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kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
Eleventh in the Molly Murphy mystery series set in the early 20th century. This story is set in the spring of 1904 in Newport, Rhode Island.
My Take
Between Daniel's job and Molly's proclivities, I doubt the two of them will ever experience a vacation without drama.
Interesting to read about fingerprints still being a novelty and aspirin one of those newfangled medicines!
Bowen has set up a series of complex layers that all intertwine and play off each other and still be a surface read. A few surprises, but most of the events are expected. No, I don't mean clichéd, simply nothing too out of the ordinary.
A fun read, but no real depth.
The Story
Molly and her captain are trying...again...to have a honeymoon. This one is courtesy of Alderman Hannan with an invitation to spend time at a guest cottage on the grounds of his Newport cottage. And it seems that Hannan has an ulterior motive for this invite.
But fate steps in and continues to prevent that honeymoon when Daniel gets deathly sick and there's a murder. One that may be connected to Brian Hannan's granddaughter's death years earlier.
It's ghosts and irate family members desperate to kick Molly and Daniel off the estate even as Molly snoops and sneaks her way about uncovering secrets that should never have been hidden.
The Characters
Molly Murphy is recently wed to her love, but they are a couple still in a state of negotiation whether they acknowledge it or not. Detecting is in Molly's blood and I can't imagine that Daniel will be able to scrub it out! Captain Daniel Sullivan is with the New York Police Department and one of those rare cops (in that time period) who is clean. He's a typical cop. Has to have visible proof before he will believe. Augusta "Gus" Walcott is one of the Boston Walcotts. She and her partner, Elena "Sid" Goldfarb, are Molly's neighbors and friends back in New York and they show up in Newport to support Molly through Daniel's illness. Dr. Birnbaum is Molly's friend and an alienist whom Molly asks to examine young Kathleen.
Alderman Brian Hannan is with Tammany Hall while his construction company is building the New York subway system. Mrs. McCreedy is his housekeeper in Newport with an even more important task. Patrick, Joseph, and Mary are his siblings. Patrick is a priest. Irene is Brian's daughter and married to Archie Van Horn with two sons, the very mischievous Thomas and Alexander. Her daughter, Colleen, died years ago in a fall.
Joseph Hannan is Brian's partner in the construction business with a penchant for the ladies. His son Terrence works in the office, but spends more time doing drugs, embezzling, running up gambling debts, and generally, playing the rich boy. Eliza is his sister.
Mary née Hannan Flannery is present with her grandson Samuel McCloskey, a young enough lad in trouble with gangs whom Brian took in to get away from their influence.
Chief Prescott is with the Newport Police. More of a "who you know" appointment than one who actually knows what he's doing. And determined not to accept the help of a possible suspect! Ned Turnbull is a local artist who had painted Colleen a short while before she died. Miss Catherine Swan Gallinger is the nosy across-the-street neighbor. Too bad the cops never thought to chat with her!
The Cover
The cover is photographic with the newly wed Molly Murphy Sullivan standing on the sea wall in Newport, one of the "cottages" in the background.
It's a sad tale of appearances and madness that certainly inspires Gus to cradle and comfort with a Hush Now, Don't You Cry.
My Take
Between Daniel's job and Molly's proclivities, I doubt the two of them will ever experience a vacation without drama.
Interesting to read about fingerprints still being a novelty and aspirin one of those newfangled medicines!
Bowen has set up a series of complex layers that all intertwine and play off each other and still be a surface read. A few surprises, but most of the events are expected. No, I don't mean clichéd, simply nothing too out of the ordinary.
A fun read, but no real depth.
The Story
Molly and her captain are trying...again...to have a honeymoon. This one is courtesy of Alderman Hannan with an invitation to spend time at a guest cottage on the grounds of his Newport cottage. And it seems that Hannan has an ulterior motive for this invite.
But fate steps in and continues to prevent that honeymoon when Daniel gets deathly sick and there's a murder. One that may be connected to Brian Hannan's granddaughter's death years earlier.
It's ghosts and irate family members desperate to kick Molly and Daniel off the estate even as Molly snoops and sneaks her way about uncovering secrets that should never have been hidden.
The Characters
Molly Murphy is recently wed to her love, but they are a couple still in a state of negotiation whether they acknowledge it or not. Detecting is in Molly's blood and I can't imagine that Daniel will be able to scrub it out! Captain Daniel Sullivan is with the New York Police Department and one of those rare cops (in that time period) who is clean. He's a typical cop. Has to have visible proof before he will believe. Augusta "Gus" Walcott is one of the Boston Walcotts. She and her partner, Elena "Sid" Goldfarb, are Molly's neighbors and friends back in New York and they show up in Newport to support Molly through Daniel's illness. Dr. Birnbaum is Molly's friend and an alienist whom Molly asks to examine young Kathleen.
Alderman Brian Hannan is with Tammany Hall while his construction company is building the New York subway system. Mrs. McCreedy is his housekeeper in Newport with an even more important task. Patrick, Joseph, and Mary are his siblings. Patrick is a priest. Irene is Brian's daughter and married to Archie Van Horn with two sons, the very mischievous Thomas and Alexander. Her daughter, Colleen, died years ago in a fall.
Joseph Hannan is Brian's partner in the construction business with a penchant for the ladies. His son Terrence works in the office, but spends more time doing drugs, embezzling, running up gambling debts, and generally, playing the rich boy. Eliza is his sister.
