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First Edition Library Mystery #1
The Bodies in the Library
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.
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.
323 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2019
379 people are currently reading
7,602 people want to read
About the author
Marty Wingate
33Ìýbooks652ÌýfollowersUSA Today best-selling author Marty Wingate writes The First Edition Library series (Berkley) set in Bath, England, about the curator of a collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery. Book one, The Bodies in the Library, concerns murder among an Agatha Christie fan-fiction writing group, and in book two, Murder Is a Must (October 2020), an exhibition manager is found dead at the bottom of a spiral staircase. Marty also writes historical fiction: Glamour Girls (Alcove Press, January 2021) follows Spitfire pilot Rosalie Wright through both the physical and emotional dangers of the Second World War. Marty writes two further mystery series: the Potting Shed books (Alibi) feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England, and the Birds of a Feather series (Alibi) follows Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village.
Marty prefers on-the-ground research whenever possible, and so she and her husband regularly travel to England and Scotland, where she can be found tracing the steps of her characters, stopping for tea and a slice of Victoria sponge in a café, or enjoying a swift half in a pub.
Marty prefers on-the-ground research whenever possible, and so she and her husband regularly travel to England and Scotland, where she can be found tracing the steps of her characters, stopping for tea and a slice of Victoria sponge in a café, or enjoying a swift half in a pub.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 537 reviews
September 21, 2019
The Bodies in the Library is first in the new First Edition Library Mystery series from Marty Wingate. It’s set in Bath, England, one of my favorite places on earth, and it’s a cozy involving books. What could be better?
Hayley has landed her dream job as the curator of the First Edition library located in a swoon-worthy Georgian home. Hayley aims to modernize the library, but she is met with resistance. Someone ends up murdered in the library (of course!), and Hayley must find the killer to keep her job and everyone safe.
The Bodies in the Library kept me guessing and was so much fun. Hayley is a charmer and I can’t wait to see what she’s up to in the next book.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Hayley has landed her dream job as the curator of the First Edition library located in a swoon-worthy Georgian home. Hayley aims to modernize the library, but she is met with resistance. Someone ends up murdered in the library (of course!), and Hayley must find the killer to keep her job and everyone safe.
The Bodies in the Library kept me guessing and was so much fun. Hayley is a charmer and I can’t wait to see what she’s up to in the next book.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
October 29, 2019
3.5 Stars � Hayley Burke is the new curator of The First Edition Society, a library dedicated to first editions from the Golden Age of Mysteries. How she got the job, I’m not sure, because she’s never read a mystery, which made me laugh. It’s a sweet position she doesn’t want to lose, but when a member of an Agatha Christie fanfic group is murdered at the library, Hayley’s future there is threatened � she allowed them in, after all.
I loved the setting of Bath, England, and the gorgeous Georgian home that housed the precious books. The murder mystery is definitely Christie-inspired, with many quirky suspects. With her job at stake, as well as the survival of the society itself, I can understand why Hayley would want to launch her own investigation, or at least give the police a gently nudge here and there. I can’t resist a cozy mystery revolving around books, and this one was a quick, fun read. Now I need to catch up on my Christie.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the setting of Bath, England, and the gorgeous Georgian home that housed the precious books. The murder mystery is definitely Christie-inspired, with many quirky suspects. With her job at stake, as well as the survival of the society itself, I can understand why Hayley would want to launch her own investigation, or at least give the police a gently nudge here and there. I can’t resist a cozy mystery revolving around books, and this one was a quick, fun read. Now I need to catch up on my Christie.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2020
Many thanks to Berkley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars
Even though this book was pretty cozy and mysterious, it ended up being a little lackluster. I think that was mainly because I kept hoping it would be Nancy Drew-esque(for some reason)
So, what's this book about?
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.
As I said earlier, I went into this really hoping for a very cozy mystery but it wasn't cozy. This wasn't a bad thing, it just wasn't what I expected.
I really, really enjoyed the fact that this book juggled the main plot along with a few subplots. That's something that's hard to do well but this book did it!
This novel hit all the right beats at the perfect speed in the perfect way. I could clearly identify each beat from the introduction to the climax which made me happy because I'm a writing nerd.
My only complaint would be that the book was, overall, slightly underwhelming.
Overall, I enjoyed this mystery novel. Even though it wasn't super cozy, it made up for that by hitting all the beats and juggling multiple plots! I recommend this one!
