Another good historical fiction in the Molly Murphy series. Quite a bit of 'set up' prior to the intro to the mystery portion of the story, might've been more 'historical fiction'.... but it worked... I did (always!) appreciate the 'Historical Note' at the end explaining the reality of the story. Characters that are often seen in this series showed up again, & even got a bit of a different light/look....I often wonder if this is a reflection of R. Bowen's daughter co-authoring with her now? Regardless, this continues to be a series worth reading! No sex or swearing or gory murder scenes, but a good read, it reads right along!
I received an early e-copy of the book from publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley, for review purposes. This is my own fair/honest review.

Typhoid is coming and Molly and her family are in its path. Reluctant to leave Daniel, Molly is persuaded to take herself and her children to her mother in laws in the Catskills. Once there, Sid and Gus persuade Molly to leave the children in her mother in law’s care and go with them to stay at an artist’s colony and meet Sid’s family as well. When a dead body is found, Sid is one of several prime suspects. Molly jumps at the chance to solve another mystery and clear her friend’s name. But when secrets emerge, can Molly clear her friend in time before someone else is killed?
This is the 20th installment of the Molly Murphy series by Rhys Bowen. Collaborating with her daughter Clare Broyles, Molly Murphy once again dives deep into mystery and intrigue. I have to be honest and say that this was not my favorite book in the series, and I had a challenging time finishing it. I felt like all the main characters, were portrayed a bit differently and were not as complex as they were in previous books. That being said, the mystery aspect of the book was good, and the historical detail was rich and showed parts of rural life in the early 20th century as well as touching upon tensions between various communities and women’s suffrage. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series. I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions within this review are my own.

Although the plot flows along quite well, In Sunshine or In Shadow is really a careful character study of rural life in 1908. Molly is spending time in the Catskills with friends from New York. Typhoid is making life in the city dangerous, but as happens In Sunshine or in Shadow, life in rural NY can also be dangerous. In addition to murder, there is antisemitism and traditional biases concerning women's societal roles. Molly and friends Gus and Sid are expected to embrace traditional roles as wives and mothers, and any rejection of those roles creates disarray. Bowen and Boyles create situations that allow women to step outside cultural norms, which even in rural life are not welcomed by all the men in the Catskills.

In Sunshine or In Shadow creates a careful study of the culture clash when NY city lives meet NY country life. The dead man is predictable, given that many of the other characters totally dislike him. He perfectly captures many of the cliches associated with Jewish men, which are one area that proves problematic in this novel. Did a greedy man, who wants more money, who blackmails, who deceives, who plots to marry money, really need to be Jewish, thus fitting so many of the antisemitic tropes associated with Jewish money greed? This is a problem that detracts from the plot and the murder mystery. and that will make an otherwise interesting novel offensive to so many readers. Does a murderer also need to be Jewish, as seems likely (no spoilers) given that the murder is not committed by an outsider? These issues seriously counter the wonderful depictions of Jewish family life.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

What a delightful read! This installment of the Molly Murphy mysteries finds Molly leaving NYC due to a typhoid outbreak. She ends up in a Jewish summer settlement in the Catskills with her dear friends Sid and Gus when a murder occurs, Molly is pulled into the case, and the plot/story is very interesting. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series.

I love the Molly Murphy mysteries series and this one does not disappoint! Bowen keeps each installment unique and interesting, so you can read them as stand alones; however, reading them in order gives you a sense of the overall progression of the characters and their lives and relationships. Three cheers for Molly, ever the intrepid detective!
Thank you for my review galley!

Pregnant Molly Sullivan and her kids are sent to stay with her mother-in-law in upstate New York while typhoid ravages the city. When Molly's friends invite her to come stay at an artist's colony with them for a few days, Molly jumps at the chance and leaves her kids in the excellent care of her mother-in-law. Her friend Sid invites Molly along to come visit her family nearby. When it's discovered that Sid and her cousin are being set up by a matchmaker, none of them are impressed. When Sid's cousin's new beau turns up dead, Molly must do what she can to clear Sid's cousin's name, especially considering the prejudiced and less than competent local police. Will Molly be able to find the killer? This book may be in a series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed meeting all the characters and would gladly read more books in the series.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If you love a good historical mystery novel with a strong female detective, you will enjoy this book. In 1908 New York things are heating up in Manhattan and a typhoid outbreak comes close to home sending a very pregnant Molly Murphy to the countryside to be out of harm’s way. Invited to the Catskills to meet with her friends, a murder takes place pulling detective Molly Murphy out of retirement to clear her friend’s name.

