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Molly Blume #1
Blues in the Night
Sunday, July 13. 1:46 A.M. Near Lookout Mountain and Laurel Canyon. An unidentified woman in her twenties, wearing a nightgown, was the victim of a hit-and-run accident that left her unconscious and seriously injured. There were no witnesses.
So reads the report on the accident off Mulholland Drive in Molly Blume’s Crime Sheet column for a weekly Los Angeles tabloid. Just another small L.A. tragedy, soon forgotten.
But the image of the young woman in her nightgown stumbling along a dark, winding road is one Molly, a freelance true-crime writer, cannot shake. In fact, it draws her to a bedside in intensive care, where the victim whispers to her three names: Robbie, Max, and Nina. It’s not a smoking gun, but is sufficient to reinforce Molly’s gut instinct that there are sinister circumstances behind the assault on Lenore Saunders.
With fearless conviction, Molly asks questions that nobody—including Lenore’s mom, her ex-husband, her shrink, or even Molly’s L.A.P.D. buddy, Detective Connors—wants to answer. Nevertheless, the astute Molly discovers Lenore lived a fractured life, so different from Molly’s own secure and loving Orthodox Jewish background. And as a chilling picture of the unfortunate woman begins to take shape, the menace of murders past and present stirs and quickens.
In her first Molly Blume novel, award-winning novelist Rochelle Krich tells a story in the tradition of the great L.A. mysteries of the past—and introduces an investigator who is pure gold. Twentysomething divorcee Molly Blume, with her deep faith, short skirts, and nose for the truth, is a heroine to cherish.
From the Hardcover edition.
So reads the report on the accident off Mulholland Drive in Molly Blume’s Crime Sheet column for a weekly Los Angeles tabloid. Just another small L.A. tragedy, soon forgotten.
But the image of the young woman in her nightgown stumbling along a dark, winding road is one Molly, a freelance true-crime writer, cannot shake. In fact, it draws her to a bedside in intensive care, where the victim whispers to her three names: Robbie, Max, and Nina. It’s not a smoking gun, but is sufficient to reinforce Molly’s gut instinct that there are sinister circumstances behind the assault on Lenore Saunders.
With fearless conviction, Molly asks questions that nobody—including Lenore’s mom, her ex-husband, her shrink, or even Molly’s L.A.P.D. buddy, Detective Connors—wants to answer. Nevertheless, the astute Molly discovers Lenore lived a fractured life, so different from Molly’s own secure and loving Orthodox Jewish background. And as a chilling picture of the unfortunate woman begins to take shape, the menace of murders past and present stirs and quickens.
In her first Molly Blume novel, award-winning novelist Rochelle Krich tells a story in the tradition of the great L.A. mysteries of the past—and introduces an investigator who is pure gold. Twentysomething divorcee Molly Blume, with her deep faith, short skirts, and nose for the truth, is a heroine to cherish.
From the Hardcover edition.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
18 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 11, 2017
This is a well-written and enjoyable novel; it mixes humor with the serious issue of postpartum depression and psychosis. Molly is a sympathetic, (mostly) relatable character with intelligence and insight. The mystery kept me guessing but drops enough clues to not hit you with a nonsense ending.
I gave this book three instead of four stars, though, because the conversation between Molly and the doctor about postpartum depression and psychosis feels like too much of an info dump, and while necessary to some extent, the subject doesn't interest me at all. I'm glad the book blurb didn't reference this topic, because if it had I would not have picked this up and read it - and it really is worth a read.
I gave this book three instead of four stars, though, because the conversation between Molly and the doctor about postpartum depression and psychosis feels like too much of an info dump, and while necessary to some extent, the subject doesn't interest me at all. I'm glad the book blurb didn't reference this topic, because if it had I would not have picked this up and read it - and it really is worth a read.
August 4, 2025
An intriguing storyline with a wrap-around ‘gets you interested’ invite. It’s settled well in the end — no disappointing ‘left off-drop offs.’ Well narrated.
August 17, 2013
Only through Molly Blume's persistent investigative reporting is this murder solved.
