Rhys Bowen Books in Order
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Here are all of Rhys Bowen’s books in order, separated by series.
A New York Times bestselling author, Rhys Bowen is an enormously popular mystery/crime writer who’s real name is Janet Quin-Harkin.
To date she has sold around 10 million books in over 30 languages, and won a number of major prizes including the Agatha Awards, the Anthony Awards and the Macavity Awards.
Rhys was born in Bath, England in 1941, and her first major series, Evan Evans, was inspired by the time she spent in Wales as a child. She studied at London University as a young woman and has since lived around the world, now splitting her time between California and Arizona.
Now in her 80s, Rhys continues to write prolifically and often co-authors books with her daughter, Clare Broyles.
Rhys Bowen Books in Order
Here are all of Rhys Bowen’s books in order. While it’s recommended that you read the books in publication order, each story is self contained and can be read by themselves.
The Royal Spyness series
There are books in the Royal Spyness series:
Her Royal Spyness
A Royal Pain
Royal Flush
Royal Blood
Naughty in Nice
The Twelve Clues of Christmas
Heirs and Graces
Queen of Hearts
Malice at the Palace
Crowned and Dangerous
On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
The Last Mrs. Summers
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen
Peril in Paris
The Proof of the Pudding
We Three Queens
From Cradle to Grave
Her Royal Spyness
Synopsis:
“Her ridiculously long name is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Atholt and Rannoch. And she is flat broke. As the thirty-fourth in line for the throne, she has been taught only a few things, among them, the perfect curtsey. But when her brother cuts off her allowance, she leaves Scotland, and her fiancé Fish-Face, for London, where she has:
a) worked behind a cosmetics counter—and gotten sacked after five hours
b) started to fall for a quite unsuitable minor royal
c) made some money housekeeping (incognita, of course), and
d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on her playboy son
Then an arrogant Frenchman, who wants her family’s 800-year-old estate for himself, winds up dead in her bathtub. Now her most important job is to clear her very long family name.”
A Royal Pain
Synopsis
“The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which Georgie is to entertain a Bavarian princess—and conveniently place her in the playboy Prince’s path, in the hopes that he might finally marry.
But queens never take money into account. Georgie has very little, which is why she moonlights as a maid-in-disguise. She must draw up plans: clean house to make it look like a palace; have Granddad and her neighbor pretend to be the domestic staff; un-teach Princess Hanni the English she’s culled from American gangster movies; cure said Princess of her embarrassing shoplifting habit; and keep an eye on her at parties.
Then there’s the worrying matter of the body in the bookshop and Hanni’s unwitting involvement with the Communist Party. It’s enough to drive a girl crazy…”
Royal Flush
Synopsis:
“With its posh clientele in the country for the summer, Georgie’s housecleaning business has fizzled. So she tries hiring herself out as a dinner and theatre companion. But her first client has quite the wrong idea.
To avoid further scandal, Georgie’s shipped home to Castle Rannoch, where her summer plans include honoring a promise to Her Majesty to keep Castle Rannoch’s divorcée houseguest from seducing the Prince of Wales.
She’s also been coerced into helping Scotland Yard with a top-secret mission—namely keeping an eye on the shooting party at Balmoral and preventing someone from shooting the Prince. And Georgie must manage all this without strangling her odious sister-in-law Fig or spineless brother Binky.”
Royal Blood
Synopsis:
“Penniless and thirty-fourth in line to the throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch finds herself in a truly draining state of affairs.
To escape her hateful brother, Georgie accepts an invitation from the Queen to represent the royals at a wedding in Transylvania. But at the macabre-looking castle, Georgie finds the bride with blood running down her chin, and a wedding guest is poisoned.
Now it’s up to Georgie to save the nuptial festivities before the couple’s vows become to love and to cherish, till ‘undeath’ do them part…”
Naughty in Nice
Synopsis:
“Why should my clueless brother, Binky, and his decidedly disagreeable wife, Fig, be the only ones to enjoy the fun and sun of the French Riviera? Thankfully, Her Majesty the Queen has once again come to my rescue. She is sending me off to Nice with a secret assignment - recover her priceless, stolen snuff box from the disreputable Sir Toby Groper.
Her Majesty's trust is an honour, but an even greater honour is bestowed upon me in Nice - none other than Coco Chanel herself asks me to model her latest fashion. Unfortunately, things go disastrously wrong on the catwalk and before I can snatch the snuff box, someone's life is snuffed out in a very dastardly way. With a murderer on the loose - and my dearest Darcy seen in the company of another woman - how's a girl to find any time to go to the casino?”
The Twelve Clues of Christmas
Synopsis:
“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - well, actually, my true love, Darcy O'Mara, is spending a feliz navidad tramping around South America. Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel Coward! And I'm snowed in at Castle Rannoch with my bumbling brother, Binky, and sourpuss sister-in-law, Fig.
