I don't know how I've missed this long running series but I did - and I'm pleased to say this latest read just fine as a standalone. It's 1907 and Molly, once a detective, is chafing more than a little at home with a fractious teen daughter, an obnoxious mother in law, and her son but she does do good works, including handing out blankets at Ellis Island. And then her husband Daniel, a police officer, arrives home with the news that Rose Sweeney, who looks a lot like Molly, has been accused of a murder. Molly feels compelled to investigate and fans of this genre know that it won't be the only death. Daniel is not happy at first that Molly is poking around but then cedes the point that she can help him. The mystery is just twisty enough and the characters are, for the most part, engaging. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Molly Murphy is back for another adventure! The former detective is now happily married, living with her husband Captain Daniel Sullivan, her son, her ward Bridie and her mother-in-law.

Molly, Bridie and some friends decide to go to Ellis Island in order to distribute clothes to the new immigrants. The same day a man is murdered and a young Irish woman Rose McSweeney looking like Molly is accused of the murder. Molly immediately feels connected to the young woman, she too fled Ireland and was accused of murder when she arrived in New-York. Their circumstances are similar so Molly tries to help Rose regain her freedom back.

The book deals with Molly’s new life as a wife, a mother, her strong desire to be involved in the case despite her husband Captain Daniel Sullivan reluctance as well as the mystery.

The pace was a little slow at the beginning, but turns out to be very captivating toward the end (something I noticed in the former book of the serie I read too)when the mystery unravelled.

At the end Molly seems surprised by the turn of events and it reminds you that appearances can be deceiving.

Overall, it’s a good book.
I received a copy of the book and this is an honest review.

NYC, law-enforcement, Ellis Island, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, historical-fiction, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, early-20th-century, immigrants, mistaken-identity, falsely accused***

It gets off to a slow and somewhat trite start, then begins to add in the more interesting things. It was still a mite long for my taste, but a good historical mystery with just enough twists and red herrings. The characters are clearly established and very interesting, as are their interactions (except for the classic trite TV mother-in-law).
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the complimentary Advanced copy of WILD IRISH ROSE. I thought the title was perfect since the story is about Rose McSweeney, an Irish Immigrant. Molly Murphy Sullivan, her teen ward Birdie, and their friends Gus and Sid volunteer to bring warm coats to Ellis Island immigrants. They meet a college classmate of Gus and Sid who is engaged to an English aristocrat. That same day Molly's husband Daniel. a Police captain with the city of New York, returns home and reveals that a dead body was found on Ellis Island. Though Daniel has reservations about his wife's detective work, he agrees to let Molly interview a fellow Irish immigrant who is the prime suspect in the murder. Ryan O'Hare makes an appearance in the book. Miss Van Woken also makes an appearance. Daniel's mother is staying with Molly and her family. Molly and Daniel's son Liam is now a toddler and is starting to talk and walk /run. I loved the historical details of life in 1907 New York. This novel was written by the talented team of Rhys Bowen and her daughter Clare Broyles.

Set in 1907 New York, Wild Irish Rose is the next in the delightful Molly Murphy series. Molly Murphy Sullivan is a young wife and mother with a wee son, Liam, and young teen ward, Bridie. Her husband Daniel is a captain with the New York police. Molly is busily caring for her family including her oft cantankerous mother in law who is temporarily living with them in a small but sweet house in an ordinary neighbourhood. But Molly's new friends include the theater set so she is able to enjoy occasional luxurious treats.

Along with her friends and neighbours Gus and Sid, Molly and Bridie volunteer with the benevolent society in distributing warm winter clothing to immigrant arrivals on Ellis Island on a chilly winter day. It just so happens that on that day a murdered body is discovered and a woman who closely resembles Molly is suspected. After that secret after secret is revealed and twists abound until the end. As a passionate ex-detective Molly inveigles her way into the case and as an immigrant from Ireland herself, Molly understands hardships involved. She sometimes goes against her husband's advice but is strong willed and independent.

My favourite aspects of this book are the time period, beautifully-described historical details such as theater, dress and Ellis Island. But even more than that I enjoyed the family dynamic, the love between mother and her children. I also appreciated the personal growth in the characters. The mystery plot is not tense but to me the book is more than "just" the mystery but also discovery.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this refreshingly wholesome and fun book.

This was an enjoyable Molly Murphy mystery. Rhys Bowen's daughter, Clare Broyles wrote it with her. Molly takes on the cause of Rose, an Irish immigrant accused of murdering a man on Ellis Island. There's a questionable Viscount about, looking to marry the goddaughter of her former employer. Daniel waivers between encouraging her help and discouraging her taking risks. Bridie is 13 and very much a girl entering her teens. Molly sews two dresses in a couple of days, even with mistakes she has to pick out and do over. She does charitable work. She helps out Rose and her old employer. She hangs out with her friends across the street. She attends a major hit play. She interviews witnesses and suspects and gets in and out of trouble, ultimately helping to solve the murder almost too late to prevent another. Oh, and she has to put up with her very opinionated mother in law who is staying with them as she recuperates from pneumonia. It's kind of overwhelming and over the top busy even for Molly. Oh, she buys food almost daily and does most of the cooking too. While I liked the book, I enjoy a bit more complexity that I seem to recall in the prior books in this series. Still, the writing was fine. The plot decent. The characters the same as ever but growing up. The neighborhood unchanged for now. The authors do a nice job creating the historical setting. I'll read another in the series for sure.