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Review to come!!
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First the first time, I am actually looking forward to a rainy day because I can just curl up and read this.
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October 7, 2019
The first book in a new cozy mystery series by Marty Wingate. The First Edition Library Mystery series features Hayley Burke, the new curator at Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition library in Bath, England. The library is a mystery lovers dream, containing many Golden Age mysteries. Hayley is attempting to modernize the library, but she's hiding the fact that she doesn't know diddly about the mystery genre.
The cast of characters is quirky and relatable. Hayley is a likable protagonist - smart, witty, and hard-working. After starting as curator, one of her actions was to open the library up to a group of Agatha Christie fan fiction writers. When one of the members of the group is found dead in the library, Hayley turns amateur sleuth to find the murderer. Hayley is concerned about the image of the library, and she wants to make sure the library's name is not smeared due to the murder.
A charming new cozy mystery with entertaining characters and a lovely location. In addition to the mystery, there are some things going on in Hayley's personal life - she's got a daughter in college, an ex-husband, and a boyfriend. Hayley looks to be a fun amateur sleuth to follow along with in this series. A good read for fans of cozies, especially ones that feature books and libraries.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The cast of characters is quirky and relatable. Hayley is a likable protagonist - smart, witty, and hard-working. After starting as curator, one of her actions was to open the library up to a group of Agatha Christie fan fiction writers. When one of the members of the group is found dead in the library, Hayley turns amateur sleuth to find the murderer. Hayley is concerned about the image of the library, and she wants to make sure the library's name is not smeared due to the murder.
A charming new cozy mystery with entertaining characters and a lovely location. In addition to the mystery, there are some things going on in Hayley's personal life - she's got a daughter in college, an ex-husband, and a boyfriend. Hayley looks to be a fun amateur sleuth to follow along with in this series. A good read for fans of cozies, especially ones that feature books and libraries.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2023
I just was not a fan of any of the characters really. The story took too long to pick up and it was more about the MCs personal life than anything. To be fair there was a mystery but it just didn't speak to me.Ìý
August 30, 2019
Hayley Burke, curator of a library devoted to the golden age of mysteries, has never read a mystery in her life. The compensation and benefit of living on the premises attract her to this dream job. Mrs. Woolgar, secretary to the library's founder Lady Georgiana Fowling, lives in the building also. Hayley tries to find ways to improve the library's visibility and invites a group of mystery writers to meet there. When a group member's body appears in the library after hours and after the group left, Hayley inserts herself into the police investigation to mitigate damage to the library and the writers' group. I never warmed to Hayley--perhaps because of her lack of affection for the mystery genre. I found the book easy to put down. The plot seemed convoluted. More insights into the police investigation and less of the amateur sleuth's attempts would improve the book.The library's cat Bunter was my favorite character. I received an advance review copy through GoodReads. While a review is encouraged, it was not required. (2.5 stars)
July 20, 2019
I have read most of Marty Wingate's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. This is one is no different. It is the first book in a new series, the First Edition Library series and full of funny scenes and quirky characters which brought smiles and amusement as I read. I personally like that it is set in Bath where many of Victorian romances take place. Of course there, is a cat, Bunter, tortoiseshell cat and a nephew, who feels the estate is rightfully his. Hayley has a long-time romance.
Hayley Burke has her dream job she the curator at the First Edition Library and this library has the first edits of mysteries and has never read a mystery. She lives on the premise along with Mrs. Woolgar, the Secretary to Lady Gerorgiana Fowling. Her plans to bring the library to this century have disapproval of Mrs Woolgar. Hayley invited a group of fan-fiction writer who write stories from Agatha Christie books. One of these writers is found MURDERED in the library which brings the police into the story.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Hayley Burke has her dream job she the curator at the First Edition Library and this library has the first edits of mysteries and has never read a mystery. She lives on the premise along with Mrs. Woolgar, the Secretary to Lady Gerorgiana Fowling. Her plans to bring the library to this century have disapproval of Mrs Woolgar. Hayley invited a group of fan-fiction writer who write stories from Agatha Christie books. One of these writers is found MURDERED in the library which brings the police into the story.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Disclosure: Thanks to Berkley for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 12, 2022
At the end of September 2022, I attended a panel of mystery writers at the 67th PNWA Annual Writers Conference. One of the authors was MARTY WINGATE, author of the new cozy mystery series The First Edition Library Mysteries. The title of the book is THE BODIES IN THE LIBRARY. Marty had a copy of the book with her and the premise tickled my fancy so I bought a copy. It is a mystery set in the city of Bath in England. The time is now.
