In a Gilded Cage

Molly Murphy #8

by Rhys Bowen

It’s Easter Sunday 1918, and Irish immigrant Molly Murphy has agreed to march down Fifth Avenue with the sign-wielding suffragettes from Vassar—a civil act of protest that lands her in jail. Molly’s betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, manages to spring her from the clink, though his hands are full dealing with Chinese opium gangs. But as soon as she’s free, Molly marches straight into trouble again. Two of the Vassar alumni need Molly’s help as a private investigator. One believes her uncle is cheating her out of an inheritance; the other suspects her husband is cheating with other women. And when one of the clients dies—presumably from influenza, which is sweeping the city—Molly takes to the streets once more. Not to win the right for women to vote, but to reveal the wrongs of some very evil men…

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook

274 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2009

About the author

I'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.

I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.

My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.

I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.

I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries

Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing book 7 I took a break from Molly Murphy and enjoyed a few about her Scottish alter ego instead (Her Royal Spyness series). Today I just felt like seeing what happened next to Molly and Daniel and since it is cold and rainy and we are in lockdown I knocked off the whole book in a few hours.

It turned out nothing had changed. Molly is still rushing head first into all kinds of danger and Daniel is still never where he needs to be. However this time they did advance their relationship a tiny bit on a rare occasion when they were in the same place at the same time.

The mystery was good and very appropriate for the time. I was pretty certain I knew who the murderer was although I did not know why until the very end. There was a lot of interesting historical detail about medicine, women's rights, education for women, Chinese opium smuggling and much, much more. Ms Bowen always does her research well.

All in all a very pleasant way to while away a few hours and I will not be waiting so long this time to read the next book.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better mysteries

This is one mystery where Molly doesn't just stumble across the answer! I've enjoyed these for the historical details, but, though the mysteries have been good, Molly hasn't really be solving them so much as lucking into the right answer, so it's nice to have one where Molly figures it out herself.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story. Arsenic poisoning, murder, Vassar women, suffragette protest and a proposal. I thought this Molly Murphy a cracker with a good ending that tied all the twists together. I also was left guessing until the end who was the murderer.

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very exciting and I was so happy to figure out who the real villain was.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Murphy, Irish émigré to New York City, has her own detective agency, and definitely doesn’t want to be any man’s servant. Given that this is 1903, this may be a problem. But she gets enough jobs to survive, and her ‘young man’, Daniel Sullivan, who is a NYPD detective, is mostly understanding of this.

When her neighbors- the lesbian couple Sid and Gus- introduce her to some fellow Vassar alums, she gets a couple of new cases. One woman, an orphan, wants to find the truth about her birth; another wants to know if her husband is cheating on her. Molly soon finds herself in a tangle of sudden deaths and assaults on her own life. Are the deaths murder or natural? Is the murderer trying to kill Molly to keep her from the truth? Who stands to gain the most from these deaths?

The novel is an interesting historical mystery that doesn’t bend the mind set of the day too much. The Vassarettes are marching for the vote, so it’s not inconceivable that they would hire a female detective. Molly’s boyfriend still expects (or at least hopes) that she’ll cook dinner for him and obey him when her own safety is involved- things that even today’s men do. I enjoyed the details of the food, clothing, the medicine (one of Molly’s clients works at a pharmacy), the cosmetics and rooms- Bowen has done her research well and obviously loves this era. A fun, intriguing read.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this author’s Royal Spyness series, so when I learned she had another series going, I decided to try it too. If pressed to choose between the two series, I wouldn’t be able to do so. I like the recurring characters in both series, especially the spunky MCs. In this series, it has been fascinating to watch Molly evolve from a scared, just-off-the-boat Irish immigrant to a confident young woman in New York City.

I always learn something about life and living conditions in New York in the 19-teens; in this book, it was about pharmacies/drug stores and prescriptions. I knew that many of the medications we take in pill/tablet form today were sold in powder form at the time, but I was shocked to read that aspirin had to be dispensed by a pharmacist, then mixed with water to use.

There were several cases to occupy Molly in this book, and it was interesting to follow her as she investigated them. I figured out one of them relatively easily, but the other had me guessing until just before it was revealed in the book. Only then did the motive become clear.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series, but I’ll probably visit with Lady Georgiana, Darcy and the rest before returning to New York City to see what Molly is up to next.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel is the reason for only giving this a 3 star rating. This character's 19th century male personality has been overplayed (IMHO); unfortunately, the character of Molly falls right into becoming the weak, fawning female when she is with him, in spite of her strong, independent personality. I'll be taking a break from this series for awhile.

[Anne mehalick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual type of book but I enjoyed it. I am calling it a coronovirus read instead of a beach read.

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another solid entry to the Molly Murphy series. It is visibly not as good as the previous one. I'm beginning to wonder if any book in this series will get the elusive 5 stars that I reserve for outstanding books. The trouble with this book's story is that there are no real twists but rather well meaning stabs at misdirection. Without giving much away, I'll mention the reasons for putting Molly's life in danger, the breaking into her house, the name and purpose of a particular poison...

