Vanished in the Crowd (Molly Murphy #22), by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

 

Publication March 10, 202

Lots of excitement over the upcoming Hudson-Fulton celebration of 1909. It's the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River and Molly Murphy Sulivan's family is caught up with it in a variety of ways. Her teenage daughter is super excited to be riding on a float while husband Daniel's early days with the fledgling NYC offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are beyond busy and stressful. As for Molly, she's stressing over an unexpected scarcity of funds since Daniel hasn't been paid in months. She's also chaffing a bit at being somewhat relegated to simply the role of wife and mother after running her own detective agency. In fact, women's reduced roles (in comparison to today) is a running theme of the book, including the suffragette movement two of Molly's dearest friends are deeply involved with. Then, a case falls into Molly's already busy world. Seems a well-known female research scientist has gone missing. She was supposed to be staying with neighbors Sid and Gus (you'll learn more about them as you read) but never showed up and now Willa Parker's husband has hired a Pinkerton agent to find her. Molly, already struggling with being underestimated as a woman, is determined to find Willa first. 

As always, it's the characters and ample doses of  history that keep me coming back to this series. I have grown to like Molly, Daniel, and, well, all the usual side characters. Balancing work and expectations as a wife and mother is a mental weight Molly carries throughout this entry. I mean, she even suffers a bit of a guilt trip over missing church while keeping some secrets from husband Daniel. Of course, Daniel hasn't exactly been forthcoming, either, so it was intriguing to see them work through this divide. It was also intriguing given the furor over vaccines as I type, that the missing scientist was focused on finding a cure for polio. Her findings, however, were all credited to her husband. Sigh. In any case, the plot moves right along and manages to insert bits of the real celebration, including a flyover by Wilber Wright and the first ever total illumination of NYC by electric bulbs.

And, oh, yes, there's a murder to solve, too, albeit the murder aspect of the mystery doesn't occur early on. Let's just say, don't stop reading when it appears the initial case has been solved. It all ties together, trust me. I won't detail the plot further other than to say that the women's suffrage movement is front and center as are, let's see, science and the social divide via class status. We even get a gentle reminder of how quickly a single "cold bug" can get around. My sympathies were with Molly the whole time, especially in Daniel's more unbending moments, but, hey, he's coming around. The ending was satisfactory albeit I found myself feeling weird to be rooting against a Pinkerton agent after just finishing another book with a female Pinkerton agent as the main character. Oh, well, reality bites. In any case, bottom line, this words wonderfully well as a standalone but I'd highly recommend that you check out the entire series. It's a solid, good one, that is built on strong characters who've grown as the series progresses. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #Minotaur for this early peek and for initially introducing me to Molly. There's a bit of a startling teaser for the next book at the very end and, of course, Molly's struggle to balance a career and home and family will always prove interesting. 

No Roast for the Weary (Coffeehouse Mystery, #21), by Cleo Coyle

 

Publication April 1, 1015

Although I'm not much of a coffee drinker, I thoroughly enjoy this series. In fact, it was one of the ones that made a cozy mystery fan out of me. It's been way too long since I've dropped into the Village Blend but I immediately felt right at home. It was lots of fun to be there for the birth, or should I say rebirth, of The Writer's Block Lounge, too, despite its early hiccups.  Boy, everyone should have a retired astronaut handy to share ideas on how to make large groups under intense pressure work best. I'd say he fully earned that Golden Ticket and Madame's attentions. It was an added plus to learn some of the back history of the coffeehouse, too, while getting a feel for life in New York City. Heck, we even get to ogle some well-known celebrities virtually although I'm not sure I'd be as disciplined as Claire and have not snapped a few photos.   

New readers, don't hesitate to jump in here. While it was nice to know backstories of character relationship, it works very well as a standalone. You'll settle in quickly, enjoying characters such as the animal loving, slam-poet Esther, and the rest of those associated with the Village Blend. Claire Cosi remains the hard-working, focused, and, oh, so determined woman I remembered and, well, Madame will always be Madame to me, too. Mother of Claire's ex-husband and now friend, Matt, Madame remains a force to be reckoned with. Despite my annoyance with Matt this go-round, he remains ready to head off on his next coffee bean recon trip, trips that usually provide more than a little rush of danger. I actually wondered if, despite my annoyance with what he was contemplating, he might just be growing up a bit more and thinking of the future, at least the financial future for Claire and his mother. I'll be paying attention to that possibility next book, that's for sure. 

As for the plot, it's complicated. On the surface it appears to be an investigation into who mugged a coffeehouse regular but, oh, my, there are more layers. Many more layers, in fact. Oh, and there's a duck involved. Nope. Not telling. You'll have to read the book. Lots of twists and turns, red herrings galore, missing manuscripts, coded manuscripts, hit-and-runs, and, oh, yeah, murder. And that's just the surface. I'd like to smugly say I figured it all out but who am I kidding? I didn't know for sure until the final big reveal and that wasn't even the end of the book. Lots more reveals, let's just say. Toss in celebrity sightings, taxi rides past well-known landmarks that included The Heights, publishing woes, writers woes and egos, lots of quotes and lyrics, friends and family, and, oh, so much more. Thanks #Berkley for my virtual invite to finally revisit the Village Blend and renew my acquaintance with Claire and the rest. I'm definitely looking forward to spending time in The Writer's Block Lounge next visit, especially now that they've figured out how to make it work with such diverse, intensely creative customers.

