Near Prospect Park: A Mary Handley Mystery (Mary Handley, #4)

by Lawrence H. Levy

Daring Brooklyn detective Mary Handley teams up with Teddy Roosevelt to solve her husband’s murder, only to run afoul of nineteenth-century New York’s elite when she uncovers a dangerous conspiracy.

It’s December 1896, and after marrying a muckraking reporter, detective Mary Handley turns her focus from pursuing new cases to raising her newborn daughter. But when her husband turns up dead, Mary knows her next case must be solving his death. Harper was working on a big story—did it get him killed? She sets out to solve his murder, soon discovering that the investigation goes all the way to the top of the New York food chain.

Realizing she’s outgunned, Mary turns to the one person who might be able to help: Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt. As the two dig deep into the underbelly of New York’s social scene, they uncover a sinister plot exploiting the city’s most vulnerable citizens.

Don’t miss any of Lawrence H. Levy’s enchanting Mary Handley mysteries:
SECOND STREET STATION • BROOKLYN ON FIRE • LAST STOP IN BROOKLYN • NEAR PROSPECT PARK

• ISBN10: 0451498461
• ISBN13: 9780451498465
• Publish Date: 14 January 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451498465

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Near Prospect Park is the 4th Mary Handley mystery by Lawrence H. Levy. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

Set at the turn of the 19th century, New York private investigator Mary Handley is investigating a theft and ransom case for W. H. Gilbert (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame) when her life is turned upside down by the murder of her husband, an investigative reporter. It's not long until all the disparate subplots merge together and Mary works through her grief by replacing it with anger and single minded determination to solve the mystery of her husband's murder (among others).

This is surprisingly dark compared to the earlier books in the series. There are themes of suicide, depression, rape/date rape, violence against women, and more. It is well written but it should be noted that apart from direct mentions of characters and historical events from 1896, it reads very much like a novel set in the modern era. The dialogue, jokes, descriptions, and narrative really could be in the present day. Some of the secondary characters (Mary's mother) were abrasive and annoying in the extreme. I've no doubt that it was intentional on the author's part, he's a gifted storyteller.

I enjoyed the book. I'm sure it will be a good match for lovers of historical procedural mysteries.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.