Fans of this series will love this wonderful book by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. I loved the vibrant community of strong women in the Catskills that was well captured by the authors. Even more entertaining was the murder mystery. This book was well paced and was a joy to read.

Although it is the newest installment in a long series, the book does well as a standalone book.

Special thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This review is voluntary. All thoughts are my own.

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. This is one of the best series out there and if you haven't followed Molly over the years, you have really missed out. Loved everything about this book and highly recommend!

Rhys Bowen picks up Molly's story again as she is pregnant and gone with her son to stay in the country with her mother in law to avoid typhoid in New York City. Molly meets up with her friends Gus and Sid who are staying in an artists and intelligentsia camp in the Catskills. Gus takes them to see her family. who have cottages they rent out to Jewish families from the city. One is murdered and Molly is drawn into the search for the killer. Interesting setting lots of suspects.

DNF unfortunately. I will preface this review with the disclaimer that my issues with the story are very subjective, and that others may be able to overlook them and fully enjoy the book.

This is another long-running series that I used to love, but sadly I think I have reached the end on. The transition from Rhys Bowen to her daughter writing the revival of the series at first felt organic--likely due to Bowen's continued hand in shaping the story and characterizations for at least the first new book--but starting with the prior book it became clear that Clare Broyles' version of the characters missed the mark for me. Here, the book starts off with the confounding decision to reverse course on the big reveal of the prior book--Molly announcing her long awaited pregnancy with her second child--and dismissively saying that it was just a "false alarm," but miraculously Molly was pregnant again in a timeline that allowed the author to set the story in the summer instead. The inclusion of another miscarriage and treating it as an afterthought felt incredibly insensitive and unnecessary, especially as the pregnancy was built up so much in the prior story (in rather obvious hints throughout, even if only confirmed at the end). Molly has suffered pregnancy losses before in the series, but Bowen at least handled them with more sensitivity and reflected the emotional impact on Molly's character instead of brushing it aside. Asking the reader to forget that other pregnancy because it was inconvenient to the timeline the author herself created does not sit well with me.

Putting aside that issue that overshadowed much of the story me, I could not get invested in the plotline here. Molly's distrust and jealousy of Gus and Sid regarding Bridie's education and upbringing still feels inconsistent with the characters in the original series, and Molly herself is a shadow of her former self. I know it sometimes takes a while for the actual mystery to kick into gear, but I lost patience with the story before I could even get that far.

Despite the above, thank you to St. Martin's/Minotaur and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

In Sunshine or in Shadow is the twentieth book of the long-running historical mystery series Molly Murphy by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.

Growing up in the Catskills I can definitely say that Bowen and Broyles described the area and life there in the very early part of the 20th century perfectly. I remember my Grandmother telling me about the resorts built for Jewish families escaping the New York City during the summer heat as air conditioning had not been invented yet. There was a lot of animosity towards Jews and the women’s suffrage movement at that time, and Bowen and Broyles addressed these issues with the finesse that they deserved. The main and secondary characters were all fleshed out with very distinct personalities and voices making this story an even more enjoyable experience.

This is my first time reading a Rhys Bowen book, and I am excited to say it will not be my last. The mystery totally engrossed me, and I read enthusiastically through to the end trying to figure out who the killer was. I am sure to get the most out of this series it would be beneficial to read them in order. However, not having read any of the previous books in this series, I had no problems whatsoever as it read as a standalone.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this wonderful book via NetGalley. I was under no obligation whatsoever to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own.

