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Molly Murphy #3
For the Love of Mike
Fashion can be murder for Molly Murphy! Having inherited the cases of her deceased mentor Paddy Reilly, private investigator Molly Murphy is following philandering husbands, tracking down runaway debutantes and working in a sweatshop to discover who is purloining dress designs. None of these jobs seem very dangerous... at first. But when a woman's body is fished out of the East River, Molly fears it is the missing society girl everyone is talking about. Then Molly's sometime beau, police captain Daniel Sullivan, reveals that another corpse may be the girl's cheating lover, Mike Kelly. As the threads of passion and greed weave a vivid tapestry of violence, Molly must descend into the underworld of the gangs of New York - only to realise that she may need more than her street smart to get to the truth... and get out alive.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2003
About the author
Rhys Bowen
116 books9,012 followersI'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
January 10, 2019
Book three of this series and Molly is still scrabbling to make an income as a private investigator and build a life as a new Irish immigrant in America.
Perhaps choosing a career in a man's world was not her best idea but in For the Love of Mike we find out how bad it was for women trying to find suitable paid employment. Molly takes a case which requires her to work in a 'sweat shop' making garments, and conditions just could not be worse.
Things are looking up a bit for Molly though. She at least gets paid for her work and she has a home and friends. I wonder what is going to happen to her next!
Perhaps choosing a career in a man's world was not her best idea but in For the Love of Mike we find out how bad it was for women trying to find suitable paid employment. Molly takes a case which requires her to work in a 'sweat shop' making garments, and conditions just could not be worse.
Things are looking up a bit for Molly though. She at least gets paid for her work and she has a home and friends. I wonder what is going to happen to her next!
February 21, 2020
4.5 stars I just love Molly Murphy and her adventures.
February 6, 2017
Narrated by Lara Hutchinson.
This is the third book in the Molly Murphy Mystery series and follows Molly, a young Irish woman in New York, as she takes on some new commissions in her new job as a PI. This time around Molly goes undercover at a garment factory to find a spy stealing designs but ends up getting involved in the worker's fight for better conditions. At the same time, Molly is also looking for the daughter of a wealthy man who ran away from Ireland with an employee of her father's estate, and the two jobs may be connected.
I really enjoyed this installment of Molly's journey. I feel like a lot happened in this one and we not only got some adventures with Molly that saw her get in all sorts of trouble as usual including being mistaken for a prostitute and a violent protester on two different occasions but also a look into what life was life for the poor immigrants in New York forced to take any measly job they could so survive in the land of the free. I feel this book highlighted more so than the other books, the problems Molly could have being a female PI in a time when it was strange for a woman to be so independent. Like I mentioned above, at one point while she is spying on someone she has been employed to follow, she is arrested by policemen for simply being a woman alone and out after dark. She also, again, has several men tell her how stupid her dreams are and how she should give up the dangerous work of being a PI because as a woman, it would be impossible for her to be successful.
I also enjoyed the entrance of a male character that finally was able to divert Molly's attentions from police captain Daniel O' Sullivan. Jakob was extremely cute, and though not enamoured by Molly's PI job wasn't as forceful about it as Daniel. It's obvious Molly will end up with Daniel at some stage but I'm glad to see she's not waiting around like a lost puppy. With Jakob, we also get to see the difficulties of religious differences and cultural differences with Jakob being from a strict Yiddish background and the problems he and Molly may face because of this.
This book kept me interested and entertained though as usual a lot of Molly's success comes from a lot of a luck and some bad decisions that lead to surprising discoveries rather than any real skill. I really like the narrator Lara Hutchinson who gives Molly a really unique voice and does other characters and accents really well (I just realised how much I love Hutchinson having started the next book in the series which has a new narrator and she's awful.)
This is the third book in the Molly Murphy Mystery series and follows Molly, a young Irish woman in New York, as she takes on some new commissions in her new job as a PI. This time around Molly goes undercover at a garment factory to find a spy stealing designs but ends up getting involved in the worker's fight for better conditions. At the same time, Molly is also looking for the daughter of a wealthy man who ran away from Ireland with an employee of her father's estate, and the two jobs may be connected.
I really enjoyed this installment of Molly's journey. I feel like a lot happened in this one and we not only got some adventures with Molly that saw her get in all sorts of trouble as usual including being mistaken for a prostitute and a violent protester on two different occasions but also a look into what life was life for the poor immigrants in New York forced to take any measly job they could so survive in the land of the free. I feel this book highlighted more so than the other books, the problems Molly could have being a female PI in a time when it was strange for a woman to be so independent. Like I mentioned above, at one point while she is spying on someone she has been employed to follow, she is arrested by policemen for simply being a woman alone and out after dark. She also, again, has several men tell her how stupid her dreams are and how she should give up the dangerous work of being a PI because as a woman, it would be impossible for her to be successful.
