Murphy's Law (Molly Murphy Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Rhys Bowen (Author) "That mouth of yours will be getting you into big trouble on day..." (more)
Key Phrases: registry room, government launch, parlor maid, New York, Ellis Island, Daniel Sullivan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The prolific Bowen, creator of Welsh constable Evan Evans (Evan Can Wait; Evan and Elle; etc.), relies a bit too much on coincidence but conveys a nice sense of place and period in this debut of a new historical series with its spunky, 19th-century Irish heroine, Molly Murphy. Defending herself from the unwelcome advances of the local landowner's son, Molly accidentally kills him and flees her village to escape hanging. She heads for the anonymity of London, where a twist of fate introduces her to Kathleen O'Connor. Kathleen has two small children and tickets for a ship to America, where she plans to join her husband. But knowing they won't let her on the ship because of her tuberculosis, Kathleen persuades the desperate Molly to take her children to America. On board, Molly attracts the loud attentions of a crude, boisterous type named O'Malley. Her public argument with him comes back to haunt her when he is found murdered on Ellis Island; Molly becomes a prime suspect, along with a young man she befriended. The handsome young policeman investigating the case, Daniel Sullivan, appears to believe Molly's protestations of innocence, but Molly decides her she'd better investigate on her own behalf and that of her friend. Wending her way through a vivid, Tammany Hall-era New York, Molly struggles to prove her innocence, aided by one coincidence after another. (Oct. 15)Forecast: Bowen's solid reputation will generate strong sales for this series debut, though Constable Evans fans should beware that the gentle humor of those novels is lacking here.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Nimble of plot and fleet in the telling, Bowen's latest begins a new series starring the plucky Molly Murphy. Hiding her fiery red hair but not her audacious ways, Molly escapes from her Irish village after inadvertently causing the death of the young laird who tried to rape her. She finds herself in possession of a steerage ticket to New York and the custody of two small children when the kids' consumptive mother begs her to deliver the youngsters to their father in New York. The passage to America and the tumultuous events of Ellis Island, where another murder takes place, are vividly described, as is Molly's negotiation of the Cherry Street Irish ghetto, Hell's Kitchen, and the children's overwhelmed Da and his unsavory relatives. Run-ins with the police and Tammany Hall are only a few of Molly's adventures. The murder is solved in unorthodox ways, Molly finds love and work, and there's promise of more adventures. History-mystery fans should add Molly to their lists of characters to follow. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312984979
• ISBN-13: 978-0312984977
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #69,289 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Bowen, Rhys
  #89 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Historical

• This is item 1 in The Molly Murphy Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Historical Debut, October 10, 2002

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Murphy's Law (A Molly Murphy Mystery) (Molly Murphy Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Molly Murphy has just been given a get out of jail free card. Running because she's accidentally killed a man, she's offered the chance to take a woman's place on a boat bound for America. Once on board, she encounters a rude man and has a very public fight with him. When that man is murdered on Ellis Island, Molly finds herself and a new friend among the chief suspects. Frightened she might be sent back to face the hangman, she decides to find the real killer on her own. But can this new arrival find the killer in New York City when she doesn't know her way around and doesn't know anyone?

Molly is a head strong character who leaps first and considers the consequences later. It was fun watching her try to get herself out of several sticky situations. The setting, 1901 New York City, is brought to life, and I enjoyed learning a bit more about the time and place. My only real complaint is that the book took a while to get started. The plot starts slowly, but it picks up speed as it goes along.

As a fan of this author's Constable Evans books, I'm looking forward to reading more about Molly as well. There is potential here for another great series with another interesting setting. Write on, Ms. Bowen!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun mystery with Irish girl in Old New York, August 16, 2006

By	Christina Lockstein "http://christysbookblog.... (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen is the first book in the Molly Murphy mystery series. After accidentally killing a land owner, Molly Murphy must flee Ireland to avoid the gallows. She soon finds herself caught up with another family on their way to America, but once at Ellis Island, she's suspected of being involved with another murder, and the only way to clear her name is by finding the real killer. Bowen keeps things simple without extraneous detail, but her descriptions still shine, and Molly is a real character. There are no pretensions in Miss Murphy: she wants to live the good life, and she's not afraid to break a few rules to find it. I find Daniel Sullivan, the police detective in charge of the case, a little too good to be true, but future books will prove his worthiness for Molly. Molly is not a great detective, constantly putting herself in danger, leaping before looking, making all sorts of assumptions, but she's always entertaining.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Molly Murphy, March 18, 2007

By	Jean "Lover of mystery" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I thought this was a very good book; easy reading and held
my interest. Couldn't put it down. Was happy I started with
the first, now I want to read them all in order. Highly recommend