A review by laurenjodi
Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen
4.0
Molly Murphy
4 Stars
On the run from the law, Molly Murphy escapes her native Ireland for the promise of 19th century New York. Unfortunately, trouble follows in Molly’s footsteps when a man with whom she had an altercation onboard ship is murdered at Ellis Island and she must use her sharp wits and Irish charm to clear her name.
The excellent historical background and vivacious heroine make up for the rather lackluster who-dun-it.
Despite its potential the mystery is underdeveloped. There are too few clues to go on and the resolution is achieved far too easily after being based on a series of lucky coincidences rather than any real investigative ability on Molly’s part.
Nevertheless, Molly is a wonderful heroine. While other readers are often ticked off by stubborn and willful characters, they are one of my favorite types and Molly epitomizes these traits alongside other endearing qualities such as intelligence, spirit and a certain amount of naïveté about the realities of immigrant life. The hints at a romance to come with the intrepid Detective Daniel Sullivan adds nuance both the the characterization and the story as a whole.
The historical detail on the Irish in New York at the turn of the century is fascinating and the descriptions of the immigrant experiences of Ellis Island, Hell’s Kitchen and the Bowery for the Jews, Italians, Germans, and Irish who flocked to America makes for compelling listening.
Nicola’s Barbers narration is out of this world and her Irish brogue is both immersive and a pleasure to listen to. Looking forward to continuing with the series and will look into Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series as well.
4 Stars
On the run from the law, Molly Murphy escapes her native Ireland for the promise of 19th century New York. Unfortunately, trouble follows in Molly’s footsteps when a man with whom she had an altercation onboard ship is murdered at Ellis Island and she must use her sharp wits and Irish charm to clear her name.
The excellent historical background and vivacious heroine make up for the rather lackluster who-dun-it.
Despite its potential the mystery is underdeveloped. There are too few clues to go on and the resolution is achieved far too easily after being based on a series of lucky coincidences rather than any real investigative ability on Molly’s part.
Nevertheless, Molly is a wonderful heroine. While other readers are often ticked off by stubborn and willful characters, they are one of my favorite types and Molly epitomizes these traits alongside other endearing qualities such as intelligence, spirit and a certain amount of naïveté about the realities of immigrant life. The hints at a romance to come with the intrepid Detective Daniel Sullivan adds nuance both the the characterization and the story as a whole.
The historical detail on the Irish in New York at the turn of the century is fascinating and the descriptions of the immigrant experiences of Ellis Island, Hell’s Kitchen and the Bowery for the Jews, Italians, Germans, and Irish who flocked to America makes for compelling listening.
Nicola’s Barbers narration is out of this world and her Irish brogue is both immersive and a pleasure to listen to. Looking forward to continuing with the series and will look into Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series as well.