I also enjoyed the entrance of a male character that finally was able to divert Molly's attentions from police captain Daniel O' Sullivan. Jakob was extremely cute, and though not enamoured by Molly's PI job wasn't as forceful about it as Daniel. It's obvious Molly will end up with Daniel at some stage but I'm glad to see she's not waiting around like a lost puppy. With Jakob, we also get to see the difficulties of religious differences and cultural differences with Jakob being from a strict Yiddish background and the problems he and Molly may face because of this.
This book kept me interested and entertained though as usual a lot of Molly's success comes from a lot of a luck and some bad decisions that lead to surprising discoveries rather than any real skill. I really like the narrator Lara Hutchinson who gives Molly a really unique voice and does other characters and accents really well (I just realised how much I love Hutchinson having started the next book in the series which has a new narrator and she's awful.)
April 21, 2021
The wrong label can turn us off of stories we would love. Preferring the seriousness of “standard mystery”, I had the impression for years that Rhys Bowen would be too cutesy. It has been my pleasure to discover this series does educate us on the hardships of immigrating, or staying in one’s old country. My Irish-descended Mom would jokingly call it: “Damned if you don’t, damned if you do”! For that matter, jobs considered unsuitable for ladies were a far cry better than the slop jobs peopled by them in droves.
“For The Love Of Mike” published in 2003, shows us how easily police arrested the wrong person for being out at night, unwilling to believe Molly Brown was lawfully reconnoitring as a private investigator! Thankfully, she lives in luxury with an artist couple, in just about the only place to be lesbians in peace. However, she wants to afford a home for her adopted family and even in a pickle, she refuses to contact captain Daniel Sullivan anymore. I admire that. Molly both seizes favourable boosts and stands on her own feet.
This novel engaged me so much, with two dynamic mysteries tied together credulously and new topics to elicit our compassion, that it earned five sure stars. I had just finished a five-star Victoria Thompson mystery and wanted to stay in 1900s New York a little more. This Irish sleuth gave me the right atmosphere and did not disappoint!
Her goal was to help Europeans locate emigrated loved-ones; not spy among disenchanted marriages. This novel is about the opportunity to do what she wanted, in tandem with a lucrative offer to catch a pattern-stealing garment worker. We follow women building unions, children hired as vandals for gangs, and two ladies choosing between past and future beaus for themselves.
“For The Love Of Mike” published in 2003, shows us how easily police arrested the wrong person for being out at night, unwilling to believe Molly Brown was lawfully reconnoitring as a private investigator! Thankfully, she lives in luxury with an artist couple, in just about the only place to be lesbians in peace. However, she wants to afford a home for her adopted family and even in a pickle, she refuses to contact captain Daniel Sullivan anymore. I admire that. Molly both seizes favourable boosts and stands on her own feet.
This novel engaged me so much, with two dynamic mysteries tied together credulously and new topics to elicit our compassion, that it earned five sure stars. I had just finished a five-star Victoria Thompson mystery and wanted to stay in 1900s New York a little more. This Irish sleuth gave me the right atmosphere and did not disappoint!
Her goal was to help Europeans locate emigrated loved-ones; not spy among disenchanted marriages. This novel is about the opportunity to do what she wanted, in tandem with a lucrative offer to catch a pattern-stealing garment worker. We follow women building unions, children hired as vandals for gangs, and two ladies choosing between past and future beaus for themselves.
September 18, 2018
A wishy washy detective annoyed but I delighted in the look at turn of the century New York.
World: The world building is solid, this time around we get to look at womens sweat shops and labor conditions of the era and it’s a fresh and interesting place to have this story. I am liking this series as I don’t have a lot of knowledge in turn of the century America so it’s a delightful world to read about.
Story: The mystery is quite interesting this time around as it involves not a body until the end, I did not know what to expect. Instead we get a detective story which was about a different type of crime and also a setting that’s different. The womens sweat shop and the union discussion in the book was interesting to me and was more so than the other mystery that Molly was hired for. In the end I did feel that the union stuff was tossed away and the wonderful characters forgotten it was not that good. I was most annoyed with the relationship issues for this book and I’m starting to have character issues for Molly and Daniel but more below.
