Rating: 
Summary: Death of Riley continues the story of Molly Murphy
Review: After showing versatility by starting a new series, Rhys Bowen first gave us Murphy's Law (Agatha Award winner), now followed by Death of Riley.
Her first series, starring Constable Evan Evans, takes place in Wales. This series takes place in New York at the turn of the century.
In this second book, Molly has shown she can make a life starting with nothing. Molly is also curious, educated (beyond her class), and will not settle for being a governess or a campanion. Instead, she manages to gain employment with a P.I. Although he won't let her do any investigating, his startling death puts Molly deep into the world of murder, once again in over her head.
With a great sense of place and with two books that can be read out of order, except for those folks who won't do that, Rhys Bowen provides another treat with the second Molly Murphy book.
Whether her next book is a Molly Murphy or an Evan Evans, I'm on the lookout for more reading pleasure from Rhys Bowen.
Rating:
Summary: Death of Riley continues the story of Molly Murphy
Review: After showing versatility by starting a new series, Rhys Bowen first gave us Murphy's Law (Agatha Award winner), now followed by Death of Riley.
Her first series, starring Constable Evan Evans, takes place in Wales. This series takes place in New York at the turn of the century.
In this second book, Molly has shown she can make a life starting with nothing. Molly is also curious, educated (beyond her class), and will not settle for being a governess or a campanion. Instead, she manages to gain employment with a P.I. Although he won't let her do any investigating, his startling death puts Molly deep into the world of murder, once again in over her head.
With a great sense of place and with two books that can be read out of order, except for those folks who won't do that, Rhys Bowen provides another treat with the second Molly Murphy book.
Whether her next book is a Molly Murphy or an Evan Evans, I'm on the lookout for more reading pleasure from Rhys Bowen.
Rating:
Summary: delightful historical cozy
Review: In 1901 New York, Irish immigrant Molly Murphy is not having any success in her search for a job that interests her. Her beau, police captain Daniel Sullivan, wants her to take a job as a companion to a wealthy woman, which she agrees to try. While working, she notices a man lurking around the woman's home in a furtive manner and is told by Daniel that he is Paddy Riley, a private detective.Molly nags Paddy until he agrees to hire her as a clerk. One day she finds her employer murdered. Someone has gone through his files and a few days later, someone sets fire to the office, destroying everything inside. Molly has the notebook he always carried around while on a case and she notices that he was very upset about a conversation he overheard in a bar. Molly successfully tracks down one of the people and through him she is able to locate the person he met with that night. Headless of the danger to herself, Molly continues to investigate and brings herself to the attention of a murderer who has every intention of killing again. Rhys Bowen gives her audience a very accurate picture of what New York City was like for an immigrant in 1901. The heroine is a very spunky and likable woman who acts on her convictions even when it puts her in danger. DEATH OF Riley is a delightful historical cozy starring characters that are eccentric, bohemian, and believable. The ending will come as a shock to the audience because the author cleverly disguises the direction she is moving the story line along. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: delightful historical cozy
Review: In 1901 New York, Irish immigrant Molly Murphy is not having any success in her search for a job that interests her. Her beau, police captain Daniel Sullivan, wants her to take a job as a companion to a wealthy woman, which she agrees to try. While working, she notices a man lurking around the woman's home in a furtive manner and is told by Daniel that he is Paddy Riley, a private detective. Molly nags Paddy until he agrees to hire her as a clerk. One day she finds her employer murdered. Someone has gone through his files and a few days later, someone sets fire to the office, destroying everything inside. Molly has the notebook he always carried around while on a case and she notices that he was very upset about a conversation he overheard in a bar. Molly successfully tracks down one of the people and through him she is able to locate the person he met with that night. Headless of the danger to herself, Molly continues to investigate and brings herself to the attention of a murderer who has every intention of killing again. Rhys Bowen gives her audience a very accurate picture of what New York City was like for an immigrant in 1901. The heroine is a very spunky and likable woman who acts on her convictions even when it puts her in danger. DEATH OF Riley is a delightful historical cozy starring characters that are eccentric, bohemian, and believable. The ending will come as a shock to the audience because the author cleverly disguises the direction she is moving the story line along. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Molly's in Danger Again
