Last Stop in Brooklyn (Mary Handley #3) by Lawrence H. Levy

Cover design by Alane Gianetti Cover photograph by Mark Summers

​In 1894, Mary Handley has had a successful private investigating career for a few years. After a family friend asks Mary to discover whether or not his wife is having an affair, Mary is also approached by a man who believes that his brother was wrongfully convicted and he wants Mary to prove his innocence. When a prostitute called ‘Old Shakespeare’ was murdered in a similar manner as the Ripper murders, a suspect was instantly found and arrested, but was he the killer? Three years later, as Mary digs into the case, she finds corruption and an astonishing amount of similar cases, covered up by New York’s head detective, Thomas Byrnes.
In order to prove a man’s innocence, Mary must find the actual killer and battle the corruption in the New York Police Department. To do so she is going to need a lot of powerful and influential allies like Teddy Roosevelt, Jacob Riis, and Harper Lloyd. Can Mary and her friends catch the killer before he strikes again?
Mary Handley has come a long way since her first case in “Second Street Station” and has achieved her dream of being a detective. In a time dominated by men, this was not an easy endeavor.  Now she has made a name for herself and has made the acquaintance of some very important and influential men.
This case differs from her previous cases because of its link to the infamous Jack the Ripper and his White Chapel murders. Mary is determined to discover the truth behind the murders, but she goes about it unaware if Jack the Ripper himself has made it to Brooklyn, or is this killer simply a copycat. Either way she is in danger and the more digging she does the more danger she is in.
I enjoyed reading about the mystery as it unfolded, and for a long while thought I knew who the murderer was, however, I was proven wrong and was shocked by the revelation.
Considering these murders are similar to those of Jack the Ripper, it is unsurprising that this novel is violent and discusses prostitution on the level that it does. Also, because this novel takes place in 1894, there is racism and inequity throughout.
The author fully answered any questions I had by the end of the novel. Though the ending leaves me wondering whether or not the author will continue this series.
I would give this novel four out of five stars and recommend it to readers who enjoys historical mystery novels.
I received a copy of this novel from bloggingforbooks.com. I also won a copy of this novel on Goodreads Firstreads after requesting a copy from bloggingforbooks.com, having forgotten that I had entered into the Goodreads giveaway. I donated one copy of this novel to a fellow reader, who I believe is reading it now. I plan to also donate a copy to my local library. I received my copy of this novel for the sole purpose of providing an honest review and am currently seeking permission to use an image of the cover artwork above. 

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