Characters: Molly is a fun character, resourceful and won’t take shit from no one and I love that attitude about her. Her personal voice is strong and interesting and seeing the world through her eyes is a joy. The relationship aspect of her is getting annoying through, it’s been three books and in three books she’s easily fallen in love with any man that comes along and it is starting to annoy me. This is nothing to do with her gender but rather I am not a big fan of love and relationships in books when they are not earned or fully developed. Daniel is an issue, his humming and hawing is getting old and I am not a fan of this type of male character at all also. In the end the relationship is broken and should not exist and the face we get back at it again and again after is starting to wear me thin. I really liked the new characters with the unions and the work house but I wish we had more of it, I’m worrying that the new books will forget them all but I think that’s going to be the case.
An interesting look at turn of the century New York but has relationship issues.
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building is solid, this time around we get to look at womens sweat shops and labor conditions of the era and it’s a fresh and interesting place to have this story. I am liking this series as I don’t have a lot of knowledge in turn of the century America so it’s a delightful world to read about.
Story: The mystery is quite interesting this time around as it involves not a body until the end, I did not know what to expect. Instead we get a detective story which was about a different type of crime and also a setting that’s different. The womens sweat shop and the union discussion in the book was interesting to me and was more so than the other mystery that Molly was hired for. In the end I did feel that the union stuff was tossed away and the wonderful characters forgotten it was not that good. I was most annoyed with the relationship issues for this book and I’m starting to have character issues for Molly and Daniel but more below.
Characters: Molly is a fun character, resourceful and won’t take shit from no one and I love that attitude about her. Her personal voice is strong and interesting and seeing the world through her eyes is a joy. The relationship aspect of her is getting annoying through, it’s been three books and in three books she’s easily fallen in love with any man that comes along and it is starting to annoy me. This is nothing to do with her gender but rather I am not a big fan of love and relationships in books when they are not earned or fully developed. Daniel is an issue, his humming and hawing is getting old and I am not a fan of this type of male character at all also. In the end the relationship is broken and should not exist and the face we get back at it again and again after is starting to wear me thin. I really liked the new characters with the unions and the work house but I wish we had more of it, I’m worrying that the new books will forget them all but I think that’s going to be the case.
An interesting look at turn of the century New York but has relationship issues.
Onward to the next book!
September 6, 2019
For the Love of Mike
3.5 Stars
Hired to investigate a case of industrial espionage, Molly Murphy soon finds herself ensconced in a sweatshop facing the tyranny of the overseers, the threats of street gangs and the workings of union organizers. When a friend is murdered, Molly must sort out who amongst her enemies and allies is the killer.
The mystery in this installment is relatively minor and takes a back seat to the focus on the plight of the garment workers in turn of the century New York. The historical details are interesting and Bowen's research is excellent, particularly the descriptions of the awful working conditions in the sweatshops as well as the inclusion of a fire, which is obviously based on factual events.
Molly is an endearing heroine and her detecting skills are improving. Nevertheless, she does not always think about the consequences of her actions, which often land her in serious trouble.
Molly's relationship with Daniel Sullivan had such potential at the start of this series, but has taken an awkward turn with the revelation of his . This does not reflect well on him at all as a love interest and it will take a great deal for him to redeem himself. That said, it is good to see Molly stand up for herself in this regard.
All in all, a good addition to the series and I look forward to more of Molly's cases.
3.5 Stars
Hired to investigate a case of industrial espionage, Molly Murphy soon finds herself ensconced in a sweatshop facing the tyranny of the overseers, the threats of street gangs and the workings of union organizers. When a friend is murdered, Molly must sort out who amongst her enemies and allies is the killer.
The mystery in this installment is relatively minor and takes a back seat to the focus on the plight of the garment workers in turn of the century New York. The historical details are interesting and Bowen's research is excellent, particularly the descriptions of the awful working conditions in the sweatshops as well as the inclusion of a fire, which is obviously based on factual events.
Molly is an endearing heroine and her detecting skills are improving. Nevertheless, she does not always think about the consequences of her actions, which often land her in serious trouble.
Molly's relationship with Daniel Sullivan had such potential at the start of this series, but has taken an awkward turn with the revelation of his . This does not reflect well on him at all as a love interest and it will take a great deal for him to redeem himself. That said, it is good to see Molly stand up for herself in this regard.
All in all, a good addition to the series and I look forward to more of Molly's cases.
August 21, 2021
This series is fun. It's light and yet it's tackling huge issues (that even affect us to this day). Molly's life is messy and complicated, and I appreciate that. While I didn't like how one-dimensional Mike wound up being and wish he'd been more nuanced, I really liked the introduction of Jacob and the potential difficulties that brings -- and also the potential opportunities to continue to explore how American society was changing so completely during this time period.
On to #4!
On to #4!
