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Molly Murphy
Series · 24
books · 2001-2025

Books in series

The Amersham Rubies book cover
#0.5

The Amersham Rubies

2011

Molly Murphy, residing in a humble cottage, is hired by Lady Hartly to help at a party. When heirloom rubies vanish from Lady Amersham’s neck, Molly relies on her wits to solve her first case. A short story prequel to mystery series.
Murphy's Law book cover
#1

Murphy's Law

2001

Murphy's Law is the captivating first entry of Rhys Bowen's New York Times bestselling Molly Murphy series. Molly Murphy always knew she'd end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. So, when she commits murder in self-defense, she flees her cherished Ireland, under cover of a false identity, for the anonymous shores of late nineteenth-century America. When she arrives in New York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime. If she can't clear her name, Molly will be sent back to Ireland where the gallows await, so using her Irish charm and sharp wit, she escapes Ellis Island and sets out to find the wily killer on her own. Pounding the notorious streets of Hell's Kitchen and the Lower East Side, Molly undertakes a desperate mission to clear her name before her deadly past comes back to haunt her new future.
Death of Riley book cover
#2

Death of Riley

2002

Molly Murphy apprentices to Paddy Riley for her new profession. The tough old Cockney PI specializes in divorces. Molly hopes to seek counsel of and hook handsome NYPD police captain Daniel Sullivan. But Riley's murder sends her through back alleys of Manhattan and into bars and lounges of the literary - writers, actors, poets, musicians - and suspects.
For the Love of Mike book cover
#3

For the Love of Mike

2003

Eine geerbte Detektei, eine namenlose Leiche und ein betrügerischer Liebhaber – Molly Murphys dritter Fall Der neue historische Cosy Krimi für mörderisch gute Stunden Nachdem Molly Murphy die Fälle ihres verstorbenen Mentors Paddy Reilly geerbt hat, sieht ihr Alltag plötzlich ganz anders aus. Als Privatdetektivin folgt sie betrügerischen Ehemännern, spürt entlaufene Debütantinnen auf und arbeitet sogar verdeckt in einem Geschäft, um herauszufinden, wer die Kleider entwendet. Keiner dieser Jobs scheint gefährlich zu sein … Als jedoch der Körper einer Frau aus dem East River gefischt wird, fürchtet Molly, dass das die vermisste Debütantin ist, von der alle sprechen. Eine weitere Leiche macht Mollys Chaos perfekt und plötzlich befindet sich die Privatdetektivin in einem Geflecht aus Leidenschaft und Gier, das sie sogar in die Unterwelt der New Yorker Banden führt. Schnell begreift Molly, dass sie dieses Mal mehr als ihren Charme braucht, um den Fall zu lösen – und lebend aus der Sache herauszukommen. Erste Leserstimmen „Ich habe Molly Murphy gerne durch das historische New York begleitet, das die Autorin sehr atmosphärisch beschreibt.“ „es gibt einige total spannende Szenen und überraschende Wendungen“ „die sympathische und mutige Heldin macht den Charme der Reihe aus“ „Die Geschichte punktet mit spannenden Figuren, mit der Atmosphäre in den USA der damaligen Zeit und vor allem mit dem leichten, lockeren Schreibstil.“ „ich habe beim Lesen auch eigene Theorien aufgestellt, sah diese kurz bestätigt, um dann wieder vollkommen überrascht zu werden“ Weitere Titel dieser Reihe Mord auf Ellis Island (ISBN: 9783960878018) Mord in feiner Gesellschaft (ISBN: 9783960878025) Über die Autorin Rhys Bowen wurde in Bath, England, geboren, studierte an der London University, heiratete in eine Familie mit historischen königlichen Verbindungen und verbringt nun ihre Zeit im Norden von Californien und Arizona. Zunächst schrieb sie Kinderbücher, doch auf einer Reise in ihre malerische walisische Heimat fand sie die Inspiration für ihre Constable-Evans-Krimis. Diese Kriminalgeschichten sind mittlerweile Kult und wurden mehrfach mit Preisen ausgezeichnet.
In Like Flynn book cover
#4