In the latest Molly Murphy Sullivan mystery, Brown and Broyles bring readers to upstate New York where Molly and the children have retreated in the face of a typhoid epidemic in the city. While visiting friends in an all-female artist’s community, Molly, Sid, and Gus take a short trip to visit Sid’s family where her grandparents spring engagements on Sid and her young cousin. When Sid’s cousin’s fiancé winds up dead the day after the engagement, the local police keep the family and guests on premises. Molly, never one to let murderers go free, takes on the case as a favor to Sid (who is another prime suspect). Fiancés keep dying, however, so Molly must work fast to solve the murders and prevent any future ones. Bowen and Broyles’ characters are enjoyable and complex, and the relationships between characters are charming, long-term, and fun to witness. The mystery itself is exciting and high-stakes, and the isolated setting in rural upstate New York adds to the atmosphere of the novel. Broyles and Bowen have researched their chronological setting, and the detail (from typhoid to innovations in police work and twentieth-century antisemitism) adds to the atmosphere of this wonderful historical fiction mystery novel.

Rhys Bowen is one of my must-read authors. One of the reasons I love both of her series, Molly Murphy and Lady Georgiana, is that they are based on historical happenings, and real people appear in the books.
In this, the 20th Molly Murphy, we go to the Catskills and see the beginnings of the Jewish resorts that were popular throughout the 20th century.
Summer In 1908 and typhoid fever is sweeping New York. Molly is pregnant with her 2nd child, so her husband Daniel convinces her to take their children and stay with is mother in White Plains. I loved the train ride to these far reaches at the time.
Molly ends up in the Catskills with her Jewish friend Sid and we meet Sid's family who rent out bungalows.
It takes a while for a murder to happen, but Molly is there to immediately start investigating.
This was a quick fun read, and the historical characters always add to my enjoyment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review, and I highly recommend this series.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

Is it ok to say a cozy mystery is too staid? This is the 20th in a series of mysteries about private investigator Molly Murphy. This is the only one I’ve read, and the retired and pregnant housewife, Molly, leads a decidedly domestic life and is clearly bored. Her best friends, however, are adventure seeking, progressives who break with the norms of the era. While visiting them in the Catskills, Molly stumbles upon a murder mystery. It takes a while to get to that point; there’s a lot of description of Molly’s life, the feminist artist community her friends are staying at, the Jewish family of one of her friends, and the Catskill landscape, before and after the murder. Some of the descriptions are more interesting than others. The characters are mostly interesting. But the mystery isn’t very engrossing.

The blurbs for some of the first books in the series, when Molly was recently arrived in NYC from Ireland, sound interesting and faster paced; I would be interested in giving them a try at some point.

Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver another lively and entertaining Molly Murphy mystery. This time Molly is up in the Catskills to escape the typhoid outbreak that is rampant in New York City and to spend time with Sid and Gus in an artists' community. Things were supposed to be relaxing, but trouble comes to the peaceful scene and Molly can't help but investigate. The burgeoning Jewish holiday spot gives a very interesting backdrop for the historical context of this story. This is an overall satisfying read for fans of the series.

In Sunshine or in Shadow (Molly Murphy Mystery #20) by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles was another historical fiction mystery co-authored by this talented mother/daughter duo. It took place during the beginning of the summer months of 1908 in New York City where there was an outbreak of typhoid. Since Daniel, Molly’s police detective husband, was concerned about the cases of typhoid that were being reported in the city, Daniel suggested that Molly and the children spend the summer with his mother at her home in Westchester County. After all, Molly was now carrying their second child and there was concern for their young son, Liam, and their charge, Bridie. Molly loved being in the city and the thought of leaving it for the entire summer was not something that she wanted to do. When Molly found out that her dear friends, Sid and Gus, were planning to also escape the city to the Catskills, Molly’s decision became a bit easier. Molly made Daniel promise her that he would try and visit her at his mother’s home often. Daniel wasn’t sure how often he would be able to leave his detective work behind but he promised he would do his best to come see Molly and the children as often as his job allowed.

