Murder Is a Must
(First Edition Library Mystery #2)
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published December 1st 2020 by Berkley Books
Goodreads synopsis:
Determined to make the First Edition Library a success, Hayley Burke wasn’t expecting to have to solve an old friend’s murder in this all-new mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.
Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.
Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.
When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she's unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.
***
4.5 stars This is the second book in the First Edition Library mystery series by Marty Wingate. This mystery surrounds the missing first edition of Murder Must Advertise signed by a bunch of Golden Age mystery authors and then the death of Oona, an organizer, who is a colleague of Hayley. I enjoyed the story a lot. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel. The mystery of Oona’s death and other things that grabbed her attention kept the flow of the story going along nicely. I thought the main character of Hayley was a great leading character and really brought out the best in the mystery. The story was well plotted and kept my attention all the way through. Definitely a series you want to dig into if you love bookish mysteries. If you like cozy mysteries, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed. I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. |
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