So it's a miracle when I contrive to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village is like something out of A Christmas Carol! But then there are three deaths, so-called accidents. Perhaps a recent prison break could have something to do with it… that, or a long-standing witch's curse. But after Darcy shows up beneath the mistletoe, anything could be possible in this wicked wonderland.”
Heirs and Graces
Synopsis:
“Here I am thinking the education I received at my posh Swiss finishing school would never come in handy. And while it hasn't landed me a job, or a husband, it has convinced Her Majesty the Queen, and the Dowager Duchess to enlist my help. I have been entrusted with grooming Jack Altringham, the Duke's newly discovered heir fresh from the Outback of Australia, for high society.
The upside is I am to live in luxury at one of England's most gorgeous stately homes. But upon arrival at Kingsdowne Place, my dearest Darcy has been sent to fetch Jack, leaving me stuck in a manor full of miscreants, none of whom are too pleased with the discovery of my new ward.
And no sooner has the lad been retrieved than the Duke announces he wants to choose his own heir. With the house in a hubbub over the news, Jack's hunting knife somehow finds its way into the Duke's back. Eyes fall, backs turn, and fingers point to the young heir. As if the rascal wasn't enough of a handful, now he's suspected of murder. Jack may be wild, but I'd bet the crown jewels it wasn't he who killed the Duke.”
Queen of Hearts
Synopsis:
“My mother, the glamorous and much-married actress, is hearing wedding bells once again - which is why she must hop across the pond for a quickie divorce in Reno. To offer my moral support, and since all expenses are paid by her new hubby-to-be, Max, I agree to make the voyage with her.
Crossing the Atlantic, with adventure in the air and wealthy men aboard, Mother all but forgets about Max and matrimony - especially when movie mogul Cy Goldman insists on casting her in his next picture.
Meanwhile, I find myself caught up in the secret investigation of a suspected jewel thief. Lucky for me, the lead investigator happens to be my dashing beau, Darcy!
Mother's movie and Darcy's larceny lead everyone to Cy's Hollywood home, where the likes of Charlie Chaplin are hanging about and there's enough romantic intrigue to fill a double feature. But we hardly get a chance to work out the sleeping arrangements before Cy turns up dead - as if there wasn't enough drama already”
Malice at the Palace
Synopsis:
“While my beau Darcy is off on a mysterious mission, I am once again caught between my high birth and empty purse. I am therefore relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen - especially one that includes lodging. The King's youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and I shall be her companion at the supposedly haunted Kensington Palace.
My duties are simple: help Marina acclimate to English life, show her the best of London and, above all, dispel any rumours about George's libertine history. Perhaps that last bit isn't so simple.
George is known for his many affairs with women as well as men - including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when I search the Palace for a supposed ghost only to encounter an actual dead person: a society beauty said to have been one of Prince George's mistresses.
Nothing spoils a royal wedding more than murder, and the Queen wants the whole matter hushed. But as the investigation unfolds - and Darcy, as always, turns up in the most unlikely of places - the investigation brings us precariously close to the prince himself.”
Crowned and Dangerous
Synopsis:
“Lady Georgiana Rannoch knows nothing is simple when you're thirty-fifth in line for the British crown, but her upcoming marriage proves to be the ultimate complication in the tenth mystery in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series.
As Lady Georgiana's beloved Darcy drives her out of London, she soon discovers that he isn't planning to introduce her to the pleasures of sinning in secret-as she had hoped-but to make her his wife!
Of course, she'll need special permission from the king to marry a Roman Catholic. Though he will inherit a title, Darcy is as broke as Georgie. Even his family's Irish castle has been sold to a rich American who now employs his father.”
On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service
Synopsis:
“When royal sleuth Georgie Rannoch receives a letter from her dearest friend Belinda, who’s in an Italian villa awaiting the birth of her illegitimate baby, she yearns to run to her side. If only she could find a way to get there!
But then opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—her cousin the queen asks her to attend a house party in the Italian Lake Country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding. What luck! A chance to see Belinda, even if it is under the guise of stopping unwanted nuptials. Only that’s as far as Georgie’s fortune takes her.
She soon discovers that she attended finishing school with the hostess of the party—and the hatred they had for each other then has barely dimmed. Plus, she needs to hide Belinda’s delicate condition from the other guests. And her dashing beau Darcy’s (naturally) working undercover on a dangerous mission. Then her actress mother shows up, with a not-so-little task to perform.
With all this subterfuge, it seems something is bound to go horribly wrong—and Georgie will no doubt be left to pick up the pieces when it does.”
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
Synopsis:
“In the days leading up to her wedding to Darcy O'Mara, Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on the responsibilities of a grand estate, but proving she can run a household just may be the death of her. If only Darcy and I had eloped!
What I thought would be a simple wedding has been transformed into a grand affair, thanks to the attendance of the queen, who has offered up the princesses as bridesmaids. Silly me! I thought that withdrawing from the royal line of succession would simplify my life. But before Darcy and I tie the knot in front of queen and country, we have to find a place to live as man and wife.
