Complete Molly Murphy Series Books in Order

Have you been looking for a complete list of the Molly Murphy series books in order?  Then look no more!

My very favorite reading is historical mystery series, and British author Rhys Bowen‘s historical Agatha award-winning Molly Murphy mysteries are among my most beloved mystery series.

Are you a fan of the captivating Molly Murphy Mystery Series? Or perhaps you’re new to this thrilling world of detective novels and looking to embark on a gripping journey. Either way, I’ve got you covered with a comprehensive list of all the books in the series, presented in order. 

Get ready to dive into the world of Molly Murphy and her enthralling adventures!

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Molly Murphy Mysteries by Rhys Bowen

The Molly Murphy Mystery Series, written by Rhys Bowen, follows the life and detective work of a feisty, independent Irish immigrant, Molly Murphy, in early 20th century New York City. With its immersive historical setting, intriguing mysteries, and memorable characters, this series has captured the hearts of mystery book lovers worldwide.

Molly Murphy, the fearless Irish sleuth main character, boards a ship headed to America and a new world.  She is in search of the welcoming promise of freedom and finally arrives on Ellis Island. 

Unfortunately, Irish immigrant Molly is immediately entangled in a precarious position where she becomes a main suspect of a murder aboard the ship.

After being questioned about her own story and trying to hide the past she is running from, Molly is allowed to head off onto the anonymous shores of America and start her new life.     

Now, let’s explore each book in the series, including a brief glimpse into the storylines!

Complete List of Molly Murphy Series Books in Order

The Prequel:  The Amersham Rubies (2011)

Note that the prequel was actually published in 2011, ten years after the first book was published.  

However, it’s written as a true prequel with a setting prior to that of the first book in the series, Murphy’s Law.  I encourage you to start reading the series with the prequel and get to know the character before she officially becomes private detective Molly Murphy!

From the Publisher: Before Molly Murphy crossed the Atlantic or even had an inkling that she might someday become a much sought after private investigator in New York City, young Molly lived in Ireland in a small cottage with her father, brothers and little else.

While keeping herself and her home together, Molly receives a request from Lady Hartley—the lady of the country estate where Molly lives, and the family that employs Molly’s father and brothers. The Hartleys are hosting a ball at their manor house, and there will be so many fine gentlemen and ladies in attendance that Lady Hartley needs Molly to help some of her guests prepare for the ball.

Beautiful debutantes, dresses of the finest fabrics, and sparkling chandeliers are all on display, as are heirloom jewels like the Amersham rubies—a stunning and priceless ruby necklace that has been in the Amersham family for generations. When the rubies go inexplicably missing from Lady Amersham’s neck in the middle of the party, the high-spirited Molly must rely on her wits to solve her first case in Rhys Bowen’s charming prequel to her beloved Anthony and Agatha Award–winning historical mystery series.

Book 1:  Murphy’s Law (2001)

Molly Murphy, seeking refuge in America, becomes a murder suspect and must use her determination and wit to clear her name.  The Irish sleuth heads into her new future, covering the streets of Manhattan from the Lower East Side to Greenwich Village.

Awards Earned

• Agatha Award winner, best novel
• Reviewer’s Choice winner, best historical novel
• Herodotus Award winner, best first historical novel
• Mary Higgins Clark award finalist
• Audie Award nominee, Solo Narration—Female (Nicola Barber, Narrator)

From the Publisher: From the creator of the much-loved Constable Evan Evans mysteries comes a colorful new series set in turn-of-the-century New York City. When spirited redhead Molly Murphy was growing up a peasant on the coast of Ireland she always imagined there was something more in store for her. She couldn’t have known how right she was until the day she became a murderer, albeit in self-defense. Under drastic circumstances, Molly is forced to strike out into a new world. With the police right behind her, Molly’s only chance at escape is a false identity and a steamship that will take her far, far away: to America.