Review: It's been several months since Molly arrived in America, and she's still trying to find her nitch in New York City. Her strong will and sharp tongue have gotten in the way of several jobs. She has her heart set on becoming a PI to hunt lost relatives. After much persuasion, she starts to assist Paddy Riley with his PI business. But she hasn't been there too long before she walks into the office one day to find her new boss dead. Why was he murdered? Molly's determined to find out. Meanwhile, her relationship with Daniel hits a major snag. And her living situation gets very sticky when Seamus's relatives keep showing up. I enjoyed the second in this historical fiction series. The author has done her research, and it shows. The detail is fantastic, and I was drawn into the world of 100 years ago. The plot moves better here then in the first in the series, and the subplots add the right mixture to the overall storyline. Molly's really grown on me, too. She's the right mix of stubbornness and the naiveté that would come from her previous life in a small Irish village. The historical aspect of this is done right as well, mixing real life people into the fictitious story. I've recently been rediscovering my love of historical fiction, and this book is a perfect fit in that genre. Ms. Bowen seamlessly mixes history and mystery into an engrossing story.
Rating:
Summary: Molly's in Danger Again
Review: It's been several months since Molly arrived in America, and she's still trying to find her nitch in New York City. Her strong will and sharp tongue have gotten in the way of several jobs. She has her heart set on becoming a PI to hunt lost relatives. After much persuasion, she starts to assist Paddy Riley with his PI business. But she hasn't been there too long before she walks into the office one day to find her new boss dead. Why was he murdered? Molly's determined to find out. Meanwhile, her relationship with Daniel hits a major snag. And her living situation gets very sticky when Seamus's relatives keep showing up. I enjoyed the second in this historical fiction series. The author has done her research, and it shows. The detail is fantastic, and I was drawn into the world of 100 years ago. The plot moves better here then in the first in the series, and the subplots add the right mixture to the overall storyline. Molly's really grown on me, too. She's the right mix of stubbornness and the naiveté that would come from her previous life in a small Irish village. The historical aspect of this is done right as well, mixing real life people into the fictitious story. I've recently been rediscovering my love of historical fiction, and this book is a perfect fit in that genre. Ms. Bowen seamlessly mixes history and mystery into an engrossing story.
Rating: 
Summary: Molly's at it again
Review: Molly Murphy has decided after many failed attempts at employment to be an investigator. Since this is the early 1900's in NYC many find this announcement nonsense and dismiss it as foolish behavior. Well she meets Paddy and convinces him to give her a job cleaning his office. She bothers him everday about his
cases and ask question after question. Upon coming to work one day, she discovers a robbery in progress and her world is turned upside down. Molly manages to irritate everyone with her determination to find the criminal. Her actions place in her danger and it is up to Daniel Sullivan to rescue her from her
shortcomings. This sequel is not as tightly written as the debut novel. I found myself skimming the last third of the book as Molly actions were just over the top where the plot was headed. Bowen does manage to reel Molly in and the conclusion of the story was solid yet murky. Rating 7
Rating:
Summary: Another winner for Rhys Bowen
Review: Murphy's Law--the first book in Rhys Bowen's new Molly Murphy series--won an Agatha award last year. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if Death of Riley won another. Rhys Bowen also writes the wonderful Constable Evans series. How she can switch back and forth from contemporary Wales to turn of the century New York with an Irish main character is a measure of her talent. Death of Riley starts off with Molly getting a job as companion to an elderly lady, which doesn't suit her independent nature at all. A disappointment in Captain Daniel Sullivan, the police office Molly met and fell for in Murphy's Law, causes her to reassess her situation and decide she needs a new occupation. When she first arrived in New York she had become involved in helping to solve a crime, so she figures becoming a private investigator would work well