Why we’re excited
After years at home with her children, Molly Murphy opens her own detective agency. Her first client is Alva Belmont, who wants her daughter Consuelo watched during the Vanderbilt Cup race in case she rekindles an old romance. A reporter is digging into the same family, and the secrets turn dangerous.
Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy series dates back to Murphy's Law in 2001, and she now co-writes it with Clare Broyles. Long-time readers will enjoy Molly running her own business at last. Newcomers can follow this case, though the early books explain her history with Daniel and with Sid and Gus.
On our most-anticipated list since 21 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about A Whiff of Scandal
Rhys Bowen is new to The Bookish Elf: none of their books has a review here yet.
From the publisher
Molly Murphy returns with her first investigation under her own detective agency in the New York Times bestselling series by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.
After years devoted to motherhood, Molly Murphy is ready for a new opening her own detective agency. Balancing clients with children may prove a challenge, but Molly has never been one to shy away from hard work―or danger. And with a new “morality police” determined to clean up New York City’s nightlife through raids and censorship, Molly already has her hands full keeping an eye on her friends Sid and Gus, whose lifestyle makes them an easy target.
Then Molly lands her first official case.
The formidable Mrs. Alva Belmont―once a Vanderbilt and now a powerful voice in the suffrage movement―asks Molly to discreetly follow her daughter Consuelo, who has arrived in New York for the glamorous Vanderbilt Cup race. Consuelo’s marriage is strained, and Mrs. Belmont fears her daughter may be rekindling a relationship with the man she loved before she was forced into a socially advantageous match. A public scandal could be devastating for one of America’s most prominent families.
But the high-society world surrounding the races proves far more complicated than Molly expected. As she slips into the glittering crowds and shadowy corners of New York’s elite, Molly discovers she’s not the only one watching Consuelo. A sharp-eyed reporter is also digging into the private lives of society’s heirs and heiresses, determined to expose the city’s hidden indiscretions.
Before long, secrets begin to surface―secrets powerful people would do anything to keep buried. And Molly finds herself caught in a tightening web of suspicion and danger that could threaten not only her new business, but her freedom.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read A Whiff of Scandal yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