The lead character is Hayley Burke, mid-forties, divorced, with a twenty-two-year-old single daughter in college. Ms. Burke is the newish curator of the Golden Age Mystery Writers Library of the First Edition Society. Her current love interest is Wyn Rundle, a London-based inventor/entrepreneur who places his business ahead of Hayley.
The organization was established by Lady Georgiana Fowling to house her collection of mystery writers from the early Twentieth Century. Her Library houses two classes of mysteries � 300-plus rare first editions kept in a bank vault valued at 2,000 British Pounds per volume and around 5,000 books (valued at 200,000 British Pounds) in the Library of the Society located in her former house. As part of her compensation, Hayley has a small apartment in the Georgian town home called Middlebank where the Library is situated.
Her boss is Mrs. Glynis Woolgar (around sixty) who is the Secretary of the First Edition Society and former confidant to the late Lady Georgiana. Mrs. Woolgar also lives in Middlebank. They have a cordial and almost friendly relationship. Their primary job is to keep the Society alive and thriving. To that end, Hayley comes up with a couple of plans.
First up is allowing a group of five would be mystery writers to use the Library room every Wednesday night for critique sessions. Each is trying to rewrite an Agatha Christie mystery. There are 3 young women and 2 young men in the group. There are unresolved issues among them. One Thursday morning, after one of their sessions, the housekeeper, Pauline, finds a dead body in the Library. The house had been locked with an alarm set the night before. There were only a handful of people with the alarm code and house key. None of the writers were included in that group.
All of the surviving members come under suspicion by the lead police officer, Detective Sergeant Ronald Hopgood. Another suspect is Charles Henry Dill, Lady Fowling’s only surviving relative, a nephew. He has harbored a grudge against the Society ever his aunt had died three years earlier and left the valuable book collection and house to the Society. He had tried to contest the will but had failed.
Hayley’s second idea is for the Society to host a series of open-to-the-public seminars on the writers included in the collection and other subjects related to mysteries. Her idea is to collaborate with a local college through its literature department. That is how Hayley meets Professor Val Moffat, who is a widower with twin daughters aged twenty-four. He teaches a class in writing mysteries. Hayley was a 19th Century Literature major in college and has little to no knowledge of the mystery writers in Lady Fowling’s collection. Professor Moffat encourages her to start reading the books in the collection.
With the murder, Hayley does start to read; first up is an Agatha Christie book. Burke wants to help the police solve the mystery. She starts her own investigation and reports her findings to DS Hopgood. Hayley begins to think like Miss Marple, Christie’s female amateur sleuth.
What fun it is to follow Hayley as she tries to unravel the mystery without getting on the bad side of the suspects and the police. In the end, the guilty person was a surprise, one that I did not see coming. If you like “locked room� and/or cozy mysteries, this is for you. If you want to start reading this genre of mystery, it is a good starting point. I for one cannot wait to read the next two in the series. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
The lead character is Hayley Burke, mid-forties, divorced, with a twenty-two-year-old single daughter in college. Ms. Burke is the newish curator of the Golden Age Mystery Writers Library of the First Edition Society. Her current love interest is Wyn Rundle, a London-based inventor/entrepreneur who places his business ahead of Hayley.
The organization was established by Lady Georgiana Fowling to house her collection of mystery writers from the early Twentieth Century. Her Library houses two classes of mysteries � 300-plus rare first editions kept in a bank vault valued at 2,000 British Pounds per volume and around 5,000 books (valued at 200,000 British Pounds) in the Library of the Society located in her former house. As part of her compensation, Hayley has a small apartment in the Georgian town home called Middlebank where the Library is situated.
Her boss is Mrs. Glynis Woolgar (around sixty) who is the Secretary of the First Edition Society and former confidant to the late Lady Georgiana. Mrs. Woolgar also lives in Middlebank. They have a cordial and almost friendly relationship. Their primary job is to keep the Society alive and thriving. To that end, Hayley comes up with a couple of plans.
