The Last Illusion (Molly Murphy #9)

I\’ve mostly enjoyed this series – there is definitely a formula at work here, but it results in a good, light story with attention to historical detail. However: I flat-out HATE Daniel Sullivan, the main character\’s love interest, and I\’m quickly losing respect for Molly as she seems to be oblivious to his unrelenting sexism. Also, Daniel and Molly keep having this conversation: Molly: I need you to use your police skills to find out X. Daniel: I will not, because I disapprove of your pursuit of your career, and also I think you are a hysterical female and no crime has actually occurred, you just think there is one because you are so fantasy-prone. Molly: But (however many) people have died, and someone tried to kill me! Daniel: Then your work is too dangerous and I forbid you to pursue it. Also, you\’re just imagining things. Molly: I\’ve also been receiving threatening letters/been poisoned/been locked in a trunk and thrown in the river, etc. Daniel: Your delicate ladybrain is just overwrought (pats hand patronizingly). When we are married, you will not have to think anymore, you will just do what I say. Won\’t that be easier? Also, stop pursuing this dangerous career, which is full of terrible danger, even though you have imagined all this danger. Adding to his terribleness, Daniel hates Molly\’s friends and actively works to keep her away from them, is embarrassed by her whenever he is with any of his friends or colleagues, and frequently mentions how once they are married, she will be too busy doing laundry and raising babies to do anything outside the home, in a \”joking-not joking\” kind of way. At the beginning of the series, there was some nice romantic tension between these two, but at this point I think the best thing that could happen would be for Daniel to die and for Molly to run off with Sid and Gus to start some sort of lesbian commune for artists and detectives.

I love this series, obviously since I am up to Book 9! I understand that a huge part of the subplot in the series is the relationship between Molly and Daniel, and I get that if they got married in Book 2 it would have been too soon, but I am getting tired of the “my wife won’t work” part of Daniel’s character so I am looking forward to getting that all resolved. Time to move on! Keep working, get hitched and have those babies already!! There’ll be lots of good stories to tell around that and I am looking forward to them all!

I like this series and the narrator is great. The dialogue isn\’t always very well written, but the stories are interesting and it\’s not so complicated that I can\’t listen while I answer emails or do other things. BUT…the love interest is HORRIBLE. He is rude, demeaning, controlling, and dismissive. If there is anything preventing me from continuing this series it\’s his character. Why does she love him? He has no good qualities aside from being handsome.

The plot was boring and story is slow, this is to be one of Molly Murphy series weaker novel.

Molly\’s investigative skills really come together in this book. She spends less time stumbling into solving the mystery and more time actually gathering clues and figuring out what happened. She and Daniel are getting closer to an actual wedding. The secondary characters are delightful.

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