Review of: The Molly Murphy mysteries by Rhys Bowen

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Today’s post is more about an entire series than just one book.  Partly because it’s a fairly lengthy series, and I feel like a bunch of book reviews about books within a mystery series would end up being a little boring and redundant.  I’ve really flown through these books.  They are the perfect length for even a busy mom-of-two to read in a day or so.  So, without further ado…

Molly Murphy is a young Irish girl with an incorrigible sense of curiosity who immigrates to America at the turn of the 20th century.  Between her Irish 6th sense, and her knack for asking the right questions, she swiftly gains a reputation as a female detective in New York City–much to the chagrin to the dashing police Captain, Daniel Sullivan.  1901 is not a fantastic time to be a woman who values independence, but Molly puts up a good fight and comes out on top each time she battles.

The mysteries take on a variety of subjects–some tackling women’s suffrage, others about actual historical events, plus your average murders, kidnappings, and thefts.  Overall, I feel like even though to some extent all the books fall into a similar pattern (understandable, since they’re all about the same woman) you never know exactly what you’ll be getting as far as the type of mystery goes.

They are not terribly intense, as far as mysteries go.  There is suspense, but it’s not of the bone-chilling, don’t-sleep-tonight variety.  As a self-professed pansy when it comes to scare factor in books and movies, these had the perfect amount of suspense for me.  They reminded me of the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books I loved as a teenager, but with a little bit more of the personal depth that one comes to expect from books for adults.

As with any series, there were some variations in how I felt about books.  There were a couple that didn’t really make me love them, but for the most part, I’ve felt they deserved a pretty consistent four stars.  One thing I love about this series is the character development.  Sometimes in series’, especially mystery series, I feel like the main character can end up being a bit predictable and stagnant as far as any personal growth goes.  This series moves along with Molly’s life, and there is a lot of personal development there.

If you’re looking for the perfect cozy series to immerse yourself in this winter, like some light mystery and romance, but also appreciate sleeping at night, Molly Murphy is the gal for you.  Check this series out!

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Books in the Molly Murphy Mystery series:

#1. Murphy’s Law; #2 Death of Riley; #3 For the Love of Mike; #4 In Like Flynn; #5. Oh Danny Boy; #6. In Dublin’s Fair City; #7. Tell Me, Pretty Maiden; #8. In A Gilded Cage; #9. The Last Illusion; #10. Bless The Bride; #11. Hush Now, Don’t You Cry; #12. The Family Way; #13. City of Darkness and Light; #14. The Edge of Dreams; #15. Away in a Manger; #16. Time of Fog and Fire