House hunting turns out to be a pretty grim affair. Just as we start to lose hope, my globe-trotting godfather offers us his fully staffed country estate. Mistress of Eynsleigh I shall be! With Darcy off in parts unknown, I head to Eynsleigh alone, only to have my hopes dashed. The grounds are in disarray, and the small staff is suspiciously incompetent.
Not to mention the gas tap leak in my bedroom, which I can only imagine was an attempt on my life. Something rotten is afoot-and bringing the place up to snuff may put me six feet under before I even get a chance to walk down the aisle...”
Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
Synopsis:
“I was so excited when Darcy announced out of the blue that we were flying to Kenya for our extended honeymoon. Now that we are here, I suspect he has actually been sent to fulfill another secret mission. I am trying very hard not to pick a fight about it, because after all, we are in paradise!
Darcy finally confides that there have been robberies in London and Paris. It seems the thief was a member of the aristocracy and may have fled to Kenya. Since we are staying in the Happy Valley - the center of upper-class English life - we are well positioned to hunt for clues and ferret out possible suspects.
Now that I am a sophisticated married woman, I am doing my best to sound like one. But crikey! These aristocrats are a thoroughly loathsome sort enjoying a completely decadent lifestyle filled with wild parties and rampant infidelity. And one of the leading lights in the community, Lord Cheriton, has the nerve to make a play for me. While I am on my honeymoon! Of course, I put an end to that right off.
When he is found bloodied and lifeless along a lonely stretch of road, it appears he fell victim to a lion. But it seems that the Happy Valley community wants to close the case a bit too quickly. Darcy and I soon discover that there is much more than a simple robbery and an animal attack to contend with here in Kenya. Nearly everyone has a motive to want Lord Cheriton dead and some will go to great lengths to silence anyone who asks too many questions. The hunt is on! I just hope I can survive my honeymoon long enough to catch a killer”
The Last Mrs Summers
Synopsis:
“Lady Georgiana Rannoch is just back from her honeymoon with dashing Darcy O'Mara when a friend in need pulls her into a twisted Gothic tale of betrayal, deception and, most definitely, murder…
I am a bit at loose ends at the moment. My cook, Queenie, is making my new role as mistress of Eynsleigh something akin to constant torture as Darcy is off on another one of his top secret jaunts. And Grandad is busy helping wayward youths avoid lives of crime. So when my dearest friend, Belinda, inherits an old cottage in Cornwall and begs me to go with her to inspect the property, I jump at the chance.
After a heart-stopping journey in Belinda's beast of a motorcar, we arrive at the creaky old cottage called White Sails and quickly realize that it is completely uninhabitable. Just when I'm starting to wonder if I would have been better off trying to get Queenie to cook a roast that hasn't been burnt beyond all recognition, we meet Rose Summers, a woman Belinda knew as a child when she spent time in Cornwall. Rose invites us to stay at Trewoma Hall, the lovely estate now owned by her husband, Tony.
Belinda confesses that she never liked Rose and had a fling with Tony years ago, so staying with them is far from ideal but beggars can't be choosers as they say. Trewoma is not the idyllic house Belinda remembers. There's something claustrophobic and foreboding about the place. Matters aren't helped by the oppressively efficient housekeeper Mrs. Mannering or by the fact that Tony seems to want to rekindle whatever he and Belinda once had right under his wife's nose.
Our increasingly awkward visit soon turns deadly when a member of the household is found murdered and all clues point to Belinda as the prime suspect. I soon learn that some long buried secrets have come back to haunt those in residence at Trewoma Hall and I'll need to sift through the ruins of their past so Belinda doesn't lose her chance at freedom in the present.”
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen
Synopsis:
“Georgie is back and hanging the stockings with care when a murder interrupts her Christmas cheer in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen.
Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans.
She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.
Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt.
Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.”
Peril in Paris
Synopsis:
“What a delight it is to finally be able to enjoy a simple meal again! I have been in the throes of morning sickness for the last few months as Darcy and I prepare to welcome a brand-new addition to our little family. Now that I am feeling better, I have realized I am dreadfully bored!
It seems that all my nearest and dearest are off leading their own busy lives while I sit at home and attempt to train our two adorably naughty puppies. Fun as it may be, it is hard not to long for a little adventure, a change of pace, before my true confinement begins when the baby comes.
Happily, it seems that Darcy has read my mind. When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel’s fall collection. I happen to know Coco from a disastrous encounter in Nice years ago, and I am hoping this visit will go much more smoothly. But I soon learn that nothing about my time in Paris is going to be simple… or safe for that matter.
Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco’s show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind. But I have no plans to deliver my darling little one in a prison cell, and so I will muster every ounce of my courage to save the day… and, quite possibly, the world!”
The Proof of the Pudding
Synopsis:
“Georgie, back home at her estate in Eynsleigh, impatiently awaits the birth of her baby. But she has plenty to occupy her: her new chef, Pierre, has arrived from Paris, and Sir Hubert, who owns Eynsleigh, is back from his latest expedition.
