In SILENT AS THE GRAVE, written by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, Molly Murphy Sullivan watches an Easter parade with her toddler son, Liam, while her Captain husband, Daniel, attends the wake for a fallen officer. Molly’s adopted fourteen-year-old daughter, Bridie, is in the parade. An Irish playwright, Ryan O’Hara has a surprise for Bridie. I read on, wondering about the surprise and the future of Molly, Daniel, and Bridie.

This is a comfortable read with a good dose of history, especially about the early days of moving pictures. Molly and her daughter, Bridie, are interesting characters. I like reading about Molly as a stage mother. I find the plot to be slow-moving, but overall, the book is a good read. Thank you, St, Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of SILENT AS THE GRAVE.

Good mystery!

When a visit from an old friend turns into an acting opportunity for Molly’s daughter Bridie, no one has an idea it will lead to a mystery! I enjoyed the flow of this book, and that Molly and Daniel’s whole family were involved. Molly defies the norms set for women of that time period and Daniel (mostly) supports her.

I thought the story was crafted well, I didn’t figure out the murderer until the end, I had an entirely different suspect in mind. The plot moved along fast and I was interested in the outcome. It was also a bit historical, I didn’t realize Thomas Edison was involved in movie making.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

While not my favorite Molly Murphy story, this one brought the early days of movie making into Molly's life! Of course Sid and Gus are in awe of the new technology and we also get a return of Ryan! It felt like Molly was pigeon-holed a bit into the story and the movie set to be involved in the mystery, but I still loved visiting all the characters again! The ending also sparked some excitement and changes that will be great for the series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press Publishing for an early copy of Silent as the Grave by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

Molly Murphy Sullivan is once again involved in murder and intrigue as she becomes tangled in the early film industry of New York City in Silent as the Grave. "Silent" can refer to the non-talking films of the early 1900s with sound in movies on the horizon.

Inventor Thomas Edison is a leading figure in everything dealing with motion pictures and in Silent as the Grave he is up against identical-twin brothers who hold a patent that Edison covets. When Molly's actor friend Ryan suggests she visit the set of a current movie and Molly brings daughter Bridie along, circumstances lead to Bridie being offered a small role in the film. As Bridie's chaperone, Molly must balance her duties at home with two young children along with seeing to Bridie's well-being, all while Molly's husband, New York Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, is away in Washington on business of his own.

What begins with one death on the set of the movie develops into multiple deaths as Molly attempts at every turn to gather evidence that will lead to who is responsible for these tragedies. The plot, of course, comes together and works best when Daniel returns from Washington, and he and Molly work in tandem to solve the crimes.

Readers will be drawn into the world of early film-making with factors such as early special effects and security and safety issues on the sets. Authors Bowen and Broyles once again have done their research in order to bring an authentic and suspenseful fictional story to life.

Another winner for Ms. Bowen and Ms. Broyles!
So very different from Molly's other adventures. Lots of interesting twists and turns and a very mesmerizing historical background of the early beginning of the movie business.

I've been a fan of the Molly Murphy mysteries for probably fifteen years - I'm glad they're still being published! In this installment, Daniel is away in Washington, and Molly and Bridie are left to their own devices over and Easter school holiday. Molly agrees to let Bridie act in a film her friend Ryan is involved in, and Bridie nearly dies. Was it an accident, or was it on purpose? Molly spends the week figuring out if everything is a coincidence or if there is malice afoot. It's a Molly Murphy mystery, so you know there's a murder coming - and murder is never accidental. I'm really impressed that after so many years of reading the Molly Murphy books, my opinions of the characters are still evolving. It's a testament to the ability of Rhys and her daughter and co-author, Clare Broyles, that my perspectives on them continue to change! I look forward to the next installment already.

Rhys Bowen is one of my favorite authors, and I have read all the books in the Molly Murphy series. I have been disappointed in other authors who have turned over a series character to another writer or started to jointly write with a partner. However, the relatively new partnership of Rhys Bowen and her daughter, Clare Broyles, in writing this series has only enriched the novels. Silent as the Grave may be my favorite book in the series so far.

First, why I’ve been addicted to the series in general.: characters are very well developed, and the main ones are likeable. I’ve been rooting for Molly since she was a penniless immigrant. Watching her move up the social/economical ladder through her hard work and intelligence has been very entertaining. The descriptions of late 19th century/early 20th New York are vivid and educational, but never boring. Molly’s bohemian friends add color and humor to the stories. Finally, the mysteries are well thought out and interesting.

Now, why did I like this particular installment so much. It takes place in 1909 and concerns the newly formed film industry in NYC. Real characters such as Mary Pickford, DW Griffith, and Thomas Edison appear. The way the authors described putting an early film together and the characters involved was fascinating, and again, it was a well thought out mystery. I also appreciated the way Molly is coping with being a traditional wife and mother while still maintaining her identity. This novel also explored how capable women did not get credit for their work and the general low status they had to endure.

