Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great plot, real characters, setting comes alive
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
A trip back in time
Molly tries to free Daniel
Book is wonderful
Outstanding Fifth Entry
Oh Danny Boy is the fifth entry in the Molly Murphy mystery series.
Molly is an Irish immigrant during the turn of the last century who has set her
sights on becoming a private investigator. This book is set in August of 1902.
Molly is frustrated with her life in New York City . Being a detective isn't going
well and she is having a hard time paying the bills. Plus, after her last
encounter with police captain Daniel Sullivan, she wants nothing more to do
with this potential love interest. She's seriously considering moving out west
and becoming a schoolteacher, much to her friends' dismay.
Then she finds out rather dramatically that Daniel has been
arrested and is being held in the notorious Tombs prison. He's been accused of
accepting a bribe, and the new police commissioner just happened to be on the
scene to witness it. Of course, the charge is laughable. Daniel is one of the
few people on the police force who would never accept a bribe. With most of the
force turned against him, his only hope of proving his innocence is Molly. She
reluctantly takes the case.
After several false starts, Molly begins to suspect that
these false charges might be related to one of two cases he was working at the
time. The first involves a doped horse at the racetrack on Coney
Island . The second is far more dangerous and involves a serial
killer murdering prostitutes in the East Side .
Either case is sure to put Molly in grave danger. Will she find the proof she
needs? Will she live to free Daniel?
As if this weren't enough, Molly is having some health
problems. And Daniel's ex-fiancee shows up requesting a favor from Molly.
What's Arabella up to?
My biggest frustration with these books has been the fact
that Molly sometimes seems to stumble on the answer with little more then luck.
I couldn't help but laugh as Molly herself discusses this fact several times
over the course of the book.
This is easily the best entry in the series. Several
storylines weave together to form a logical conclusion. I only pieced
everything together a couple pages before Molly did, and she did an excellent
job of piecing things together herself, reversing the trend from previous
entries. Even friends Sid and Gus get into the act, helping Molly with
Arabella's request for a little while. As always these neighbors provide some
wonderful comic and tender moments. They continue to show their love for Molly,
and it easily endears them to the reader.
Daniel gets softened a bit here through his ordeal. Molly
seems ready to move on with him, but I'm not quite sure I've forgiven him for
how he's treated Molly in the past.
The other characters in the novel are well drawn as well.
New characters like Gentlemen Jack and Sabella Goodwin not only provide the
needed story points, but also help recreate Molly's world. The scenes with
Arabella are especially good; I wouldn't mind seeing her character again.
The city itself plays a large roll in the story. Rhys Bowen
brings the New York City
of 1902 to vivid life. The sights, sounds, and smells made me feel like I was
in the muggy summer weather right along side Molly. The first person narration
only enhances this feeling, and the smooth writing style is easy to read.
This series has only gotten stronger with each entry. Don't
hesitate to pick up Oh Danny Boy to be transported to another time and place.
And if you want to watch the characters develop, check out the Molly Murphy Mysteries in order.
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