I didn’t do very well with my BoB Reading Challenge this week because I was so caught up in the two books I was reading. The first was this one, which I had to read immediately upon finishing the first in the series. Just like in the first book there is tons of historical detail that really bring the setting to life. And while Molly is still strong and smart, poking her nose into a mystery determined to solve it, this installment finds her in some very different situations. She is still dealing with the family she helped bring over from Ireland, including their nasty trashy cousin, Nuala. And when the story starts she is even more smitten than ever with police captain Daniel Sullivan. And she is still seeking reputable work, though still sure that what she’d really like to do is help people back in the old country connect with lost loved ones here in America. Much of that changes fairly quickly when she finds out that Daniel’s affections have strings attached. She ends up forcing her way into working for a real private investigator, but not long after that the p.i., Paddy Riley, is murdered-not only that she actually sees the murderer. The police don’t seem very interested in solving the case, but Molly is determined to. Right there that’s a whole lot going on-but wait! there’s more! Through investigating and exploring Molly ends up getting to be a part of the Greenwich Village scene (which-who knew there was one that far back?), meeting and associating with bold bohemian types and homosexuals (though it takes her a really long time to figure that out.) Womens’ rights, women drinking, gay men, nude painter models, passionate artists, and anarchists-sheltered Irish Molly learns about it all! I also really enjoyed the final scenes, set at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. World’s Fairs and these exhibitions really sound so amazing and it’s difficult to imagine something quite like it today.
Anyway, I very much enjoyed this sequel and look forward to continuing the series (especially because I’d really like to see Molly take on some cases that do involve finding people.) And, I still have to get back to Her Royal Spyness series (I stopped when I lost my library book, but I found and returned it, so can continue on now.)
Archive for Mystery
Death of Riley (Molly Murphy #2) by Rhys Bowen
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
I enjoyed the Royal Spyness books so much that I decided to try out another one of her series-the Molly Murphy mysteries. Just put down book one, and I loved it!
Just like the Royal Spyness books it had wonderful historical detail. In this case what impressed me so much was the (presumably) accurate and descriptive details of finding passage to New York City as an Irish immigrant, being processed through Ellis Island, and then finding lodging and a job on the Lower East Side. You know, I’m not sure if they ever say exactly what year it is, but I guess turn of the century. Tammany Hall and corruption play a big part in the story.
Molly is from a village in Ireland, but finds her way to America when she takes a dying woman’s place, so that the woman’s children might be reunited with their father. Posing as Kathleen O’Connor Molly stays with the children. They must spend the night on Ellis Island and it’s there that Molly is witness to (though doesn’t realize it at the time) a murderer. Her one friend from the ship is under suspicion, as is she, and she is determined to find out who the real killer is.
Man, NYC at the turn of the century, for a poor immigrant, sounds horrible. The descriptions were so vivid I could imagine how awful it would be to be living in a tiny room with several other people, sleeping on the floor, a straight chair, or boards, and washing up at a communal sink, several flights down. Dirty, crowded, noisy. I also kept thinking how amazing it was the amount of detective work they could do without the modern conveniences we have (although they did have telephones.)
Molly is funny and smart and resourceful and I look forward to reading more about her and the police captain, Daniel.
Royal Flush (Her Royal Spyness #3) by Rhys Bowen
In this installment Georgie returns to her home in Scotland to join a house party and keep an eye on the royal party, as members of the royal family keep narrowly missing deadly mishaps. Same format as before-embroiled in mystery, marvelous historical detail, a little romance and adventure.
A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness #2) by Ryhs Bowen
In this installment Georgie begins a housecleaning service, difficult to juggle when she’s also hosting, at HRM’s request (command) a Bavarian princess who seems hell bent on getting into loads of trouble. There’s also a couple of suspicious deaths, including one at a swanky party (so Noel Coward that he himself is there) and Georgie is all caught up in it.
Just as delightful as the first!
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
This is the first in a terrific light historical mystery series. This first volume has a lot of set up of how Lady Georgiana finds herself in London. You see, she usually lives in Scotland at the family home, where her brother is the Duke. She is 34th (I think?) in line to the throne, so is part of the Royal Family and of that class. So it’s a total drag then that she and brother are quite poor. She certainly can’t work, because her class does not do that. She can’t ask the Queen for a handout, because that’s poor form, too. She decides to at least try to make it on her own in London (at the family home, where she must live without a maid).
When a dead man is found in her bathtub it’s hard to keep a low profile, especially since her brother is the most likely suspect. She endeavors to solve the mystery, all while keeping the royal name untarnished.
