Like most people I know, I have a mixed bag of ethnic backgrounds, but
the one with which I identify most strongly is Irish. Maybe it’s because
my name is so Irish; maybe it’s because some of the first music I can
recall listening to was Irish. Whatever the case, I am especially drawn
to anything that involves Ireland, so when the Molly Murphy mystery
series was brought to my attention during my All Things Irish Write-Off
last year, I knew I would have to check it out eventually.
The series, written by Rhys Bowen, begins with Murphy’s Law,
which finds the narrator, fiery redhead Molly Murphy, fleeing for her
life from her tiny hometown of Ballykillin after accidentally killing a
man while defending her virtue. Fortune works in her favor initially as
she finds a friend in the big city who asks her to assume her name and
escort her children to America on the boat. If she can just make it into
New York City and find the children’s father, she figures she will be
fine and free to start a new life. However, her luck takes a downturn
when a man she had scuffled with during the ride turns up dead. While
there is not enough evidence for police to hold her in custody, Michael,
a gentle young man she befriended on the way over, remains a prime
suspect. For both their sakes, she is determined to discover the true
culprit in this crime.
Bowen does a good job of setting the
scene for us, capturing the excitement and trepidation of the immigrant
experience in the early 1900s. It reminded me of movies like Far and Away and An American Tail,
where those coming over have big dreams of what their life in America
will be like and reality doesn’t quite match up. Molly doesn’t really
come to New York full of starry-eyed fantasies, but she does face some
disillusionment when she sees how limited her employment options are,
with most bosses hiring only workers from their own cultural background
and most decent remaining jobs requiring references that she can’t
provide since she is both on the lam and impersonating another woman.
Her job search offers an interesting peek into the economy of the time.
But
Molly doesn’t have much time for work when she has a murder
investigation on her hands. Her contact at the police station is Daniel
Sullivan, who initially suspects that she was an accomplice in the
murder and later simply finds her a bit of a nuisance. He could use the
help with the case, and he likes her plucky personality, but the mean
streets of New York are no place for a woman fresh off the boat who
doesn’t yet understand the way the city works.
Bowen puts Molly
into several dangerous situations as she relentlessly pursues her leads.
Even people who have nothing whatsoever to do with the murder pose a
threat. Molly always seems to be in danger of unwanted amorous attention
from various men who find her tart tongue intriguing and her unspoiled
looks alluring. Considering the reason she went on the run in the first
place, avoiding their advances without resorting to violence is a
constant struggle.
Generally speaking, I enjoyed the spunky
Molly and the historical setting in which she resides. It’s fun to spend
time in the New York of a century ago, particularly when the focus is
so much upon the Irish neighborhoods and way of life. Bowen makes many
references to towns and counties in Ireland, and the atmosphere in New
York seems consistent with what I know of the period. I didn’t hear the
brogues in my head as readily as I sometimes do when reading fiction
focusing on Irish characters, but the manner of speaking rang pretty
true. Of everyone in the book, the one whose voice I had the easiest
time imagining was Michael, my favorite side character.
Some of
the sequences in the book, like Molly’s ill-advised foray into one of
the seediest parts of the city unaccompanied, are gripping, while others
seem a bit plodding. The climax is fairly satisfying, though it seems
slightly unrealistic. Still, I certainly enjoyed it enough that I hope
to continue with the series and see where Molly’s new life in America
takes her next.
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