When her ship sails into New York Harbor, with the majestic figure of the Statue of Liberty providing comfort and inspiration, Molly is sure her whole life is in front of her. But she’s got one last hurdle to clear: Ellis Island. She is just one among thousands of immigrants on the tiny island, awaiting their fate with anxiety and hope. Unfortunately for Molly, before she is able to leave the island a man is brutally murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear, and coincidence and fate make her a suspect in a crime she didn’t commit. Under a cloud of suspicion, and due largely to a growing mutual attraction between Molly and the handsome police captain in charge of the case, she is allowed to leave Ellis Island for Manhattan. Unfortunately, she’s got a mission she couldn’t have anticipated: clear her own name of murder. Alone in a new country with no one to lean on, Molly hits the vibrant streets of New York intent on finding out what really happened. After all, if she can’t, she’ll be sent back to Ireland, where the dreaded gallows await.

With the sweeping skyline of 19th century New York and the gritty, pulsating underworld of recently arrived immigrants forming a vivid backdrop, Rhys Bowen transports readers back in time to America’s not-so-distant past. The first entry in the Molly Murphy series is a fascinating look at our immigrant history as well as an intensely absorbing page-turner.

Book 2:  Death Of Riley (2002)

Finally embracing her new role as a private detective, Molly begins working for the old detective agency run by Paddy Riley but soon finds herself solving an unexpected mystery.

Awards Earned

• Agatha Award nominee
• Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee

From the Publisher: Molly Murphy has finally begun to forget the unpleasant murder of a would-be rapist back in Ireland, not to mention her investigation into the murder of a fellow recent Irish immigrant, and is finally free to begin her life in New York City. Given her experiences so far in the New World, Molly has decided that her first order of business is to become a private investigator, a people finder of sorts, working for families in Europe who’ve lost touch with relatives in America. Not only might this put some food on her table, but her second order of business is to hook the handsome NYPD police captain Daniel Sullivan, and she envisions lots of opportunities to “seek his counsel” in her new profession.

Paddy Riley is a tough old Cockney p.i. who specializes in divorce work, and with a little persuasion he’s ready to take on Molly as an apprentice. It’s not exactly what she imagined, but she plans to make the most of it. That is, until she comes in to work one day to find her new world turned upside down and all expectations for her professional life suddenly up in the air.

Before long, Molly has set off on a journey that will take her through the back alleys of Manhattan and into the bars and lounges of the literary scene, where she spends time with writers, actors, poets, and musicians. It’s quite an eye-opening turn for innocent young Molly, but she’s resolute in her decision to find out exactly what happened that day in the office of Paddy Riley. Armed with nothing more than her fiery will and matching wild red hair, Molly has no idea of the danger her pursuit may bring in this fascinating, well-researched, and suspenseful second novel in Rhys Bowen’s Agatha-award winning series.

Book 3:  For the Love of Mike (2003)

Molly finds herself with two cases, one finding a missing Irish girl and another involving the harsh world of the garment industry in turn-of-the-century New York.

Awards Earned

• Anthony Award winner, best historical novel
• Bruce Alexander Memorial Award winner, best historical novel
• Freddy winner, Sleuthfest, Florida
• Macavity Award nominee, best novel

From the Publisher: Full of the rich detail of New York’s teeming immigrant community and the colorful historical personalities of the age, For the Love of Mike is the triumphant third installment in Rhys Bowen’s Agatha Award-winning series.
Molly Murphy is starting to think the cards are stacked against her. She’s determined to be a private detective, but hampering her investigations is the fact that she’s finding many places in turn-of-the-century New York City where women are not welcome, something that’s as frustrating to her fiery Irish pride as it is to her rapidly emptying pocketbook.

Then two business opportunities pop up simultaneously. An aristocratic family in Dublin fears their daughter has fled to the New World with her unsavory boyfriend, and they hire Molly to track the two down and send the young woman back home. Before she has time to consider her good luck, she’s asked to go undercover as a piece worker in the garment business and investigate a potential case of industrial espionage. Now if she can only solve both cases without the help of Daniel Sullivan, the police captain who claims he loves her but who is engaged to someone else…

Book 4:  In Like Flynn (2005)

Molly is hired to investigate a pair of spiritualist sisters and heads to the elite Hudson River Valley.  The case expands into solving a 5-year-old mystery of a kidnapped child, and Molly finds herself deeply involved in a dangerous situation.

