10.
Author(s): Susan Glaspell
Title: [734419::Trifles] and "A Jury of Her Peers"
Publication: Literary Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama, short story
Acquisition: Work text, read once a semester
Date Completed: January 28, 2011
Rating: Unrated

11.
Author(s): Victoria Thompson
Title: [Murder on Astor Place]
Publication: Kindle Edition
Pages: 288
Genre: Historical cozy mystery
Acquisition: Recommended by leperdbunny
Date Completed: February 5, 2011
Rating: 3.5 stars

The unusual blending of genres is what first inspired me to pick up Victoria Thompson's Murder on Astor Place: historical in setting, interesting choice of occupation for the female protagonist (midwife, as opposed to the so-common librarian or shopkeeper), and a delightfully scandalous mystery. The protagonist, Sarah, is instantly sympathetic, if her involvement in the actual mystery is stretched a bit far (but such is the case with most cozy mysteries, so I would not call this a weakness). The mystery itself is dizzying at times, but well-paced, and the resolution is completely satisfactory.

However, I did have to take off a full star for unnecessary discrimination and judgment. In the final scenes (the all-important revelation), the suggestion of homosexual acts is used as a marker of complete and utter depravity for a specific character - the final poisoned cherry on an abhorrent cake. This detail does absolutely nothing for the development of the antagonist, nor does it have any place in the plot or resolution. It's an ugly moment in the novel that lead to my instant disappointment. Really, the resolution is itself moving enough without this added "degradation."

Still, this one detail is my only complaint, and I don't necessarily think it speaks to the body of Thompson's work as a whole, so I'll certainly be seeking out the other books in the series.