Fleeing a typhoid outbreak in New York City, Molly takes the children to her mother-in-law’s house in the country. Molly soon grows bored and goes to join her friends Sid and Gus as they visit Sid’s family at a Jewish bungalow community in the Catskill Mountains. Sid’s family has brought in a matchmaker to find husbands for her and her younger cousin. When the cousin’s intended is shot to death in the woods, Molly finds herself dusting off her old detective skills. The local law enforcement believe that Sid’s cousin is responsible for the murder, and Molly is determined to prove otherwise. The case becomes more complicated when Sid’s (unwanted) fiancé disappears in a blast a nearby mine. Luckily, Molly’s husband, Daniel, comes out from the city to take over the investigation.

IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW gest off to a slow start. It takes some time for Molly to get out of the city and to Sid’s family’s farm. Then there is time spent establishing that the soon-to-be victim is an unlikeable man that has made plenty of enemies. The murder finally kicks off the investigative part of the story, but Molly remains a bit hands-off. Because she is pregnant, she leaves it up to others do some of her investigative work. With each new book in the series, I keep hoping for a return of the old Molly. Since the change in authors, all of the main characters have become a watered down version of their former selves. As long as you can’t separate the old Molly from the new Molly, IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW is still an enjoyable book.

A great addition to the Molly Sullivan series! The familiar characters are always a pleasure to see and the characters that are new in each novel keep things interesting.

I absolutely loved escaping into the world of Molly Murphy, with her latest adventure, In Sunshine or in Shadow!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’sPress for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This took a long time to set up and finally get a body, especially since it was obvious who it would be the moment they were introduced. I always hope Molly finds her way back to investigating more openly or even reopening her detective agency. With Daniel not being quite as dismissive of her as he used to be, maybe the series can shift in a new direction. I didn’t love the pacing but fans of the series will like this one.

In Sunshine or in Shadow is the 20th installment in the Molly Murphy series, originally created by Rhys Bowen, and now written in partnership with Bowen’s daughter, Clare Broyles. I have enjoyed every single one, as we see Molly’s upward mobility from a penniless Irish immigrant at the turn of the last century, to having her own detective business, and finally being the wife of a New York City police captain. However, you do not need to read the previous installments to enjoy this one. And, as a disappointed reader of other authors’ series now written with partners,, I am happy to report that the mother/daughter authoring partnership here works extremely well. The quality of this series remains constant.

The novel takes place in 1908, and pregnant Molly, along with her toddler son and teenage ward, are encouraged to get out of the city because of a typhoid epidemic. She stays with her mother-in-law in Westchester County, but is happy to find her Bohemian friends, Sid and Gus are staying nearby. When she visits them, and Sid’s family in the Catskills, she gets caught up in solving a murder and helping protect a young girl from a lazy detective who would arrest her.

The mystery is completely engaging, and I read eagerly to find the culprit. Descriptions of the area and life in the very early part of the 20th century were very interesting. This was the dawn of resorts built for Jewish families escaping the city’s summer heat. We see the bias against Jews and women at that time and cheer the resourcefulness and resilience of these groups.

In my opinion, this is a 5 star read!

-Engaging writing style.
-Fun and interesting plot.
-Good pacing.
-This series would be great to see brought to film or tv. I could really visualize it.
-Based on this book, the first I’ve read by this/these authors, I will read more of this mystery series.
Thankyou to Author’s Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, Netgalley and Minotaur Books for tte opportunity to read this book in advance of tte publish date.
Charlene 📚🌸🤗 @lastnownext

Well done! In Sunshine or in Shadow is the third book of the Molly Murphy series to be co-authored by Rhys Bowen and her daughter Clare Broyles, and is among my favorites of the entire series. This time around, spunky, independent (and pregnant) Molly embarks on adventures in the Catskills and lands at a Jewish bungalow site - something of a precursor to the Jewish resorts that would flourish in that area in time. The sense of place and character development are strong. The history of the local Jewish community is facscinating. And sadly, the exploration of antisemitism is all too timely. Of note: Some of Molly’s antics endangered both herself and her baby and seemed at once imprudent and unnecessary.

Recommended to fans of the Molly Murphy stories and other historical mysteries featuring strong women. Though this is the 20th book in the series, this novel could be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press / Minotaur Books for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I enjoy this series with Molly Sullivan and her buddies, Sid and Gus. She always manages to find bodies and trouble, she came close to death a couple of times and manages to solve the mystery. Highly recommended, give this series a try!

Interesting new setting outside of New York City! Molly continues to shine in this installment of the the long-running series.

In the third Molly Murphy mystery to be co-authored with her daughter, Clare Broyles, Rhys Bowen delivers another solid historical mystery starring her intrepid Irish sloth. Pregnant with her second child, Molly takes her three-year-old son, Liam and pre-teen ward, Bridie, to her mother-in-law's home during a typhoid outbreak. Her police officer husband, Daniel, has to stay behind in New York to deal with a job-related investigation. When Molly's friends Syd and Gus invite her to them, Molly leaps at the chance. It's no surprise when another murder victim falls in her lap (because everyone knows that an amateur sleuth can't go on vacation without encountering a murder).

I enjoyed this installment in the long-running series. We get some additional insight into Syd's family, who are pressuring her to get married to a Jewish man, even though it's clear she's in a relationship with her "friend" Gus -- but it's a relationship they don't want to acknowledge. While the revelation of the murderer's identity didn't particularly surprise me, I still enjoyed the final confrontation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my opinions. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Always a huge fan of Rhys Bowen and now that includes Clare Broyles! Being from the Catskills this book definitely brought a smile to my face in many instances. I have been a huge Molly fan for ages and always love a new installment in the series. A great easy read which I highly recommend!