Awards Earned

• Macavity Award nominee, best historical mystery

From the Publisher: Fledgling private investigator Molly Murphy’s latest assignment gives her the opportunity to escape the typhoid epidemic sweeping across New York City in the summer of 1902 for the lush Hudson River Valley. And it comes from an unlikely source-Captain Daniel Sullivan, a New York City police detective and erstwhile beau of Molly’s. She has vowed to keep him at arm’s length until he can rid himself of his socialite fiancée, but she can’t pass up the chance to take advantage of his offer of a real detective job.

Daniel hires Molly to go undercover inside the country household of Senator Barney Flynn, in Peekskill, New York. Flynn’s wife, Theresa, has become the latest devotee of a pair of spiritualists known as the Sorensen Sisters. The frail Theresa is desperate to use the sisters’ alleged abilities to hold a séance to contact her infant son, who was kidnapped five years ago and never found; the accused kidnapper was killed before he could tell police where the boy was being held. But the police are sure the women are frauds.

When Molly allows herself to be distracted from the Sorensen Sisters and the members of the Flynn household by the unsolved kidnapping, it is a race against time to find out what’s really going on before it’s too late.

In Like Flynn is the latest captivating installment in a series which has garnered an impressive array of awards and nominations in just three books: Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy mysteries have won the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, the Bruce Alexander Historical Award, and the Herodotus Award, and have been shortlisted for the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award.

Book 5:  Oh Danny Boy (2006)

Molly is asked by Detective Daniel Sullivan to help prove his innocence when he is accused of illegal activity.  It’s the most important case of her career so far!

Awards Earned

• Macavity Award winner, best historical mystery
• Barry Award nominee, best mystery

From the Publisher: In turn-of-the-century New York City, Irish immigrant Molly Murphy is contemplating giving up PI work for something a little less complicated, less exciting. Molly has had quite enough excitement recently, thank you very much. Especially from the handsome but deceptive NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan, whom she’d like to avoid completely. But when Daniel is accused of accepting bribes and lands himself in the Tombs, the notorious city jail, he begs Molly to help prove he was framed, and after everything they’ve been through, she cannot turn him down.
As she finds herself drawn further and further into the case, she begins to fear that Daniel’s trouble is related to one of his investigations—catching the Eastside Ripper, a serial killer who is targeting prostitutes.
Oh Danny Boy marks Edgar Award finalist Rhys Bowen’s triumphant fifth installment in the award winning Molly Murphy mystery series.

Book 6:  In Dublin’s Fair City (2007)

Molly returns to Ireland for a case and finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and betrayal starting on the trip home.

From the Publisher: Molly Murphy’s beau Captain Daniel Sullivan may be out of jail on bail, but he’s still a ways from clearing his name, and his foul mood has Molly in search of a little breathing room when providence steps in in the form of a proposition from New York City’s renowned theatrical impresario Tommy Burke.

America has been very good to Tommy, and now that he’s getting on in years, he’d like to pass some of that good fortune on to his family back in Ireland. That’s, of course, if Molly can find the long-lost baby sister his family left in the care of a parish priest when they fled the famine and avoid the warrant out for her arrest that forced Molly to flee herself. Tempted by the prospect of going home for the first time in years and putting her fledging detective agency on firm financial ground, Molly throws caution to the wind and climbs aboard the White Start Liner Majestic with hopes of sneaking on and off the isle without raising a peep.

But even before Molly lands on the other side of the Atlantic, Broadway’s leading actress, Oona Sheehan, has gone missing from the ship, and her maid is found dead in her cabin. Full of rich historic detail and enchanting turn-of-the-century personalities, Molly’s return home, In Dublin’s Fair City, is the sixth thrilling installment in Rhys Bowen’s award-winning Molly Murphy series.

Book 7:  Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (2008)

After stumbling across an unconscious female in Central Park, Molly sets out to help the amnesia-stricken woman before the victim is shoved off into an insane asylum.

Awards Earned

• Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery nominee

From the Publisher: It’s wintertime in New York, and for the first time since Irish immigrant Molly Murphy started her early-twentieth-century detective agency, she is completely snowed in with work. While she’s proving to be quite the entrepreneur and is very much in demand by some of Broadway’s brightest stars and Fifth Avenue’s richest families, she has to grudgingly admit that if she’s going to work more than one case at a time, then she’s going to need some help. Molly’s beau, the recently and wrongly suspended police captain Daniel Sullivan, would make an ideal associate, but before they can agree on the terms of his employment, they stumble upon a young woman lying unconscious in the middle of a snow-covered Central Park. When the woman wakes up she is disorientated and has and lost her ability to speak, the authorities are about to pack her off to an insane asylum when Molly can’t help but step in and take on yet another case.

