Review: Murder on Bedford Street

Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is with sadness that this review is written. 27 installments of the life of Sarah Brandt Malloy and her husband, Frank Malloy and the series is coming to an end. Not ending as did the Irish stories of Patrick Taylor who decided to retire from its writing, but rather curtailed by the death of Victoria Thompson. I've always written her note when finishing the latest episode to share with her my memories of my mother's and grandmother's stories of their lives in turn of the century New York City. I will miss that short but sweet flurry of notes.

I don't remember any mention of Ward's Island and its mental asylum so perhaps our notes would be much shorter. It does not come as a great surprise, however, that committal into such a place by a vengeful husband would be a tool used against women at that time, they had so very few rights. What was even more surprising was the fact that once placed there being released was such an involved process. And yet, as shown here, money talks and so in some circumstances, if the bribe is big enough, short cuts are available. No matter, the determination of sanity was a very fluid diagnosis. Some patients really were insane or at least a danger to themselves and/or others.

The problem in this tale to to determine if that is the case with the young wife of a prominent and very private member of society, who has had Julia sent to Ward's Island. Her Uncle and Aunt do not believe she is insane and have hired Frank to prove her perfectly fine so that they can get her released. They are mostly concerned about the scandal if her placement were to become public knowledge. They have a daughter soon to have her debut and such a situation would surely destroy any chance she might have to gain a suitable husband. Ah, yes, as always in society, reputation is all.

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