In Like Flynn

2005

Fledgling private investigator Molly Murphy's latest assignment gives her the opportunity to escape the typhoid epidemic sweeping across New York City in the summer of 1902 for the lush Hudson River Valley. And it comes from an unlikely source-Captain Daniel Sullivan, a New York City police detective and erstwhile beau of Molly's. She has vowed to keep him at arm's length until he can rid himself of his socialite fiancée, but she can't pass up the chance to take advantage of his offer of a real detective job. Daniel hires Molly to go undercover inside the country household of Senator Barney Flynn, in Peekskill, New York. Flynn's wife, Theresa, has become the latest devotee of a pair of spiritualists known as the Sorensen Sisters. The frail Theresa is desperate to use the sisters' alleged abilities to hold a seance to contact her infant son, who was kidnapped five years ago and never found; the accused kidnapper was killed before he could tell police where the boy was being held. But the police are sure the women are frauds. When Molly allows herself to be distracted from the Sorensen Sisters and the members of the Flynn household by the unsolved kidnapping, it is a race against time to find out what's really going on before it's too late. "In Like Flynn "is the latest captivating installment in a series which has garnered an impressive array of awards and nominations in just three books: Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy mysteries have won the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, the Bruce Alexander Historical Award, and the Herodotus Award, and have been shortlisted for the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award.
Oh Danny Boy book cover
#5

Oh Danny Boy

2006

Irish immigrant-turned-private detective Molly Murphy comes to the aid of handsome NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan, who has been arrested for accepting bribes, as she sets out to prove that he has been framed, while also being drawn into the case of serial killer who has already murdered five prostitutes, in a mystery set in early 1900s New York.
In Dublin's Fair City book cover
#6

In Dublin's Fair City

2007

Molly Murphy is sent by aging well-off NYC theatrical impresario Tommy Burke to find baby sister left with parish priest when they fled famine. But even before the ship lands, Broadway's leading actress, Oona Sheehan, vanishes, and her maid is found dead in her cabin.
Tell Me, Pretty Maiden book cover
#7

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden

2008

It’s wintertime in New York, and for the first time since Irish immigrant Molly Murphy started her early-twentieth-century detective agency, she is completely snowed in with work. While she’s proving to be quite the entrepreneur and is very much in demand by some of Broadway’s brightest stars and Fifth Avenue’s richest families, she has to grudgingly admit that if she’s going to work more than one case at a time, then she’s going to need some help. Molly’s beau, the recently and wrongly suspended police captain Daniel Sullivan, would make an ideal associate, but before they can agree on the terms of his employment, they stumble upon a young woman lying unconscious in the middle of a snow-covered Central Park. When the woman wakes up she is disorientated and has and lost her ability to speak, the authorities are about to pack her off to an insane asylum when Molly can’t help but step in and take on yet another case. Lively and colorful, full of absorbing historical detail and delightful characters, "Tell Me, Pretty Maiden" is another gem in Rhys Bowen’s multiple award—winning series.
In a Gilded Cage book cover
#8

In a Gilded Cage

2009

Irish immigrant Molly Murphy and her New York City P.I. business are in the midst of a sweeping influenza epidemic and a fight for women’s suffrage that lands her in jail. Her betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, finds her, but he hardly has time to bail her out, what with Chinese gangs battling for control of a thriving opium trade. The only consolation Molly can take from her vexing afternoon in the clink is that it made her some new friends among the Vassar suffragists—-and brought her a pair of new cases. For the first, Emily Boswell is convinced her miserly uncle stole her inheritance and wants Molly to uncover the truth behind her parents’ lives and deaths. Second, Emily’s college roommate Fanny Poindexter wants Molly to find proof of her husband’s philandering so that she can leave him without one red cent. But when Fanny dies and her husband claims she’s a victim of the epidemic, it’s more than Molly’s conscience can take. Rhys Bowen’s Agatha and Anthony Award—winning historical series continues to breathe life into the past with its wit and charm and its complete sense of early-twentieth-century New York, which makes In a Gilded Cage her most accomplished mystery yet.
The Last Illusion book cover
#9

