What I read this month: April 2024

 

April was not a big reading month for me. I was busy with a lot of other things and just wasn't in the mood for sitting still and reading. I started and abandoned quite a few books this month, and ended up only finishing one. So, this will be a short post!

Murder in Moringside Heights by Victoria Thompson

Are we at all surprised that the single book I read was part of this series? I've said it before, but having a series to dive into definitely makes maintaining a reading habit so much easier, especially during times when motivation is low.

This installment did not disappoint. Frank and Sarah are back from their honeymoon and Frank—now a private detective with his own agency—is hired to solve the murder of a young teacher at a women's college.

Remember, this series takes place in the 1890s. So, when the relationship between two older female teachers is slowly revealed to be more than just "middle-aged best friends who live together," my interest was piqued. I enjoyed seeing how this was handled based on the time period. 

This novel introduced me to "Boston marriages" and the fact that lesbianism basically couldn't exist, according to some British judges, because sexual relations can't happen without a penis involved. 

Thompson often uses historical events to frame her stories, and in this case she used a court ruling that found that women don't enjoy sex and only engage in it to please their husbands and pop out babies, so "improper" female companionship relationships simply can't exist. The way this case is discussed in the story was surprising and gratifying. 

So, we've got another solid mystery, a satisfying conclusion, and some interesting commentary on homosexual relationships during the time period. I can say this chapter in the Gaslight Mysteries is definitely one of my favorites of the series so far.

Ali