Lively and colorful, full of absorbing historical detail and delightful characters, Tell Me, Pretty Maiden is another gem in Rhys Bowen’s multiple award–winning series.

Book 8:  In a Gilded Cage (2009)

Marching with suffragettes in the New York Easter parade lands Molly in jail, but once sprung, she heads straight into investigating the possible murder of one of the suffragettes.

From the Publisher: Rhys Bowen’s In a Gilded Cage continues the author’s award-winning historical series that breathes life into the past with its wit and charm and its complete sense of early-twentieth-century New York.

It’s Easter Sunday 1918, and Irish immigrant Molly Murphy has agreed to march down Fifth Avenue with the sign-wielding suffragettes from Vassar—a civil act of protest that lands her in jail. Molly’s betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, manages to spring her from the clink, though his hands are full dealing with Chinese opium gangs.

But as soon as she’s free, Molly marches straight into trouble again. Two of the Vassar alumni need Molly’s help as a private investigator. One believes her uncle is cheating her out of an inheritance; the other suspects her husband is cheating with other women.

And when one of the clients dies—presumably from influenza, which is sweeping the city—Molly takes to the streets once more. Not to win the right for women to vote, but to reveal the wrongs of some very evil men…

Book 9:  The Last Illusion (2010)

Molly is hired to help a renowned magician, Harry Houdini, who fears for his life, but the case takes a deadly turn.

From the Publisher: Irish immigrant and PI Molly Murphy is thrilled to have a ticket to the theater to see a trio of illusionists that are all the rage. Indeed, headlining is Harry Houdini, the most sensational of them all; he has just returned from entertaining European kings and queens for a brief run on Broadway.

But before Houdini can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong and to the crowd’s shock the illusionist saws into his assistant. In the aftermath, the stunned performer accuses Houdini of tampering with the equipment he keeps under lock and key. And he’s not the only one critical of “The King of Handcuffs.” Risking his life every night, Houdini has raised the stakes to such a perilous level that he’s putting lesser acts out of business.

With everyone on edge, Houdini’s wife hires Molly to be part investigator/part bodyguard, but how can she protect a man who literally risks his life every night? And how is she going to uncover whether these masters of illusion are simply up to their tricks or if there truly is something much more treacherous going on.

With sparkling wit, charming characters, and historic detail, multiple award winner Rhys Bowen brings early-twentieth-century New York City and the fantastic performers of the time vividly to life in The Last Illusion.

Book 10:  Bless the Bride (2011)

Molly heads to the Westchester County countryside to plan her wedding with her future mother-in-law, but is sidetracked with the desire to solve one last case before giving up her private investigation business.

From the Publisher: With Molly Murphy’s wedding to NYPD Captain Daniel Sullivan quickly approaching, the Irish sleuth heads to the Westchester County countryside, where his mother can lend her a hand and advise her on a bride’s proper place. And shockingly, Molly seems to be agreeing. She has already promised that she’ll close up her PI business and settle down after marrying, but she isn’t a married woman yet. So, when she gets word of a possible case, she sneaks back into the city to squeeze in a little more sleuthing before the wedding bells can ring.

A wealthy Chinese immigrant wants her to find his missing bride, and Molly—sure she isn’t getting the whole story—suspects that his bride ran off. But where could she go? The only Chinese women in early-twentieth-century New York are kept under lock and key, and Molly can’t help but wonder if she’s saving the woman from the streets or helping to lock her away for good.

Rhys Bowen’s deft touch and charming wit make Bless the Bride another stellar addition to her Anthony and Agatha Award–winning historical series.

Book 11:  Hush Now, Don’t You Cry (2012)

Reluctant to give up her sleuthing, the incomparable Molly Murphy Sullivan investigates the murder of an alderman, taking on the dangerous Tammany Hall in the process.

