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    Murder in Little Italy
    Murder in Little Italy
    Murder in Little Italy
    Audiobook7 hours

    Murder in Little Italy

    Written by Victoria Thompson

    Narrated by Callie Beaulieu

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    When midwife Sarah Brandt visits Little Italy to check up on a new mother who delivered her baby just the day before, she finds the young woman dead. The family insists that the death was from complications of childbirth. Sarah disagrees. So does the woman's own mother, an Irishwoman who spreads the story that the girl was murdered by her Italian in-laws, the Ruoccos-an accusation that inflames tensions between the two immigrant groups.

    The situation escalates when a second death in the tenements nearly leads to riots in the streets as political factions and organized crime take sides and square off over wild rumors and newspaper accusations. Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy realizes that he will need Sarah's help to unravel the secrets of these troubled families, bring a killer to justice, and restore order to the volatile community.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 22, 2016
    ISBN9781494585006
    Murder in Little Italy
    Author

    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!

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    Reviews for Murder in Little Italy

    4/5

    175 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When a new mother dies shortly after the baby is born, nurse/midwife Sarah Brandt wants to know what happened. Could her actions have caused it? The robust health of the chubby-cheeked baby (who was thought to have arrived two months early) proves to the Ruocco family that the child could not have been fathered by the Antonio Ruocco. He had eloped with Nainsi O’Hara without his family’s knowledge because she said she was pregnant with his child. The Ruoccos weren’t happy before the baby’s birth about having an Irish girl in the family, and they certainly are not any happier afterward. Sarah soon discovers that the mother was suffocated. The dead girl’s in-laws are related to an Italian mob boss and the powers that be in New York City are concerned that a police investigation might set off a war between the Italians and the Irish. So they assign Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to the case. And, unfortunately, Sarah is part of the package – and he doesn’t want her in the middle if there is a street war between the two ethnic groups.This is one of my favorite series and I continue to binge-read it. It doesn’t disappoint.
    • 5/5
      first time with this author. will be reading more of her work.
    • 4/5
      A murder mystery investigated by Frank Malone and Sarah Brandt. Visit turn-of-the-century Victorian New York where Theodore Roosevelt is Chief of Police. Meet Italian policeman Gino, unusual as the Italian immigrants are discriminated against by the Irish immigrants and most police are Irish.
    • 4/5
      Murder in Little Italy
      4 Stars

      Well written as always with a realistic portrayal of the animosities and conflicts between the different ethnicities in New York at the turn of the century, which adds to the authenticity of the mystery.

      Although the culprit isn't as obvious as in previous books, it is possible to figure out the "who-dun-it" by following the clues and conversations.

      Frank and Sarah's slow burn romance is going strong. While some readers find this a little annoying, for me it makes sense both because of the time period and because the genre of historical mystery and not historical romance.

      Overall, another engaging story in the series. Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries with light romance.
    • 4/5
      It was my first experience with this series and a very pleasant one it was. The author gave a good feel for New York in the early 1900s, when Theodore Roosevelt was police commissioner. I learned of the impact of two of the major immigrant groups, the Italians and the Irish, and of the difficulties of meshing them into city. The murder/s were interesting, and for once I refrained from peaking at the end. To my surprise I was correct as to the murderer. Having read this one out of order (I know, I know, I just heard the gasps of my friends), I would like to go back to the beginning and pick up the series, and eventually reading several other volumes I have in the house.
    • 3/5
      Called to attend a birth in Little Italy, Sarah Brandt finds an anxious family. Young Nainsi Ruocco's baby is being born too early. Sarah soon finds trouble on her hands when the full-term baby she delivered helps prove that ,although Nainsi was pregnant when they were married, Antonio Ruocco could not possibly be the baby's father. Nainsi's mother-in-law, Patrizia, matriarch of the family, wants Nainsi to take the baby and go. Sarah convinces her to let them stay until Nainsi has recovered from the birth. When Sarah returns the next following morning to check on her patient, she finds Nainsi dead.

