Four months pregnant and with no plans of slowing down, Molly Murphy embarks on another enthralling investigation in the twentieth book in the Molly Murphy Mysteries by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW.
Molly is pregnant, and her husband is worried she may catch typhoid as it makes its way through Manhattan, New York. Daniel must stay in the city for his job as a police captain, but Molly and the children will head to Molly’s mother-in-law’s house in the countryside. Molly’s mother-in-law proves to be a doting grandmother, but Molly finds herself becoming restless. She eagerly accepts an invitation to join her friends, Sid and Gus, at a local arts community for a few days. Once there, Molly, Sid, and Gus take a side trip to visit Sid’s family in the Catskills. When they arrive, they soon learn Sid’s grandparents have hired a matchmaker to find suitable bridegrooms for Sid and her young cousin Mira. Sid’s match is pleasant enough, but Mira’s match, Mr. Levin, is an aggressive and ambitious businessman with plans to build a resort in the countryside. Mr. Levin doesn’t mind sparring with the local mine owner over noise disturbances or with the park ranger over a land dispute. When the aggressive man winds up dead and Mira becomes the prime suspect, Molly knows she needs to uncover the truth about Mr. Levin’s past and figure out who was his most dangerous enemy.
IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW is an excellent addition to this long-running series. Set in 1908, Molly Murphy is an intelligent Irish woman living in America. Molly is inquisitive, and her idleness from pregnancy makes her restless. She formerly owned a detective agency, and she keeps up with the latest forensic advances from her husband’s police work. Her friends, Sid and Gus, are adventurous spirits and often include Molly in their various activities. The mystery is intriguing, as the gathering in the Catskills includes many characters with secrets from their pasts. Once the murder occurs, Molly is hooked and uses her knowledge about fingerprinting to help uncover the clues and track down the killer. Molly’s placed in several precarious situations, and when a second guest goes missing, Molly worries she is taking risks with others’ lives. I
N SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW includes family dynamics, matchmaking, blackmailing, missing land deeds, unscrupulous business dealings, and smart, independent women. The final reveal is surprising and suspenseful, and Molly proves yet again that she is an effective and resourceful detective. This is a very enjoyable and entertaining mystery.
Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is back with In Sunshine or in Shadow, the latest book in this beloved series by New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.
New York, 1908: The days are getting longer—and warmer—in Manhattan. Molly Murphy Sullivan doesn’t want to leave her home in the city, but typhoid is back, and she’s expecting. So she heads north with the children to summer with her mother-in-law in Westchester County. Molly tells herself it won’t be so bad, after all the countryside is pretty, and she’s determined to make the best of it. Even if she’s leaving her husband, Daniel, behind. And at least she’s not the only one heading north. Her great friends, Sid and Gus, are headed to the Catskills to visit Sid’s family.
Though her mother-in-law is a surprisingly excellent host, Molly quickly grows bored. And when Sid and Gus invite her to visit, Molly jumps at the chance to stay with them at an artist’s community. What a pleasant time they’ll have, so far from the city, although Sid isn’t so enthusiastic about having to visit her family in the nearby Jewish bungalow community. But deep in the Catskills, tensions are running high, and it’s not long before a body delays Molly’s return to Westchester.
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