It's time for Georgie to throw her first house party to celebrate his return and show off her new chef. The dinner party is a smashing success. Sir Mortimer Mordred - famous author of creepy Gothic horror novels - is one of the guests. He recently purchased a nearby Elizabethan manor nearby because it has a famous poison garden.
After the dinner, Sir Mortimer approaches Georgie and asks to borrow her new chef for his upcoming party, and Georgie and Darcy, her dashing husband, are invited! The tour of the poison garden is fascinating, as is Sir Mortimer's laboratory. Shockingly, just after the banquet several of the guests become sick. And one dies, apparently poisoned by berries from the garden.
But how could this be when they all ate the same meal and the same delectable dessert? Georgie has to find the culprit to save her new chef and her own reputation - all before her bundle of joy arrives!”
We Three Queens
Synopsis:
“It's late 1936, and King Edward is in turmoil, having fallen in love with the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. He wants to marry her but knows that doing so will jeopardize his crown.
Edward confides in his dear friend Darcy, Georgie's husband, and the couple agrees to hide Wallis in their home while Edward figures out what to do. But unbeknownst to Georgie and Darcy, Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate, has given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds.
Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while raising a newborn baby seems like enough stress for the Rannochs, until one of the stars of the film is found murdered on set. Georgie must solve the murder for king and country before scandal threatens to envelop them all.”
From Cradle to Grave
Synopsis:
“Georgie may not have much in common with your average new mother, but she does have one thing: a new nanny she despises. Knowing she must find a nanny more suited to her young son, Georgie travels to London to see her old friend ZouZou, only to find her about to depart for a funeral, after the unexpected death of a young man.
It quickly becomes clear there's more than one mysterious death around town, when another friend, Georgie Gormsley, reveals he's just returned from the funeral of a school friend, who seemingly drowned while swimming. And then Georgie's best friend, Belinda, receives a telegram informing her that the son of family friends has died tragically. It begins to seem like too much of a coincidence to Georgie. Yet the victims didn't seem to have any connection to one another. Georgie returns to ZouZou, who puts the final nail in the coffin - she's sure that the deaths were not an accident and begs Georgie to solve the case.
As Georgie begins investigating, she can't help worrying that her own husband, Darcy, may be next. She begins to suspect there might be a serial killer at work and as she delves deeper into the case, realises that the young men may all share a link to a crime many years ago. Will Georgie solve the murders before it's too late for Darcy, and manage to find the perfect nanny all at the same time?”
The Molly Murphy Series
There are twenty two books in the Molly Murphy series:
Murphy’s Law
Death of Riley
For the Love of Mike
In Like Flynn
Oh Danny Boy
In Dublin’s Fair City
Tell Me, Pretty Maiden
In a Gilded Cage
The Last Illusion
Bless the Bride
Hush Now, Don’t You Cry
The Family Way
City of Darkness and Light
The Edge of Dreams
Away in a Manger
Time of Fog and Fire
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Wild Irish Rose
All That Is Hidden
In Sunshine or in Shadow
Silent as the Grave
Vanished in the Crowd
Murphy's Law
Synopsis:
“Molly Murphy always knew she'd end up in trouble - just as her mother had predicted. After committing a murder in self-defense, Molly is forced to flee her cherished Ireland for the anonymous shores of America.
Arriving in New York, and seeing the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe a little easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime.
If she can't clear her name, Molly will be sent back to Ireland where the gallows await. Using her Irish charm and sharp wit, she escapes Ellis Island and sets out to find the wily killer on her own. Pounding the notorious streets of Hell's Kitchen and the Lower East Side, Molly undertakes a desperate mission to clear her name before her deadly past comes back to haunt her new future.”
Death of Riley
Synopsis:
“Molly Murphy can't seem to fit in anywhere. Not with the new immigrants pouring in from the Old World and certainly not with the society folk she envies from afar.
After bungling a job as a lady's companion, Molly decides to become an assistant to the notorious private investigator, Paddy Riley. Unfortunately, Paddy's underworld dealings leave him deader than a doornail and Molly in possession of his detective agency.
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.”
For the Love of Mike
Synopsis:
“Fashion can be murder for Molly Murphy!
Having inherited the cases of her deceased mentor Paddy Reilly, private investigator Molly Murphy is following philandering husbands, tracking down runaway debutantes and working in a sweatshop to discover who is purloining dress designs. None of these jobs seem very dangerous... at first.
But when a woman's body is fished out of the East River, Molly fears it is the missing society girl everyone is talking about. Then Molly's sometime beau, police captain Daniel Sullivan, reveals that another corpse may be the girl's cheating lover, Mike Kelly.
As the threads of passion and greed weave a vivid tapestry of violence, Molly must descend into the underworld of the gangs of New York - only to realise that she may need more than her street smart to get to the truth... and get out alive.”
