The Last Illusion

January 4, 2010
Set in New York City in 1903, Bowen’s winning ninth Molly Murphy mystery (after 2009’s In a Gilded Cage
) opens with a magic show at Miner’s Theatre on the Bowery, attended by Molly and her fiancé, police captain Daniel Sullivan, who wants her to give up her unconventional profession of private investigator. When the sawing-a-lady-in-half trick goes fatally wrong, this “horrible accident” brings the evening’s entertainment to an early end, preventing Molly and Daniel from seeing the show’s main attraction, Harry Houdini. After both Signor Scarpelli, the magician whose stage equipment was apparently sabotaged, and his female assistant’s corpse disappear, Houdini’s wife, Bess, who worries an enemy of her husband is out to get him, asks Molly for help. Later, an act the handcuff king attempts almost ends in another death, confirming Bess’s fears. The gutsy Molly, who’s no prim Edwardian miss, will appeal to fans of contemporary female detectives.

March 1, 2010
Molly Murphy witnesses a terrible accident at a magical-illusion show and soon finds herself pulled into the dangerous and mysterious world of illusionists in early-twentieth-century New York City. Hired by Bess Houdini, Molly is tasked with preventing Houdini from being killed on stage, something that Bess desperately fears after a string of accidents at the theater. But the illusionists are a tight-lipped group who refuse to share their secrets. Fortunately, Molly has some inside help in the form of her fianc', Daniel, a police captain. His help comes with strings, however, as Daniel disapproves of Molly working such a dangerous case, especially as he really wishes she was planning their wedding. Despite sparring with Daniel, Molly perseveres with the case. With plot elements including a counterfeiting scheme and German spies (in addition to Houdini), this historical mystery delivers a top-notch, detail-rich story full of intriguing characters. Fans of the 1920s private detective Maisie Dobbs should give this series a try.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
Molly Murphy meets Harry Houdini and murder in early-20th-century New York.

Much to the chagrin of her fianc, police Captain Daniel Sullivan, the young Irish lass (In a Gilded Cage, 2008, etc.) is still working as a private detective. When Daniel treats Molly to a night at the theater to see the great Houdini, they witness either a tragic accident or a murder when the illusion of sawing a woman in half becomes a reality and the star of the opening act and the body of his assistant both mysteriously disappear. Houdini's wife Bess, who fears for his life—a fear made even more real when Bess herself almost dies while performing a trunk illusion—hires Molly to investigate. Daniel, busy helping government agents crack a counterfeiting ring, orders her to leave the case alone, not realizing that this tactic is guaranteed to push the headstrong detective deeper into the investigation. Once Bess talks Houdini into using Molly as his assistant, Molly's on hand to continue sleuthing when Houdini himself goes missing. With help from her bohemian and theatrical friends, Molly discovers some interesting clues. Can she keep out of danger, solve the crimes and keep her fianc?

Bubbly, liberated Molly's latest adds interesting historical insights to the usual pleasant mystery-mongering.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)