Molly is a mother of two, Liam, Daniel and Molly's son, and Birdie their ward who is now 13 and acting like a teenager. She begins schooling with the aunties, Sid and Gus. Daniel is the head of homicide. Daniel's mother is temporarily living with them while is recuperates from pneumonia. Molly, Birdie, Sid, and Gus go to Ellis Island to distribute gently used warm clothing to the immigrants. While there, a man is killed, and Molly makes the acquaintance of Rose, another Irish redhead. In her quest to help Rose, she places her with Miss Van Woekem, an elderly society lady, where Rose ingratiates herself. Against Daniel's wishes she manages to investigate the murder of the private detective killed on Ellis Island. It turns out that he was following a jewel thief from London. ( )

Cute mystery, first one of this series I've read. I had to get over my annoyance at the sexism, but other than that, it was just a sweet and pretty wholesome read, if you like those types of mysteries. ( )

Molly is settled with policeman husband Daniel, wad Birdie and son Liam but she still wants to be a detective. In this episode she helps a young immigrant Irish woman accused of murder. Entertaining light reading. ( )

Engrossing!

I am conflicted about Molly Sullivan. I love her gutsiness, the way she flies in the face of the accepted order of things. Maybe I’m conflicted because Molly is too. How to manage being a mother, a wife, a daughter-in-law, and how to continue to be a detective in the face of opposition, particularly from her husband?
It’s 1907, and a trip back to Ellis Island with Bridie and philanthropic neighbours Elena and Augusta (Aunt Sid and Aunt Gus), to distribute warm clothing to newly arrived immigrants has Molly recalling her own terrifying arrival here. None of her anxiety is helped by Bridie becoming lost and then thought by the authorities to be a recently landed immigrant. Stuff of nightmare for our Molly, as she imagines Bridie disappearing into the bowels of bureaucracy. When Molly meets a young, defenceless woman from Ireland, Rose McSweeney, who is accused of murder, with hair a similar red to her own, Molly rushes to defend her, and sets out to prove her innocence, despite the disapproval of her husband Daniel, Captain Sullivan of the New York police.
Molly gets caught up in a maelstrom of situations, including finding a position for the Rose. I’m exhausted just from following the swirl of Molly’s activities. Between her mother-in-law, her husband, wanting to prove Rose’s innocence, and Brodie’s recalcitrant behavior, no wonder.
The murderer is caught but not without danger and heartache.
Bridie is growing up, and to some degree not helped by being caught betwixt a world that beckons, and the here and now.
A solid read!

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley ( )

NYC, law-enforcement, Ellis Island, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, historical-fiction, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, early-20th-century, immigrants, mistaken-identity, falsely accused***

It gets off to a slow and somewhat trite start, then begins to add in the more interesting things. It was still a mite long for my taste, but a good historical mystery with just enough twists and red herrings. The characters are clearly established and very interesting, as are their interactions (except for the classic trite TV mother-in-law).
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you ( )