      The family insists that the death was from complications of childbirth but Sarah is unconvinced. Soon the mystery has inflamed the tensions between the Italian and Irish immigrants, and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy must find out the truth before a full-scale street war develops. Once again, he's going to need Sarah's help to unravel the secrets of this troubled family, bring a killer to justice, and restore order to the volatile community.

      This novel shares many strengths with its predecessors, but it is a bit more predictable. As a result I didn't enjoy it as much as the prior mysteries but it's a perfect story to pick up when you want to visit turn of the century New York. I enjoy this “comfort” series and plant to continue with them.
    • 5/5
      Mystery writing doesn't get much better than this.
    • 4/5
      When a woman is murdered right after Sarah Brandt delivers her baby, the issues of hatred between Irish and Italian immigrants shows it's ugly face. The woman was Irish and she had married an Italian man. When the baby is delivered it is obvious it is not the father's child. When the baby is claimed by the Irish woman's mother, the Italians decide to keep it. Then riots begin when tabloids proclaim the child kidnapped and the mother murdered. Sarah and Frank need to act quickly to figure out who did what to whom and soon before more riots take over the city.
    • 4/5
      When a young Irish girl finds herself unexpectedly expecting she turns to a dalliance with a young Italian to secure a future for herself and her newly-growing family. Sarah Brandt is called in to deliver the child "early," but the shrewd midwife and unforgiving mother-in-law quickly put two and two together, and realize that the healthy full-time baby couldn't possibly be the offspring of the young Italian. Tempers fly, challenges are made, and Sarah does what she can to mediate for the sake of the newborn. Interestingly, the young Irish girl remains calm and smug despite the threads, and assures the midwife that things will work out just fine indeed.Which, in the world of mystery novels, means she's destined to die as soon as someone turns their back.I enjoyed this mystery as much as I have the others, but I've come to realize that I've made a mistake in judgment in relation to this stories: I've always worked under the assumption that the female protagonist is extremely intelligent. Sarah Brandt is an seemingly a wonderful midwife and confidant, and her upbringing makes her an ideal interrogator for unsuspecting suspects, but she is no detective. Time and again she puts herself in danger, and in this particular novel she completely glosses over the confession she hears early in the narrative - not to mention the glaring red arrows that point out the guilty party.Still, for a cozy mystery series, the Gaslight Mysteries continue to be enjoyable, and I appreciate the slow development that Thompson is drawing out in terms of Mrs. Brandt and Detective Malloy's relationship.
    • 3/5
      I enjoy this series set in New York in the 1890's. The main character is a widowed midwife who always seems to fall into a murder investigation. In this story, a baby is born to an Italian man and his young Irish wife. The wife is murdered after the baby's birth. Riots and fights begin between the Irish and the Italians, with Teddy Roosevelt calling in extra help to quash the problem. Thompson presents the Italian immigrants who firmly believe in blood ties and will honor this tie regardless. Thompson also shows the plight of the factory girls and their life of drudgery. Thompson also exhibits the workings of Tammany Hall
    • 5/5
      Another great book in this series. Sarah is called to deliver a 7 month baby to a young Irish girl married to Italian boy. The baby is obviously full term and this starts a war between the families and riots occur outside of the family Restaurant in Little Italy. The young mother is murdered, the baby cries and won't sleep and they send for Sarah. The oldest son's wife who can't have children wants to keep the baby amid all this turmoil.
    • 5/5
      Victoria Thompson has become one of my favorite authors. Her mysteries are well-written and have depth. In this installment, a young pregnant Irish girl marries an Italian boy. When the girl gives birth "prematurely," it becomes obvious to his family that her husband is not the father of the child. When she ends up dead by the next morning, the entire family is under suspicion of murder and the custody battle lends itself to Irish-Italian rioting. Midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Malloy once again team up to solve the case. Thompson does a superb job in developing her characters. Her research into the time period lends authenticity to the setting.