Murder on Union Square

Written by Victoria Thompson

Narrated by Suzanne Toren

When a murder hits close to home, Frank finds himself in an unusual position--the prime suspect in the latest installment of the national bestselling Gaslight Mystery series... Frank and Sarah Malloy are enjoying married life and looking to make their family official by adopting Catherine, the child Sarah rescued and has been raising as her daughter. The newlyweds soon discover, Parnell Vaughn, an actor and Catherine's legal father, is looking to fatten his pockets by insisting on a financial settlement to relinquish his parental rights. Even though exchanging money for a child is illegal, Frank and Sarah's love for Catherine drives them to take a chance. When Frank returns with the money and finds Vaughn beaten to death, all evidence points to Frank as the culprit. A relatively unsuccessful actor with no money and little promise, Vaughn seems at first to be an unlikely candidate for murder--particularly such a violent crime of passion--but Frank soon uncovers backstage intrigue as dramatic as any that appears on stage. Sarah and Frank must use all of their resources to investigate Vaughn's death as Frank's own life hangs in the balance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781501994678

Victoria Thompson

Victoria Thompson is the author of twenty bestselling historical romances. She is also the Edgar nominated author of the bestselling Gaslight Mystery Series, set in turn-of-the-century New York City and featuring midwife Sarah Brandt. She also contributed to the award winning writing textbook Many Genres/One Craft. A popular speaker, Victoria teaches in the Seton Hill University master's program in writing popular fiction. She lives in Central PA with her husband and a very spoiled little dog.Please visit Victoria Thompson’s www.victoriathompson.homestead.com to learn about new releases and discover old favorites!

Reviews for Murder on Union Square

[Maggie Lynch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Many chapters (including the last), cut off early. Love her books, but not with key info missing.

[francesmcnama-876774 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sink into the wicked world of the theater in New York. This Sarah Brandt mystery takes us to the original heart of the theater district in New York, where Sarah’s husband finds a dead actor who was legal guardian to the child the couple wants to adopt. The familiar cast of characters represent a delightful result of the melting pot that was America at the time. The Malloys are pretty well off now and Sarah is opening a clinic, but their friends and associates are a realistic mixture of ethnicities, when they are thrown into the world of the theater at the time. I enjoy reading (and writing) about the unexpected things you find out about the past, and here we get the “Syndicate” which was a group that took over the bookings for plays on the road. An aging actress is resisting the group and it is her leading man who is killed.

I’m looking forward to a couple of bookstore appearances with Victoria Thompson in Chicago next week, and I think we share an interest in surprising women like Sarah Brandt who resisted the upper class world of Edith Wharton and Henry James to live lives that opened doors for those of us who came later. Also, this particular time period was a time of great changes in society, including the melting pot, that formed the world we grew up in. I like the way Sarah a widow from a wealthy background and Malloy a detective from a poor background with his deaf son manage to blend together to form a very American family.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Victoria Thompson presents the world is a stage in Murder on Union Square. Frank and Sarah Mallory plan to legally adopt Catherine, the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Wilbanks and his mistress, Emma Hardy. Unfortunately, since Emma was married to Parnell Vaughn at Catherine’s birth, Parnell must give his consent for the adoption. Before Parnell can sign the paper, he is brutally murdered, and Frank discovers the body and is arrested as the murder. Thompson parades into the theatre of 1890’s and the life of the cast. Each actor or actress has a fragile personality based on vanity and distrust. Victoria Thompson shows the callousness of the police department that only investigate the death if the case benefits the department, meaning that the death of a poor individual will not be investigated. The main issue in this story rests with the Syndicate, a group that controls the theatre by arranging tours, setting salaries, and controlling the plays and actors. Many actors spurned the Syndicate stating that individual style suffered. An amazing look at the theatre.

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Murder on Union Square is book 21 in Victoria Thompson's Gaslight mystery series. I had a problem with it from the very first chapter because both Frank Malloy and Sarah Decker Brandt Malloy already knew about the law presuming a woman's husband was the father of her children even if he wasn't. They were the ones who told Mrs. O'Hara that about her grandson in chapter three of book eight, Murder in Little Italy.That's important because Sarah's foster daughter, Catherine, although the biological daughter of the late David Wilbanks and the equally late actress named Emma Hardy, is legally the daughter of Emma's actor husband, Parnell Vaughn. (See book 15, Murder in Chelsea) The lawyer who drew up Mr. Wilbanks' last will, Bill Jonson, explains this. As the matter could have been explained by Mr.Jonson not having been told about Mr. Vaughn without having Frank and Sarah seem not to know about legal paternity, I was annoyed. At least the information about why they can't just bribe Vaughn into giving up his parental rights is new.Sarah and Frank meet with Parnell