August 26, 2014
I feel like a real turkey for entering yet another series of novels in medias res. Although I erroneously thought I was grabbing the first in the series, For Love of Mike proved to be number three in the series of Molly Murphy novels and, apparently, a lot had happened before. In For Love of Mike, there is great tension between Molly and her former suitor, Daniel Sullivan (a powerful police officer). There is also a lot of unresolved frustration about the loss of Molly’s former employer and mentor, Paddy Riley. It also isn’t quite clear why she feels responsible for Seamus’ family, but her relationship with Seamus’ young daughter and son are important with regard to the way her cases are solved. Indeed, when Molly solves a particular problem for Seamus, he complains: “No, you’ve made it too easy for me. Life is not supposed to be easy. We’re born to a struggle and we die in a struggle, and it’s a struggle in between too.” To which Molly narrates in first person, “Trust an Irishman to be poetic at five in the morning.” (p. 195)
Molly Murphy is practically (but not quite) a FOB, “fresh off the boat” (although that term isn’t used in the book). If this volume is any indication, the stories offer rather an interesting perspective on early 20th century life in New York City. This is the era of early trade unions among the garment workers and this union movement plays a key role in the backdrop of one of the two ongoing mysteries in this novel. In fact, there is a marvelous line about what was happening in the U.S. at the time with the boundaries between races and religions being redrawn: “They call this the melting pot, but we haven’t had time to melt. As of yet, we are still separate ingredients floating around in the broth.” (p. 234)
Although I had a suspicion as to how things would turn out in the novel, I must confess that I was firmly convinced that I knew who the spy was on p. 205 and that I knew who the murderer was at the same time. Six pages later, I was even more certain. At the end, I was surprised at just how wrong I was. This happens to me on occasion. I DO try to solve the mysteries well before all of the clues are in. This time, however, I made a stunt performer’s-sized misjump (like the famous motorcycle leap over the Snake River Canyon?) and didn’t accomplish anything. Of course, that’s what keeps me reading mysteries. Even though I entered this series in the middle, I plan to backfill and read the rest.
Molly Murphy is practically (but not quite) a FOB, “fresh off the boat” (although that term isn’t used in the book). If this volume is any indication, the stories offer rather an interesting perspective on early 20th century life in New York City. This is the era of early trade unions among the garment workers and this union movement plays a key role in the backdrop of one of the two ongoing mysteries in this novel. In fact, there is a marvelous line about what was happening in the U.S. at the time with the boundaries between races and religions being redrawn: “They call this the melting pot, but we haven’t had time to melt. As of yet, we are still separate ingredients floating around in the broth.” (p. 234)
Although I had a suspicion as to how things would turn out in the novel, I must confess that I was firmly convinced that I knew who the spy was on p. 205 and that I knew who the murderer was at the same time. Six pages later, I was even more certain. At the end, I was surprised at just how wrong I was. This happens to me on occasion. I DO try to solve the mysteries well before all of the clues are in. This time, however, I made a stunt performer’s-sized misjump (like the famous motorcycle leap over the Snake River Canyon?) and didn’t accomplish anything. Of course, that’s what keeps me reading mysteries. Even though I entered this series in the middle, I plan to backfill and read the rest.
March 8, 2016
On the brink of ending this tedious story, I thought about Ultimate Soccer manager. It was a turn based football game that came out in the nineties. Very addicting and fun. Unlike this book. Anyway half the fun of that game was to invent names for the manager character. My favorite was 'Joui de la Putana'. It was hilarious when I got the boot from the job and the game served up the picture(like I said it was turn-based) of a man clearing his desk with his face in his hands. Party hardy equals sacking, as one might say. As for the book, it was as bad as the last one but I have doubled the score. Let no man say that Joui was a mean fellow.
May 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this one! The timing was fitting too because I went to see a production of The Newsies while I was reading this. Lots of New York and unions and strikes and workers’ rights. Good stuff. Also heartbreaking and eye opening. I thought this ended on just the right note with the letter. There was a lot packed into this one novel. I’m excited to discuss it with our mystery group tomorrow.
June 18, 2016
Molly Murphy fled Ireland a year before the action in this entry in the series, fearful of arrest for the murder of her employer’s son. She came to New York City in 1909, made friends, met Captain Dan Sullivan of the Police Department in a somewhat romantic way and opened a detective agency. So much for the beginnings of the 14 novels in this delightful series. In this novel, the third installment, now published in trade paperback, Molly begins to develop her chosen activity as an investigator, undertaking two assignments in her attempt to keep the detective agency alive after her mentor’s death.
Each of the investigations fortunately necessitates the presence of a female. First, in effect, is a sort of undercover operation, in which Molly becomes a garment worker in a sweat shop attempting to discover how proprietary designs are being pilfered so they can be copied by a competitor. The other, more to her liking, is finding a retired English major’s daughter who has left her home in Ireland to run away and marry an undesirable employee. Of course, each of the jobs presents Molly with sufficient danger and circumstances to demonstrate her fortitude and leadership abilities, such as convincing her co-workers to go on strike for better wages and working conditions.