In Like Flynn
“A woman private eye in a man’s world, Molly Murphy is having a hard time succeeding as a New York shamus. That’s why she agrees to go undercover for the NYPD to expose a pair of spiritualist sisters as con-artists even though the offer comes from police captain Daniel Sullivan.
Sullivan had once won Molly’s heart—until she discovered he already had a socialite fiancé and an upcoming wedding. Now Molly’s masquerading as a cousin from Ireland at the Hudson River mansion of Senator Barney Flynn. Flynn’s invalid wife hopes the psychic sisters can contact her dead son, kidnapped and lost in a sensational crime.
After an eerie séance, Molly isn’t so sure the sisters are fakes, but she’s certain the police bungled the kidnapping case. Soon Molly’s questions are leading her toward danger, and her own sixth sense is warning her—murder lies ahead!”
Oh Danny Boy
Synopsis:
“Irish immigrant Molly Murphy is contemplating giving up PI work for something a little less… exciting. Molly has had quite enough excitement recently, thank you very much. Especially from the handsome but deceptive NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan.
She wants him out of her life for good. 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. After everything they've been through together, how can she turn him down?
As Molly finds herself drawn further into Daniel's case, Molly begins to fear that his trouble is related to one of his investigations: catching a serial killer who is targeting prostitutes, known to the locals as the East Side Ripper.”
In Dublin’s Fair City
Synopsis:
“When New York theatre impresario Tommy Burke asks Molly Murphy to help him take care of some family business back in Ireland, Molly is happy to oblige.
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.
Until one passenger, who happens to be a famous Broadway actress goes missing - and another turns up dead. So much for smooth sailing.”
Tell Me Pretty Maiden
Synopsis:
“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.”
In a Gilded Cage
Synopsis:
“Irish immigrant Molly Murphy and her New York City P.I. business are in the midst of a sweeping influenza epidemic and a fight for women's suffrage that lands her in jail.
Her betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, finds her, but he hardly has time to bail her out, what with Chinese gangs battling for control of a thriving opium trade. The only consolation Molly can take from her vexing afternoon in the clink is that it made her some new friends among the Vassar suffragists - and brought her a pair of new cases.
For the first, Emily Boswell is convinced her miserly uncle stole her inheritance and wants Molly to uncover the truth behind her parents' lives and deaths. Second, Emily's college roommate Fanny Poindexter wants Molly to find proof of her husband's philandering so that she can leave him without one red cent. But when Fanny dies and her husband claims she's a victim of the epidemic, it's more than Molly's conscience can take.”
The Last Illusion
Synopsis:
“Irish immigrant and private detective Molly Murphy is thrilled to have a ticket to see world-famous illusionist Harry Houdini. But before he can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong - and the sensational Signor Scarpelli's lovely assistant is sawed in half.
In the aftermath, Scarpelli accuses Houdini of tampering with his equipment. Who else but the so-called Handcuff King could have got a hold of his trunk of tricks, which he keeps under lock and key?
And it seems the maestro Scarpelli's not the only one critical of Houdini. Now that he's raised the stakes to such a perilous level, lesser acts are being put out of business. With everyone on edge, Houdini's wife hires Molly to watch his back. But how can she protect a man who literally risks his life every night? Now it's up to Molly to keep an eye on Houdini and find out whether these masters of illusion are simply up to their tricks - or if there truly is something much more treacherous going on...”
Bless the Bride
Synopsis:
“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.”
Hush Now, Don't You Cry
Synopsis:
“Molly Murphy, now Molly Sullivan, and her new husband Daniel, a captain in the New York Police Department, have been invited to spend their honeymoon on the Rhode Island estate of Alderman Brian Hannan. It’s such a generous offer that Molly doesn’t entirely trust it, especially as Hannan is an extraordinarily ambitious man and wants Daniel’s advice on a private matter.
And then Hannan is found dead at the base of the cliffs overlooking the sea, even before he has had a chance to welcome them. 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 they are married, there isn’t much she can do once the chase is on!”
The Family Way
Synopsis:
“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.”
City of Darkness and Light
Synopsis:
“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.”
The Edge of Dreams
Synopsis:
“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 subway 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 train crash and she's refurbishing her house, which has only just been rebuilt after burning down. She's 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.”
Away in a Manger
Synopsis:
“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 12-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 little voice 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 it turns out he is the girl's brother, and they've come from England and are living with an aunt who mistreats them terribly. When the young boy is accused of stealing a purse, Molly intervenes on his behalf.”
Time of Fog and Fire
Synopsis:
“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 Daniel accepts an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service. Molly believes her husband is in Washington, working for the president, until she spots him in San Francisco during a movie news segment. Then she receives a strange letter from him, leading her to conclude that he wants her to join him in San Francisco.
She takes her young son Liam on the cross-country train trip, but when they arrive in San Francisco, Molly is told that she's too late, her husband's funeral was yesterday. She's devastated, even more so when she receives a cryptic note saying Daniel's death was not an accident. In her grief she stays on to investigate, until she meets a strange man at a party, whom she soon starts to suspect may not be quite who he appears.
