RHYS BOWEN: Since this week is celebrating the publication of VANISHED IN THE CROWD, the 22nd Molly Murphy novel, I thought I'd share some Molly pictures with you. One of the things fans like about this series is that it involves real time, real place. When I first started the series I went to New York and chose a home for my heroine. It is on Patchin Place and still exists, unchanged. A few years ago a man emailed me to say he was now living in Molly's house and sent me pictures. When Clare and Tim were in New York last year they met him and he invited them inside for a tour.
When I was writing the first books and my knowledge of New York was limited to tourist areas I went there for every book and walked any streets that Molly would walk. What would she hear, smell, see? Now I know her part of New York well enough that I could give a guided tour. I said this jokingly once to the Minotaur publicist. Her eyes lit up. "Molly walking tour of New York???" Not really, I said hastily.
The nice thing is that most of Molly's New York is still there, hardly changed. You can still walk up Mulberry Street, see the Jefferson Market building, cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Over the years I have taken plenty of pictures and I'm going to share some now. This is Patchin Place.
This is the last working gas lamp in New York City. It's in Patchin Place.
Molly's house on the right. And some typical houses from the neighborhood. Molly lived briefly in a fancy house like this on Fifth Avenue.
I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. Next time you go to New York check out Molly's old haunts!
What a delightful tour . . . thanks for sharing this with us, Rhys; it's a lovely treat to see Molly's New York . . . .
ReplyDeleteHow lovely, Rhys. I had no idea such little byways were still preserved in New York City, and I enjoyed your photo tour. The NYC I write about is that of the Revolutionary War period and virtually nothing is left. I collect (digitally) old maps, paintings, and engravings. (Selden)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pictorial tour!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to drop by Patchin Place when I was briefly in New York two years ago, but it was 99 degrees and I stayed in the AC instead!
ReplyDeleteI always want to spend time in the locations I'm writing about. You see and smell things you could never pick up from a Google search or even reading about the place. When I was staying at my uncle's place in the hills of Alexander Valley, I saw a morning fog rise up and nearly fill the valley, leaving only a few peaks sticking up from it. It was stunning, and I could (and did) use it in my book.