December 2, 2019
Mysterious death of recently divorced young young woman is followed by Molly Blume, true crime writer in LA, with lots of detail about Molly’s religious Jewish heritage, a clear focus in the book. Over much detail is repeated about the victim, a bit slow, and the same about Molly’s visits to the bakery and what she eats. A convenient friendship with a detective provides a device for Molly to access quick info. I kept reading, but was not fully engaged.
November 20, 2017
In a genre where plots and characters are a dime a dozen, the Molly Blume series stands out and remains memorable to me a decade after Krich closed the book on Molly.
I consider this series one of the best in its league, for imaginative plotting, good writing and a cast of characters and locations that feel real.
Molly (and her family) are missed; a real shame the series ended at book #4.
I consider this series one of the best in its league, for imaginative plotting, good writing and a cast of characters and locations that feel real.
Molly (and her family) are missed; a real shame the series ended at book #4.
July 21, 2025
I wrote a review, but don't know where it is. This is a strong 3 or weak 4, 3.5, but I gave it a 4. I see the next book is in that ballpark, and doubt I will read it. Too many books, too little time, and I don't have enough invested in Molly to continue. I did have a fleeting thought about the ending before I got there, but it didn't linger long enough for me to really think about it.
December 20, 2017
I first read (listened to) this book years ago, and I had almost totally forgotten the plot! It's a full story and complete duration with complex characters. I remembered that I had liked it, but I really hadn't remembered the story itself. Definitely worth a revisit!
September 5, 2020
I quite enjoyed this and I never read mysteries. I liked Molly...the ending was a bit abrupt but overall I enjoyed it.
April 16, 2023
I have never read the books. HOWEVER My name is Molly Rochelle Blume. SO ...I think is is awesome Rochelle named her character Molly Blume :) Also my moms name is Rochelle ♡♡
May 28, 2023
A decent read. I think she could have done with a little less info drop, but all in all a good detective novel, fairly clean. Which I like.
November 15, 2023
Molly can't understand why a woman would get run over while wearing a nightgown and being miles from her home. When she investigates, who is telling the truth?
January 28, 2024
I enjoyed it all: the heroine Molly, her great rabbi - boyfriend Zack, the Jewish customs, the yiddish words, the pace of the book and the plot. I look forward to more in this genre. Nice writing!
Want to read
March 3, 2019Synopsis: a hit-and-run accident occurred and Molly Blume, who writes the LA Crime Sheet column, can't shake it. She begins to ask questions.
Read
January 14, 2009Blues in the Night, by Rochelle Krich, B-plus.
Purchased as a cassette book from Blackstone Audio Books.
I’ve read these totally out of order. This is the first in the Molly Blume series. I can see that these books have gotten better as Molly developed more as a character. In this book we are introduced to Molly, who is a true crime writer with several books to her credit. She is also a freelance writer, and she has a “crime column” where she lists crimes from the police reports in a throw-away neighborhood newspaper. These books are characterized by a brief of a crime at the beginning of each chapter exemplifying what goes into her neighborhood paper.
In this book, Molly happens upon a short note in a police report in which a woman is hit by a car on a highway in the middle of the night. She was on the road in a nightgown. This small piece of information piques Molly’s interest enough so that she traces the girl to a hospital where she is recovering from the hit-and-run. Her name is Lenore Saunders. She is divorced from Robert Saunders, who is a wealthy land developer running for political office. When Molly worms her way into the room by allowing a nurse to think she works for the police, Lenore doesn’t realize that Molly isn’t someone she knows. She thinks Molly is her best friend Nina. She keeps saying that “Robbie is very angry with her”, that “she thought there would be a second chance but there isn’t one and she doesn’t deserve it,” and that “Robbie blames her for what happened to Max”. At first Molly doesn’t know who Robbie and Max are. She begins trying to track down the parts of Lenore’s life-an effort which is intensified when Lenore is found dead in her hospital room. Molly learns that Lenore kept a journal which may contain information that several people would rather not have revealed. Where is this journal? Was Lenore murdered? And when Lenore’s mother is also found dead in her apartment, things become even more complicated. This is a very good start to the series. Krich is very good at the twists and turns of plotting and it takes quite a while to get a clue as to the murderer. These books also contain a wonderful look at a close-knit family who follow orthodox Jewish traditions. And Molly is re-introduced to a former boy friend who is now a rabbi and who is interested in her and she in him. A cozy book for sure, as is this whole series, and I have trouble seeing Molly as a rabbi’s wife, which she eventually becomes in this series, but I enjoy these books anyway.