The Last Illusion

2010

Irish immigrant and PI Molly Murphy is thrilled to have a ticket to the theater to see a trio of illusionists that are all the rage. Indeed, headlining is Harry Houdini, the most sensational of them all; he has just returned from entertaining European kings and queens for a brief run on Broadway. But before Houdini can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong and to the crowd’s shock the illusionist saws into his assistant. In the aftermath, the stunned performer accuses Houdini of tampering with the equipment he keeps under lock and key. And he’s not the only one critical of “The King of Handcuffs.” Risking his life every night, Houdini has raised the stakes to such a perilous level that he’s putting lesser acts out of business. With everyone on edge, Houdini’s wife hires Molly to be part investigator/part bodyguard, but how can she protect a man who literally risks his life every night? And how is she going to uncover whether these masters of illusion are simply up to their tricks or if there truly is something much more treacherous going on. With sparkling wit, charming characters, and historic detail, multiple award winner Rhys Bowen brings early-twentieth-century New York City and the fantastic performers of the time vividly to life in The Last Illusion.
Bless the Bride book cover
#10

Bless the Bride

2011

Molly Murphy zwischen Hochzeitsglocken und Mordermittlungen … Mollys Hochzeit mit NYPD-Captain Daniel Sullivan rückt immer näher, und um diese vorzubereiten, besucht Molly ihre Schwiegermutter in spe auf dem Land. Nicht nur, dass sie sich von ihr darüber belehren lassen muss, was eine anständige Ehefrau zu tun hat, sie stimmt auch noch zu, sich nach der Hochzeit als Privatdetektivin zur Ruhe zu setzen. Doch noch ist es nicht so weit, und als sie von einem neuen Fall erfährt, schleicht sie sich zurück in die Stadt, um ein wenig zu schnüffeln, bevor die Hochzeitsglocken läuten können. Ein wohlhabender chinesischer Einwanderer beauftragt sie, seine vermisste Braut zu finden, und Molly – die sich sicher ist, dass er ihr nicht die ganze Geschichte erzählt – vermutet, dass seine Braut ihn einfach nur verlassen hat. Sollte sie ihm also überhaupt helfen? Dass mehr hinter dem Fall steckt, erkennt sie aber, als ihr Auftraggeber plötzlich tot aufgefunden wird …
Hush Now, Don't You Cry book cover
#11

Hush Now, Don't You Cry

2012

In the latest in Rhys Bowen's award-winning historical series, Molly Murphy is supposed to give up sleuthing now that she's married, but the murder of an alderman puts her on the trail of a killer. Molly Murphy, now Molly Sullivan, and her husband Daniel, a captain in the New York Police department, have been invited to spend their honeymoon on the Newport, RI, estate of Alderman Brian Hannan in the spring of 1904. Molly doesn't entirely trust the offer. Hannan—an ambitious man—has his eye on a senate seat and intentions of taking Tammany Hall to get it. When Hannan is found dead at the base of the cliffs that overlook the Atlantic, Molly's suspicions are quickly justified, and as much as she wants to keep her promise to Daniel that she won't do any more sleuthing now, there isn't much she can do once the chase is on. Rhys Bowen's brilliant wit and charm are on full display in Hush Now, Don't You Cry, another outstanding addition to her Agatha and Anthony award-winning historical series.
The Face in the Mirror book cover
#11.5

The Face in the Mirror

2013

Molly Murphy—Molly Sullivan, now that she and Daniel are finally married—is bored. Having given up her detective agency when she married, she now finds that her life is much less exciting, her days an endless stretch of housekeeping and chores. But when Molly secretly attends a suffragist meeting with her friends Sid and Gus and meets a shy, distracted woman who claims to live in a haunted house, everything is about to change. Rhys Bowen’s short story The Face in the Mirror offers just the taste of mystery and mayhem fans will need to tide them over until the next Molly Murphy novel.
The Family Way book cover
#12

The Family Way

2013

Molly Sullivan is a year into her marriage, expecting her first child, and confined to the life of a housewife. She's restless and irritable in the enforced idleness of pregnancy and the heat of a New York summer in 1905. So when a trip to the post office brings a letter addressed to her old detective agency asking her to locate a missing Irish serving maid, Molly figures it couldn't hurt to at least ask around, despite her promise to Daniel to give up her old career as a detective. On the same day, Molly learns that five babies have been kidnapped in the past month. Refusing to let Molly help with the kidnapping investigation, Daniel sends her away to spend the summer with his mother. But even in the quiet, leafy suburbs, Molly's own pending motherhood makes her unable to ignore these missing children. What she uncovers will lead her on a terrifying journey through all levels of society, putting her life - and that of her baby - in danger.
Through the Window book cover
#12.5

