Silent as the Grave: A Molly Murphy Mystery

Mother-daughter duo Bowen and Broyles (In Sunshine or in Shadow) deliver a subpar entry in Bowen’s long-running series featuring PI Molly Murphy. In 1909 New York City, Molly has retired from detective work to raise her infant daughter. She also cares for adopted 14-year-old Birdie, who’s asked at the last minute to replace the female lead of director D.W. Griffith’s latest film while Molly is visiting a friend on set. Shooting goes smoothly until a fire in the editing room destroys the production’s negatives. Then Birdie nearly dies while filming a dangerous stunt, and Molly decides that something sinister is afoot. She predictably jumps back into PI work, going undercover on the set to figure out who’s behind the mishaps. Bowen and Broyles fail to convincingly evoke the period, with real-life figures including Griffith and Thomas Edison coming across more like caricatures of their historical personas than actual people. Even devoted series fans will be disappointed. (Mar.)