Then Molly finds another body in the basement, but before she can report it, the Great Earthquake strikes San Francisco, and the servant runs off in a panic with Molly's son. Suddenly Molly has no idea where to turn or whom to trust, and she knows there are many lives on the line, including her own.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Synopsis:
“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.”
Wild Irish Rose
Written with Clare Broyles
Synopsis:
“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.”
All That Is Hidden
Written with Clare Broyles
Synopsis:
“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.”
In Sunshine or in Shadow
Written with Clare Broyles
Synopsis:
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.”
Silent as the Grave
Written with Clare Broyles
Synopsis:
“With a newborn and two children, Molly Murphy Sullivan is tackling motherhood. Her husband, Daniel, is off to work in Washington as Easter break begins in New York. Her dear friend and writer, Ryan O'Hara, is shooting a movie, one of the first to involve a real plot and actors.
He invites Molly and the children to visit the set and watch the excitement. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly's adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she's a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her.
The movie industry is still experimenting with ways to get the best shot, like pretending to tie Bridie to real train tracks. But soon, their special effects start to malfunction. After a few mishaps where no one is hurt, the special effects turn deadly. With rumors of a feud between studios, Molly believes these malfunctions are sabotage. She is invited to go undercover on set to investigate the burgeoning film war.”
Vanished in the Crowd
Written with Clare Broyles
Synopsis:
“New York is busier than ever as two million visitors come to the city to witness the Hudson-Fulton celebration in 1909, marking the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River.
Parades, exhibitions, carnivals, and a marvelous display of the wonders of the latest invention--electricity--across the city make for two straight weeks of celebrations, which Molly and her family, along with their friends Sid and Gus, are excited to enjoy. But Molly is secretly dealing with financial troubles. She is too proud to ask her friends for a loan, but when they want to hire her as a detective she jumps at the chance.
Sid and Gus are hosting fellow Vassar graduates to take part in one of the parades but one of the women, a brilliant scientist, never shows up. It seems nobody knows where she is, including her husband. Is she trying to run away from her life or is it something more sinister?
Why have the Vassar women really come to New York City? When Daniel asks Molly to spy on her friends and find out just what they are planning she finds her loyalties horribly divided. Then the parade turns deadly and only Molly has the tools to find out the truth.”
The Evan Evans Series
There are ten books in the Evan Evans series:
Evans Above
Evan Help Us
Evanly Choirs
Evan and Elle
Evan Can Wait
Evans to Betsy
Evan Only Knows
Evan’s Gate
Evan Blessed
Evanly Bodies
Evans Above
Synopsis:
“Constable Evan Evans leaves behind the big city for the sleepy Welsh village of Llanfair. But murder follows him…
Evans returns to his childhood home, nestled high in the beautiful Welsh mountains. But he quickly learns that even the most beautiful of settings has its share of eccentric — and deadly — characters. He is called in to investigate the deaths of two hikers on Mount Snowdon. It looks like a tragic mishap, but Evans isn’t convinced.Then, a third body is found on the mountain. The man’s throat has been slit. This was no accident.
The people of Llanfair seem like such decent folk, but is there a murderer in their midst, who may or may not be linked to the mysterious destruction of Mrs Powell-Jones’ prize-winning tomatoes?”
Evan Help Us
Synopsis:
“Evans is settling into his role as constable of Llanfair, a small village nestled in the beautiful mountains of North Wales. He just wants a quiet life, but the village’s most notorious resident, Ted Morgan, has returned from London after twenty years. He’s planning to build a huge theme park to attract tourists — much to the horror of the local folk.
Then the body of eighty-eight-year-old widower Colonel Arbuthnot is found with a suspicious head wound. Right after he discovered an ancient ruin on the very site that Ted Morgan wants to build his theme park…
Evans investigates, but a second death throws the village into turmoil. One death may be an accident, two is definitely murder.”
Evanly Choirs
Synopsis:
“Peaceful Llanfair is all in a dither. World-renowned tenor Ifor Llewelyn has come to stay in the village. He’s even agreed to help out the male voice choir in the Eisteddfod music celebrations.
But things soon go horribly wrong. Ifor Llewelyn is late for rehearsal. When Evans and the choir director look for him, they find the famous singer dead, an empty bottle of whiskey beside him.
Llewelyn’s head wound suggests an accidental fall, but rumours soon start to fly. The famous tenor was something of a ladies’ man and had regular screaming rows with his wife… A domestic gone too far, or is Llanfair’s gossip mill turning again?
Then the housemaid at the vicarage, Gladys, is struck down in a hit-and-run. The clock is ticking for Constable Evans to find the killer before they kill again.
Evan and Elle
Synopsis:
“Glamorous French widow Madame Yvette calls on Constable Evans when her new restaurant is burnt to the ground. She’s caused a stir in the village with her sophisticated culinary skills and exotic beauty. The local ladies aren’t happy and perhaps Yvette has her eye on Constable Evans.