"Wild Irish Rose" is written by the mega talented mother/daughter writing team of Rhys Bowen and Claire Broyles. This is the 18th book of the series "A Molly Murphy Mystery".

Molly Murphy is a retired detective living in New York in 1907. She is married to Daniel, who is a police captain. Daniel and Molly lead a busy life between his career and being parents to Bridie age-13 and Liam age-2. Additionally, Daniel's opinionated mother (Mrs.Sullivan) is living with them. The family has great neighbor's Sid and Gus, who are always willing to help, but deep down Molly misses the excitement of being a detective.

Daniel comes home from work and tells Molly about a murder investigation he is involved in. This is right up Molly's alley. Will she be able to resist doing a little "secret" investigating of the case on her own?

This book is a clean heartwarming mystery with humor sprinkled in. The character's are sweet and make you smile. It is a series, but I read it as a standalone and it was awesome. If you are looking for a (non-violent) feel good book, "Wild Irish Rose" will be published March 1, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's Press, for allowing me to review this e-book. It's a beautifully written delightful story.

Love love love Molly Murphy!!
This is my favorite Molly Murphy book yet. The author brought back all the best characters.
Molly seeks out to solve a crime that happened on Ellis Island, the place where she came into America all those years ago. I love that Sid and Gus are helping Molly to solve this crime. Ryan O’Hare even makes a grand appearance!

Please let there be a book 19!!

This was my first Rhys Bowen novel, and it will not be the last! I can’t wait to dive into her treasure chest of novels. The cozy mystery, Wild Irish Rose, is a Molly Murphy series. It is guaranteed to be a fun read. Set in the turn of the century, Bowen does an excellent job capturing the cultural norms of the time. Her characters are inspiring as Bowen deftly exposes their inner strength, resilience, and wit. These characteristics enable them to circumvent the repressions of the turn of the century values and create lives filled with sleuthing and intellectual growth and stimulation. I just loved these characters in this cozy mystery series.

Via NetGalley

Lightweight, quick read with the Detective Molly Murphy by the author of The Royal Spyness series. Enjoyable.

This was a fun cozy mystery! It's the first book in this series that I have read, but I thought the authors did a great job of updating the reader without bogging down someone who already knew the information. The story was pretty fast-paced, and I found myself connected quickly!

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…it is one of a series of delightful books written by an author I enjoy…the story moves quickly and comes to an enjoyable ending…try this one…cuddle up under a warm, cozy Afghan…cup of herbal tea…a scone…enjoy…

Molly Sullivan, neé Molly Murphy, is back again in WIld Irish Rose, and once the action starts it's a wild ride to the end.
The book picks up with Molly having to deal with being a housewife, and having left her life as a private investigator behind. In addition, her Mother-In-law is temporarily living with the family, and she continues to comment on how Molly isn't good enough for Daniel, her darling son. Molly discovers that her ward Bridie is being harassed by boys at her school, up to a mean-spirited snowball attack, and no one at the school seems to care.

Enter Sid and Gus with an offer to teach Bridie, ask for assistance with handing out warm cloaks and coats to new immigrants, and Molly finds herself where it all began on Ellis Island. Molly has conflicted feelings and mixed memories of Ellis Island, and the fear of being turned back. Bridie has a scare while accidentally following a woman who looks like Molly, which doubles Molly's apprehension.

There's a murder and the Molly Murphy lookalike is the main suspect. Through a number of twists and turns, Molly tries to discover who the murderer is, why, and doing all while dealing with her household and keeping her husband Daniel from finding out what she's up to.

Getting to Ellis Island and the murder takes a few chapters. This is one of the aspects of the Molly Murphy series and other series books written by Rhys Bowen that can be annoying or extremely helpful. Rhys Bowen's (now with her daughter Clare Broyles) books in series can be picked up without requiring the new reader to read the first book, or the full series to be able to understand what's going on in the book. However, when the characters are introduced, and the scene is set, the story sets off and doesn't slow down until the perpetrator is captured. Wild Irish Rose is a fine continuance of the Molly Murphy story, solving the crime while bringing previously unresolved issues to fruition and acceptance.

Highly recommends, especially for the historical mystery aficionado; 4.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/57693431

I received an ARC of the Wild Irish Rose. I had not read any of the Molly Murphy books before reading this book. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books in this series. In this book, Molly unofficially helps her husband, Daniel, with the investigation of a murder on Ellis Island.

Full review coming on my blog closer to Pub Day - drbethnolan.com

Molly Murphy is back and busier than ever with her "ward" Bridie and her son Liam in tow. I love this series and always find the mysteries well-plotted and well-written. I love Molly's 1900's NYC and her friends.
This mystery involves an Irish immigrant, Ellis Island, some shady characters, and Molly's police officer husband (who is usually the last to "get it"!).
I've read every book in this series and you can read them as stand alones (though I love reading them in order!).
Thank you for my copy!

