Review: The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate (Blog Tour)

Genre:
Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Berkley/Penguin Random House

Release Date:
October 8, 2019



Synopsis from Goodreads:

Hayley Burke's fresh start as the curator of The First Edition Society's library in Bath, England, is about to take a rotten turn in this charming new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke has landed a dream job. She is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition library. The library is kept at Middlebank House, a lovely Georgian home in Bath, England. Hayley lives on the premises and works with the finicky Glynis Woolgar, Lady Fowling's former secretary.

Mrs. Woolgar does not like Hayley's ideas to modernize The First Edition Society and bring in fresh blood. And she is not even aware of the fact that Hayley does not know the first thing about the Golden Age of Mysteries. Hayley is faking it till she makes it, and one of her plans to breathe new life into the Society is actually taking flight--an Agatha Christie fan fiction writers group is paying dues to meet up at Middlebank House.

But when one of the group is found dead in the venerable stacks of the library, Hayley has to catch the killer to save the Society and her new job.

My Review

Hayley Burke is excited when she lands the position of curator of The First Edition Society’s library. The society is focused on the Golden Age of Mysteries. A subject Hayley knows less than nothing about, but she’s not going to let anyone know this - least of all the library’s secretary, Mrs. Woolgar, or the society’s board members.

Mrs. Woolgar is not happy with the changes Hayley is making. One thing is inviting an aspiring mystery writing group to meet each week. Mrs. Woolgar does not like the mess they leave. She has a point since after one meeting they left behind a dead body.

This is the perfect ammunition to use against Hayley and prove her incompetence. Hayley has no choice but to play amateur sleuth and solve this case. First, she must learn how to investigate crimes. Who better to teach her than Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple? Haylely sets out to read all about the most famous of amateur sleuths and discovers a whole new world.

This is the first book in the First Edition Library Mystery series and it’s off to a wonderful start. It felt like an old-fashioned Christie mystery. A dead body with a long list of suspects. There is also a little romance mixed in, but the mystery storyline is front and center throughout the book.

It took a little time for me to get acquainted with the cast of characters, but once I did, I felt like I knew them well. The storyline moved at a steady pace. I began to guess who the culprit was when Haylely did. It’s a light mystery with quite a few quirky characters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2019

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.