It’s the third arson attack in the village in the last few weeks. But this time the fire is fatal. A body is found in the ashes. The man’s identity is a mystery, but it’s soon revealed that he did not die in the blaze. He was murdered before the building was set on fire.
Tensions run high among the villagers — and Constable Evan Evans has a killer to catch.”
Evan Can Wait
Synopsis:
“The peaceful village of Llanfair is turned upside down by the arrival of hot-shot filmmakers from London. They’re dredging Llyn Llydaw Lake to find a World War II German bomber for a documentary.
But that’s not all they’re dredging. As a number of painful secrets rise to the surface, the body of the director is found in a deep pool of water… weighed down with slate.
Grantley Smith was arrogant and conceited. A man with many enemies. But would anyone want to murder him? It’s up to Constable Evans to unmask the killer before anyone else gets hurt.”
Evans to Betsy
Synopsis:
“It’s springtime in Llanfair and an American student has gone missing on Constable Evans’s patch. She told her parents she was visiting Wales and would be home for Easter. But no one’s heard from her in months.
Then another American disappears. Randy Wunderlich was the wealthy third husband of the owner of an exclusive five-star healing spa in Porthmadog. He was not well liked.
Then a body is discovered in a cave, drowned in the high tide. And a housekeeper at the spa is found dead, trapped in the steam room. Evans knows he has a murderer on his hands. Can he find the missing student and catch the killer before it’s too late?”
Evan Only Knows
Synopsis:
“Constable Evan Evans is finally taking the next step in his relationship. He’s on his way to Swansea to introduce his fiancée Bronwen to his mother… but all does not go smoothly.
A young woman, Alison Turnbull, is found dead on her parents’ doorstep nearby. She’s been murdered. And despite being on leave, Evans can’t help investigating — much to Bronwen’s displeasure.
Then Mrs Hartley, a potential witness, falls to her death from her upstairs window. There are too many coincidences for Evans to believe it was a tragic accident. It’s clear that someone will go to any lengths to keep their secrets hidden. Evans must get to the bottom of things before there’s another murder.”
Evan’s Gate
Synopsis:
“Evans has found the perfect home for his wife-to-be — a charming old shepherd’s cottage up in the mountains. He wastes no time digging over the garden to make space for his fiancée Bronwen’s rose bushes.
But under the flagstones he finds a human skeleton. And it looks like it belongs to a child. Could this have anything to do with the little girl who went missing from Llanrwst twenty-five years ago?
Before Evans can start investigating, five-year-old Ashley Sholokhov vanishes from a caravan park by the sea. Evans not only has a murder to solve, but a missing child to find. And the clock is ticking.”
Evan Blessed
Synopsis:
“Constable Evan Evans is merrily moving his wife-to-be's belongings up to their idyllic mountain cottage when a young hiker knocks at the door. His girlfriend Shannon has vanished somewhere on Mount Snowdon.
While out looking for the missing woman, the search party finds something very sinister - a trapdoor in the middle of the woods that leads down to a bunker. With chains and handcuffs hanging from the ceiling…
Meanwhile, Evans receives a threatening note in the post. Is the coded missive from whoever abducted Shannon? Then his fiancée Bronwen disappears. Who is abducting the women of Llanfair? It's a race against time for Evans and his team to find them before it's too late.”
Evanly Bodies
Synopsis:
“Detective Constable Evan Evans and his new bride, Bronwen, are settling into married life in their little cottage above the village of Llanfair when they meet the daughter of one of the village's newest families, a 16-year-old Pakistani girl named Jamila.
Bronwen and Jamila are becoming good friends when Jamila finds out from her parents that they have arranged a marriage for her back in Pakistan.
Evans tries to convince her family not to enforce the custom, arguing that Jamila is a normal Welsh teenager, but just as the tensions increase, the girl suddenly vanishes. Bronwen is distraught, but there's no trace of her.
At work, Evans is investigating the murder of a man shot to death through the open window of his home while eating breakfast. After the man's wife is jailed as a suspect, a second man is killed - and then a third - and Evans and his team are on the hunt for a serial killer. But they can't seem to find any connections between the three men...
In the surprising climax of Edgar Award finalist Rhys Bowen's 10th Constable Evans mystery, Evans risks everything to solve the murders and discover what happened to Jamila. All in all, the novel is a triumph for fans of Bowen's acclaimed Evans series and a wonderful discovery for new listeners.”
Red Dragon Academy
There is currently one book in the Red Dragon Academy series
Dreamwalker
Written with C. M. Broyles
Synopsis:
“Seven Children, Seven Powers. One Enemy. Addy Walker is a normal California surfer girl until her mother dies and her British aunt enrolls her at a boarding school called Red Dragon Academy in Wales.
At first the school seems okay, if a little weird. Which other school has a sun-day when it's not raining? But when Addy stumbles upon a hallway that leads to a different and horrible part of the school she begins to have her doubts. Addy has always had vivid dreams but now these dreams are becoming frighteningly real and she has a hard time telling dreams from reality.