The skimming over of details in the last third of the book - as if the author was getting impatient and wanted to finish before the deadline - is the freshest calling card of this mystery. More often it's the reverse that's true, generally speaking. The Molly Murphy mysteries haven't set my world alight but I've never been tempted to ditch one single book. Why throw the baby out with the bathwater?

Sometimes this book made me think somewhat about different opportunities regarding gender and context. There has been (perhaps one time too many) a lot of references to the women's suffrage movement in In A Gilded Cage. Even I get the purpose of naming landscapes and landmarks, newly minted cars that have to be cranked by sturdy hand, new fads, dreams of a better future. I understand that these tales are taking place in the 1910's. Could it be possible that the timeline will make Molly Murphy cross into the 50's? Molly would be about seventy then. It is doable. She would be in a different world. Maybe Elena and Augusta, Sid and Gus for short, and Molly's beloved (now betrothed) will have departed the world. If Richard Nixon could have lived to see the nineties in our real world, then Molly and all her friends may well tarry long enough to see even the 1960's in the fictional world. I dearly wish for that.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a great series

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel refused to take Molly to walk in the Easter Parade so Molly joins Sid and Gus march for women's rights. There Molly meets Emily who hires her to find information about her birth parents. A friend of Emily wants Molly to find evidence that her husband is cheating on her. Daniel has been reinstated and working on arsenic poisoning in lower New York and Chinese gangs are at war over opium trades. There is violent strain of flu hitting all parts of thecity. These events are skillfully gathered together to form a story. The ending will surprise you.

[Erin Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'You make it sound like a war,' I laughed. 'It is,' Sid said soberly..."

This line really resonated with me, as the suffragettes really were fighting a war of sorts. I cringed each time the men in this book condescended to their wives, sisters, and daughters, as if to say, "Silly women. You don't get to vote. Go home and have babies." The feminist undertone got lost in the mysterious death plots, but it was sobering nonetheless.

Another great tale for the Molly Murphy saga.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good entry in the Molly Murphy mysteries. Molly solves her cases and also gets slightly involved in the Women's Suffrage movement. Good story with several plot twists. Nothing too deep...light easy reading.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I've solved many of her mysteries before her, I'm not a very good mystery reader but I am enjoying these. Strange reading about their flu epidemic while we are experiencing our own pandemic!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best one of these, but I still loved it.

[Nancy Haddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book in this series!

[Sandy Rambler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly Murphy is such a fun character in this series. She gets herself is some serious trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed books. And I was quite surprised by her official case and how it turned out that I totally missed the bigger case. I just love reading these books. Can't wait to start the next one!

[Debbie .skylark. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites so far in this series. The mystery was intriguing and I didn't have it figured out for a change. I love the romance between Daniel and Molly as well. It is taking a long time to pan out, but at least their status changed in this book. I also appreciate the history so much. Historical fiction! My grandparents were born in the early 1900s in the northeast, so I find myself imagining them living in Molly's world.

[Charity Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Rhys Bowen's most complex and entertaining mysteries! Every time I finish a book I can't wait to get to the next one to see what Molly's next case will be!

[Gale Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery-didn’t see the killer until the end. This is a series that is relaxing and takes you to a different time.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Gilded Cage is a return to normalcy for Molly Murphy's young man, Daniel Sullivan, as he is reinstated to his position as Captain in the New York City police force. Daniel is ready to get on with life now, which to him means settling down with Molly as his wife and moving to a home that is their own. Molly, is anything but settled, as she is introduced to more new aspects of the independent woman. Her friends, Sid and Gus bring Molly into the awareness of the women's suffragette movement, talking her into participating in a plea for the right-to-vote walk during the New York City famous Easter Parade. Of course, the women are arrested, and Molly finds herself once again explaining to Daniel her involvement in a "radical" cause. Molly also meets an interesting group of Vassar graduates, classmates of Sid's and Guss's, which leads to two cases for Molly's detective agency of one. Within the framework of an influenza epidemic in the city, certain of these Vassar women die, leading Molly to expand the scope of her original investigations to possible murder through poisonings. As Molly works to uncover an insidious scheme of revenge, she struggles with what the role of a wife should and would be, and she wonders if she can ever give up the independence she enjoys as a single working woman. As usual, Ms. Bown provides plenty of glimpses into the world of early twentieth century New York City, from the designated roles of women and men to the early days of the famous Dakota apartment building.

[histeriker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es ist ein weiterer solider Krimi aus der Feder von Rhys Bowen. Ich mag die Reihe sehr, weil sich die Protagonistin und ihre Umgebung entwicken und das ist etwas, was ich an Reihen sehr mag. Dieses Beobachten der Figuren über eine längere Strecke macht es einfacher, sich mit ihnen zu identifizieren und ihre Handlungen nachzuvollziehen. Was bei dieser Autorin noch dazu kommt, ist, dass die Fälle immer wieder in verschiedene Millieus entführen und mich neue Orte kennen lernen lassen.