First up is allowing a group of five would be mystery writers to use the Library room every Wednesday night for critique sessions. Each is trying to rewrite an Agatha Christie mystery. There are 3 young women and 2 young men in the group. There are unresolved issues among them. One Thursday morning, after one of their sessions, the housekeeper, Pauline, finds a dead body in the Library. The house had been locked with an alarm set the night before. There were only a handful of people with the alarm code and house key. None of the writers were included in that group.
All of the surviving members come under suspicion by the lead police officer, Detective Sergeant Ronald Hopgood. Another suspect is Charles Henry Dill, Lady Fowling’s only surviving relative, a nephew. He has harbored a grudge against the Society ever his aunt had died three years earlier and left the valuable book collection and house to the Society. He had tried to contest the will but had failed.
Hayley’s second idea is for the Society to host a series of open-to-the-public seminars on the writers included in the collection and other subjects related to mysteries. Her idea is to collaborate with a local college through its literature department. That is how Hayley meets Professor Val Moffat, who is a widower with twin daughters aged twenty-four. He teaches a class in writing mysteries. Hayley was a 19th Century Literature major in college and has little to no knowledge of the mystery writers in Lady Fowling’s collection. Professor Moffat encourages her to start reading the books in the collection.
With the murder, Hayley does start to read; first up is an Agatha Christie book. Burke wants to help the police solve the mystery. She starts her own investigation and reports her findings to DS Hopgood. Hayley begins to think like Miss Marple, Christie’s female amateur sleuth.
What fun it is to follow Hayley as she tries to unravel the mystery without getting on the bad side of the suspects and the police. In the end, the guilty person was a surprise, one that I did not see coming. If you like “locked room� and/or cozy mysteries, this is for you. If you want to start reading this genre of mystery, it is a good starting point. I for one cannot wait to read the next two in the series. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
October 5, 2019
Audiobook Review
The title caught my attention first echoing one of Agatha Christie's best, but then I spotted the series title and the blurb. I was already disposed to fall in love with this new mystery before I ever cracked the first page. First the title, then its set in a library focused on the golden age of British mystery which is in Bath, has a library cat, a murder, and the librarian/curator has never read a mystery? Couldn't pass it up.
The Bodies in the Library started out slow, nearly pedantic, as it introduced Hayley, her situation, the library, the other characters in relation to Hayley including a casual love interest, a grown daughter, her divorce situation, the curmudgeonly trust secretary, the Agatha Christie Fan Fiction writing group, and then we eventually got to the murder.
The opening chapters nearly doused my early enthusiasm as I waited for something to happen knowing I was reading a murder mystery. The victim being found as the body in the library finally got things rolling. Hayley was on thin ice letting the writing group use the library, but now her job is precariously in the balance if she doesn't get this murder solved and not blackening the library, the benefactress' good name and the board. Like many cozies, Hayley acknowledges the police's role in the investigation while taking on her own first-time amateur sleuthing after perusing a mystery for the first time.
I was somewhat more into it with the investigation underway, but also had some nitpicking moments that drew me away. Hayley got in a snit with boyfriend Val over something I didn't see as that big of a deal. Not a fan of drama for drama's sake even if it was brief. I also found it tough to believe she majored in 17th century lit from the get go let alone by the end when it didn't come up much with her. Oddly, I found it easy to believe she was curating a book collection from the Golden Age of British Mystery and hadn't read a blessed one of them- my sense of humor kicked in.
I was well-pleased that the lead character was middle-aged and something of an average person in looks and abilities. The issues with having to start over in a new job, a grown daughter off at university for the first time, and an annoying ex along with her antagonistic relationship with the quirky library board secretary added verisimilitude. Bunter the cat made me smile often and I loved how he inadvertently assisted Hayley on the case.
The mystery had me stumped though there was no shortage of suspects or reasons. The victim was not a surprise. But, when the reveal came, I had to squint in confusion. It was one of those 'couldn't get there from here' moments because I don't think anyone could have seen that coming the way it was laid out.
Fiona Hardingham was a stellar match for the book as its narrator. I thought she was great at all her voices, genders, and accents even though I pictured Hayley much younger at first based on the voice. It wasn't a kid voice, but just hadn't sounded middle-aged to me.
So, I ended up being moderately engaged with this one and would like to keep going with the series now that the introductory book is out of the way and things are established. I'm curious if that wisp of ghostly Lady Fowling will be real or just the imagination and I do like the library and city setting for a promising new series with a strong narrator.
My thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
The title caught my attention first echoing one of Agatha Christie's best, but then I spotted the series title and the blurb. I was already disposed to fall in love with this new mystery before I ever cracked the first page. First the title, then its set in a library focused on the golden age of British mystery which is in Bath, has a library cat, a murder, and the librarian/curator has never read a mystery? Couldn't pass it up.
The Bodies in the Library started out slow, nearly pedantic, as it introduced Hayley, her situation, the library, the other characters in relation to Hayley including a casual love interest, a grown daughter, her divorce situation, the curmudgeonly trust secretary, the Agatha Christie Fan Fiction writing group, and then we eventually got to the murder.
The opening chapters nearly doused my early enthusiasm as I waited for something to happen knowing I was reading a murder mystery. The victim being found as the body in the library finally got things rolling. Hayley was on thin ice letting the writing group use the library, but now her job is precariously in the balance if she doesn't get this murder solved and not blackening the library, the benefactress' good name and the board. Like many cozies, Hayley acknowledges the police's role in the investigation while taking on her own first-time amateur sleuthing after perusing a mystery for the first time.
I was somewhat more into it with the investigation underway, but also had some nitpicking moments that drew me away. Hayley got in a snit with boyfriend Val over something I didn't see as that big of a deal. Not a fan of drama for drama's sake even if it was brief. I also found it tough to believe she majored in 17th century lit from the get go let alone by the end when it didn't come up much with her. Oddly, I found it easy to believe she was curating a book collection from the Golden Age of British Mystery and hadn't read a blessed one of them- my sense of humor kicked in.
I was well-pleased that the lead character was middle-aged and something of an average person in looks and abilities. The issues with having to start over in a new job, a grown daughter off at university for the first time, and an annoying ex along with her antagonistic relationship with the quirky library board secretary added verisimilitude. Bunter the cat made me smile often and I loved how he inadvertently assisted Hayley on the case.
The mystery had me stumped though there was no shortage of suspects or reasons. The victim was not a surprise. But, when the reveal came, I had to squint in confusion. It was one of those 'couldn't get there from here' moments because I don't think anyone could have seen that coming the way it was laid out.
Fiona Hardingham was a stellar match for the book as its narrator. I thought she was great at all her voices, genders, and accents even though I pictured Hayley much younger at first based on the voice. It wasn't a kid voice, but just hadn't sounded middle-aged to me.
So, I ended up being moderately engaged with this one and would like to keep going with the series now that the introductory book is out of the way and things are established. I'm curious if that wisp of ghostly Lady Fowling will be real or just the imagination and I do like the library and city setting for a promising new series with a strong narrator.
My thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2020
This was really good! It was a different type of main character than we usually see in cozies which was a fun change. Hayley was working with a Golden Age library collection, but she'd never read a mystery in her life. Usually our sleuths have overflowing piles of mysteries in their homes, lol. She did have an epiphany though--I don't want to spoil too much.
For some reason, I picked the killer out fairly early, but finding out all the details and reasoning etc. was a fun ride, especially the showdown with the killer. I'm glad an online book club I'm in picked this book. I had my eye on borrowing it when it came out, but I never got around to doing that. I'm really anxious to find out when the next in the series will be out.
For some reason, I picked the killer out fairly early, but finding out all the details and reasoning etc. was a fun ride, especially the showdown with the killer. I'm glad an online book club I'm in picked this book. I had my eye on borrowing it when it came out, but I never got around to doing that. I'm really anxious to find out when the next in the series will be out.
November 5, 2019
I tried, and then I tried again, but the whole premise of the protagonist having never read any of the books in the library she is directing was just too ridiculous (she could have knocked out an Agatha Christie in an evening for goodness sake), plus the oh so obvious love interest plot line, just lost my interest a few chapters in. And then the «ÌýquirkyÌý» dan fiction group was trying SO hard to be stupidly quirky. I wanted to like this, But I could not.
November 30, 2019
The bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate was an enjoyable cozy read. Ms. Wingate's descriptive writing of Bath made me feel like I was there. The plot was smoothly paced with several quirky suspects as Hayley stumbled along trying to save her job, her home and the First Edition Library.
January 31, 2020
Fun first in series!