Was it really only in a dream that she visited the cold palace and met the man who wants her captured? He calls her a dreamwalker and it seems that this is a special and dangerous power. Is Addy really able to move between two worlds or is she finally cracking up?
Dreamwalker is the first book in the Red Dragon Academy series and in it we meet Addy, as well as snooty Pippa, brainy Raj, cheeky Sam, serious Coby, shy Gwyllum and worldly Celeste—all who may have been brought to the school because of their special powers. All of whom may be in mortal danger from a terrifying tyrant who calls himself The One, in a land that seems a lot like Wales, but isn't.”
Standalone Novels
Rhys Bowen has written nine standalone novels:
In Farleigh Field
The Tuscan Child
The Victory Garden
Above the Bay of Angels
The Venice Sketchbook
Where the Sky Begins
The Paris Assignment
The Rose Arbor
Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventures
In Farleigh Field
Synopsis:
“World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate.
After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy.
The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.”
The Tuscan Child
Synopsis:
“In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the verdant fields of German-occupied Tuscany. Badly wounded, he found refuge in a ruined monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. But the love that kindled between them was shaken by an irreversible betrayal.
Nearly thirty years later, Hugo’s estranged daughter, Joanna, has returned home to the English countryside to arrange her father’s funeral. Among his personal effects is an unopened letter addressed to Sofia. In it is a startling revelation.
Still dealing with the emotional wounds of her own personal trauma, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to Tuscany to understand her father’s history—and maybe come to understand herself as well. Joanna soon discovers that some would prefer the past be left undisturbed, but she has come too far to let go of her father’s secrets now…”
The Victory Garden
Synopsis:
“As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a cheeky and handsome Australian pilot that she can do more, and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage.
When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden.
The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of devastating news, they are her saving grace. Emily’s lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified―and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow.
As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny.”
Above the Bay of Angels
Synopsis:
“Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand.
It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.
Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.
Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down - if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.”
The Venice Sketchbook
Synopsis:
“Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper… Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet ‘Lettie’ Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.
It’s 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, it’s a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, it’s poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and they’re forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.
Key by key, Lettie’s life of impossible love, loss, and courage unfolds. It’s one that Caroline can now make right again as her own journey of self-discovery begins.”
Where the Sky Begins
Synopsis:
“London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’s world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash. Josie’s beloved tearoom boss has been killed, and Josie herself is injured, with nothing left and nowhere to go.
Evacuated to the English countryside, Josie ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt, a reluctant host to the survivors of the Blitz. Awed as she is by the magnificent landscape, Josie sees opportunity.
Josie convinces Miss Harcourt to let her open a humble tea shop, seeing it as a chance for everyone to begin again. When Josie meets Mike Johnson, a handsome Canadian pilot stationed at a neighboring bomber base, a growing intimacy brings her an inner peace she’s never felt before. Then Stan returns from the war.
Now a threat looms larger than anyone imagined. And a dangerous secret is about to upend Josie’s life again. Her newfound courage will be put to the test if she is to emerge, like a survivor, triumphant.”
The Paris Assignment
Synopsis:
“Londoner Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she marries charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. As they raise their son, Olivier, they hold on to a tenuous promise for the future. Until the thunder of war sets off alarms in France.
Staying behind to join the resistance, Giles sends Madeleine and Olivier to the relative safety of England, where Madeleine secures a job teaching French at a secondary school. Yet nowhere is safe. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the ministry to aid in the war effort. Seizing the smallest glimmer of hope of finding Giles alive, she returns to France. If Madeleine can stop just one Nazi, it will be the start of a valiant path of revenge.
Though her perseverance, defiance, and heart will be tested beyond imagining, no risk is too great for a brave wife and mother determined to fight and survive against inconceivable odds.”
The Rose Arbor
Synopsis:
“London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case.
Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.
As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar?”
Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
Synopsis:
“Surrey, England, 1938. After thirty devoted years of marriage, Ellie Endicott is blindsided by her husband’s appeal for divorce. It’s Ellie’s opportunity for change too. The unfaithful cad can have the house. She’s taking the Bentley. Ellie, her housekeeper Mavis, and her elderly friend Dora - each needing escape - impulsively head for parts unknown in the South of France.
With the Rhône surging beside them, they have nowhere to be and everywhere to go. Until the Bentley breaks down in the inviting fishing hamlet of Saint Benet. Here, Ellie rents an abandoned villa in the hills, makes wonderful friends among the villagers, and finds herself drawn to Nico, a handsome and enigmatic fisherman. As for unexpected destinations, the simple paradis of Saint Benet is perfect. But fates soon change when the threat of war encroaches.
Ellie’s second act in life is just beginning - and becoming an adventure she never expected.”
Short Stories
The Amersham Rubies (Molly Murphy series)
Masked Ball at Broxley Manor (Her Royal Spyness series)
The Face in the Mirror (Molly Murphy series)
Through the Window (Molly Murphy series)
What Child is This?