And, of course, her “romance” with Capt. Dan Sullivan occupies a prominent role in her life, as he continues to dilly dally with his engagement to another, The novel heightens the development of Molly’s personality development, and lays the foundation for the future entries to follow. There is no hint of what is yet to come, although we now know the future of this Irish immigrant in lil’ old New York at the turn of the 20th Century, including her future marriage and motherhood. Also a pleasure to read a Molly Murphy Mystery, much less to recommend it.
Each of the investigations fortunately necessitates the presence of a female. First, in effect, is a sort of undercover operation, in which Molly becomes a garment worker in a sweat shop attempting to discover how proprietary designs are being pilfered so they can be copied by a competitor. The other, more to her liking, is finding a retired English major’s daughter who has left her home in Ireland to run away and marry an undesirable employee. Of course, each of the jobs presents Molly with sufficient danger and circumstances to demonstrate her fortitude and leadership abilities, such as convincing her co-workers to go on strike for better wages and working conditions.
And, of course, her “romance” with Capt. Dan Sullivan occupies a prominent role in her life, as he continues to dilly dally with his engagement to another, The novel heightens the development of Molly’s personality development, and lays the foundation for the future entries to follow. There is no hint of what is yet to come, although we now know the future of this Irish immigrant in lil’ old New York at the turn of the 20th Century, including her future marriage and motherhood. Also a pleasure to read a Molly Murphy Mystery, much less to recommend it.
September 4, 2013
In this third book of the Molly Murphy series, Molly has finally received two solid commissions for her struggling detective agency. One involves the type of work that she originally set out to do, find missing persons, or connect people from one side of the pond to the other. After placing an ad in a Dublin newspaper, Molly receives a letter from a Dublin aristocrat searching for his runaway daughter who has fled to New York City. The other case that Molly undertakes places her in the hard knock world of women's garment factories, sweatshops that employed women to sew in horrible conditions for poverty wages. Molly is hired by the owner of one of these shops to uncover who is stealing his fashion designs and giving them to a rival company. Unfortunately, the job requires Molly to become one of the ill-treated workers who must sew for 12 hours with a pittance of a lunch break. It serves to open up Molly's world even further to the constricted role that women are expected to play in the work force. Both jobs will be demanding, and, as usual, Molly finds herself in danger more than once. Daniel is still telling Molly he wants her, but he is also still engaged to another woman, so Molly is trying to distance herself from him and her feelings for him. She once again enlarges her circle of friends through her work, discovering people across nationalities who work toward the betterment of all people. It's a pleasure to follow Molly in her endeavors to build her own business in a world dominated by men while she continues to carve a life for herself filled with friends and new interests.
July 19, 2015
The series get better as I read. This book is from my library. The characters are well developed and new ones are added. The research of time is outstanding. In Molly quest to be a professional investor continues she finds that many avenues are not open to women. Some of them are even dangerous. She is about ready to find another job when she gets a couple of new tasks. One will take her into the garment industry sweatshops of the time. She horrified of the conditions that she finds and soon finds herself joining a union.. The other undertaking Molly is asked to find a runaway English daughter who eloped with a undesirable man. Molly has enough money to rent a house and brings the O'Conner family to live with her. Molly needs to be succeed at her job in order to live her own life.
February 8, 2014
For the Love of Mike is the third book in the 'Molly Murphy' series and is the best so far. There is more character development and some new, intriguing characters. Molly takes on two investigations in this book and both have surprising endings. Daniel Sullivan appears several times and continues to string Molly along. But he does have competition now with the new character Jacob.
I will continue reading this series. I am curious about where it will go. The info about early 20th century New York City is intersting. I would recommend these books but start at the beginning.
I will continue reading this series. I am curious about where it will go. The info about early 20th century New York City is intersting. I would recommend these books but start at the beginning.
January 15, 2023
Well, the mystery plots here are definitely improving, as are Molly's detective skills. This one felt a lot more like Molly actually doing the detecting, rather than lucking into all of her discoveries. Hoping we are mostly free of Finbar and Nuala now. Generally liking the other supporting characters we've been introduced to so far.
January 25, 2020
This series is back on track
June 14, 2019
First sentence: Actually I had been guessing at the time.
Premise/plot: Molly Murphy is determined to be a private investigator. In this third book in the series, she is working on two cases at the same time. One case has her going undercover at a garment factory. Another case has her looking for a missing person--a runaway daughter. Will she be able to solve both cases and collect her fees? Or will these cases prove too challenging and dangerous? Could Molly Murphy lose her life in the attempt to be a private investigator?