December 31, 2019
Ms. Hayley Burke has finally landed her dream job- curator for a rare books society. The only problem is, The First Edition Society is dedicated to the Golden Age of mystery writers and Hayley's degree is in 19th-century literature. She hasn't read one single book kept in the library, not even Middlebank House's former owner and library benefactor Lady Georgiana Fowling's own mysteries. Between that and a secretary who resists all attempts to do anything but keep Middlebank House a shrine to the late Lady Fowling and a quarrelsome fan-fiction writer's group, Hayley has her work cut out for her. When their cleaning lady finds the leader of the writer's group dead on the library floor Hayley is terrified and angry but content to let the police do their job. Content until she reads Miss Marple for the first time and discovers a new passion. She decides to just "help" the police solve the crime. It's a classic locked room mystery. How could someone deposit a dead body inside a locked, alarmed library? Miss Marple would know and Hayley is determined to find out.
This is a fun, light cozy mystery. I was instantly attracted to the idea of a woman heading up a library where she's never read any of the books. It's a funny and fun premise and one I can relate to. Like Hayley, my degree is in 19th-century literature and I've never read an Agatha Christie novel or most of the other Golden Age writers. I have seen a few movies, as has Hayley. The coziness factor of the story gets a full 5 stars from me in spite an older heroine (mid-40s with a 22-year-old daughter) of a cat and a slight paranormal element. It would have been better if Hayley was American though or if they publisher had used British spelling. I couldn't read Hayley's voice in my head as British.
I loved the Bath setting. I've been there and LOVED it. I have a Victorian map of Bath on my bedroom wall. I couldn't really follow in Hayley's footsteps as the author acknowledges she took some creative license with the geography to make her story better. It was still fun to get a quick peek at some of the places I went to and walked by.
Mystery-wise, the mystery is pretty good. I was able to put it down about halfway. I didn't care who killed Trist or why. I did pick up on the subtle clues to figure out who the murderer was. It ends up being pretty obvious. If Hayley wasn't so new to the business, and if she hadn't wanted it to be someone else, she would have figured it out too. She does eventually come across the truth but not before it's almost too late. Unfortunately she doesn't save herself in the end but neither does she rely on help from a man.
Obviously I loved Hayley and can relate to her a lot. She's a bit ditzy and stupid at times and she tried to overcompensate for her divorce by spoiling her young adult daughter. Hayley, it turns out, is actually good at her job and has some great ideas for actually utilizing the collection and bringing the First Edition Society to public notice. What I did not like about her storyline was the romance. Hayley was burned once so now she seems to be twice shy. Her ex was an immature loser and her current boyfriend is also immature and insensitive. Wyn is way too obsessed with his work. He doesn't listen to Hayley or understand her. He doesn't seem to care about her in any way and just dismisses her life outside of his. He is blind to his insensitivity and uses Hayley as a booty call and a sounding board for his latest ideas but never has a conversation with her. I would have kicked him to the curb long ago. There was a love triangle that ended up resolved too quickly. I'm not crazy about Val Moffett either. He seems nice at first and they have good chemistry but then he says things that make him sound like an arrogant jerk. He's more sensitive to Hayley's needs and more caring than Wyn but he's a little oversensitive at times.
I really like the quirky secondary characters associated with the Society. Mrs. Woogar is one of those annoying little old ladies wedded to tradition and upholding the old ways, etc. etc. Yet, as Hayley got to know her and understand her, Mrs. Woolgar grew on me. I think I understand her. I absolutely love Hayley's best friend Adele. I was aghast at her approach to working at the Jane Austen Centre but she's fun and loyal. My one quibble was how randomly she seemed to be attracted to certain women and the conversation leaped to not wanting to be fixed up. That's a huge leap from "is she gay too?" to "No I don't want to be fixed up." Adele doesn't want to be fixed up but she has no problems fixing Hayley and Val up. Some of the other board members are delightful as well, especially Mrs. Moon and Mrs. Moon. They sound charming. Mrs. Arbunot and Mrs. Frost seem snooty but one of them surprised me in the end and made the story funnier.
Honorable mention goes to Bunter, Lady Fowling's cat. He is appropriately snooty and adorable when he wants to be. Bunter seems to have a sixth sense about leading Hayley to clues, which I thought was rather silly. Lady Fowling sounds like she was quite a character! I would have liked to have met this eccentric woman who collected mysteries from her youth. She lived a long, full life with gusto and I agree with Hayley that she would be pleased with Hayley's ideas. Hayley thinks Lady Fowling's presence is still in the home and that gives the story a slight paranormal aspect I didn't quite care for but I'm willing to keep an open mind as long as Lady Fowling doesn't actually show up as a ghost.
