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A review by bookwyrm_lark
The Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen
4.0
I’ve been a fan of Rhys Bowen since I first stumbled across one of her Constable Evans books in a library about 15 years ago. So it’s a mystery to me why I’ve never read any of her Molly Murphy books – especially since I love historical mysteries and the Victorian/Edwardian era as well. Luckily for me, I was given the chance to read the most recent book in the series, The Edge of Dreams, for a tour. Now I’m well and truly hooked.
To begin with, I really like Molly. She’s an independent and strong-willed young woman, adjusting with some difficulty to the social confines of married life. Although she has given up her career as a private detective, old habits die hard, and her husband’s job as a police detective keeps her in touch and involved – not always with Daniel’s approval. Molly has a touch of the Sight, too, but it doesn’t play a big role in her mystery solving, at least in this book.
I like Daniel, too; he’s not terribly happy about Molly pursuing her inquiries, especially if it’s dangerous or involves his case(s), but he loves her and he’s honest enough to respect her abilities. Their marriage, like society at large, is finding its way between the expectations of the past century (the book takes place in 1905) and the changes of the present – including women’s growing push for independence and equal rights.
There are several well-drawn supporting character, ranging from Molly’s friends and neighbors, the unconventional Sid and Gus, to her young son and mother-in-law. It’s an engaging milieu, with realistic affection and tension between Molly’s mother-in-law and Molly. Even suspects and minor characters ring true; no one feels flat or caricatured.
The mystery itself is well-plotted and satisfyingly difficult to solve: a string of seemingly motiveless and unrelated deaths, tied together only by the notes the murderer sends to Daniel. It was ages before I began to have even a glimmer of who the culprit might be. This isn’t one of those books where you know all the suspects up front (or nearly so); it’s more like a real investigation, in which the clues are slowly uncovered through persistence and, sometimes, luck. Bowen also weaves in the new science of psychology (alienism), particularly dream analysis, and the dreams of both Molly and a young girl, adding both atmosphere and perhaps clues to the mystery.
The overall tone of the Molly Murphy novels is more series than Georgie’s delightfully madcap adventures in Bowen’s other series, Her Royal Spyness. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of humor in the Molly books, but if you prefer your mysteries to be on the realistic side, this series definitely delivers. Personally, I enjoy both, so I will happily continue reading the Royal Spyness books while I catch up on the Molly Murphy series!
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher/author/publicist. All opinions are my own.
To begin with, I really like Molly. She’s an independent and strong-willed young woman, adjusting with some difficulty to the social confines of married life. Although she has given up her career as a private detective, old habits die hard, and her husband’s job as a police detective keeps her in touch and involved – not always with Daniel’s approval. Molly has a touch of the Sight, too, but it doesn’t play a big role in her mystery solving, at least in this book.
I like Daniel, too; he’s not terribly happy about Molly pursuing her inquiries, especially if it’s dangerous or involves his case(s), but he loves her and he’s honest enough to respect her abilities. Their marriage, like society at large, is finding its way between the expectations of the past century (the book takes place in 1905) and the changes of the present – including women’s growing push for independence and equal rights.
There are several well-drawn supporting character, ranging from Molly’s friends and neighbors, the unconventional Sid and Gus, to her young son and mother-in-law. It’s an engaging milieu, with realistic affection and tension between Molly’s mother-in-law and Molly. Even suspects and minor characters ring true; no one feels flat or caricatured.
The mystery itself is well-plotted and satisfyingly difficult to solve: a string of seemingly motiveless and unrelated deaths, tied together only by the notes the murderer sends to Daniel. It was ages before I began to have even a glimmer of who the culprit might be. This isn’t one of those books where you know all the suspects up front (or nearly so); it’s more like a real investigation, in which the clues are slowly uncovered through persistence and, sometimes, luck. Bowen also weaves in the new science of psychology (alienism), particularly dream analysis, and the dreams of both Molly and a young girl, adding both atmosphere and perhaps clues to the mystery.
The overall tone of the Molly Murphy novels is more series than Georgie’s delightfully madcap adventures in Bowen’s other series, Her Royal Spyness. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of humor in the Molly books, but if you prefer your mysteries to be on the realistic side, this series definitely delivers. Personally, I enjoy both, so I will happily continue reading the Royal Spyness books while I catch up on the Molly Murphy series!
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher/author/publicist. All opinions are my own.