[authorjanebnight · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a long running series and I have read every book to this point. I love the series but honestly am kinda over it. When I finished this book I didn't think I would pick up another until I read the author's note. Now, I've decided I will do one more book in the series but the last few have just kinda been meh for me. From the author's note it seems as if this wasn't a planned book but rather one written to fill in a plot hole that was caught by a reader and relayed to the author. It is because of this fact that I will give the series one more chance. I read this series for the characters more than the mysteries. The mystery plots I only find so-so. But, I love the characters. However, pretty much all the character arcs are closed at this point and the few that are open are ones I don't really care much about. I loved the romance between Frank and Sarah but the new romantic plot isn't working for me with the younger sleuths. They kept trying to make each other jealous in this book and just kinda were behaving badly. I didn't like that at all. I am not invested in their romance like I was in Frank and Sarah's. Also, this book spent sooooo much time going over and over information we already had. They would gather together and discuss the clues but there weren't that many clues so it slowed the books pacing down. I was fine with how the mystery ended. There were only a few suspects and while I wasn't sure who the killer was I was fine with how the book ended. I really love this series but it is losing steam for me. Unless something awesome happens in the next book I think this will be the last book I read in this series. There aren't many character arcs left that I could really care about. I really love this series and have spent hours and hours in this world with these characters. It has been an amazing journey. But, I really feel like if nothing interesting happens in the next book that it is time for me to hop off this series train though it breaks my heart to say so. 

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Murder on Union Square by Victoria Thompson is a 2018 Berkley publication. Frank- a murder suspect? When Sarah and Frank hit a legal snag in their quest to adopt Catherine, Frank seeks to find a solution without breaking any laws. It would appear their troubles were solved when Catherine’s legal guardian is murdered, but because Frank discovered the body, he becomes suspect number one. In order to clear his name and save his reputation, he and Sarah, with the help of Gino and Maeve, must discover who the real killer is. This story is centered around the theatre, the actors, and the backstage politics, jealousies, and love triangles. The situation is scandalous for the 1900s which made for some interesting dialogue. The story is fast paced, kept me guessing, and quite amused- especially Maeve and Gino who are becoming quite the detectives. I enjoy being a part of the puzzle solving, listening as Frank and Sarah talk out the various possibilities. While this mystery wasn’t quite as engrossing as the last installment, it is, as always, a pleasure to drop in on Frank and Sarah and escape into the past, brought vividly to life by Thompson, to solve an interesting and unique crime. 4 stars

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series and this was my favorite one for a long time. All of my favorite characters were back in this installment. I love Sarah and Frank but it is great to have the minor characters also. I did not want to put this book down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I received a copy of this book from Firsttoread for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[romonko · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have been disappointed with this series for the last two or three books. I found this one exceptionally so. I had the mystery figured out about 1/2 way through and I found the story repetitive and the story dragged from the beginning. Let me be frank. I am a long-term follower of this series and I really enjoyed the midwife Sarah Brandt. But since she and Frank Malloy have been married, it has gotten quite boring and I don't enjoy it nearly as much. This look at early 20 century theatre was interesting though. But I think it is time to say goodbye to Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy. I don't think I'll continue with this series. I will miss the characters though.