In Sunshine or In Shadow is the 20th installment in this series about Molly Murphy, a woman detective in 1908 New York. I was surprised to learn that this mystery series by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles had already reached book #20. I had read one of the earlier novels in this series but had missed far more novels than I realized. At number 20, Bowen and Boyles have established a well-developed formula for success. In Sunshine or in Shadow is a well-developed and better character study than in the first novel that I read so many years ago. But it does have one serious problem--antisemitic tropes associated with Jews.

Although the plot flows along quite well, In Sunshine or In Shadow is really a careful character study of rural life in 1908. Molly is spending time in the Catskills with friends from New York. Typhoid is making life in the city dangerous, but as happens In Sunshine or in Shadow, life in rural NY can also be dangerous. In addition to murder, there is antisemitism and traditional biases concerning women's societal roles. Molly and friends Gus and Sid are expected to embrace traditional roles as wives and mothers, and any rejection of those roles creates disarray. Bowen and Boyles create situations that allow women to step outside cultural norms, which even in rural life are not welcomed by all the men in the Catskills.

In Sunshine or In Shadow creates a careful study of the culture clash when NY city lives meet NY country life. The dead man is predictable, given that many of the other characters totally dislike him. He perfectly captures many of the cliches associated with Jewish men, which are one area that proves problematic in this novel. Did a greedy man, who wants more money, who blackmails, who deceives, who plots to marry money, really need to be Jewish, thus fitting so many of the antisemitic tropes associated with Jewish money greed? This is a problem that detracts from the plot and the murder mystery. and that will make an otherwise interesting novel offensive to so many readers. Does a murderer also need to be Jewish, as seems likely (no spoilers) given that the murder is not committed by an outsider? These issues seriously counter the wonderful depictions of Jewish family life.

Thank you to the authors and to the publishers, Macmillan, and to NetGalley for providing this ARC to read and review.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of In Sunshine or in Shadow by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles

The headline "Culture Clash in the Catskills" summarizes Molly Murphy's latest adventure. "Women colonies, mine protests, Jewish resorts and lady detectives" are the controversies Molly encounters on what was designed as a few days away with friends. The murder of a young man planning to propose marriage to a woman who does not wish to marry points to her as the main suspect in the crime. It will be up to Molly to prove the woman's innocence.

Molly's actions in this episode are out of touch with a mother of two expecting her third child. For example, she allows her older daughter to leave with a family who own horses. Her daughter is galloping on the first day. This appears negligent on the part of the parent when galloping on a horse takes quite a bit of skill and practice. Molly climbs out a window in her pregnant condition, engaging in risky behavior.

Also disconcerting is Molly's reliance on her policeman husband to come to the Catskills and help solve the crime.

The story here would have been more interesting if the mining controversy along with the development of the Jewish community in the Catskills area and the spreading of typhoid fever were more deeply researched.

Molly must solve the murder of a Jewish businessman from NY while she is vacationing in the Catskills. The action is set half at a women's colony and half at a Jewish vacation colony in upstate New York, and both settings were well-described with interesting details. The mystery was light and not too complex, and the ending felt rushed. A pleasant addition to the series and a quick easy read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I love the Molly Murphy mystery series by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. In Sunshine or in Shadow was an intriguing book with many possible suspects. I felt there were a few "weeds' to get through (i.e. too much detail about the play that Sid and Gus were involved in) that made my attention drift slightly. But overall, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

Rhys Bowen's latest Molly Murphy mystery, In Sunshine or in Shadow, takes us on a thrilling search through 1920s New York to find a missing high society woman. With her usual flair, Bowen whisks us through the seedy dance halls and posh societies of the big city as the charming Irish detective Molly Murphy races to solve the case before it's too late. Fans of historical fiction and cozy mysteries will enjoy this vivid trip back in time.

Molly Murphy Sullivan - retired detective, wife and soon to be a mother again - is sent to the country to avoid the typhoid outbreak. While visiting a Jewish family she is pulled into another murder. Could it be the reluctant fiancee, a disruptive mine owner, a part ranger or blackmail victim. Suspects abound and Molly is determined to find the answer.

Molly Murphy mysteries are always sweet & cozy reads. Thankfully, this one continues the tradition.

1908 New York City finds itself on the brink of a typhoid outbreak and pregnant Molly, along with her children, seeks refuge with her mother-in-law in the Catskills. Her neighbors, Sid & Gus are nearby at a women’s camp. Of course there is a murder, and Molly is recruited to investigate it.

The characters have well developed back stories and the setting of the Catskills makes for an interesting and enjoyable read. Even though this is a series, it can be read as a stand alone.
Bowen and her daughter make you want to read the entire series and not miss out on any of Molly’s story.

I wholeheartedly recommend escaping into the world of Molly Murphy, with her latest adventure, In Sunshine or in Shadow!!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @St.Martin’sPress for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was my first time reading a Molly Murphy Mystery and it won't be my last. I was a little hesitant when I chose to read the 2oth installment of a Molly Murphy series, but from the start, I was drawn into the story.
This historical fiction novel takes place during the early 20th century. As the story progresses you sense that Molly and her close friends, Sid and Gus, do not acquire the usual characteristics of a female for that time period, which make things more challenging and fun to read.
Molly, being a retired detective, feels that where ever she goes, when there is trouble, she, with the help of her friends, will try to solve it.
While vacationing in the Catskills, a murder takes place which motivates Molly to find the culprit.
This cozy mystery is definitely a must read, especially if you are a fan of the Molly Murphy Mystery series.
Thank you Netgalley for an opportunity to read this arc.

Quite a good read, particularly because it was set in both Westchester County, NY and the Catskills. The setting in both those places are near and dear to my heart. Loved the storyline! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.