From the Publisher: Rhys Bowen’s brilliant wit and charm are on full display in Hush Now, Don’t You Cry, another outstanding addition to her Agatha and Anthony award-winning historical series.

Molly Murphy is supposed to give up sleuthing now that she’s married, but the murder of an alderman puts her on the trail of a killer.

Molly Murphy, now Molly Sullivan, and her husband Daniel, a captain in the New York Police department, have been invited to spend their honeymoon on the Newport, RI, estate of Alderman Brian Hannan in the spring of 1904. Molly doesn’t entirely trust the offer. Hannan—an ambitious man—has his eye on a senate seat and intentions of taking Tammany Hall to get it. When Hannan is found dead at the base of the cliffs that overlook the Atlantic, Molly’s suspicions are quickly justified, and as much as she wants to keep her promise to Daniel that she won’t do any more sleuthing now, there isn’t much she can do once the chase is on.

Book 11.5:  The Face in the Mirror (2013)

Molly finds herself a bit bored with the expected “no detecting” married life, but unintentionally becomes involved in helping a young woman with her haunted house problem.

From the Publisher: From the author of In Farleigh Field comes Rhys Bowen’s short story “The Face in the Mirror”; it offers just the taste of mystery and mayhem fans will need to tide them over until the next Molly Murphy novel.

Molly Murphy—Molly Sullivan, now that she and Daniel are finally married—is bored. Having given up her detective agency when she married, she now finds that her life is much less exciting, her days an endless stretch of housekeeping and chores. But when Molly secretly attends a suffragist meeting with her friends Sid and Gus and meets a shy, distracted woman who claims to live in a haunted house, everything is about to change.

Book 12:  The Family Way (2013)

Pregnant with their first child, Molly becomes consumed with helping other mothers after learning of five missing baby reports.

From the Publisher: The Family Way, the twelfth entry in Rhys Bowen’s bestselling Molly Murphy series, will delight fans and win over newcomers with its elegantly plotted mystery, atmospheric historical detail, and vivid characters.

Molly Murphy—now Molly Sullivan—is a year into her marriage, expecting her first child, and confined to the life of a housewife. She’s restless and irritable in the enforced idleness of pregnancy and the heat of a New York summer in 1905. So when a trip to the post office brings a letter addressed to her old detective agency asking her to locate a missing Irish serving maid, Molly figures it couldn’t hurt to at least ask around, despite her promise to Daniel to give up her old career as a detective. On the same day, Molly learns that five babies have been kidnapped in the past month.

Refusing to let Molly help with the kidnapping investigation, Daniel sends her away to spend the summer with his mother. But even in the quiet, leafy suburbs, Molly’s own pending motherhood makes her unable to ignore these missing children. What she uncovers will lead her on a terrifying journey through all levels of society, putting her life—and that of her baby—in danger.

Book 12.5:  Through the Window (2014)

While on bed rest after giving birth to her son, Molly continues to play detective after noticing odd happenings across the street.

From the Publisher: New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen will delight fans with her trademark charm and turn-of-the-century New York atmosphere in her short story Through the Window

This original story spanning the time between The Family Way and City of Darkness and Light, Bowen’s thirteenth novel featuring the beloved private investigator.

Molly Murphy–now Molly Sullivan–is absolutely thrilled to give birth to her first child, a beautiful little boy named Liam. But while confined to bed rest for the weeks following his birth, she finds herself watching the activity across the street through her window, and she soon begins to notice some odd goings-on that set her detective’s sixth sense to tingling.

Book 13:  City of Darkness and Light (2014)

Molly and her young son Liam travel to Paris and find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of secrets, art, and murder.

From the Publisher: As Impressionism gives way to Fauvism and Cubism, and the Dreyfus affair rocks France, Molly races through Paris to outsmart a killer in City of Darkness and Light, Rhys Bowen’s most spectacular Molly Murphy novel yet.

Molly and Daniel Sullivan are settling happily into the new routines of parenthood, but their domestic bliss is shattered the night a gang retaliates against Daniel for making a big arrest. Daniel wants his family safely out of New York City as soon as possible. In shock and grieving, but knowing she needs to protect their infant son Liam, Molly agrees to take him on the long journey to Paris to stay with her friends Sid and Gus, who are studying art in the City of Light.