This is an ARC and comes out in March of this year, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publishers. It is my second Rhys Bowen book and I'm absolutely loving them! She does such a good job bringing me into the early 1900's in a way that feels so natural. Her characters are relatable even though they face some challenges that we don't today (like women's suffrage) and the mysteries are incredibly detailed and well thought out. I can see Molly Murphy is going to be my companion all year long! Rhys is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me.

Detective turned wife and mother, Molly Sullivan, returns in the 21st installment of Bowen’s Molly Murphy mystery series. This is the fourth book cowritten with her daughter Clare Broyles and the best that the pair has produced so far.

With her husband, Daniel, an NYPD captain, away in Washington, Molly and her adopted 14-year-old daughter Bridie follow her bohemian friends Sid, Gus, and Ryan to a moving picture studio to see film-making in action. In a twist of events, Bridie is cast in a film and as Molly chaperones, strange occurrences lead her to believe someone is sabotaging Biograph Studios. As things begin to seem more and more dangerous, Molly begins to investigate.

I really enjoyed the setting of a film studio in the early 1900s as the new enterprise got its start. The book moved along at an exciting clip with lots of interesting characters introduced. As mentioned in the author’s note at the end, many of the characters from the studio were based on real people in the early film business.

I do have a few complaints. The prologue didn’t really need to be there and didn’t make a lot of sense as far as the timeline of the book. A few times, characters had similar conversations to rehash things more than once. Despite this, I found this to be more enjoyable than the last three books and it has revived my soft spot for this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Daniel is called to Washington to consult with the newly organized FBI, leaving Molly home with 3 children living the life of a comfortable middle class wife..Lonely and somewhat bored, she is invited to watch the making of a moving picture. When suspicious accidents begin to happen in the studio, Molly is called on to find the culprit. I really enjoyed the setting of pre=Hollywood New York City movie studios (it's 1908), and the inclusion of several familiar names, like Thomas Edison, and Mary Pickford. The plot was absorbing and exciting and the characters well rounded and fun. A great read.

A good addition to the series and best read by readers familiar with Molly. There’s a lot of “history of early motion picture” to set the stage. The pacing picked up late in the game but the resolution was good. Mary seems to have outgrown her friends and only keeping house, and it’d be nice to see more character development and her investigations be done with more support from Daniel.

And apparently in 1909 women couldn’t drive as well as men because of their tight corsets, which might be one of the dumbest things I’ve read in historical fiction.

Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan returns to sleuthing in Silent as the Grave. Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles have placed Molly in the midst of the burgeoning silent film industry in New York. Her playwright friend Ryan O'Hara has written a script for a silent film as well as stars in it. He invites Molly and her children to see the set. As Bridie, Molly's adopted daughter gets drawn into participating in the film's production, Molly gets drawn in too. Which is a good thing, as sabotage, intrigue and murder overshadow the making of the film.

This is a well researched mystery that adds great detail from the actual silent film industry to bolster the plot. Molly fans will certainly enjoy it.

Molly Murphy Sullivan finds herself investigating sabotage and murder in the new motion picture industry in “Silent As The Grave”. Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles continue to entertain us while giving us a glimpse at New York City and women’s circumstances in the early twentieth century.

A delightful tale that manages to combine the magic of NYC in the early 1900s, the burgeoning silent film industry, and murder. Make that murder plural. I've enjoyed this series from the beginning and it's been a delight to follow Molly as she's matured and grown into a young mother. She's now married to police captain Daniel with not just an adopted 14-year old daughter, Bridie, but toddler Liam and baby Mary Kate. Let's just say, Mary Kate's loud demands to be fed -- remember this is set in the early 1900's before bottle feeding became common -- keep Molly tied to home and hearth. For the most part she doesn't mind, in fact, she loves it, but, well, as a former female detective, she does miss that rush, too. The characters, both regulars and the rest, are well fleshed out and you'll love getting a peek at how early silent movies were made, including how dangerous it was at times. Dangerous and competitive. Be sure to read the historical notes at the end to discover who was real (I think Mary Pickford is obvious, as is Edison), who wasn't and more.

The story centers around daughter Bridie being asked to fill in after a female star is fired. Bridie is only 14 but Molly agrees with the stipulation that it's just this once and she'll return to school the next week. Yes, silent movies were written, rehearsed, and filmed in only a matter of days. While disturbed by several accidents on set, Molly accepts that it's all part of the nature of the art initially while keeping a close watch over Bridie, who seems a natural. Than, there is a death. Accident or murder? Bridie has a close call that Molly is unable to accept was 100% an accident. Then there is another death. And... well, I won't detail any more of the plot except to share my amazement that Thomas Edison was depicted by the movie people as the potential murderer all for his determination to lead the charge in the new industry. Since history tells us he wasn't a murderer, it was intriguing to see Molly put her detective skills back in motion and follow the clues to find the real killer.