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this series and I'm always happy to read another...Sarah Brandt & Frank Malloy hire a lawyer in order to formally adopt Catherine, the young child of a now deceased Actress. Catherine's father passed and left the bulk of his estate to Frank for caring for Catherine and he left instructions that the Malloy's have the right to adopt her. When the Malloy's hire an attorney they are told that they can not adopt Catherine, as her mother was married to Parnell Vaughn & the State regards Vaughn to be Catherine's legal father, no matter he is not her biological father.Vaughn is more than happy to sign Catherine over to the Malloy's as he knows she is loved & well cared for... and with him not being Catherine's biological father and an actor, he believes he has no claim.Vaughn's alleged "fiancée", Eliza, insists that the Malloys give Vaughn $1,000 as compensation, which Vaughn does not want. When Frank goes to meet w/ Vaughn he finds the actor dead in his dressing room.. Then Eliza walks in, in order to make sure she get's the $1,000 and begins screaming. She also immediately begins lying saying that Malloy murdered Vaughn & that she saw him do it... Malloy is immediately arrested & taken to the Tombs by a former jealous co-worker in order to make his job easy.Thus begins the investigation of the theater company: Leading Woman, Adelia Hawkes was having an affair w/ Vaughn (he was the leading male); Mr. Hawkes, bankrolls the the group as they are not a part of the Theatrical Syndicate and it is the only way for Adelia to remain the "leading lady"; Eliza, Adelia's understudy soon ends up w/ the lead for all matinées; Armistead Winters, Eliza's former fiancée ends up w/ Vaughn's role; & their agent, Wylie Dinsmore, Adelia's former lover, who also ends up dead.The regular characters are all involved, to one extent or another: Maeve, Sarah's street smart ward & now assistant; Gino Donatelli, former police officer now working for Malloy (who is rather dim & in love w/ Maeve); Mother Malloy, Mrs. Ellsworth, Mrs. Brandt, Sarah's mother, & Sarafina Sratface the medium.There was one clue early on that gave away the entire crime and another one late in the story. I actually paid attention and caught them both!I liked the story, I basically like the characters; Sarah Brandt Malloy & Maeve are champs as is Sarah's mother.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been reading the Gaslight series for years and adore Sarah and Frank. They want to officially adopt Catherine but under the law at the time, the man who was married to her mother is legally her father even though he’s not biologically. He’s an actor and when they meet with him, he tells them bring the papers and he’ll sign but his girlfriend insists that he get $1000 for signing. Frank returns with the papers and finds Parnell murdered and the girlfriend starts screaming that he murderer. Frank and Sarah’s friends and relatives all help to clear him of the charges and find the murderer.

[joannefm2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frank Malloy is an ex-policeman who now owns a private detective agency. He and his wife Sarah, a midwife, are planning to formally adopt a little girl named Catherine. But they find out from an attorney that in the eyes of the law, Catherine's father is an actor named Parnell Vaughn, even though he's not the biological parent. He was married to Catherine's mother at the time of her birth, so unfortunately he still has parental rights.When Frank and Sarah visit Vaughn at the theater, they discover that he is perfectly willing to sign whatever papers need be in order to relinquish his legal hold on her. He states quite soundly that she is not his child, and he is not in a position to raise one regardless. But before Frank and Sarah leave, the young woman with Vaughn, Eliza, demands they pay one thousand dollars in order to gain custody. While exchanging money for a child is illegal, they are still more willing to find out a way to do so in order to keep the girl; and set a date for Vaughn to sign the papers.However, when Frank arrives at the theater upon the appointed time, he finds Vaughn's body covered in blood. When he checks for a pulse, he manages to get some blood on himself, and Eliza arrives shortly after and starts screaming that he killed him. When the police arrive, Frank is arrested and charged with the murder. Now it's up to he and Sarah, along with friends Maeve and Gino, to clear Frank's name and find the true killer.While I enjoyed reading this mystery, set in an historical era, I did feel that it was a tad bit slow going at some points. Although I do understand that there is a lot to do with murders, and you must ask many people questions in order to find out the truth, I did find it odd that there was never a police officer about who was curious. While I understand the lead detective believed Frank was the murderer, there was never anyone who even thought that the case might just fall apart unless their one witness was infallible (which, of course, we know she wasn't); and that they would question others just to make sure the case would stand. But it seemed the only people questioning were the 'Malloy clan'. Not one officer on the force (it seemed) was even considering that Frank just might be telling the truth and not be a murderer. It doesn't say much about his time on the force if everyone thought he was guilty. It seemed to me that if he wasn't liked by even one co-worker, how could he be likable by anyone, including his family and friends? For people who have never read any other books in the series, this might be a huge question mark, in my opinion.Aside from that, there was quite a bit of detail, and the separate questioning was thorough; I enjoyed the fact that Frank and Sarah work together a team. Their talk sessions, where everyone gathers 'round and shares information, trying to sort out fact from fiction, was quite fun to read.While it was enjoyable to read about theater people 'back in the day', I also found it nice to watch the Malloys as they traveled through their investigation. While the clues were there it took time to decipher them; and while it wasn't a surprise as to who the murder was, it definitely was engaging in the process.This is the 21st entry into the Gaslight Mysteries, but it can be read as a stand-alone. There is nothing referencing earlier books so as to be confusing to the reader, aside from incorporating some characters from those novels. When all is said and done and the killer is revealed, it was a satisfying ending to a very good book. Recommended.