrayal of the culture clash between Irish and Chinese immigrants as well as life in New York City's tenements in the early 20th century. Thompson says she "became enchanted with New York City" while her daughter attended New York University, and she has taken that enchantment and used it to create a thought-provoking historical mystery told against the backdrop of those overpopulated and often squalid buildings. Suzanne Toren makes each character come alive with her clear and forceful narration. Murder in Chinatown is compelling, with a surprising climax, and the listener's interest will be engaged throughout. Highly recommended. [The paperback of this mystery, released last year, is due in June 2008; also available as downloadable audio from Audible.comDenise A. Garofalo, Astor Home for Children, Rhinebeck, NY

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