I did not like Dinah, Hayley's daughter. It's unclear why she took two gap years before going to University but it is clear Dinah is spoiled. She manipulates her mother into giving her money. She doesn't ask outright, she just speaks enthusiastically about her plans and her plans always end up costing money. I do like Hayley's relationship with her own mother. I don't know what happened to Hayley's father but her mother has faced a lot of adversity and managed to come out cheerful. Hayley's mom is always there for her daughter and knows what Hayley is thinking and feeling even when Hayley doesn't know herself.
The murder victim is a young man named Trist who heads up a fan-fiction writers group that meets in the library. He was not a pleasant person, always arguing with people and hinting at problems within the group. Trist was a bit frightening. I don't think he deserved to die but out of all the writers, he was the most unpleasant.
Hayley compiles a list of suspects, most of whom are unfortunately connected with the library in some way. First on the list is Lady Fowling's greedy nephew, Charles Henry Dill. Dill will stop at nothing to undermine Hayley's job and ruin the Society so he can get his hands on Middlebank House. I don't see the point of that since most of the high-value items are in the bank and belong to the Society. He's interested in the Georgian terraced house and the antiques that will surely bring him money or status but it's not clear WHY he is so interested. Does he need money? His aunt recognized how greedy and selfish her nephew was and cut him off. Dill sounds lazy and stupid. It would be nice if he were the killer! Second on Hayley's list is unfortunately her cleaning lady Pauline. Who else had a key and access code? She works part-time for her brother Leonard at his pub, The Minerva. Leonard seems to be a shifty character. Another suspect is Leonard's girlfriend, Lulu. She was seen arguing with Pauline and acts suspicious. If Lulu is the killer, did Pauline know about it? Did Pauline assist?
Not safe from suspicion are certain members of the writer's group who don't have alibis for the time of the murder. Mariella has a young child and a husband at home. She has everything to lose if she killed Trist. Harry is a do-gooder type, always telling tales about her fellow writers. She seems more nervous and silly; brooding over Trist's death and trying to help the police. Could she be feeling bad because she killed him? What about Peter who was seen arguing with Trist? Peter seems to have an edge about him. I don't like his temper. Amanda, a student in Val Moffett's writing class, seems very upset by Trist's death but has taken over leading the group with gusto. I don't particularly like her. I find her personality abrasive and she acts like Trist when she takes over the group. If she doesn't take care and one of the other writers killed Trist, she'll be next.
The murder seemed mentally unbalanced. Of course one would have to be to commit murder but the motive was rather weak and strange.
The police in this novel have a sense of humor. They're well aware of the cozy mystery fans out there who like to play armchair detective. We can't all be Miss Marple. Detective Sergeant Hopgood is non-nonsense but fair. He's always kind to Hayley and listens to most of what she has to say. He gets exasperated by the mystery writers trying to get information from him but he doesn't lose his temper and arrest any of them. They're not doing anything wrong. DC Kenny Pyle is a fun character. He has a sense of humor more than Hopgood and isn't as tough. Hopgood has to be tough to do his job and I appreciate that he checks into the things Hayley asks him to and takes her concerns seriously. This isn't your usual small town sheriff mucking up an investigation. This is Bath, an old and popular city, a tourist destination where crime happens.
I can't wait to read more in this series. It's a lot of fun.
This is a fun, light cozy mystery. I was instantly attracted to the idea of a woman heading up a library where she's never read any of the books. It's a funny and fun premise and one I can relate to. Like Hayley, my degree is in 19th-century literature and I've never read an Agatha Christie novel or most of the other Golden Age writers. I have seen a few movies, as has Hayley. The coziness factor of the story gets a full 5 stars from me in spite an older heroine (mid-40s with a 22-year-old daughter) of a cat and a slight paranormal element. It would have been better if Hayley was American though or if they publisher had used British spelling. I couldn't read Hayley's voice in my head as British.
I loved the Bath setting. I've been there and LOVED it. I have a Victorian map of Bath on my bedroom wall. I couldn't really follow in Hayley's footsteps as the author acknowledges she took some creative license with the geography to make her story better. It was still fun to get a quick peek at some of the places I went to and walked by.