Hier begleiten wir Molly bei zwei Fällen in etwas reicheren Millieu, wo es vor allem um junge verheitete Frauen geht, die oft nichts zu tun haben, weil ihre Männer sie versorgen. Dieser Einblick war schon sehr interessant, und bringt einem diese Welt schon näher. Ich fand es teilweise erschrckend, wie sich diese Art von Leben vor 100 Jahren und heute schon ähneln.

Die Fälle sich haben mich schon interessiert, aber nicht wirklich mit Spannung beim lesen gehalten. Ich fand das Buch mehr interessant aus der Sicht der Umstände als aus der Sicht who-done-it.

Trotzdem eine Empfehlung von mir.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Try as I might, I never figure out who did it in one of Rhys Bowen's books, and I think I've read all of them now. I love this series and really enjoyed this particular book. Molly Murphy is such a great character and doesn't take any guff from her young man Daniel Sullivan. In a Gilded Cage, Molly joins up with women's rights activists from Vassar, solves a series of influenza look-alike murders, and helps a young woman to reclaim her birthright. I enjoy the historical setting and the swiftly moving plotline.

[Thenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly is becoming quite good as a detective and in this part of her story she solves two more cases.

She is very forward-thinking for her time and she faces quite a few issues due to that, her role in a future marriage with her young man, Captain Daniel Sullivan being one of them.

The book ends in a hopeful note and I'm looking forward to her next adventure in The Last Illusion.

[Mary Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diverting detective fiction about Molly Murphy and her private detective agency set in the early 20th century. People are dying from a wicked influenza, but some are also being poisoned, and it's hard to tell which is which. Molly is an early women's libber, even marches as a suffragette in NYC's Easter parade.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Molly Murphy mystery as she resolves two cases and marches for the right for women to vote. I know these mysteries aren't great literature, but I enjoy Molly and her spunkiness. Recommended to mystery fans.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a re-read for me. It's another delightful Molly Murphy mystery. In these tragic times, anyone who can make me laugh deserves all five stars. This book was a really fun read.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a wild ride to find a murderer of four young women. It's a great story and I'm sure anyone would like it.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Gilded Cage by Rhys Bowen is the 8th book of the Molly Murphy historical mystery series set in early 20th century New York City. Primary topic of the mystery: early 20th century women were "caged" (restricted) by their fathers, then husbands. Supposedly for their protection; actually to satisfy power/control personalities (worst case) or bred-in chauvinism (best case).

Spunky Molly befriends a group of Vassar women marching for suffrage. "We can do anything a man can, except vote. Half the population has no voice. Women, demand to be heard! Take your rightful place in society."

Molly notes how her new friends' opportunities in life, expanded by college, severely contracted when they married. She's not of their "high society" class, but has more freedom and independence.
"What will it take for men to see that we are as capable as they are of rational thought?"

"If we marry, Daniel, you are not going to lay down the law. It is not going to be your household. It will be our household, our family. We will run it jointly or not at all. You will never walk all over me."

Did women have to surrender their wits and their power when they married?

"It is my observation that most husbands do not want brainy wives. They want an adornment, a good mother but not one who will provide any threat to their authority."

Her neighbors Sid and Gus provide a fine example of female independence. My neighbors Elena Goldfarb and Augusta Wolcott, usually known by their nicknames Sid and Gus, never failed to bring joy into my life. They were generous to a fault and always experimenting with new foods and cultural experiences, making each visit to their home an adventure.

A humorous minor theme is the resistance by most folks at the time to modern innovation. I watched him working furiously to crank that machine to life. "You should stick to horses, they're easier to start." "This is an experiment. The commissioner of police wants to find out if automobiles might be useful in police work. So far I'm not impressed."

Molly gladly accepts inquiry jobs from her new Vassar friends: find out the truth about Emily's parents; find out if Fanny's husband is having an affair. Research takes her into the MA countryside. These sweeping green hills and racing brooks reminded me of home. When an April shower peppered the train window the picture was complete. I was so used to the sooty city air of New York that it was delightful just to breathe here. [Williamstown MA]

So it was back to the station and another train ride. I'm sure those who do not make their living as detectives have no appreciation for the amount of time we take coming and going. The job turns out to be hours of travel, hours of nothing happening, coupled with the odd minute of excitement every now and then.

When her newfound friends begin dying, Molly puts on hold her original inquiry jobs, to investigate what she is very sure must be serial murder. Police and doctors brush off the deaths as the natural course of illness. Molly attempts to determine systematically (by process of elimination as the deaths occur) what all deaths have in common. As must be the case in many real-life investigations, she doesn't arrive at the correct answer right away; more die. Once she knows the true cause of death, she ferrets out the motivation to kill. Of course she ends up in a confrontation with the killer.