Murder on Amsterdam Avenue

By: Victoria Thompson

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

In this Gaslight Mystery from the national best-selling author of Murder in Murray Hill, midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy investigate foul play in the secretive high-society world of 19th-century New York City....

In the midst of Sarah and Frank's wedding preparations, Sarah accompanies her mother on a condolence call to the Upper West Side, where Charles Fairfax, the son of family friends, has died unexpectedly after suffering from a mysterious disease. It is a tragic and all too common story - or so it seems. Charles' father asks to speak with Sarah privately. He believes his son was poisoned and would like Sarah and Frank to look into the matter with the utmost discretion.

Putting their own personal affairs on hold, Sarah and Frank soon learn that not everyone wants to know more about Charles's death, particularly if he was murdered. As they unravel secrets that reach back to the War Between the States, they also discover that they are in the company of a very present danger....

©2015 Victoria Thompson (P)2015 Recorded Books

Engaging characters-

Narrator makes Frank sound far too gruff! And anytime someone has an Italian accent, I have to stop myself from fast forwarding! Mama Mia!!!

Toren does another great narration

What did you love best about Murder on Amsterdam Avenue?

The plot for this book is well-done, although not as violent or "graphic'' as some in this series (esp the early ones.). As usual, author Thompson adds history and context to the period. Narrator Suzanne Toren has narrated the second half of this series's books (the 1st 8 apparently were never read for audiobooks), and really lifts the series above the ordinary. She does a great job with the voices, especially Sarah Brandt and Det Sgt Malloy, who finally are headed toward the altar.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sarah Brandt, who continues to evolve over the course of this series.

Have you listened to any of Suzanne Toren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm a fan of Toren's work, and VERY glad that the publishers and author have been consistent in using Toren for all the books in this series that have been given the audiobook treatment. Too many terrific book series (the late Barbara Parker's "Suspicion of" series, and the more recent Scottoline books) have been ruined, IMO by poor decisions to switch narrators. It looked like Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series was headed down that same sorry route, but it appears that Barbara Rosenblat has been redeployed -- a good thing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure.

Any additional comments?

I REALLY would like to see Toren narrate the first eight books in this series, which apparently have never had audiobook versions. I ended up reading them on my Kindle after I had finished many of the audiobooks, which only cover the last half of this enjoyable series.

Finally!

They have tied the knot!!

Such an excellent story but sad too bringing memories of terrible times from the civil war and a lot of the wrongs done

But excellent narration and cannot wait to get to the next!

Fabulous Story!

I discovered the Gaslight series several years ago. I fell in love with the characters and the mysteries they encountered. Recently, I started listening to books through Audible. it's been wonderful to rediscover this series this way. The narration is just wonderful.

Murder on Amsterdam Avenue

Loved the story once again as usual! And once again, I want to finish this and get going on the next story!