Through the Window

2014

Molly Murphy—now Molly Sullivan—is absolutely thrilled to give birth to her first child, a beautiful little boy named Liam. But while confined to bed rest for the weeks following his birth, she finds herself watching the activity across the street through her window, and she soon begins to notice some odd goings-on that set her detective's sixth sense to tingling. New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen will delight fans with her trademark charm and turn-of-the-century New York atmosphere in this original story spanning the time between The Family Way and City of Darkness and Light, Bowen's upcoming novel featuring the beloved private investigator.
City of Darkness and Light book cover
#13

City of Darkness and Light

2014

Molly and Daniel Sullivan are settling happily into the new routines of parenthood, but their domestic bliss is shattered the night a gang retaliates against Daniel for making a big arrest. Daniel wants his family safely out of New York City as soon as possible. In shock and grieving, but knowing she needs to protect their infant son Liam, Molly agrees to take him on the long journey to Paris to stay with her friends Sid and Gus, who are studying art in the City of Light. But upon arriving in Paris, nothing goes as planned. Sid and Gus seem to have vanished into thin air, and Molly's search to figure out what happened to them will lead her through all levels of Parisian society, from extravagant salons to the dingy cafes where starving artists linger over coffee and loud philosophical debates. And when in the course of her search she stumbles across a dead body, Molly, on her own in a foreign country, starts to wonder if she and Liam might be in even more danger in Paris than they had been at home. As Impressionism gives way to Fauvism and Cubism, and the Dreyfus affair rocks France, Molly races through Paris to outsmart a killer in City of Darkness and Light, Rhys Bowen's most spectacular Molly Murphy novel yet.
The Edge of Dreams book cover
#14

The Edge of Dreams

2015

Molly Murphy Sullivan's husband Daniel, a captain in the New York City police force, is stumped. He's chasing a murderer whose victims have nothing in common - nothing except for the taunting notes that are delivered to Daniel after each murder. And when Daniel receives a note immediately after Molly and her young son Liam are in a terrible subway crash, Daniel and Molly both begin to fear that maybe Molly herself was the target. Molly's detective instincts are humming, but finding the time to dig deeper into this case is a challenge. She's healing from injuries sustained in the train crash and she's refurbishing her house, which has only just been rebuilt after burning down. She's also sidetracked by her friends Sid and Gus' most recent hobby, dream analysis. And when Molly herself starts suffering from strange dreams, she wonders if they just might hold the key to solving Daniel's murder case.
Away in a Manger book cover
#15

Away in a Manger

2015

It’s Christmastime in 1905 New York City, and for once, Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to the approaching holidays. She has a family of her own now: she and Daniel have a baby son and twelve-year-old Bridie is living with them as their ward. As Molly and the children listen to carolers in the street, they hear a lovely little voice, the voice of an angel, and see a beggar girl, huddled in a doorway, singing Away in a Manger. Bridie is touched by the girl’s ragged clothes and wants to help her out if they can. They give her a quarter, only to watch a bigger boy take it from her. But Molly discovers the boy is the girl’s older brother. They’ve come from England, their mother has disappeared, and they’re living with an aunt who mistreats them terribly. Molly quickly realizes that these children are not the usual city waifs. They are well-spoken and clearly used to better things. So who are they? And what has happened to their mother? As Molly looks for a way to help the children and for the answers to these questions, she gets drawn into an investigation that will take her up to the highest levels of New York society. This is another compelling and richly drawn mystery from New York Times bestseller Rhys Bowen.
Time of Fog and Fire book cover
#16

Time of Fog and Fire

2016

Molly Murphy Sullivan's husband Daniel, a police captain in turn-of-the-century New York City, is in a precarious position. The new police commissioner wants him off the force altogether. So when Daniel’s offered an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service, he’s eager to accept. Molly can’t draw any details of the assignment out of him, even where he’ll be working. But when she spots him in San Francisco during a movie news segment, she starts to wonder if he’s in even more danger than she had first believed. And then she receives a strange and cryptic letter from him, leading her to conclude that he wants her to join him in San Francisco. Molly knows that if Daniel’s turning to her rather than John Wilkie or his contacts in the police force, something must have gone terribly wrong. What can she do for him that the police can’t? Especially when she doesn’t even know what his assignment is? Embarking on a cross-country journey with her young son, Molly can’t fathom what’s in store for her, but she knows it might be dangerous—in fact, it might put all of their lives at risk, in Rhys Bowen's Time of Fog and Fire.
The Ghost of Christmas Past book cover
#17

