Murphy's Law

It’s 1901. Molly is running from her small town in Ireland after she accidentally killed a man when he tried to rape her. In London, she meets up with a woman planning to take her children to America to meet up with her husband who is already there. Unfortunately, a medical test before they leave finds her too sick to travel. They decide that Molly will pretend to be her (Kathleen) and escort the kids to their father. Unfortunately, as they were detained overnight on Ellis Island, one of the men who had been on the same ship was murdered. Molly happened to see a guard that night in the vicinity of the men’s barracks; she had also been seen slapping the murdered man on the ship.

I really liked this one. Historical mysteries aren’t show more always my favourite, but I think the historical aspect of this was really well done: dealing with the hardships of arriving as an immigrant, not really knowing anyone… finding a job, so she can eat and pay for shelter. I did like her relationship with the kids she brought with her, especially the little girl. I would have liked a bit more follow-up with that, but maybe that will come in future books in the series. This might be amongst my favourite cozy mysteries, probably due to the historical setting, but that can’t be the only reason since (many) other historical mysteries don’t pull me in like this one did. show less

The historical setting in the novel (early 20th century New York) was far more interesting than the murder mystery. The main character was Molly Murphy, an immigrant from Ireland who is forced to flee after accidentally killing a would-be rapist. In an admittedly convenient plot twist, Molly meets up with a woman who needs someone to accompany her two young children to New York, where their father is waiting. Molly agrees and takes the woman's ticket along with her identity as married young mother "Kathleen". During the voyage she is accosted by another man who seems to know she is not who she claims, and tries to threaten her. The man, who goes by O'Malley, is murdered while the group is being processed at Ellis Island. Young and show more handsome police Captain Daniel Sullivan arrives to investigate the murder, and is intrigued by "Kathleen". But when he arrests Molly's friend Michael for the crime, Molly determines she must solve the case herself.

Having done intensive genealogical research in the past, the most interesting part of this book to me were the scenes where the character is being processed at Ellis Island. The character of Molly can best be described as "spunky". Her impulsiveness of course often gets her into more trouble than she can handle. Although I liked the book, the murder mystery wasn't really that interesting. And I can't help but wish that Molly and Daniel's romance had been stretched out a little more. But I liked this enough to pick up the next book in the series. show less

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 show more 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. show less

Entertaining cosy mystery set mostly in New York City at the start of the twentieth century. An odd mix of optimism, romanticising of the Irish and harsh historical detail.


Six years before Rhys Bowen published the first book of the "Her Royal Spyness" series, she gave us "Murphy's Law" the first book of the Molly Murphy Mysteries. "Murphy's Law" won the Agatha Award for Best Novel in 2001 and the series is now seventeen novels strong.

I listened to the book on a couple of long drives across the UK. It entertained me, told me a few things I didn't know, occasionally annoyed me, often made me smile at the mixture of bravado and naivety of the main character and kept me wanting to find out whodunnit right to the end. All-in-all, not a show more bad experience for a cosy mystery.

Molly, on the run from Ireland for killing the son of an English landowner, flees to America via a series of events that Rhys Bowen cleverly engineers to make her new life in New York City as complicated as possible. Then she gets involved in a couple more deaths, comes to the attention of an NYPD detective and ends up trying to solve a crime on her own to clear the name of a friend.

Molly is a larger-than-life, slightly atavistic character, who sometimes teeters on the edge of cliché but never quite falls off. She's fierce and kind and has a mouth that always gets her into trouble. To some extent, she's protected by her own innocence, which prevents her from fully understanding the dangers of walking into a bar in Hell's Kitchen and asking questions about a local man.

Although this a cosy mystery in an historical setting, not all of the book is cosy. Beneath the, slightly irritating ah-now-aren't-the-Irish-lovely surface, Rhys Bowen gives a fairly stark picture of travelling across the Atlantic locked up in storage class, of being processed through the newly rebuilt Ellis Island building at the mercy of well-meaning doctors who could send you home and sometimes corrupt guardians who could steal what little you had, living in the over-crowded, unsanitary, dehumanising tenements and the corrupting power of the Irish political lobby and their dominance of the police.

The series had a fresh feel to it and energy enough to make me interested in reading the next book in the series "The Death Of Riley". show less

What a charming series!

A few months ago I picked the newest in the series and really enjoyed it. So decided to backtrack and start from the start - and the first one turned out to be a real pleasure.

Molly Murphy is living an unremarkable life in her small village in Ireland (well... mostly unremarkable anyway - she got educated with the nobility's daughters), taking care of her father and brothers. Until the son of the land owner's son decides that he wants to have his way with her, she disagrees and he ends up on the floor, dead. And she runs - to the port and from there to Liverpool, hoping to outrun the police. Being red haired, it is not so easy to hide and she is running out of options. And then she meets Kathleen - a young mother show more that is about to board a ship with her two children to go to New York to join her husband. Except that she will never be allowed on the ship because she has TB - and she convinces Molly to take her place. All seems to be working just fine until a man is killed on Ellis island - and Molly ends up in the cross hairs of the police - first as a suspect, then as a witness. And she meets Daniel Sullivan for the first time and the love between them kindles. More people die, Molly ends up playing detective for a while and things get a bit more complicated before they get better.

The portrait of New York and emigration at the turn of the century is fascinating and believable. Molly is a bit too modern for the times but without grating too much. And the love story is moving a bit too fast - but not entirely unbelievably fast - people can fall in love fast. I want to see how the story continues from here - it is a good start and knowing where it will lead us, it promises a lot of interesting developments. show less

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 show more 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. show less

Molly Murphy is a strong female character who I believe is at least a little anachronistic. She stands up for herself, she goes places where no respectable woman of her time would go, she deceives and spies and infiltrates. And she's completely likeable. In fact, she comes across not as a conniver or instigator, but as an advocate and supporter. Set in the early 1900s Murphy's Law tells the story of Ms. Murphy after she flees her native Ireland to live in New York City. This books fits in the genre I like to call Murder Lite. Someone has died, in a very violent way, but instead of being stuck in the morbidity of the violence, we focus on the things surrounding it--Ellis Island, the reality of life in the New World, the budding romance show more between our heroine and the man she can't have, etc.
Basically, this book could be described as a beach read, it's easy to read, short and fun. But Bowen also provides us with well-written prose and a heroine to follow up on. show less