But upon arriving in Paris, nothing goes as planned. Sid and Gus seem to have vanished into thin air, and Molly’s search to figure out what happened to them will lead her through all levels of Parisian society, from extravagant salons to the dingy cafes where starving artists linger over coffee and loud philosophical debates. And when in the course of her search she stumbles across a dead body, Molly, on her own in a foreign country, starts to wonder if she and Liam might be in even more danger in Paris than they had been at home.

Book 14:  The Edge of Dreams (2015)

Molly and her son Liam miraculously survive a terrible train crash, which Molly believes contributes to her strange dreams, a key to solving the latest mystery.

From the Publisher: Rhys Bowen’s characteristic blend of atmospheric turn-of-the-century history, clever plotting, and sparkling characters will delight readers in The Edge of Dreams, from her bestselling Molly Murphy series.

Molly Murphy Sullivan’s husband Daniel, a captain in the New York City police force, is stumped. He’s chasing a murderer whose victims have nothing in common—nothing except for the taunting notes that are delivered to Daniel after each murder. And when Daniel receives a note immediately after Molly and her young son Liam are in a terrible train crash, Daniel and Molly both begin to fear that maybe Molly herself was the target.

Molly’s detective instincts are humming, but finding the time to dig deeper into this case is a challenge. She’s healing from injuries sustained in the crash and also sidetracked by her friends Sid and Gus’s most recent hobby, dream analysis. And when Molly herself starts suffering from strange dreams, she wonders if they just might hold the key to solving Daniel’s murder case.

Book 15:  Away in a Manger (2015)

Christmas in New York City finds Molly and her family, including twelve-year-old Bridie, enjoying the festive season and stumbling across a mystery of a young girl who sings like an angel.

From the Publisher: Another compelling and richly drawn mystery from New York Times bestseller Rhys Bowen, Away in a Manger.

It’s Christmastime in 1905 New York City, and for once, Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to the approaching holidays. She has a family of her own now: she and Daniel have a baby son and twelve-year-old Bridie is living with them as their ward. As Molly and the children listen to carolers in the street, they hear a lovely voice, the voice of an angel, and see a beggar girl huddled in a doorway, singing “Away in a Manger.” Bridie is touched by the girl’s ragged clothes and wants to help her out if they can. They give her a quarter, only to watch a bigger boy take it from her. But Molly discovers the boy is the girl’s older brother. They’ve come from England and their mother has disappeared, and they’re living with an aunt who mistreats them terribly.

Molly quickly realizes that these children are not the usual city waifs. They are well-spoken and clearly used to better things. So who are they? And what’s happened to their mother? As Molly looks for a way to help the children and for the answers to these questions, she gets drawn into an investigation that will take her up to the highest levels of New York society.

Book 16:  Time of Fog and Fire (2016)

Molly’s husband, police captain Daniel Sullivan, is sent to San Fransisco on a case, and Molly is soon on his trail after receiving a mysterious summons, unknowingly entering a fiery situation.

From the Publisher: Embarking on a cross-country journey with her young son, Molly can’t fathom what’s in store for her, but she knows it might be dangerous—in fact, it might put all of their lives at risk, in Rhys Bowen’s Time of Fog and Fire.

Molly Murphy Sullivan’s husband Daniel, a police captain in turn-of-the-century New York City, is in a precarious position. The new police commissioner wants him off the force altogether. So when Daniel’s offered an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service, he’s eager to accept.

Molly can’t draw any details of the assignment out of him, even where he’ll be working. But when she spots him in San Francisco during a movie news segment, she starts to wonder if he’s in even more danger than she had first believed. And then she receives a strange and cryptic letter from him, leading her to conclude that he wants her to join him in San Francisco. Molly knows that if Daniel’s turning to her rather than John Wilkie or his contacts in the police force, something must have gone terribly wrong. What can she do for him that the police can’t? Especially when she doesn’t even know what his assignment is?

Book 17:  The Ghost of Christmas Past (2017)

The Sullivans head to a Hudson Valley estate for a Christmas escape from the city only to find themselves caught up in a strange story of a missing girl who amazingly shows up on Christmas Eve, ten years after she went missing.

