Book Review: The Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy #14)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters and a compelling historical mystery

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Train crash as murder?

If so, was Molly target?

Fast moving, fun book

Molly’s Latest Case is a Dream for Readers

If I could find the time to read more historical fiction, I know I would love it.  I enjoy visiting another time and place via fiction.  Fortunately, I do get occasional historical fiction fixes with some mystery series I love, and one of my favorite historical mysteries in the Molly Murphy series.  The Edge of Dreams is our fourteenth visit with Molly through 1900’s New York, and it’s another winner.

Life is coming back together for Molly.  Her husband Daniel has been working hard on rebuilding their home which was burned in a fire in the spring.  They are almost ready to move back in, and Molly is heading there one day with their son Liam when the elevated train they are riding on has an accident and derails.  Worse yet, Daniel thinks it ties in to a case he’s been working on stretching back months.  This case involves a series of unrelated murders, and he fears that Molly might have been the target of what the killer is claiming wasn’t really an accident.

Meanwhile, Molly’s friends and neighbors Sid and Gus have returned from Vienna where Gus was studying with Dr. Freud and learning his radical new interpretation of dreams.  As a result, Gus is asked to help with a young girl who survived a fire that destroyed her family’s home and killed her parents.  Naturally, Gus asks Molly to get involved as well.  Can Gus figure out what the girl’s dreams mean?  Can Molly help Daniel on his case behind the scenes while also helping Gus with this girl?

Outside of a few references to past events, there is nothing here that would keep you from enjoying this book if you aren’t familiar with the rest of the series, and nothing from previous books is spoiled.  You might not fully appreciate the character development here, but you’d still be able to follow everything that happens.

It is nice to see the characters still growing as the series goes along.  Molly has come a long way as a detective and her relationship with her husband Daniel continues to evolve as well.  She’s maturing, and I love it see it.  The rest of the main cast continues to be their normal charming selves, and the new characters are just as strong.

The plot starts quickly and continues at a good pace all the way through the book.  I figured a few things out before Molly, but she was never far behind me in making those connections and advancing the story.  The climax is wonderful and shows again how much Molly has grown as a person.

I was especially interested to note how Rhys Bowen drew from a real life incident and made it the basis of her book.  Be sure to read the Historical Note at the end and get a bit of a glimpse into how authors can get their ideas.

Whether you are new to Molly’s historical world or a longtime fan, The Edge of Dreams will leave you turning pages.  Rhys Bowen has long been a favorite authors because she is a wonderful storyteller, and this book proves it yet again.

NOTE: I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You can travel back to the beginning and read the Molly Murphy Mysteries in order.