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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Work, Again!, Mar 17 2004
This review is from: Death of Riley (Hardcover)
Rhys has managed to put together another well-written, original mystery, featuring Molly Murphy, an immigrant from Ireland in New York. After helping the police find a murderer, Molly decides that investigation is the field for her. She badgers Paddy Riley into taking her on as his apprentice in his detective agency. Paddy insists that this was no job for a woman, but lets Molly clean and organize his office. Until she walks in on Paddy's murderer. Molly, unsatisfied with the police investigation into her mentor's death, decides to find the man who killed Paddy and attacked her. The story unfolds with Molly's new experiences in New York, her new friends, and her tenacity to investigate. The beginning of the story seemed to take a while to come together, but once it did, I couldn't put it down. Now on to: For the Love of Mike!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine new character, Oct 28 2003
This review is from: Death of Riley (Hardcover)
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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3.0 out of 5 stars
Molly's at it again, Feb 24 2003
This review is from: Death of Riley (Hardcover)
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
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