Death of Riley

November 1, 2002
In this second series title (after Murphy's Law), Irish immigrant Molly becomes an apprentice P.I. Unfortunately, she's soon investigating the murder of her boss-with a little help from a likable police detective. An authentic historical about New York in the early 1900s.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2002
In Bowen's second Molly Murphy cozy historical, which follows the Agatha Award-winning " Murphy's Law" (2001), Molly reluctantly accepts a job as a companion to Miss Van Woekem in order to pay the bills. Intrigued with a man who is apparently investigating a neighbor of Van Woekem's, Molly tracks down Paddy Riley and convinces him to let her work in his office. To Molly's chagrin, he does not allow her to do any investigating, only light cleaning. However, one day when Molly reports to work, she finds Riley near death and glimpses his murderer leaving the scene. Molly decides to solve the murder on her own and perhaps even continue to run Riley's business. Her investigation leads to new skills and experiences with the intellectual crowd, and she unmasks the killer in a rather far-fetched denouement. However, Molly is a smart, feisty, independent heroine, and turn-of-the-century New York City is realistically portrayed, along with the Irish immigrant experience, in this appealing series by the author who also writes the Evan Evans mystery series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

November 18, 2002
In Bowen's second Molly Murphy adventure (after 2001's Agatha-winning Murphy's Law), the spirited Irish immigrant is determined to bring a killer to justice and, in doing so, break all the rules for proper young ladies amid 1901 New York City society. As Molly's beau, Daniel Sullivan, New York's youngest police captain, informs her, "women do not become investigators." Molly attempts to follow Daniel's advice rather than her own desires by taking a more appropriate position as companion to an elderly lady friend of the Sullivan family. The job is short-lived when Molly learns that her Daniel is already engaged to the old lady's niece. But the fury of the woman scorned spurs her to pursue her own dream, and she lands a job with PI Paddy Riley. Also short-lived is her new employer, as Molly barely escapes death when she interrupts Paddy's murderer searching his office. The police show little interest in solving the case, making Molly doubly committed to solving the crime on her own. Molly's hunt leads her to Greenwich Village's artsy community and results in her posing as a nude model. Bowen nicely blends history and fiction as she whisks Molly into a plot involving anarchists and even the assassination of President McKinley. This light romantic mystery should please most cozy fans. (Dec. 16)FYI:Bowen is also the author of
Evans to Betsy (Forecasts, Feb. 18) and five other novels in her mystery series featuring Welsh constable Evan Evans.