Molly, Liam and Bridie traveled to Westchester County by train and soon arrived at Daniel’s mother’s home. The children settled in nicely but Molly soon discovered how bored she was. Luckily, Sid and Gus checked in with Molly and invited her to come stay with them at the all women artist community, Amicitia, that they were staying at for the summer. Among the women at Amicitia were a journalist for Ladie’s Home Journal, some women that were very active in the women’s suffragette movement, a New York City actress, a psychologist, an architect and several artists. One of the reasons that Sid and Gus had chosen to stay at Amicitia was because Sid had been asked to visit her grandparent’s farm and the artist community was not too far away. Sid had been told that her grandfather’s health was getting worse and that Sid should make an effort to see him. Sid’s family was Jewish. Her grandparents had come to the United States from Poland and had bought land in the Catskills and started their farm. When Sid, Gus and Molly arrived at the farm they were greeted warmly, especially by Sid’s younger seventeen year old cousin Mira, her Bubbe and Zayde ( Yiddish for grandma and grandpa) and the rest of Sid’s family. There were several bungalows on the property and several guests that had been invited to stay in them over the summer. Sid soon learned that her mother had conceived her in order to get her to visit. Zayde’s health seemed to be just fine. Among the guests that Sid’s grandparents had invited to stay with them that summer were three men from New York City. Sid and her cousin Mira were soon to hear the last thing they ever expected to hear. A matchmaker, Mrs. Ella Birmbaum, had been consulted and invited to join the family for an elaborate luncheon celebration. She was about to announce the “perfect matches” for both young Mira and Sid, their grandparent’s only two granddaughters. Unfortunately, that would only be the start to the problems that the family would have to face. A few days later, a murder occurred on the farm. Young Mira became the main suspect. Could Molly use her detective skills to clear Mira’s name and discover who the real murderer was?

I enjoyed reading In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. Some of the plot and actions throughout the book were somewhat predictable but I was intrigued enough to keep reading. I loved that many of the characters from the past books were present in this one as well as some colorful new ones. The setting in the Catskills brought back fond memories of my childhood years when I spent several summers at a bungalow colony with my family. The description of the traditional Jewish foods that were served and the lush landscape were very well described. I enjoyed that several historical references from that time period were present in the plot. Women’s Suffrage was incorporated into the story as well as the typhoid outbreak in New York City. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series and recommend In Sunshine or in Shadow highly.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

June 1908 - New York

Molly Sullivan is married to Daniel with the police. Molly is a retired detective who used to have her own agency. Daniel is concerned about Molly staying in the city as typhoid is going around plus the fact that she is newly pregnant. So, she takes their son, Liam, with her to stay with her mother-in-law. Molly’s friends, Gus and Sid, say they are headed to the Catskills to stay at an artist’s retreat and to visit Sid’s parents. As Molly is beginning to get a bit bored at her mother-in-law’s, she agrees to go with the two women for a few days.

There, they meet other well-educated women who are fighting for women’s rights and other things. Molly fits right in with them. Then, they go to visit Sid’s family who live on a farm. They are a Jewish family consisting of Sid’s grandparents, parents, and some cousins. The grandparents have chosen a man for Sid to marry and another man for her cousin to marry. As Sid has no intention of marrying, she knows she has to let them down easily. The man chosen for her young cousin is a smarmy person who horrifies the young girl. But then someone ends up shot and Molly is front and center trying to solve the case.

I have long loved this author’s Royal Spyness Mysteries. They are a favorite. I have only read a few of the Molly Murphy series and enjoyed them. However, for me, this book seemed to drag until its quick and dramatic ending.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is one of my favorite series in the historical mystery genre. I have listened to all of the stories in audible and intend to add this one also as soon as it comes out.

Following Molly from book one until now has been a journey so was glad to see an addition. Pregnant, Molly is ready to get out of the city since Typhoid is rampant and does not want to endanger her child.

She goes to visit her mother in law but soon travels to see Sid and guys, her great friends. Of course a murder occurs and the story takes off. Just want more!

This is the first book I have read in the Molly Murphy mystery series, and I don't think it will be my last. A fun, entertaining and mysterious read.

Molly is escaping the city in the midst of typhoid outbreak; she is pregnant and her husband (NYC police captain) is concerned for hers and the baby's health. She is invited to a retreat with some of her dearest friends, and while visiting a chain of events takes place that sparks Molly's detective instincts.

The writing is engaging, perfectly paced, and kept me turning pages and guessing throughout until the mystery is solved...

Short and sweet (under 300 pages), this was the perfect read... mild, fun, interesting and light. Perfect for those looking for an escape from complex reads, in a slump, or just looking for a leisurely read.