An amazing, gripping historical fiction, mystery and Christmas tale all in one book that takes place in 1906 in NY.
It certainly kept my interest and I had no clue how this story would end until the last page was turned!
See if you can solve this mystery before Christmas arrives!

I enjoyed this. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.

A very enjoyable Molly Murphy Christmas story that started out very dark, with Molly depressed about her recent miscarriage and the trauma of the enormous San Francisco earthquake. Husband Daniel is away in Washington D.C., and Molly returns to Patchin Place after caring for a recovering Mother Sullivan. Gus and Sid are off to a holiday meet-up of their fabulous fellow Vassar alum, and Bridie's long-absent father has sent word that he plans to return to take her back to Ireland. Poor Molly is depressed about having to spend a lonely Christmas until a last-minute invite from a friend of Mother Sullivan's takes them to a lovely old house in the country.

And... they walk right into a tense atmosphere, complete with an old, unsolved missing child mystery. This helps bring Molly back from her depression, and oddly enough, the story lightens up as the situation becomes more dreadful.

I discovered Rhys Bowen's "Molly" books last Chrismas. They are delightful, and The Ghost of Christmas Past" is as good as the others. The detail given to the time period makes this book a true learning experience. I can't wait to recommend it.

This was just an okay read for me. Slower than I like in a mystery.

Rhys Bowen does it again with this newest Molly Murphy historical mystery. Molly and her family go to celebrate Christmas with Mrs. Sullivan ( her mother-in-law) at a friend's estate. Everyone in the house is tense, and Molly soon finds our her hostess's child was kidnapped on Christmas eve ten years before. Then, a mysterious young woman shows up, claiming to be the missing daughter. Molly knows that something isn't right, and soon gets to the bottom of the secrets her hosts are hiding. A very well written and enjoyable read!

Molly Murphy Sullivan's plans for a quiet Christmas are derailed when her mother-in-law invites the family to visit friends for the holiday. Molly uncovers a dark secret among the upper class family, with the help of husband Daniel and friends Sid and Gus. I deduced the solution from the beginning, but I always enjoy Molly's outspokenness and warm heart. A wonderful cozy mystery.

In creating Molly Murphy, Rhys Bowen gave us a spirited, smart Irish lass who is, in short, someone I wish I could be friends with. All of the Molly Murphy mysteries are good stories, The Ghost of Christmas Past is no exception. Rhys Bowen is an amazing writer with spot on instincts as to what makers a good story with "real" characters..

I was lucky enough to receive the most recent installment in what continues to be an all-time favourite series from Netgalley.

There is just something about Molly: even though her life trajectory has changed and she is a wife and mother, the irrepressible part of her private investigative spirit still drives the series. I also must admit--as much as he drives me crazy--- Daniel Sullivan though seemingly restrictive is a true to life composite of a man of his age and circumstance and when seen in a close lens quite lenient and forward given the structure of his time and opinions.

This is a lovely little Agatha Christie-esque manor house Christmas tale that kept me guessing until the very end.

Like my favourite mystery series ( Martha Grimes, for one) , I read more to follow the adventures of the characters and to sink into a resplendent setting than I do for a plot--- HOWEVER, Bowen counterbalances both nicely in this snapshot of the Sullivan family stumbling into a maze of hidden secrets and treacherous pasts.

This was a good period piece - very descriptive and made you feel as though you were in that era. I haven't read any other Rhys Bowen books, but this must be part of a series, because there were many allusions to things that I knew nothing about, and yet it seemed expected that the reader would know exactly what she was talking about. For that reason, I'd say that it CAN be a standalone book, but you should probably find the other books in the series and read them first. Then, maybe it will make more sense. The mystery was...mysterious, and yet thinly believable. The best part was the historical descriptions.

Rhys Bowen's mysteries are the perfect escape. We always buy her for our library.

Patchin Place in Greenwich Village holds many a New York tale for Molly Murphy Sullivan and her husband Captain Daniel Sullivan. They have a lively young son, Liam, who is touching on two years old.

The usual Irish lilt to Molly's voice has taken more of a somber tone. It's December of 1906 and Molly feels the heavy weight of a recent miscarriage. She and Daniel had been in San Francisco while he served in the U.S. Secret Service. The loss was due to a misadventure during the intensity of the earthquake that occured during that time.

But the pages of the calendar seem to turn rapidly and the Christmas season is upon them. Home and hearth are to be the plan until Daniel's mother invites them to spend the holiday with her friend Florence in the upscale Greenbriars. Although hesitant, Molly and her little family, including their young ward, Bridie, decide to leave the city for the countryside.

Cedric and Winnie Van Aiken have a luxurious estate. They welcome all the Sullivans and the holiday celebrations begin. Molly's Celtic Sixth Sense is in overdrive. Something is not quite right among all the gilded decor and elaborate artwork. She notices the tension between the Van Aikens. Quite by accident, Molly uncovers one of their dark secrets. Their three year old daughter, Charlotte, wandered away from the estate on her own or was kidnapped. She was never found.

Weave a few unfortunate mature dead bodies along the pattern of this Christmas quilt and you have the makings of a mystery of many threads. Rhys Bowen brings one of our favorite characters, Molly Murphy Sullivan, into the turn of the century with the changing times. Molly has taken an interest in the women's suffrage movement as well which brings some sharp-ended moments between her and Daniel. But then, Molly has always been ahead of the parade when it comes to the rights of all.

Bowen creates more of a novella here with 196 pages of non-stop holiday curiosity to be published in November. The Ghost of Christmas Past can be read as a standalone. It is certainly not as indepth of an adventure that Bowen usually turns out. This one is specifically intended to give the reader a short glimpse into the lives of the highly interesting Sullivans with a holiday flavor. A short read with just enough sprinkles.

I received a copy of The Ghost of Christmas Past through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to Rhys Bowen for the opportunity.