Purchased as a cassette book from Blackstone Audio Books.
I’ve read these totally out of order. This is the first in the Molly Blume series. I can see that these books have gotten better as Molly developed more as a character. In this book we are introduced to Molly, who is a true crime writer with several books to her credit. She is also a freelance writer, and she has a “crime column” where she lists crimes from the police reports in a throw-away neighborhood newspaper. These books are characterized by a brief of a crime at the beginning of each chapter exemplifying what goes into her neighborhood paper.
In this book, Molly happens upon a short note in a police report in which a woman is hit by a car on a highway in the middle of the night. She was on the road in a nightgown. This small piece of information piques Molly’s interest enough so that she traces the girl to a hospital where she is recovering from the hit-and-run. Her name is Lenore Saunders. She is divorced from Robert Saunders, who is a wealthy land developer running for political office. When Molly worms her way into the room by allowing a nurse to think she works for the police, Lenore doesn’t realize that Molly isn’t someone she knows. She thinks Molly is her best friend Nina. She keeps saying that “Robbie is very angry with her”, that “she thought there would be a second chance but there isn’t one and she doesn’t deserve it,” and that “Robbie blames her for what happened to Max”. At first Molly doesn’t know who Robbie and Max are. She begins trying to track down the parts of Lenore’s life-an effort which is intensified when Lenore is found dead in her hospital room. Molly learns that Lenore kept a journal which may contain information that several people would rather not have revealed. Where is this journal? Was Lenore murdered? And when Lenore’s mother is also found dead in her apartment, things become even more complicated. This is a very good start to the series. Krich is very good at the twists and turns of plotting and it takes quite a while to get a clue as to the murderer. These books also contain a wonderful look at a close-knit family who follow orthodox Jewish traditions. And Molly is re-introduced to a former boy friend who is now a rabbi and who is interested in her and she in him. A cozy book for sure, as is this whole series, and I have trouble seeing Molly as a rabbi’s wife, which she eventually becomes in this series, but I enjoy these books anyway.
May 24, 2015
I think I will stick with other authors even though I would like to see what happens with the main character. I must admit that the introductory chapters I found Molly, the main character, somewhat irritating in how she tells her story. But as the story developed, this little irritations subsided (and were no longer a distraction). I've enjoyed other novels with Jewish heritage intertwined and found this interesting in this story as well.
The overall story is a series of events taking place in different locals. It is obvious that the author knows the area. One story stands out that confused me: The claim of the origin of the Joshua Tree. The author (through another character) claims this goes back to a Bible story about the victory being dependent upon Joshua continuing to raise his arms. I was waiting for Molly to point out that this is the wrong biblical character! It was Moses that needed to keep his arms raised (Ex 17:11). I'm not sure where Ms Krich found this bit of information to add to her book but this discrepancy made me question other details. Certainly, Molly, a well-versed in Moses' books would know this story. I even checked the National Park service website to see what they said. They mentioned Joshua praying with his hands raised. To you this may seem little but it did impact how I read other things.
The ending was predictable.
The overall story is a series of events taking place in different locals. It is obvious that the author knows the area. One story stands out that confused me: The claim of the origin of the Joshua Tree. The author (through another character) claims this goes back to a Bible story about the victory being dependent upon Joshua continuing to raise his arms. I was waiting for Molly to point out that this is the wrong biblical character! It was Moses that needed to keep his arms raised (Ex 17:11). I'm not sure where Ms Krich found this bit of information to add to her book but this discrepancy made me question other details. Certainly, Molly, a well-versed in Moses' books would know this story. I even checked the National Park service website to see what they said. They mentioned Joshua praying with his hands raised. To you this may seem little but it did impact how I read other things.