It's been awhile since I've seen a Molly Murphy mystery, so I was delighted when this showed up on NetGalley. It's winter in New York and Molly is busy tending to her lively two-year-old son Liam, her adopted daughter Bridie, and her husband Daniel Sullivan, a police captain, while enjoying her relationship with her unconventional neighbors "Sid" and "Gus." Since winter began, however, Molly's grumpy mother-in-law has been staying with them, which has tempered Molly's happiness somewhat.

One winter's day Molly and Bridie accompany Sid and Gus in taking warm clothing to Ellis Island to give out to new immigrants along with other society ladies, including Cordelia Ransome, a snooty girl who's just become engaged to a viscount. When Molly and Bridie arrive home, they discover there was a murder on the island while they were there, an English detective, and an immigrant Irish girl just like Molly had been not many years earlier is accused of the crime. Molly tracks down the girl and after meeting her, is convinced of her innocence and is determined to clear her.

While this is a rather complex mystery with twists and turns I did get it into my head who the murderer was about halfway through and turned out to be correct. It did, however, mix the mystery well with Molly coping with her mother-in-law, with Bridie who's going through "growing pains" and (while being schooled by Sid and Gus) being spoiled by her best friends, and even dealing with her memories of Ireland. While the action gets a bit melodramatic during the conclusion, it's great to see Molly, Daniel, and all the "old gang" (including Ryan O'Hare and Mrs. van Woekem) once again.

Molly Sullivan is a “retired” private detective who seems to meet trouble around every corner. While distributing donated clothes to immigrants on Ellis Island, she becomes involved in a homicide when the prime suspect turns out to be a red-headed Irish woman, a dead ringer for Molly. Her husband, a New York City police captain, prefers she ignore her sleuthing nature and stay home with the children. Time and again she involves herself in seeking information to clear the name of the woman and solve the crime. Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles’ novel is a delicious read, filled with historical events from turn of the century New York and leading to an exciting resolution. I am a fan.

It is so great to have Molly back! I appreciate that the authors eased the readers back into Molly's world with plenty of reminders about Molly's past adventures and backstory. Despite reading all the previous books in the series, it's been a while and I needed the refresher. The addition of Clare Broyles as co-author felt seamless here. The tone and content were consistent with how I remembered the earlier books. The mystery itself was also engaging, even if the reader catches on well before Molly about what's going on. The usual entertaining blend of action, adventure and interesting historical tidbits about New York are all included here, and it provides the perfect vehicle for revisiting several sites and people that have helped shape Molly's journey along the way.

Given where the series left off in the last book and where it picks up here (which chronologically is not long after, but did follow a turning point in Molly's life), I like that both Molly and the reader are viewing things from a new perspective. Molly is struggling to balance the demands of being a mother to Liam and Bridie, the wife of a police captain, and her own independent interests in solving crimes. This theme was present in the last few books, as well, but we really get to dive into it here. Even though more often than not I wanted her to just ditch the lot of them and go back to being a detective, she manages to strike a balance here. She's not perfect by any means -- she often loses her temper and jumps to wrong conclusions -- but she's trying her best, which makes her an appealing and sympathetic narrator.

I particularly liked that we see how much Molly has grown over the series as the central mystery forces her to look back on her first arrival in New York and realize the many ways in which her life has changed. It was interesting that her view of Sid and Gus's antics also has changed over time -- although they remain loyal and devoted friends, Molly starts to view their passing obsessions and carefree lifestyle with a more critical lens as she realizes how it's impacting Bridie. Thankfully, Daniel is made more palatable over the course of the story. I was never a big fan of his, and the first half of the story did nothing to improve my opinion, but I like the direction they are taking his character if the authors choose to keep the series going.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I am a huge fan of Rhys Bowen, and have read almost all of the books she has published so far.

I was very grateful for the chance to read the ARC of this latest installment in the Molly Murphy series - it has been a long few years since the last in the series was published. This book did not disappoint - we return to the life of Molly, now happily married, and looking after her two year old son Liam, and her ward Bridie.

Molly has to deal with the competing pressures of having her mother-in-law living in her house, Bridie's attempts at some independence, and her desire to investigate despite being a wife and mother. Daniel repeatedly admonishes Molly for her risky behaviors, but as usual, Molly is driven to try and right what she sees is the unfair accusations of murder that have been laid on Rose, a young Irish immigrant who reminds Molly of herself.

With the help of her friends, Sid and Gus, Molly is able to investigate the murder at Ellis Island, under the guise of handing out warm clothing to the newly arrived immigrants.

The investigations and the plot of the novel were reasonably involved, and included quite a few characters to follow. Some old and new faces were involved as Molly tires to prove Rose innocent, and as usual, Molly gets herself into a few difficult situations.

In this particular book, I think Rhys Bowen & Clare Broyles did a wonderful job of highlighting the pressures on women during this time period, and their descriptions truly made the time and place come alive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and am disappointed to think it might be a while until I hear of Molly's adventures again.

For me this was a light cosy historical mystery. It had an interesting twist but I did not love this book.