The devil's in the details when a man is found murdered near Trinity Church in the latest installment of the national bestselling Gaslight Mystery series... The year of 1899 is drawing to a close. Frank and Sarah Malloy are getting ready to celebrate the New Year at Trinity Church when they notice Mr. Pritchard, a relative of their neighbor's, behaving oddly and annoying the other revelers. Frank tries to convince Pritchard to return home with them, but the man refuses and Frank loses him in the crowd. The next morning Sarah and Frank are horrified to learn Pritchard was murdered sometime in the night, his body left on Trinity Place, the side street near the church. The police aren't too interested in the murder, and the family are concerned that the circumstances of the death will reflect badly on Pritchard's reputation. To protect the family from scandal, Nelson asks Frank to investigate. Frank and Sarah delve into Pritchard's past and realize there may have been a deadly side to the dawning of the new century. Praise for the Edgar® and Agatha award-nominated Gaslight mysteries "Tantalizing."--Catherine Coulter, #1  New York Times  bestselling author  "[Thompson's] Gaslight series is a consistent winner."-- Booklist "Thompson vividly re-creates the gaslit world of old New York."-- Publishers Weekly "Victoria Thompson shines...Anne Perry and Caleb Carr fans, rejoice!"--Tamar Myers, national bestselling author of the  Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries "A fascinating window into a bygone era."-- Kirkus Reviews "Gangs of New York, eat your heart out--this book is the real thing."-- Mystery Scene "Enthralling...Fascinating characters with a story to tell."-- Fresh Fiction Victoria Thompson is the Edgar® and Agatha award-nominated author of the Gaslight mysteries--including Murder on Union Square, Murder in the Bowery, Murder in Morningside Heights, and Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue --as well as numerous historical novels. She lives in the Chicago area with her family. i All he ever talks about is milk." "Milk?" Sarah Malloy echoed. "Oh, because he owns a dairy, I suppose." Mrs. Ellsworth nodded. Sarah's neighbor had dropped in on the day after Christmas to invite Sarah and her husband, Frank, to dine with the Ellsworth family and her son's new in-laws. But she had also felt compelled to warn them about the new bride's father, Clarence Pritchard, and his tendency to talk about his work. "I suppose that's only natural," Sarah said. "He's rather successful, isn't he?" "Oh yes, which I'm sure he'll mention. Oh my, I hope I haven't talked you out of coming. I'm anxious for you to know Mrs. Pritchard better. She's such a lovely person, which is probably why Theda is such a delightful girl. But Mr. Pritchard can be a bit of a bore, I'm afraid." "I'm sure we'll manage. Malloy can always launch into a tale about his adventures in the police department if it's truly an emergency." "Or perhaps he could tell us about his new life as a private detective. I would be forever grateful. And Mrs. Malloy is also invited, although when I spoke to her about it yesterday, she said she'd be needed to watch the children if I also invited Maeve." Sarah smiled at that. Mrs. Malloy and Mrs. Ellsworth had become good friends, as unlikely as Sarah had thought it when her mother-in-law had come to live here. But Mother Malloy would never feel comfortable at a formal dinner party, even at her friend's house. "Were you going to invite Maeve?" "I was considering it. I've invited Harvey, too, and I thought he might like having a pretty girl to talk to." Sarah's nanny was certainly a pretty girl. "Harvey? That's Theda's brother, isn't it?" "Yes, I'm sure you met him last month at the wedding." Ah yes, the sullen young man who had drunk too much and passed out. "I'm sure Maeve will be thrilled to be included, but won't the Pritchards think it odd you invited our nanny to a social event?" "I'll tell them she's Catherine's governess." "Do people still have governesses?" Sarah asked in amusement. "I'm sure they do somewhere. The Pritchards won't know, and they'll be too polite to ask." They chatted for a few minutes about the arrangements. Then Mrs. Ellsworth said, "I don't suppose Mr. Malloy would be willing to do our first step this New Year's." "You mean to be the first man to step over your threshold after midnight to bring you luck?" Mrs. Ellsworth was notoriously superstitious. "Doesn't Nelson usually do it?" "Yes, but I thought it would be fun to have someone else do it this time. We just need a dark-haired man to come in with a lump of coal and a few coins right after midnight to ensure us a prosperous 1900." "I'm sure Malloy would love to do it," Sarah lied, easily picturing how he'd roll his eyes if asked to participate in one of Mrs. Ellsworth's superstitions, "but we'll be going down to Trinity Church to hear the bells ring in the New Year, and I'm not sure when we'll get back." Mrs. Ellsworth brighten