With the love of her life, Daniel Sullivan, now being released on bail from an unfair charge, the lovely Molly Murphy is both glad to have him back but annoyed at his emotional swings. Now, she has a very unexpected opportunity to go back to Ireland and to get paid as a Private Investigator as well. Could life get any sweeter than this?

Just when Molly thinks she is going to have a lovely time being pampered on the White Star liner Majestic for the trip to Ireland, things again change dramatically for her. A shocking discovery definitely puts a crimp in her planned course of action. Still, Molly thinks it should still be an easy contract to try and find out information about what happened to the baby sister of the famous Tommy Burke. What could possibly happen as no know who she is?

Famous for her historically based fiction and intriguing lead characters, Rhys Bowen is the best selling author of IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY, the 16th book in her well loved Molly Murphy Mysteries. Molly is as intelligent and spunky as she is beautiful. She is now busy trying to further develop her detective agency in the busy and bustling New York City in the early years of the 20th Century and any contract is a good one. This series started with "the just off the boat" Molly arriving in New York and hiding from a murder charge in Ireland, a place she is not planning on returning to in case people are still looking for her, so this story presents her with a dilemma about going. It should be noted that while each book, including IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY, can be read as a standalone mystery, it is so much more satisfying to have read at least a few of the earlier books or as rabid fans will attest, to read the series in sequence.

The story in Bowen's IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY is realistically set both in the exciting and play loving New York City as well as in the political dynamics and high stakes tension of the quest for independence of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the first decade of the 20th century. Molly is a witty and quick thinking character who will appeal to many readers and her adventures and pondering on her situation and romance is a great part of the plot development. There are many exceptional developments and twists in this plots, so it may take a bit of time for new readers to fully connect to the importance of all that is happening. I did find it to be an exciting page turner of a story; but some of the events near the conclusion seemed a bit too convenient for my taste. Given that, there is still lots to enjoy IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY, so check it out for yourself! If you love historical mysteries, you will be glad you did!