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| Plot Summary of Murder on Mulberry Bend |
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"
Berkley, Mar 2003, 6.99, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0425189104
Around 1900, midwife Sarah Brandt escorts Richard Dennis through the lower Manhattan slums to the Prodigal Son Mission where his deceased wife voluntarily worked before dying because he needs to understand why Hazel found solace at this safe place for girls. The wealthy Richard is overwhelmed with what he sees, but at the mission, Mrs. Wells provides kindness to the guilt laden Richard. Sarah gifts clothing for the misfortunate.
Not long afterward, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy is stunned when he recognizes the ugly hat of a murder victim. He thinks Sarah, who he cares deeply for, is dead. However, the corpse is someone else who later Sarah identifies as Emilia, a person she met at the Prodigal Son Mission. Over Frank's objections, Sarah begins her own inquiries that will place her in danger from a serial killer whose previous homicides have been ignored because the victims were humanity's forgotten.
The fifth Brand gaslight mystery is an engaging amateur sleuth tale though the killer seems somewhat obvious early on even with clever twists and turns to obscure the culprit's identity. The story line is loaded with action and strong characters, but what makes the tale is the vivid description of Manhattan at the turn of the century. Readers feel the awe and fear of Dennis making his first sojourn on the train and into the slums; the audience senses the miracle of the successful surgery performed on the foot of Frank's son (commonplace today). Victoria Thompson writes another delectable historical mystery that will provide plenty of pleasure for her fans and send newcomers seeking the previous “Murder on...” novels.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Murder on Mulberry Bend |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- minority/women/homosexual issues
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- nurse/medtech
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Click here for more information about this book
Victoria Thompson Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Jan Lamers
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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