Bottom line, I was probably as captivated seeing how silent movies got their beginnings. It was great fun to discover some of the camera tricks used for special effects, not to mention how some tense scenes were done. All with little budget and quickly. Definitely fun to spend some time with Molly's friends Sid and Gus, who were captivated by the art of film making. Flamboyant friend Ryan is on hand, too, as both a film script writer and actor, giving us another vantage point on how these early reels were cranked out super quickly. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Daniel's new job with what appears to be the fledgling FBI office in NYC leads them. Something tells me him being employed by the government won't keep Molly out of investigating. Thanks to #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me this early virtual visit via the time machine back to NYC to catch up with Molly and the rest. Will Bridie be content to leave the spotlight now that she's felt the rush of film making? What exactly will Daniel's new job involve?

Title: Silent as the Grave
Authors: Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles
Series: Molly Murphy
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press- Minotaur Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: March 11, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages 336

After twenty books in the Molly Murphy series Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is now officially retired and goes undercover.
I have not read ALL twenty but I certainly enjoyed the ones I have read.

Story is based in New York City Date April 1909.
Molly Murphy Sullivan is a bit overloaded with motherhood- baby Mary Kay is five months old and Liam is a toddler and adopted daughter Birdie fourteen. Daniel is a police captain and has a responsibility on Washington as Easter break begins in New York.
When Molly’s friend Ryan O’Hara, invites Molly, little Liam and Birdie to visit him on the movie set he is current shooting - she thinks – why not?
However when one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is asked to replace her in the scene. Who knew that Birdie would be perfect? Next thing
Birdie is asked to continue in the rest of the film, Molly is not sure but her friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone Birdie. ( This movie turns out to be one of this the first silent films.

As always our retired Molly still gets caught in this complex investigation. There are many details as well as many suspects.

Additionally I always enjoy with a story includes the protagonist family get involved.

Yes! Just as the blurb mentioned ~
Mother/Daughter authors Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details and thrilling escapades featuring one of mystery's most beloved sleuths.

I also love when a story is Historical Fiction that we are told was id fiction and what actually happened.
Our authors stated they tried to be true regarding the aspects of the early movie-making but did fictionalized most of the characters. They them give us a break down on whom the fictional characters were based on.
I encourage readers to be sure to take time to read the “Historical Note’ at the end of the story.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Marin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this great early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 11, 2025.

Molly is the mother of a young baby and to fourteen year old Bridie. Her husband, a police captain, is off to Washington, DC as the FBI is being formed. Meanwhile, Bridie has been hired to be in one of the first moving films during her school vacation. Accidents soon begin to happen on the set and Molly is hired to investigate. It was fun reading about Mary Pickford, Edison, and the beginning of the film industry.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

1909, amateur-sleuth, arson, attitude-of-entitlement, class-consciousness, cold-case, family-dynamics, famous-persons, friendship, gangsters, historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, investigations, law-enforcement, missing-persons, movie-industry, NYC, read, relationship-issues, relationships, sabotage, silent-films, suspense, undercover, unputdownable*****

The most recent murder was on the movie set. While NYPD Detective Sullivan is away in Washington DC consulting with government officials about a new branch of law enforcement, Molly is mostly at home with the new baby and friends coming to visit. Adopted daughter Bridie is fourteen now and is totally enamored with all the hype about the new business of making silent movies. When the girl skips school and spends her days with the film crew, Molly gets into the business of making sure that the girl is safe from a number of things. Then there's the sabotage incidents. Worse yet, there is a murder!
I am always thrilled with the way the authors weave historical facts and persons into well crafted mysteries, and this one is no exception!
I requested and received a free temporary copyrighted digital galley from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Pub Date Mar 11 2025 #SilentAsTheGrave by @Rhysbowen and @clare_broyles #MollyMurphyMysteriesBk21 @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #SilentMovies #HistoricalFiction #CozyMystery

Another highly enjoyable cozy read from Rhys Bowen and her daughter Clare Broyles.

It’s 1909 and Molly Sullivan, a busy New Yorker and mother of three, is introduced via her friends and neighbors, Sid and Gus, to the new phenomenon of filmmaking. What starts as a peek into this new medium, quickly turns into a complicated involvement.

Bowen deftly combines the development of the film industry and its pioneers, D.W. Griffith, Thomas Edison and Mary Pickford with fictional characters and circumstances that add to the storyline. There are a lot of characters and they keep your interest.

This is part of the Molly Murphy series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone. However, I recommend that you read the series in sequence so that you see the growth of the characters. It is a delightful series and you will be glad you read them.

This was a great cozy mystery! I love when books like this tie in historical facts - this one was especially interesting with the tie-in to the early movie industry. The characters are well-rounded and it kept me guessing throughout the book. Highly recommend!

Although intrepid detective Molly Murphy's life has changed greatly since she first arrived in turn-of-the-20th-century America from Ireland, her native intelligence, curiosity, and determination continue to serve her well in solving crimes and mysteries. In this fascinating glimpse into the making of the first silent American films, readers are given an understanding of how basic and creative these first examples of early moving photography really were. Some genuine legends of the fledgling industry, such as star Mary Pickford and director D. W. Griffith, keep company with fictional characters in the book and give it breadth. Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles have triumphed in keeping Molly's adventures fresh throughout the series--this is Molly's 21st book--and in the fun word-play of the title.