“Murder on Astor Place” by Victoria Thompson – The Midwife Sleuth
In Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson, we are introduced to a midwife by the name of Sarah Brandt, who has, with time, become estranged with her rich and powerful family. However, one day she is forced to reconnect with them as a young girl, Alicia VanDamm, is murdered in Sarah’s boarding house. As it turns out, Alicia’s family is also quite prominent, and her next of kin do not want an investigation for fear of some kind of scandal. It seems, for a while at least, that Sarah is the only one who wants justice for Alicia, but soon after being taken off the case, Sergeant Frank Malloy asks for Sarah’s help, and together they attempt to bring the one responsible to justice.