VANISHED IN THE CROWD (Molly Murphy #22) by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles will be released on March 10, 2026, by Minotaur Books.
New York City is overrun with tourists for the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River. Parades, speeches, and other celebrations are planned for the Hudson-Fulton Celebration. Molly’s neighbors, Sid and Gus, are hosting several visitors at their home. When one of those guests—a brilliant female scientist— fails to show up, Sid and Gus hire Molly to find her. Molly finds herself in a race against the woman’s husband and a Pinkerton Agent to find the woman first. When the woman gets shot in the middle of a parade, Molly teams up with her husband to find the killer.
A common theme in the Molly Murphy series is women’s suffrage. That theme is even more prominent in VANISHED IN THE CROWD with Molly participating in building a float that is meant to bring attention to women’s suffrage. Molly is even tasked by her husband—head of the NYC branch of the newly established FBI—on spying on the women. As in the last few books, Molly is torn between being a stay-at-home wife/mother and reviving her private detective career. Her constant back and forth has grown tedious, but, at least, her husband is finally on board with her going back to work. While VANISHED IN THE CROWD was a good story and full of historical facts about the real Hudson-Fulton Celebration, the first two-thirds of the story dragged. It wasn’t until the missing scientist reappears only to be murdered that the action picked up. I’m eager to see what Molly gets up to next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.