When I put the fourth book in the Gilded Gotham Mystery series (just released) on a Christmas list, I realized I may not have read the third, so I got it from the library. Almost fitting in a way, since Treachery on Tenth Street actually (non-spoiler) ends with a reference to the eventual arrival of Christmas.
The mystery is almost secondary here, since there is a good bit of emphasis on characters realizing how they feel about each other. The obvious attraction has been clear since book one and often this sort of thing can really mess up the story if it overtakes plot, character, and/or setting. It mostly works out ok here.
The basic plot, such as it is, is that intrepid reporter Genevieve is kind of dreading The Season (when the upper class of NYC gets out of the city in order to avoid the heat of high summer mostly by going to the coast and partying). One of her friends who had disappeared from her life for reasons suddenly shows up asking for help; Callie has become an artist’s model, and someone has been killing models. Rumors have it Jack the Ripper (the story is set in 1889) might have crossed the Atlantic, and Genevieve agrees to help Callie figure out who has been killing these women. Obviously, Daniel has to follow along.
Besides the interviewing various artists and other models, Genevieve also has to deal with her brother coming home from Egypt after several years, as well as dealing with her editor at the newspaper whom she had promised to be a faithful ladies society reporter after all the shenanigans of the previous two books. She’s clearly got a lot going on, although she does have a good substitute society reporter to cover for her while she goes off chasing the killer.
The plot is basically a lot of talking and wondering, even after there’s another murder right under Genevieve and Daniel’s nose. When they figure out who the murderer is, there’s no real reason for why they choose their targets; I mean there is a reason, but it doesn’t really cover why those specific girls, and it also does not explain why the final murder which Genevieve hopes to stop in time is pretty different from all of the previous ones. The intended victim makes sense, but the method is different.
The relationships are more of a focus, and Genevieve is the one who really needs to get her feelings in order. She mostly achieves this by the end. The relationship and potential wedding (not Genevieve’s) that gets stupid is between two side characters, and it gets just enough page time to be annoying since it has virtually nothing to do with most of the actual goings on. The girl and guy both have connections to Genevieve and why neither of them both to tell her seems a little rude. All of this summer romance means there is a lot of walking in on folks about to kiss, or seeing someone trying to discreetly leave someone else’s room. The bit in the elephant (actual historical reference here) actually works with the plot and characters, and there’s a bittersweet romance told in retrospect involves one of the most kick-butt lady characters who has a potential connection to the murder case; she’s actually kind of the one who unknowingly breaks the case.
Not a bad light read, though not cozy, and not entirely as balanced as I’d like. Maybe now that at least some of the relationship questions are starting to get settled, book 4 gets back to the mystery.