17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another great entry in the series!, April 14, 2009
Another turn 'round old New York with Molly Murphy in this eighth entry in the series finds the intrepid immigrant PI looking into a case involving the suspicious death of a young lady involved in a women's suffrage march during the Easter Parade. A tragic death, the official story reads, from a sudden bout of influenza--not too uncommon in those days, especially not during an epidemic of it striking the city. But then more members of the womens' circle soon fall victim, and Miss Murphy smells a rat...
Of course, murder and mayhem aren't the only troubles on her plate. Having patched things up with her on-again off-again beau, Daniel Sullivan, who's been reinstated to his former status as Captain in the NYPD, the two settle into a less sharp relationship. The question of "Will they or won't they?" has apparently been resolved, but tension still exists as the happy couple experience their share of conflict. A grand romance still doesn't mean that two people can't clash over various aspects of their two lives coming together, and Molly and Daniel continue to stubbornly disagree over aspects of their mutual future. It's a nice touch to see that the removal of their former external romantic obstacles doesn't mean settling into a cloyingly perfect state of things between them.
I do like the aspect that since they met in "Murphy's Law", the first book of the series, Molly typically doesn't happen to be involved in Daniel's police cases like we see with many couples in mysteries, conveniently forcing the two of them to interact and work together. They both maintain separate investigations and careers, but particularly now in "In a Gilded Cage", the two seem to discover some common ground in their mutual solving of cases, which may raise the possibility of lending ideas and fresh perspective to each other in the future.
Daniel himself has held some definite interest in the last few books. Initially a cocky, glib young detective--a bit of a raffish Gilded Age bad boy--recent losses and experiences have taken their toll, though he hasn't entirely turned his ways. Although we unfortunately don't get his point of view, glimpses of a young man taking stock of his life, and perhaps settling into a greater maturity, are there. As he rather seriously tells Molly in this volume, after all the bad times they've been through recently, he wants to look forward to a life with her. His concern for her frequent daredevil antics still retains some of the chauvinistic condescension native to the men of the era that we've seen previously when the two have discussed the issue, but perhaps due to his own recent experiences, it also seems to ring with a note of genuine concern that after losing so much, he might lose the person he loves most. The issue remains unresolved at the end, but I'm interested to see what happens, and whether or not with a new depth of honesty developing between them, Molly admits the truth about certain events from the period of Daniel's professional disgrace that she's been concealing from him.
Molly is an engaging character in that despite her amateur status and lack of credentials, she persists in forging her own path, carving out her own little piece of the American dream. She's got a sharp mind and a lot of common sense, but even that doesn't guarantee success when, as a young woman loitering around the streets on a stakeout during an investigation, she's likely to be mistaken for a prostitute and hauled off to jail! And as a recent immigrant and a non-professional, we see a New York of bygone days, and the crimes and ways of the era in fresh perspective right along with her, the sights and sounds and people new to both Molly and the reader.
The story is extremely rich in history, weaving several threads of issues and events contemporary to the times into the tale. Missionaries and the Boxer Rebellion feature in one of Molly's cases, for example. But a large aspect is the largely unregulated medicine and remedy industry of the times (it would still be several years before Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" nauseated the public enough to inspire regulatory measures in the food and drug industry via formation of the FDA). Lead, arsenic, and other lethal compounds were regularly featured as ingredients in "cures" of the era, and laudanum was a way of life for many. And even more so than with previous entries in the series, the role of women approaching a crossroads in history and forging new roles in the world is explored and integrated nicely into the plot, having a keen resonance with Molly now contemplating the paths she might take in her own future. The solution to the mystery was satisfying, and the details of it were intriguing and well-drawn. As ever, I genuinely enjoyed taking another trip to the Gilded Age with Molly.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner by Rhys Bowen featuring Molly Murphy, March 22, 2009
This book, In A Gilded Cage, is the eighth entry into the Molly Murphy series.
Set in the early 1900's, Molly owns her own private detective agency, of which she is the sole employee. This in itself is rare for that time period, as most women were raised to marry well and have a lot of children, and encouraged to stay at home to raise them.
Molly is very independent, curious and maddening to her police detective fiance, Daniel Sullivan. She puts herself in harm's way more than once in order to solve her cases. He can't resist her, though, as she makes friends easily and has a heart of gold.
I just adore Molly, and count myself blessed by the women that have gone before us, as Molly and her friends do not even have the right to vote yet. An education is considered frivolous, and a woman alone is considered suspicious.
This series is one that just keeps getting better and better, and is a quick, delightful read. Get ready for some surprising twists, and some good news for Molly. I can't wait for the next one!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery Amidst Influenza and Suffrage, April 16, 2009
Molly has just recovered from a strain of the influenza epidemic that is sweeping New York City in the spring of 1903. But she doesn't let that stop her from joining Sid, Gus, and some of their Vassar friends in marching for women's suffrage. While that effort ends with them in jail, it also provides Molly with two new clients.
First is Emily, a young woman left to fend for herself after her miserly uncle kicked her out. Emily wants to know more about her dead parents. Then Fanny hires Molly to prove her husband is cheating on her. Things are progressing on both cases when someone dies. Was it a bad case of the flu or was it murder?
As always, this book was a great trip back in time. The set up is steeped in history. When the cases start, the book picks up. I actually found both of them quite interesting and puzzling.
Molly has really grown as a detective, and that is evident here as she actually pulls off solving both cases. Her growing ability is actually quite fun to watch. And she continues to be an interesting character I love to spend time around.
The cases her also provide Molly a good chance to think about her future as the potential wife of Captain Daniel Sullivan. As always, I was both hot and cold to him, but I seem to soften with every book.
These books aren't typical mysteries but as much about life a century ago as the case at hand. And I love them for it. If you want a glimpse of another time and place, pick up this series today.
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