Mary née Hannan Flannery is present with her grandson Samuel McCloskey, a young enough lad in trouble with gangs whom Brian took in to get away from their influence.
Chief Prescott is with the Newport Police. More of a "who you know" appointment than one who actually knows what he's doing. And determined not to accept the help of a possible suspect! Ned Turnbull is a local artist who had painted Colleen a short while before she died. Miss Catherine Swan Gallinger is the nosy across-the-street neighbor. Too bad the cops never thought to chat with her!
The Cover
The cover is photographic with the newly wed Molly Murphy Sullivan standing on the sea wall in Newport, one of the "cottages" in the background.
It's a sad tale of appearances and madness that certainly inspires Gus to cradle and comfort with a Hush Now, Don't You Cry.
knitswithbeer's review
5.0
As always, a good storyline with a few twists and a clutch of deaths.
Although part of a series, it's been a while and I'd somehow skipped this one. A good stand alone too.
Although part of a series, it's been a while and I'd somehow skipped this one. A good stand alone too.
wayfaring_witch's review
4.0
Another very delightful Molly Murphy (ahem Sullivan!) Mystery! This one took a nice direction where we had almost a traditional mystery as we had most of the suspects stuck in one house. I also enjoyed getting a bit more Daniel, but as always there is a reason he isn't quite fully there. A fun adventure, and as always Rhys delivered a great read!
squeaky_luna's review against another edition
3.0
I still love the character Molly Murphy but this book was slightly slower paced than others in the series. Hopefully the next installment will be set back in the city and the pace will pick up again.
sheltzer's review
4.0
I was happy to find that Molly's first mystery after being married was just as delightful as the ones before she was married. It helps that Daniel was laid up with pneumonia... I found the plot line to be engaging and a little outside the norm.
valeehill's review against another edition
4.0
If anything being married has done nothing to hinder Molly's curiosity and need to find the truth. Daniel's being indisposed for most of the book allowed his new bride to explore, question, and solve crimes much as she did before marrying. She's a detective through and through. Acting like a wife? That will probably take several more books! Yippee!
nonna7's review against another edition
4.0
Rhys Bowen is one of my favorite "cozy" crime writers. I enjoy reading her books because they are very accurate historically and the mystery is convoluted enough to keep my attention. It doesn't matter that I guessed the murderer before the end of the book although that was gratifying!
In this latest edition of the Molly Murphy series, Molly is now Molly Sullivan. She's been married for a short time, but their honeymoon was delayed by a police investigation into the collapse of one of the tunnels being built for the new subway coming to New York.
Now they are on their way to stay in the guest cottage of the summer "cottage" of an Irish-American NYC alderman and construction company owner. Their visit is coinciding with a family get-together at an odd time. It's October and nobody who is ANYBODY goes to their Newport, RI "cottage" after Labor Day!
The alderman has asked Daniel, Molly's husband, to go because he convinced he was wrong about something, but doesn't say what his concern is. Unfortunately, the alderman is found dead at the bottom of the cliff. The local police are anxious to get the investigation closed quickly and are convinced that he had drunk too much and fell off the cliff.
However, it is soon obvious that he was poisoned. Then there is the face of a madly laughing child that Molly is positive she saw in the window the night they arrived. I read this one in a day. It was fun and interesting, and you even learn a little about life at the turn of the 19th century! (By the way, you'll see that whomever wrote the summary of the book on the inside of the cover, wasn't as careful as they should have been!)
In this latest edition of the Molly Murphy series, Molly is now Molly Sullivan. She's been married for a short time, but their honeymoon was delayed by a police investigation into the collapse of one of the tunnels being built for the new subway coming to New York.
Now they are on their way to stay in the guest cottage of the summer "cottage" of an Irish-American NYC alderman and construction company owner. Their visit is coinciding with a family get-together at an odd time. It's October and nobody who is ANYBODY goes to their Newport, RI "cottage" after Labor Day!
The alderman has asked Daniel, Molly's husband, to go because he convinced he was wrong about something, but doesn't say what his concern is. Unfortunately, the alderman is found dead at the bottom of the cliff. The local police are anxious to get the investigation closed quickly and are convinced that he had drunk too much and fell off the cliff.
However, it is soon obvious that he was poisoned. Then there is the face of a madly laughing child that Molly is positive she saw in the window the night they arrived. I read this one in a day. It was fun and interesting, and you even learn a little about life at the turn of the 19th century! (By the way, you'll see that whomever wrote the summary of the book on the inside of the cover, wasn't as careful as they should have been!)
ambergold's review against another edition
2.0
Endearing protagonist buried in overly long prose and a cliched mystery. If you're read even one or two gothic novels like me, you will start to check out the moment Molly arrives at an old mansion and sees the ghostly head of a mysterious child in a window - a child who was killed years before. Every part of the setup has been done a thousand times before, and there are far too many really great writers in the world for me to suffer mediocre anymore. The dialogue and character-building had a lot of potential so I'm mildly interested in checking out Ms. Bowen's Spy series which she's best known for - but I checked out of this book a 100 or so pages in (so far, almost nothing had happened, by the by).
erinstjames's review against another edition
3.0
I understand Molly is the main character and she has her side kicks but why is Daniel never given a big role. She waffles all the time about being honest with him. Like while he's battling pneumonia you're off sticking your nose in other people's problems.
I like the Molly series even though I don't like Molly or her choices. I enjoy the mysteries and that's about it
I like the Molly series even though I don't like Molly or her choices. I enjoy the mysteries and that's about it