My thoughts: This is the third Molly Murphy mystery I've read.
I'll start with the good news. I like that the books build upon one another and that we're still catching glimpses of people we've met in books one and two. This seems like a good way to build a believable world--people it. Some are mere background players but others are becoming central to the plot.
Now for the bad news...
Are readers supposed to actually like Molly Murphy? Are we supposed to find Molly Murphy fierce, brave, empowered, independent, ahead-of-her-time? Because this reader is mostly finding Molly Murphy to be lacking any and all common sense. Are readers supposed to find her blunders and near-misses charming and adorable? This reader doesn't. It is not that I want Molly Murphy to actually suffer the consequences of her incompetence. I don't want her to be raped, molested, kidnapped, or killed. I don't. But at this point, she needs a team of men to follow her around to protect her from herself--her brave, daring, independent escapades and adventures. And surprisingly enough, that team of men actually exists. Men are fighting over her. They're also yelling at her, telling her not to be so stupid, but...they don't see her lack of sense as a bad thing...they actually want to be with her.
This touches on the second annoyance of the series...the "romance." In the first book, Molly fell for a police officer, Daniel Sullivan. He seemed to be equally smitten with her. It looked like it was going to be heading towards a happily ever after. But a few chapters into the second book--perhaps less--readers find out he's been engaged to another woman this whole time. Daniel seems to be hero who pops up dozens of times in each book to SAVE MOLLY FROM HERSELF. She then whines about how she hates to be "saved" by Daniel and how she wants to never, ever see him again. She also seems to be mourning the fact that he won't choose her. If Molly really and truly wants to never see Daniel again--perhaps she could work harder at NOT BEING ARRESTED or brought to the station for questioning. Perhaps if she avoided potentially dangerous situations altogether--going into gang hang-outs, for example, to ask her questions.
Right now there are TWO men "in love" with Molly. Because I actually like Jacob, I'm thinking he deserves better than Molly.
Premise/plot: Molly Murphy is determined to be a private investigator. In this third book in the series, she is working on two cases at the same time. One case has her going undercover at a garment factory. Another case has her looking for a missing person--a runaway daughter. Will she be able to solve both cases and collect her fees? Or will these cases prove too challenging and dangerous? Could Molly Murphy lose her life in the attempt to be a private investigator?
My thoughts: This is the third Molly Murphy mystery I've read.
I'll start with the good news. I like that the books build upon one another and that we're still catching glimpses of people we've met in books one and two. This seems like a good way to build a believable world--people it. Some are mere background players but others are becoming central to the plot.
Now for the bad news...
Are readers supposed to actually like Molly Murphy? Are we supposed to find Molly Murphy fierce, brave, empowered, independent, ahead-of-her-time? Because this reader is mostly finding Molly Murphy to be lacking any and all common sense. Are readers supposed to find her blunders and near-misses charming and adorable? This reader doesn't. It is not that I want Molly Murphy to actually suffer the consequences of her incompetence. I don't want her to be raped, molested, kidnapped, or killed. I don't. But at this point, she needs a team of men to follow her around to protect her from herself--her brave, daring, independent escapades and adventures. And surprisingly enough, that team of men actually exists. Men are fighting over her. They're also yelling at her, telling her not to be so stupid, but...they don't see her lack of sense as a bad thing...they actually want to be with her.
This touches on the second annoyance of the series...the "romance." In the first book, Molly fell for a police officer, Daniel Sullivan. He seemed to be equally smitten with her. It looked like it was going to be heading towards a happily ever after. But a few chapters into the second book--perhaps less--readers find out he's been engaged to another woman this whole time. Daniel seems to be hero who pops up dozens of times in each book to SAVE MOLLY FROM HERSELF. She then whines about how she hates to be "saved" by Daniel and how she wants to never, ever see him again. She also seems to be mourning the fact that he won't choose her. If Molly really and truly wants to never see Daniel again--perhaps she could work harder at NOT BEING ARRESTED or brought to the station for questioning. Perhaps if she avoided potentially dangerous situations altogether--going into gang hang-outs, for example, to ask her questions.
Right now there are TWO men "in love" with Molly. Because I actually like Jacob, I'm thinking he deserves better than Molly.
May 4, 2011
Fresh out of Riley's closed case, Daniel expected to see Molly intimidated by all the dangers she had experienced. Like he said, her nine cat lives were rapidly being used up. Molly, notwithstanding, still determined to continue on this line of work.
