Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson ★★★★ (Gaslight Mystery #8)

Sarah Brandt is summoned to attend to the birth of a supposedly premature baby in Little Italy but she’s amazed when she ends up delivering a healthy and robust boy. It’s obvious that the gestation date is off by a couple of months, which sets off a firestorm in the Ruocco family as the baby’s paternity is now in question. When she returns to check on the mother and child the next morning, she walks into chaos as the mother’s death is discovered. It’s murder when Sarah determines her death isn’t related to the childbirth.

I figured out the baby’s paternity rather quickly but it was terribly entertaining to follow Frank Malloy and Sarah as they try and untangle this mess. It took me a little longer to figure out the identity of the killer as the clues were murky and the list of potential suspects was just about everyone in the family! I loved the ease in which Frank and Sarah now operate with each other and there are a couple of really tender moments. We’re getting close….!

The author gets so much right about turn-of-the-century (early 1900s) New York. Every book is an educational experience nestled in between an interesting mystery. This one shines a light on the prejudices against the Irish and Italian immigrant communities, a sad commentary on how little has changed in over a century.

Still loving this series.

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