In addition to this being funny and Georgie being a likable character, I absolutely loved the historical detail. I usually read British historicals set during the Regency, so the 1930s is a new era for me and it was filled with all the things you might expect, as well as some you don’t. For example, it never occurred to me that people were riding the Underground in the early 30s! Also, there is quite a bit in all the books I’ve read thus far (the first three) about Wallace Simpson and Edward, and the angle on it is very different from anything romantic I’d ever read before.
Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
I really enjoyed this mystery, which I thought of not so much as a traditional mystery, but more of a story that had two mysteries to be figured out. Jumping back and forth between 1975 and now the cast of characters is a group of policemen/detectives and a policewoman, Tracy. Every part in 1975 I pictured in my head just like the show Life on Mars, and in fact that was eventually remarked upon by one of the characters in the present day. The tangled up mystery involves some kind of covered up terrible secret from the 70s. Now those policemen are elderly, but they’ll do what it takes to keep a cover-up covered up. Tracy has had a respectable career, but in one unexpected rash moment she finds herself on the other side of the law. Trying to figure out a different mystery is Jackson Brodie, a former private investigator, haunted by his sister’s death back in the 70s (this book makes me believe that women were raped and murdered constantly in the mid-seventies in England),he is searching for a client’s roots and ends up involved in everything. I’ve never read anything else by this author, but I could tell that there were past books featuring Jackson (and there are apparently three others), and I’m definitely interested in reading more.
This was the sort of mystery I like-winding and tangled, but I didn’t feel like I needed to solve it. It also had a air of sadness to the story that made me wish I hadn’t stayed up past midnight finishing it because then I was left alone in the middle of the night thinking sad and heavy thoughts about my children.
Definitely recommended!
Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber
You might find this hard to believe, but I have been waiting with great anticipation, for many months, for this. I just enjoyed Truly, Madly so much that I couldn’t wait for this sequel. Happy to say it did not disappoint. Lucy is part of the Valentine family-a family said to be blessed? cursed? by Cupid himself. Every Valentine in the bloodline can see people’s auras and make perfect love matches by matching the auras. Lucy had the power zapped out of her by an electrical storm and it was replaced by a psychic ability to match people and lost objects. The first book sort of set all that up and by now, in this second novel, she is officially using this ability in a new business venture, respected and trusted and working with the state police, and romance with sexy Sean is heating up. The romance was actually the least interesting part of the novel to me. I really enjoyed the stories of Lucy’s combination of sleuthing and psychic abilities. There were several surprisingly touching moments, and plenty of humor too. Happily book 3 is due out in February so I won’t have to wait too long this time for another installment of this charming new series.
Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival by Dene Low
This title captured my attention when I saw it was on the Edgar Award nominations list. The cover and title hint at the style and setting of the story, which is set in Edwardian London. The mystery itself is completely bizarre: Petronella’s guardian uncle suddenly begins eating every insect he can find. This will simply not do for a proper young debutante hoping to win the affections of her dearest friend’s older brother. To make the situation worse, two prominent individuals have been kidnapped from her coming out party. Lots of hijinks ensue as Petronella and her friends try to solve the mystery and avert national crisis, all while looking most proper. Thank heavens for decent butlers.
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
I got this as a prepub-it will be coming out in a couple months. I definitely recommend it. Not only was this a nice romance, but it also had some mystery to it as well, and some really moving emotional bits.
Lucy Valentine’s family business is matchmaking. While the world sees their success they don’ t know that the Valentine family truly does have a supernatural ability that lets them accurately match people together perfectly. Unfortunately for Lucy she does NOT have the ability. Instead, due to an accident, her power is the ability to locate lost objects. Double unfortunately she can’t tell people about it, or use it to help people. Triple unfortunately, her dad has left her in charge of the business. She thinks she can bluff her way through until he comes back, but then she inadvertently flashes on a client’s lost object-and sees it is on the hand of a murdered body. Lucy finds herself matchmaking, trying to solve a years old mystery, trying to solve a current mystery, and trying to work on a romance for herself, too.
I thought this was funny, satisfying, the supernatural elements were believable and not over the top, and the mystery and suspense elements were not too intense.
Check it out when it’s available!
Killer Keepsakes by Jane Cleland
I read about this book over at Vintage Cookbooks, (Thanks, Amy!) where the author did a guest blog post. I don’t often read mysteries, but when I do I’m always reminded that I rather like them. As I had a lull in reading at the time I read the post and then had Paul bring this home right away for me. I really enjoyed it and am wondering if I’ve actually read the first in the series? I have to admit there are a lot of antiquing mysteries so I may have it confused with a few others I’ve read. What I really liked about this book was the detail about running an antique business/auction house. I wonder if other librarians had the same reaction to it that I did-which is that I was so impressed by the librarian research that the antiques people did to try to discover provenance (or, you know, clues to find a killer.) It was all so neatly tied together. Read the rest of this entry »
