For the Love of Mike: A Molly Murphy Mystery by Rhys Bowen

           I read this book in a day.  There’s just something about this series that has me wanting to drop everything and read.  When I have a day where I can do that, it’s wonderful.

                Newly arrived in America, Molly Murphy is trying to build a life for herself.  She’s taken over the private investigator business from her deceased employer, wanting to make it a success.  Despite her best efforts, this is very difficult for her to do.  All because she is a woman.          

It’s the early 1900s and there are certain places women are not allowed to enter.  Also, if Molly is out past a certain time of night, the police think she is up to no good.  That is why it comes as such a relief when two cases that she can do during the day come her way.  Even better, they have nothing to do with divorce, which were the type of cases her employer often took.  No, the main problem of these two cases is going to be finding the time to do them both at once.

                That’s because one of the cases involves going undercover for six days as a garment sewer.  While there, Molly is supposed to help discover who is stealing the owner’s designs.  What Molly finds is horrible conditions for the workers, which only becomes worse when she switches to a second design house to work undercover.  The working conditions for the women are so bad (in addition to being cheated out of their money and time), that Molly helps arrange a strike, standing up for the women she has come to know.

                It is while working on the strike that Molly meets a new love interest; a photojournalist named Jacob who is helping people unionize.  Immediately, Jacob feels Molly is the one for him.  Molly is not so sure she feels the same.  After all, she still has feelings for a particular police captain.

                When Molly is not sewing garments or forming a strike, she is looking for a young woman named Katherine.  Katherine ran away from her wealthy family and home in Ireland to be with one of their estate workers, Michael Kelly, in America.  Her father has contacted Molly in hopes she will find Katherine and send her home.  As Molly looks for her, she finds herself in increasingly dangerous situations.  She also discovers that her two cases are more closely linked than she had ever thought they would be.

                I must admit, I am torn about the relationship between Molly and Captain Daniel Sullivan.  He’s engaged to another woman, yet tries to control Molly’s life by telling her what she can and cannot do.  That’s enough to write him off right there.  But then Daniel is the one who comes and helps Molly when she needs him.  So, is he good for Molly?  Or is he not?

                As for Jacob, I don’t think he’s the right match for Molly, especially since in the end he tries to control Molly just like Daniel does.

Thinking about all this, in my opinion, right now Molly is far better off on her own.