The ending was predictable.
August 23, 2016
I read this and several others in this series and really enjoyed it. I am all about different cultures and was very interested in the Jewish traditions.
The story was very good, a murder mystery which is right up my alley. The characters were very well developed and the story line never got boring or too slow. This author can write.
As the series progresses, you can see character development going on which is a good thing when it comes to a main character series, because many times the character gets to a certain point and then there's really no place for him or her to go. Not with this series.
I think this author is highly under-rated and I would be interested in reading some of her stand alones when they become available in my library.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a female character that isn't overly masculine but does a good job in a "male dominated profession".
The story was very good, a murder mystery which is right up my alley. The characters were very well developed and the story line never got boring or too slow. This author can write.
As the series progresses, you can see character development going on which is a good thing when it comes to a main character series, because many times the character gets to a certain point and then there's really no place for him or her to go. Not with this series.
I think this author is highly under-rated and I would be interested in reading some of her stand alones when they become available in my library.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a female character that isn't overly masculine but does a good job in a "male dominated profession".
July 31, 2011
I read this charming little book this week. It is light and entertaining but thought provoking. As I've mentioned before, we buy most of our books these days from Audible because of my husband's blindness. I greatly enjoy having books read to me by professional writers and with appropriate accents. In this case a modern young Jewish woman and her family discuss the events surrounding a true crime case the heroine is pursuing. I give it 3.5 stars.
May 16, 2009
I enjoyed reading this mystery--Molly is a writer of true crime books, and is working on a story--did Lenore Sanders suffer from post partem depression or psychosis and thus kill her baby, or did she plot this murder and try to make it look like mental illness? Molly is Orthodox Jewish, pieces of her religious life and traditions added to my enjoyment of this book.
August 13, 2009
Good for the genre. I enjoyed reading it, but women mystery writers puzzle me with the sheer quantity of words that don't either add to, or help solve, the mystery. There is a lot of just that here. Much of it is about Jewish lore and customs. Interesting for some readers, but a distraction for others. I still recommend it for anyone who loves mysteries.
August 28, 2008
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book and the quirky humor of Molly. Although I did get the next book in the series from the library I am going to hold off reading it for a few weeks so I don't burn out from the unique writing style of the author.
Read
April 24, 2009This was an entertaining mystery featuring a true-crime writer with grit. Liked the main character who did what she wanted. Lots of Jewish tidbits about life as a Orthodox Jew and how she didn't quite fit the mold.
November 10, 2009
I would have given this a 3.5 for sure. It was a very clean read and that is always refreshing. The mystery kept you going and you had an interest in the characters. I quite enjoyed reading this book.
December 2, 2011
While I like much about this book, and it does give good info about postpartum depression/psychosis, it could be shorter. The "villian" was fairly easily detected, if perhaps not for the correct reason.
June 5, 2016
First in series book sale book. I really enjoyed this book. Primary characters are well developed. Right mix of intrigue, humor and touch of romance. Will pick up next in series to see if it continues.
July 20, 2007
Molly Blume mystery. A woman who may or may not have murdered her infant may or may not have committed suicide.
April 4, 2009
Smoothly readable, with an intriguing mystery and fascinating insight into Orthodox Jewish culture. A very pleasing series.
March 3, 2009
This is my 2nd book by Rochelle Krich. I really enjoy getting the orthodox viewpoint. I also enjoy the care she takes with the stories.
June 4, 2009
It's very different to find a book with a Jewish heroine who actually practices her faith. I liked Molly -- and the mystery.
Read
October 7, 2009I totally enjoyed this book. Sure, it's an easy read/listen and it's a mystery so it won't cause deep thoughts, but it is still fun.
May 28, 2010
This book was a cute read especially with all the Yiddish and Jewish references.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews