Vanished in the Crowd

Molly Sullivan is struggling to put food on the table after her husband takes a job where he isn’t paid for three months. The chance to help financially appears when her friends ask her to investigate the disappearance of Willa Parker, who was supposed to arrive at their house and attend the naval parade in New York. Willa’s husband is desperate to find her, but her wealthy family shows no concern.

Did Willa take the opportunity to escape her marriage? Is her family hiding something about her disappearance? Molly is determined to find Willa Parker. But nothing prepares her for what happens during the parade.

I really like Molly. She’s strong and determined, and she proves that women can lead and excel at their work. The authors show more highlight the period when women were fighting for the right to vote, showing how important that struggle was for some, while others preferred to remain in their husbands’ shadow.

This book was engaging, and enjoyed the mystery woven into the historical events. The plot was interesting, and the mystery was thrilling. And I loved the variety of characters that made the story even more compelling. If you enjoy historical mysteries, or mysteries in general, this book will keep your mind occupied. show less

Molly Murphy Mystery book #22

A cozy mystery

Set in 1909 New York during the Hudson-Fulton celebration. The story follows retired detective Molly Murphy Sullivan as she investigates the disappearance of a female scientist. The story hovers around the suffragette movement, a militant campaign advocating for women’s right to vote.

My thoughts:

The Molly Murphy mysteries give us ample doses of history and wonderful characters while the story moves along at the slow and steady pace. I particularly love Molly and her husband Daniel and how they interact with each other, balancing work and personal life really shows the views may not have changed that much since….of course at center stage is the women’s suffrage movement, science and social show more divide and class status. Interesting.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River , parades, exhibitions and carnivals made for two straight weeks of celebrations which Molly and her friends were part of…till the parade turned deadly and Molly, the sleuth, sprang into action. No mystery without a murder would be captivating. Here we are plunged into a very suspenseful drama, one that has kept me riveted till the very end.

“Vanishing in the Crowd” is an engaging story that weave wonderfully a mystery and historical context and all vividly said to keep us on our toes.

My many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC. show less

Molly Murphy Sullivan now has three children and is having trouble putting food on the table since Daniel Sullivan, now works for the FBI in NYC. The FBI has recently been developed and so far has not been funded so Daniel has not been paid for several weeks. Molly thinks she needs some income of her own for emergencies. It is set in 1909 New York City during the very busy Hudson-Fulton celebration, which encompassed several parades. Willa Parker, from Philadelphia, a scientist and Vassar alumna, was to come stay with Sid and Gus for the parade in which the suffragettes had a float, but she never arrived. They hired Molly to investigate. Molly discovers that her NYC family are not concerned as she has disappeared for a while in the show more past. She has a husband and a young son and does research on polio with her husband at a university; however, he takes all the credit for her work. Her sister, who keeps house for their father, was stricken with polio and has a bad leg from it. Molly accepts the commission and begins the investigation, although she is not sure whether Willa deliberately disappeared due to an abusive husband, or has met with foul play. She also discovers that Willa's husband has hired a Pinkerton man to find Willa. Meanwhile, Birdie is going to march in the historical parade for the event and Daniel is in charge of security for the various dignitaries from several other countries. show less