I always love Molly's adventures. When Molly and Bridie go to watch a movie being filmed with friends, Bridie is discovered. Bridie is really excited to be in a movie and with her being on Spring break, Molly gives her consent. But all is not well on the movie set. Accidents are happening and Molly fears for Bridie's safety. Molly is asked to look into the accidents to find out if it is one of the crew who works for the competition. When a murder occurs, Molly decides she needs to find the culprit because Daniel is out of town. Someone needs to investigate, the police that responded thinks it is only an accident. Can she find the person?

A fun addition to the long running series (also just fine as a standalone) that sees Molly taking a hard look at the silent movie business after her 14 year old daughter Bridie is tapped to play a part in one. This combines interesting details the period and the industry with a zippy mystery that Molly, who has been at home with a new baby, is happy to work on, especially when one sabotage puts Bridie at risk! There's a list of suspects for the villain which includes a famous inventor. As always, the characters, including Molly's husband Daniel, make this an entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

A Molly Murphy Mystery #21

In a few words:

Molly’s daughter Birdie is asked to replace a lead female in D.W. Griffith’s latest film. Everything goes smoothly till Birdie nearly dies while filming a dangerous stunt. To Molly something is not right and decides to jump back into PI work and go undercover on the set to figure out who may be behind all this brouhaha…..

My thoughts:

From time to time, I like to pick up an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details. The magic of New York City in 1909 and the growing film industry should have made an interesting read. But the authors were not that convincing evoking the period, less so when it came to real-life figures (Griffith and Thomas Edison). I thought they were more comical characters that visionaries and inventors but that is me you may think differently. As for the tempo, it drags a little too much for my taste, at times I had some difficulty staying in tune with Molly escapade my mind wandering too much…maybe I was somewhat bored.

Even if this latest is not my preferred installment in this series I will admit this story is a satisfying domestic mystery even with all its predictability and its silly moments.

I fear this series is beginning to feel a bit formulaic to me! Still, a solid installment that will surely please long-term fans of Molly's adventures.

While her husband is off in Washington D.C. consulting with the president on the development of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Molly finds herself spending time on set at the Biograph Company’s movie studio. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, gets the role. Molly isn’t exactly pleased with Bridie’s budding career in silent films, but it gets worse when Bridie is almost struck by a train while filming a stunt that almost goes tragically wrong. It’s not the first incident on set, nor is it the first time an actor’s life was put in danger due to sabotage. Molly refuses to let Bridie return to the set, but Molly takes a job as a makeup artist so that she can investigate who is sabotaging the studio. Her investigation even takes her to Thomas Edison’s studio in the Bronx. When one of the owners of Biograph Company dies in the studio, Molly realizes that there is a murderer on set. She enlists her husband, Daniel, to help with the investigation.

As always, Molly Murphy Sullivan takes the reader into the world of New York City in the early 1900s. She’s never afraid to venture into every area of the city—be it the slums of the Lower East Side or the mansions along Central Park—to track down a lead. While the mystery aspect was interesting and I enjoyed learning more about the early film industry, the story dragged on at times. And, sadly, Molly has become the stereotypical woman from the early 1900s whose main concerns are her children and cleaning her house. With each new addition to the series, I miss the spunky, headstrong Molly of old. Of course, I expect her character to develop and grow throughout the series. But I’d like to see some of her old spirit shine through.

I love this series. It doesn't matter how long between books I am always swept back into Molly's life. I started this series with book one and have seen Molly grow and become a wonderful (yet firey) Mom and wife. I love the feeling of meeting up with an old friend you haven't seen in so long yet fit right together again. Yet, I have introduced friends to this series midway in and they fall just as much in love most going back to learn more about Molly's past and her great friends. One of the other things I love about this series is the history that is given and for the most part totally true. In this book we are in about 1909 and the beginning of the movie-film era. We are introduced to Mary Pickford and Thomas Edison plus a few others. I had no idea how dangerous and cut-throat the film industry is.
Silent as the Grave has great twists and turns in the storyline as well as historical facts added bonus it's funny not in a slapstick way but in a smile on your lips way. I can't wait for the next in this great series.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and thank you to Rhys Bowen and Clare Boyles for another great adventure.

She's back! Molly Murphy Sullivan and her police captain husband Daniel Sullivan have a newborn in addition to their five-year-old son. Bridie, their adopted daughter, is a pretty young teenager who finds adventure thrown into her lap. Molly adores her children but misses her detective agency work. Daniel must attend an event in Washington and in his absence Molly encounters close calls, murder and mayhem. Bridie becomes a replacement in a moving picture and performs dangerous stunts. When something goes awry, Molly is on hand to investigate. Not only does Mary Pickford make an appearance but so do Molly's unconventional friends, Sid and Gus.

Molly has moved up in the world but thankfully has kept her humble roots and common sense. I quite like her personality and am in love with little Liam's antics. Bridie's youthfulness and vitality add to the story as well. Soon the newborn will be a toddler...wonder what will happen next? The multi-age characters ensure a lot of interesting variety and endless potential for subsequent adventures. The writing is spirited and lively and there are no lulls to overcome. My heart was firmly immersed in the story the entire time.

The Molly Murphy Mystery series is delightful with wonderful attention to historical detail and a rich inviting atmosphere. But the characters grab me most. I look forward to peeling back the layers to discover what is hidden underneath.

I love these Molly books! They seem to get better and better. This one really kept me going, and hard to put down. Ive been reading about Molly for years and years, and love the characters and the growth. Molly certainly gets into trouble, but finds a way. I love seeing her daughter getting more grown up and loved her acting in a moving picture! Hopefully, next time it will work out better.
Highly recommend and give us an Evan book now and then!

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.