Silent as the Grave (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #21), by Rhys Bowen , Clare Broyles

 

Publication March 11, 2025

A delightful tale that manages to combine the magic of NYC in the early 1900s, the burgeoning silent film industry, and murder. Make that murder plural. I've enjoyed this series from the beginning and it's been a delight to follow Molly as she's matured and grown into a young mother. She's now married to police captain Daniel with not just an adopted 14-year old daughter, Bridie, but toddler Liam and baby Mary Kate. Let's just say, Mary Kate's loud demands to be fed -- remember this is set in the early 1900's before bottle feeding became common -- keep Molly tied to home and hearth. For the most part she doesn't mind, in fact, she loves it, but, well, as a former female detective, she does miss that rush, too. The characters, both regulars and the rest, are well fleshed out and you'll love getting a peek at how early silent movies were made, including how dangerous it was at times. Dangerous and competitive. Be sure to read the historical notes at the end to discover who was real (I think Mary Pickford is obvious, as is Edison), who wasn't and more.

The story centers around daughter Bridie being asked to fill in after a female star is fired. Bridie is only 14 but Molly agrees with the stipulation that it's just this once and she'll return to school the next week. Yes, silent movies were written, rehearsed, and filmed in only a matter of days. While disturbed by several accidents on set, Molly accepts that it's all part of the nature of the art initially while keeping a close watch over Bridie, who seems a natural. Than, there is a death. Accident or murder? Bridie has a close call that Molly is unable to accept was 100% an accident. Then there is another death. And... well, I won't detail any more of the plot except to share my amazement that Thomas Edison was depicted by the movie people as the potential murderer all for his determination to lead the charge in the new industry. Since history tells us he wasn't a murderer, it was intriguing to see Molly put her detective skills back in motion and follow the clues to find the real killer.

Bottom line, I was probably as captivated seeing how silent movies got their beginnings. It was great fun to discover some of the camera tricks used for special effects, not to mention how some tense scenes were done. All with little budget and quickly. Definitely fun to spend some time with Molly's friends Sid and Gus, who were captivated by the art of film making. Flamboyant friend Ryan is on hand, too, as both a film script writer and actor, giving us another vantage point on how these early reels were cranked out super quickly. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Daniel's new job with what appears to be the fledgling FBI office in NYC leads them. Something tells me him being employed by the government won't keep Molly out of investigating. Thanks to #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me this early virtual visit via the time machine back to NYC to catch up with Molly and the rest. Will Bridie be content to leave the spotlight now that she's felt the rush of film making? What exactly will Daniel's new job involve?

Murder in New York (A Miss Underhay Mystery #18), by Helena Dixon

 

Publication Nov. 25, 2024

Set in a less hectic time, readers wanting a somewhat leisurely read will enjoy this mystery set in New York City during Christmas, 1936. Kitty and husband Matt receive a telegram in England telling them her NYC based father is ill. Although her relationship with her father is, well, complicated, they're on a ship heading to New York. The voyage isn't a smooth one but when they arrive, they discover her father not only living in an upscale apartment overlooking Central Park, but that he's far from seriously ill. Nevertheless, the decide to spend the holiday there, enjoying all 1936 NYC has to offer. They're enjoying the scenery, which includes ice skating and a lovely tree, not to mention the shopping and delicious food to be had. Then, there's a murder. 

This is really where the story begins. Kitty knows her father is occasionally, well, frequently involved in less than lawful activities and fears he may be accused. That said, as much as I enjoy Kitty and Matt, it seemed like the investigation was largely Kitty snooping rather than professional. I've got to admit that I was somewhat disappointed in that as I was thinking it'd be interesting to see the contrasting styles of American and British investigators of the time, not to mention seeing how they might work together (or not). Hence a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars. In any case, as Kitty surely knows by now, trying to eavesdrop can get you in trouble. Matt's skills come into play, too, and we're reminded of his past injuries in the war and how they may impact his efforts. I'd forgotten he once routinely suffered from sleep walking, for instance, which explains Kitty's worry when he isn't beside her when she wakes in the night. In any case, they're a likable couple and even her father, while rather furtive at times, seems likable enough. Unfortunately, not all the people they meet are the same and it's up to their smarts and instincts to sort out whodunit.

Bottom line, a pleasant read. While more leisurely than more modern cozies, after all, this one is set in a pre-techie time when communications and police work were slower in nature, it's difficult not to like this young, adventurous couple. I liked that the author included some of Matt's background and felt this one worked as a standalone. I honestly wasn't sure of the culprit until the end, either, which is always fun, if frustrating for those of us who try to solve it before our sleuths. Thanks #Bookouture for giving me an early peek at how life is going for Kitty and Matt. It was great fun to visit and tour NYC in a far less hectic, complicated time. I could just envision the colorful lights, figure skaters, and sights and sounds of 1936 New York City.