Celebrating Molly Murphy

 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.

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This is looking down Patchin Place toward the Jefferson Market Building In Molly's time it was both a market and a police station with holding cells.

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.

And finally the pharmacy around the corner that was open and working in Molly's day.  I love how I continually find little gems like this!

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. Next time you go to New York check out Molly's old haunts!

And writers, how important is it to you to visit the sites you are writing about and know them well?

NEWSFLASH; I've been given some free copies of the Audible version of the book.  If you'd like to be in a drawing for one, email me at Authorrhysbowen@gmail.com. i'll pick some names from a hat and give you instructions on how to claim the audio version.

Molly Murphy's New York

RHYS BOWEN: My daughter Clare and I are getting ready to release a new Molly Murphy book. We're having our launch party at the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scotsdale on Saturday March 11 (where we'll be serving Irish goodies and will probably have a touch of the Blarney) and the official release date is March 14. So I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite pix from Molly's New York.

When I first started writing the series I used to go to New York and walk every yard that Molly walked so I could get a feel for the place. What could she see? Smell? Experience? Did the wind blow straight off the Hudson here? Could you hear tugs on the East River from here? I've sat in Pete's Tavern, although Molly would not have been allowed in. Now I know my way around well and could give you a lovely guided tour of Molly's New York. (My publisher jumped at this idea, but no thank you!)

Every time I go to New York I visit Molly's neck of the woods--Greenwich Village--just to remind myself of where she lives.  It's nice to imagine coming out of Molly's front door and going across the street to visit Sid and Gus. Or to push Liam in his stroller to Washington Square.I am lucky that it is pretty much unchanged. Her little backwater of Patchin Place is exactly as it was, although it's now quite upscale and I'm sure the houses cost a fortune! 

Sid and Gus's house is just across the street:

And here is Molly's house. I got an email from the man who lives there now. He sent me pictures of the interior and the garden. 

This is the Jefferson Market, across the street from Patchin Place. It was once the market building, as well as the police station and jail. Now it has housed a library until recently (it's closed at the moment or was when I was there last.)

And this is the last existing gas lamp in New York City and it's in Patchin Place.

This is Molly's pharmacy, just around the corner. Still going since eighteen eighties!

And Washington Square where Molly takes her little son to play.

And lastly, here is the house on Fifth Avenue where Molly finds herself moving in the new book, ALL THAT IS HIDDEN. It's a lovely house, a step up in the world, but at what price? How can Daniel have become involved in Tammany Hall politics? No good can come of it!

Aren't I lucky to be writing historical novels about a place I can still visit and experience? Tomorrow I'll share what I love most about New York.

But it's nice to imagine coming out of Molly's front door and going across the street to visit Sid and Gus. Or to push Liam in his stroller to Washington Square.