From the Publsiher: From Rhys Bowen, the author of In Farleigh Field, comes the next Molly Murphy mystery: The Ghost of Christmas Past.

Semi-retired private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is suffering from depression after a miscarriage following her adventure in San Francisco during the earthquake of 1906. She and her husband, Daniel, are invited for Christmas at a mansion on the Hudson, and they gratefully accept, expecting a peaceful and relaxing holiday season.

Not long after they arrive, however, they start to feel the tension in the house’s atmosphere. Then they learn that the host couple’s young daughter wandered out into the snow ten years ago and was never seen again. Molly can identify with the mother’s pain at never knowing what happened to her child and wants to help, but there is so little to go on. No ransom note. No body ever found. But Molly slowly begins to suspect that the occupants of the house know more than they are letting on.

Then, on Christmas Eve, there is a knock at the door and a young girl stands there. “I’m Charlotte,” she says. “I’ve come home.”

Book 18:  Wild Irish Rose (2022)

*Co-written with Clare Broyles, Rhys Bowen’s daughter

A strange occurrence has Molly solving another murder on Ellis Island, this time supposedly committed by another Irish immigrant who remarkably looks nearly identical to Molly herself.

From the Publisher: New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen, now writing in partnership with her daughter, Clare Broyles, transports and enthralls readers through the incomparable Molly Murphy Sullivan. Wild Irish Rose is the next novel in this beloved mystery series, a cause for celebration for readers and critics alike.

New York, 1907: Now that she’s no longer a private detective—at least not officially—Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to a time of settled tranquility with friends and family. Back in New York, where her own story began, Molly decides to accompany some friends to Ellis Island to help distribute clothing to those in need. This journey quickly stirs up memories for Molly. When you’re far from home and see people from your country, every face looks like a family member.

That evening Molly’s policeman husband, Daniel, is late returning home. He comes with a tale to tell: there was a murder on Ellis Island that day, and the main suspect is the spitting image of Molly. The circumstances are eerily similar to when Molly herself arrived on Ellis Island, and she can’t help but feel a sense of fate. Molly was meant to be there that day so that she can clear this woman’s name.

Book 19:  All That Is Hidden (2023)  

*Co-written with Clare Broyles, Rhys Bowen’s daughter

Molly is stunned when Daniel announces he will be running for office on the Tammany Hall ticket and the family will be moving uptown.  Molly is determined to help Daniel get out of whatever trouble he has obviously found himself in.

From the Publisher: “Retired” detective and police captain’s wife Molly Murphy Sullivan tangles with Tammany Hall in the next in Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles’s New York Times bestselling historical mystery series.

New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things.

So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue—and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York—Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out.

In this next installment in this beloved series All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.

Book 20:  In Sunshine or in Shadow (2024)  

*Co-written with Clare Broyles, Rhys Bowen’s daughter

Molly heads out of the city and ends up in an artists’ community with her friends Sid and Gus.  Unfortunately a dead body puts a damper on the events and Molly finds herself wrapped up in another investigation.

From the Publisher: Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is back with In Sunshine or in Shadow, the next book in this beloved series by New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.

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 just a glimpse into the thrilling world of the Molly Murphy Mystery Series. With 20 captivating books, readers have plenty to explore and savor. Whether you’re a fan of historical mysteries or simply crave a compelling tale, this series is sure to keep you hooked from beginning to end.

So pick up your favorite Molly Murphy mystery and embark on an unforgettable journey filled with intrigue and suspense. I hope this series will also become one of your most beloved series!

Frequently Asked Questions

​Do I have to read the Molly Murphy series in order?

Technically the books in this series can be read as stand-alone novels.  But I highly encourage you to read them in order, starting from the first book in order to get full enjoyment from the storylines!

Who are the main characters in the Molly Murphy Mystery series?

The main character is Molly Murphy, an Irish immigrant turned private investigator.  Supporting characters are police captain Daniel Sullivan, and Molly’s friends, Sid and Gus.

Happy reading!

Gallery of the Molly Murphy Series Books in Order

Royal Spyness Books In Order (With Printable List)

If you’re looking for a list of Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness books in order, then you’ve come to the right place! Below you will see the complete list with all of the books in order, as well as a printable list that will help you read through the series.

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