Tired of all the ludicrous divorce cases, Molly decided to go back to her original intention to find lost relatives. Hence, she advertised her trade on a newspaper and immediately got an assignment for finding an eloped couple from Ireland and another one for undercover work as a garment worker at a garment company to detect a spy who copied designs and spirited them away to the rival company within the mist of the workers . Without having any sucess in this business for several months, Molly was out of funds, and besides also needed to find a place of her own to host an invalid man together with his army of two starving children. She had no choice but to work on both cases simultaneously.
While undercovering as a worker, Molly had to suffer from the harsh working condition and the ill treatment of all the other workers. Sympathetic to the girls and furiated with the unfairness, Molly was inadvertently being drawn to the workers' revolution. She even helped to organise a strike against the owner of a garment company. At a meeting, Molly first encountered Jacob Singer, an active member of the United Hebrew Trade who professed to help organise strikes and to assist fledging strikers. This Mr. Singer was instantly attracted to Molly and tried to find every oppotunities to get close to Molly. The man was no wicked Daniel. He was a gentleman of impeccable manners. Jacob soon hinted his intention to marry Molly since he apparently fell in love at first sight with her. Daniel noting the presence of this unwanted Jewish gentleman grew more anxious and agitated. But Molly was no less agitated than Daniel and got even more aggravated by his possessive behaviors and his cowardice at not being able to break off his engagement with the spoilt Arabella creature. Daniel was then granted a nickname of "Daniel the Deceiver" by Sid and Gus. This formed a delicous triangle love story.
Excellent read. My favourite characters were Sid and Gus. It was kind of fun watching Daniel and Jacob making bullet eyes at each other.
Tired of all the ludicrous divorce cases, Molly decided to go back to her original intention to find lost relatives. Hence, she advertised her trade on a newspaper and immediately got an assignment for finding an eloped couple from Ireland and another one for undercover work as a garment worker at a garment company to detect a spy who copied designs and spirited them away to the rival company within the mist of the workers . Without having any sucess in this business for several months, Molly was out of funds, and besides also needed to find a place of her own to host an invalid man together with his army of two starving children. She had no choice but to work on both cases simultaneously.
While undercovering as a worker, Molly had to suffer from the harsh working condition and the ill treatment of all the other workers. Sympathetic to the girls and furiated with the unfairness, Molly was inadvertently being drawn to the workers' revolution. She even helped to organise a strike against the owner of a garment company. At a meeting, Molly first encountered Jacob Singer, an active member of the United Hebrew Trade who professed to help organise strikes and to assist fledging strikers. This Mr. Singer was instantly attracted to Molly and tried to find every oppotunities to get close to Molly. The man was no wicked Daniel. He was a gentleman of impeccable manners. Jacob soon hinted his intention to marry Molly since he apparently fell in love at first sight with her. Daniel noting the presence of this unwanted Jewish gentleman grew more anxious and agitated. But Molly was no less agitated than Daniel and got even more aggravated by his possessive behaviors and his cowardice at not being able to break off his engagement with the spoilt Arabella creature. Daniel was then granted a nickname of "Daniel the Deceiver" by Sid and Gus. This formed a delicous triangle love story.
Excellent read. My favourite characters were Sid and Gus. It was kind of fun watching Daniel and Jacob making bullet eyes at each other.
January 16, 2014
Molly Murphy is determined to be a private investigator, but finds many people in New York don't think that line of work is proper for women. Then two business opportunities turn up: An aristocratic family in Dublin hire her to locate their daughter whom they fear has fled with her unsavory boyfriend to New York and asked by a garment owner to work uncover to find the person who had committed industrial espionage by stealing designs and selling the to a competitor.
Daniel has kept in contact with Molly and claims to love her, but refuses to break off his engagement to a woman who could ruin his career. Molly agrees to take on both jobs and begins work as a piece worker while she searches for the girl. The working conditions are atrocious with freezing rooms, pay docked for needing to use the restroom, overcrowding, and no talking allowed. Bowen uses these appalling conditions for women workers to have her female heroine take a major role in striking for better working conditions. A frightening hazard of working in cramped, close rooms without proper ventilation cause a fire with Molly taking swift action to save the day.
A wonderful continuation of the story of a young woman trying to make it on her own in the large city of New York.
Daniel has kept in contact with Molly and claims to love her, but refuses to break off his engagement to a woman who could ruin his career. Molly agrees to take on both jobs and begins work as a piece worker while she searches for the girl. The working conditions are atrocious with freezing rooms, pay docked for needing to use the restroom, overcrowding, and no talking allowed. Bowen uses these appalling conditions for women workers to have her female heroine take a major role in striking for better working conditions. A frightening hazard of working in cramped, close rooms without proper ventilation cause a fire with Molly taking swift action to save the day.