for her. She fully intends to stay out of criminal cases and work on finding lost relatives for families left behind in Europe. However, a criminal case pops up in front of her when she finds Paddy Riley, the PI she's persuaded to hire her as an assistant, slumped over his desk, and discovers he's been murdered. It seems perfectly obvious to Molly that it's up to her to find out who killed him. She sets off to do just that, meeting all kinds of intriguing people along the way, and showing the reader, in fascinating detail, just what the New York of 1901 was like. Molly is soon involved in several friendships--with a charming male playwright, a painter who wants her to pose for him, and a couple of unusual women, highly independent and artistic women--a writer and a painter--who introduce her to new ideas and a different lifestyle. She even falls in with a group of anarchists. And of course, as might be expected, the intelligent and persistent Molly does solve the mystery of Riley's death. What is not so expected is the surprising turn of events that leads to a quite explosive finish! And at the end, it even seems possible that Molly and the attractive Captain Daniel Sullivan might get together again. Stay tuned to this delightful, wonderfully well-written series and you just might find out.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner for Rhys Bowen
Review: Murphy's Law--the first book in Rhys Bowen's new Molly Murphy series--won an Agatha award last year. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if Death of Riley won another. Rhys Bowen also writes the wonderful Constable Evans series. How she can switch back and forth from contemporary Wales to turn of the century New York with an Irish main character is a measure of her talent. Death of Riley starts off with Molly getting a job as companion to an elderly lady, which doesn't suit her independent nature at all. A disappointment in Captain Daniel Sullivan, the police office Molly met and fell for in Murphy's Law, causes her to reassess her situation and decide she needs a new occupation. When she first arrived in New York she had become involved in helping to solve a crime, so she figures becoming a private investigator would work well for her. She fully intends to stay out of criminal cases and work on finding lost relatives for families left behind in Europe. However, a criminal case pops up in front of her when she finds Paddy Riley, the PI she's persuaded to hire her as an assistant, slumped over his desk, and discovers he's been murdered. It seems perfectly obvious to Molly that it's up to her to find out who killed him. She sets off to do just that, meeting all kinds of intriguing people along the way, and showing the reader, in fascinating detail, just what the New York of 1901 was like. Molly is soon involved in several friendships--with a charming male playwright, a painter who wants her to pose for him, and a couple of unusual women, highly independent and artistic women--a writer and a painter--who introduce her to new ideas and a different lifestyle. She even falls in with a group of anarchists. And of course, as might be expected, the intelligent and persistent Molly does solve the mystery of Riley's death. What is not so expected is the surprising turn of events that leads to a quite explosive finish! And at the end, it even seems possible that Molly and the attractive Captain Daniel Sullivan might get together again. Stay tuned to this delightful, wonderfully well-written series and you just might find out.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine new character
Review: Rhys Bowen, author of the Evans series of cozies set in Wales, continues her Celtic course with an Irish protagonist. This time it is a woman and the setting is New York of a century ago. But the Celtic element remains strong - Molly Murphy is an individualist with a strong sense of self and the ability to cut through waffle, semi-truths and untruths so she can pick out the germane and the useful. Molly has the Celtic gift of insight and the ability to make leaps of the imagination, leaving logic far behind. She is a fine character, this Molly, saddled also with imperfections, including that imagination which is at times TOO vivid. Strong characterization is this writer's greatest asset. The setting, especially the class system of New York a century ago, the dialogue, the pacing are all good but it is the true-to-themselves characters that lift this book out of the ordinary. The plot is unusual and well-conceived and the truth remains hidden almost to the end. The historical period and geographic setting combine to strengthen the dramatic tension. But read the book for the pleasure of Molly Murphy's uppity-ness in a time and place that did not sanction the uppity. Read it for a look at life in Greenwich Village a century ago, and enjoy Molly's proud new "parents", Sid and Gus.
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