The Ghost of Christmas Past

2017

Semi-retired private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is suffering from depression after a miscarriage following her adventure in San Francisco during the earthquake of 1906. She and her husband, Daniel, are invited for Christmas at a mansion on the Hudson, and they gratefully accept, expecting a peaceful and relaxing holiday season. Not long after they arrive, however, they start to feel the tension in the house's atmosphere. Then they learn that the host couple's young daughter wandered out into the snow ten years ago and was never seen again. Molly can identify with the mother's pain at never knowing what happened to her child and wants to help, but there is so little to go on. No ransom note. No body ever found. But Molly slowly begins to suspect that the occupants of the house know more than they are letting on. Then, on Christmas Eve, there is a knock at the door and a young girl stands there. "I'm Charlotte," she says. "I've come home."
Wild Irish Rose book cover
#18

Wild Irish Rose

2022

New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen, now writing in partnership with her daughter, Clare Broyles, transports and enthralls readers through the incomparable Molly Murphy Sullivan. A brand new novel in this beloved mystery series is cause for celebration for readers and critics alike. New York, 1907: Now that she’s no longer a private detective—at least not officially—Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to a time of settled tranquility with friends and family. Back in New York, where her own story began, Molly decides to accompany some friends to Ellis Island to help distribute clothing to those in need. This journey quickly stirs up memories for Molly. When you’re far from home and see people from your country, every face looks like a family member. That evening Molly’s policeman husband, Daniel, is late returning home. He comes with a tale to tell: there was a murder on Ellis Island that day, and the main suspect is the spitting image of Molly. The circumstances are eerily similar to when Molly herself arrived on Ellis Island, and she can’t help but feel a sense of fate. Molly was meant to be there that day so that she can clear this woman’s name.
All that Is Hidden book cover
#19

All that Is Hidden

2023

"Retired" detective and police captain's wife Molly Murphy Sullivan tangles with Tammany Hall in the next in Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles' New York Times bestselling historical mystery series. New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things. So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue―and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York―Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out. In this next installment in this beloved series All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.
In Sunshine or in Shadow book cover
#20

In Sunshine or in Shadow

2024

Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is back with In Sunshine or in Shadow, the latest book in this beloved series by New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. New York, 1908: The days are getting longer—and warmer—in Manhattan. Molly Murphy Sullivan doesn’t want to leave her home in the city, but typhoid is back, and she’s expecting. So she heads north with the children to summer with her mother-in-law in Westchester County. Molly tells herself it won’t be so bad, after all the countryside is pretty, and she’s determined to make the best of it. Even if she’s leaving her husband, Daniel, behind. And at least she’s not the only one heading north. Her great friends, Sid and Gus, are headed to the Catskills to visit Sid’s family. Though her mother-in-law is a surprisingly excellent host, Molly quickly grows bored. And when Sid and Gus invite her to visit, Molly jumps at the chance to stay with them at an artist’s community. What a pleasant time they’ll have, so far from the city, although Sid isn’t so enthusiastic about having to visit her family in the nearby Jewish bungalow community. But deep in the Catskills, tensions are running high, and it’s not long before a body delays Molly’s return to Westchester.
Silent as the Grave book cover
#21

Silent as the Grave

2025

With a newborn and two children, Molly Murphy Sullivan is tackling motherhood. Her husband, Daniel, is off to work in Washington as Easter break begins in New York. Her dear friend and writer, Ryan O’Hara, is shooting a movie, one of the first to involve a real plot and actors. He invites Molly and the children to visit the set and watch the excitement. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she’s a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her. The movie industry is still experimenting with ways to get the best shot, like pretending to tie Bridie to real train tracks. But soon, their special effects start to malfunction. After a few mishaps where no one is hurt, the special effects turn deadly. With rumors of a feud between studios, Molly believes these malfunctions are sabotage. She is invited to go undercover on set to investigate the burgeoning film war. Once again, Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details and thrilling escapades featuring one of mystery's most beloved sleuths.

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