A wonderful continuation of the story of a young woman trying to make it on her own in the large city of New York.
October 4, 2017
This definitely isn't the normal type of mystery book that I read, which is why it's been so long between books, but I was in the mood for something different and Molly Murphy did the trick!
I enjoy that she is such a strong and formidable female character, especially for the time frame in which the book was set...America in the 1900's.
I am interested to see where Molly goes with her two love interests and hope to see that she follows through with her being an investigator. Although all the men continue to call her stupid, I call her dedicated, not only to her job, but her beliefs!
For the Love of Mike did start out a bit slow, but picked up its pace and was an overall pretty good read! What do you have for us next Molly?
I enjoy that she is such a strong and formidable female character, especially for the time frame in which the book was set...America in the 1900's.
I am interested to see where Molly goes with her two love interests and hope to see that she follows through with her being an investigator. Although all the men continue to call her stupid, I call her dedicated, not only to her job, but her beliefs!
For the Love of Mike did start out a bit slow, but picked up its pace and was an overall pretty good read! What do you have for us next Molly?
March 9, 2017
Molly gets her first cases on her own merit, one of which requires her to go undercover in a sweatshop. All the hazards of turn of the century exploitation are in full view. Depressingly, some are still an issue in the textile and garment industries--and not only in developing countries. This instalment in the Molly Murphy Mysteries has more than its fair share of high-wire, death-defying feats; a New York landmark during its construction; and some bruised and broken hearts for good measure. Overall, a feisty feminist story with historical details and social awareness.
February 24, 2018
This was a Molly Murphy series book I missed, glad I went back and caught up. This was set before her and Daniel were married. Very fast paced, Molly is still working on being a private investigator, and secures a case that has her working incognito as a poor immigrant in a garment factory, enduring all the mistreatment that it includes, but she, of course can not sit by and keep quiet during this unfair treatment. The wide range of characters come alive and I love them all, as Molly goes from one dangerous situation to the next!
April 3, 2017
I'm giving up on this series. I really enjoyed the first Molly Murphy book, but Daniel has become such an annoying character. He's clearly set up to be the one Molly ends up with, but I find him quite unlikable and find myself rooting against him. This entry in the series also suffered from the fact the the mystery was really a secondary plot.
May 17, 2013
Dithering heroine keeps diving into certain-death situations, becoming TSTL.
May 29, 2022
Another excellent installment, narrated very enjoyably by Lara Hutchinson, a fan favorite in my family. This story centers around the garment district in 1902 New York City and the deplorable working conditions and stresses on the workers. The kids have always been fascinated by the Triangle Shirt Waist factory fire, and this provided some context for that tragedy that would occur 9 years later in the same neighborhood.
The cases and characters are much more detailed and in-depth in these stories than in other YA detective series. Molly is 22, so not a girl, but still young enough to be considered a YA hero. There’s nothing juvenile about her struggles or her sense of justice.
The cases and characters are much more detailed and in-depth in these stories than in other YA detective series. Molly is 22, so not a girl, but still young enough to be considered a YA hero. There’s nothing juvenile about her struggles or her sense of justice.
April 10, 2020
Molly goes undercover in the garment district
Molly is on assignment as a garment worker. Historically accurate, conditions are harsh and unfair. She takes on a second case by searching for a wayward rich English heiress.
I was aware of the poor conditions in our factories, construction and sweatshops. It did not occur to me the owners of these sweatshops were of Jewish decent. It made me squirm a bit because I am of Jewish decent, my distant relative coming from Tzar Russia.
Molly continues to get into situations that are dangerous and sometimes foolish.
Molly is on assignment as a garment worker. Historically accurate, conditions are harsh and unfair. She takes on a second case by searching for a wayward rich English heiress.
I was aware of the poor conditions in our factories, construction and sweatshops. It did not occur to me the owners of these sweatshops were of Jewish decent. It made me squirm a bit because I am of Jewish decent, my distant relative coming from Tzar Russia.
Molly continues to get into situations that are dangerous and sometimes foolish.
August 20, 2021
Another good story of the adventures of Molly Murphy. However, the romantic issue with David became rather annoying and still unresolved. Also some troubles that Molly got into were quite twisted, it was surprising she got out without some actual damage. One might think she's becoming a superhero, only if she did not need anyone to come for the rescue.
October 1, 2021
Easily my favorite of the series so far. I am now comfortable with the main characters and I found this investigation very interesting. I'm still not thrilled with the setting or time period- just not a time I'm interested in- so that makes this series a little difficult to love but I'm still excited to see where this Molly series goes.
December 29, 2022
3.5 stars
July 28, 2020
Another good read with inside into NY life and exciting finish, Molly is a brave soul...
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