Mystery-wise, the mystery is pretty good. I was able to put it down about halfway. I didn't care who killed Trist or why. I did pick up on the subtle clues to figure out who the murderer was. It ends up being pretty obvious. If Hayley wasn't so new to the business, and if she hadn't wanted it to be someone else, she would have figured it out too. She does eventually come across the truth but not before it's almost too late. Unfortunately she doesn't save herself in the end but neither does she rely on help from a man.
Obviously I loved Hayley and can relate to her a lot. She's a bit ditzy and stupid at times and she tried to overcompensate for her divorce by spoiling her young adult daughter. Hayley, it turns out, is actually good at her job and has some great ideas for actually utilizing the collection and bringing the First Edition Society to public notice. What I did not like about her storyline was the romance. Hayley was burned once so now she seems to be twice shy. Her ex was an immature loser and her current boyfriend is also immature and insensitive. Wyn is way too obsessed with his work. He doesn't listen to Hayley or understand her. He doesn't seem to care about her in any way and just dismisses her life outside of his. He is blind to his insensitivity and uses Hayley as a booty call and a sounding board for his latest ideas but never has a conversation with her. I would have kicked him to the curb long ago. There was a love triangle that ended up resolved too quickly. I'm not crazy about Val Moffett either. He seems nice at first and they have good chemistry but then he says things that make him sound like an arrogant jerk. He's more sensitive to Hayley's needs and more caring than Wyn but he's a little oversensitive at times.
I really like the quirky secondary characters associated with the Society. Mrs. Woogar is one of those annoying little old ladies wedded to tradition and upholding the old ways, etc. etc. Yet, as Hayley got to know her and understand her, Mrs. Woolgar grew on me. I think I understand her. I absolutely love Hayley's best friend Adele. I was aghast at her approach to working at the Jane Austen Centre but she's fun and loyal. My one quibble was how randomly she seemed to be attracted to certain women and the conversation leaped to not wanting to be fixed up. That's a huge leap from "is she gay too?" to "No I don't want to be fixed up." Adele doesn't want to be fixed up but she has no problems fixing Hayley and Val up. Some of the other board members are delightful as well, especially Mrs. Moon and Mrs. Moon. They sound charming. Mrs. Arbunot and Mrs. Frost seem snooty but one of them surprised me in the end and made the story funnier.
Honorable mention goes to Bunter, Lady Fowling's cat. He is appropriately snooty and adorable when he wants to be. Bunter seems to have a sixth sense about leading Hayley to clues, which I thought was rather silly. Lady Fowling sounds like she was quite a character! I would have liked to have met this eccentric woman who collected mysteries from her youth. She lived a long, full life with gusto and I agree with Hayley that she would be pleased with Hayley's ideas. Hayley thinks Lady Fowling's presence is still in the home and that gives the story a slight paranormal aspect I didn't quite care for but I'm willing to keep an open mind as long as Lady Fowling doesn't actually show up as a ghost.
I did not like Dinah, Hayley's daughter. It's unclear why she took two gap years before going to University but it is clear Dinah is spoiled. She manipulates her mother into giving her money. She doesn't ask outright, she just speaks enthusiastically about her plans and her plans always end up costing money. I do like Hayley's relationship with her own mother. I don't know what happened to Hayley's father but her mother has faced a lot of adversity and managed to come out cheerful. Hayley's mom is always there for her daughter and knows what Hayley is thinking and feeling even when Hayley doesn't know herself.
The murder victim is a young man named Trist who heads up a fan-fiction writers group that meets in the library. He was not a pleasant person, always arguing with people and hinting at problems within the group. Trist was a bit frightening. I don't think he deserved to die but out of all the writers, he was the most unpleasant.
Hayley compiles a list of suspects, most of whom are unfortunately connected with the library in some way. First on the list is Lady Fowling's greedy nephew, Charles Henry Dill. Dill will stop at nothing to undermine Hayley's job and ruin the Society so he can get his hands on Middlebank House. I don't see the point of that since most of the high-value items are in the bank and belong to the Society. He's interested in the Georgian terraced house and the antiques that will surely bring him money or status but it's not clear WHY he is so interested. Does he need money? His aunt recognized how greedy and selfish her nephew was and cut him off. Dill sounds lazy and stupid. It would be nice if he were the killer! Second on Hayley's list is unfortunately her cleaning lady Pauline. Who else had a key and access code? She works part-time for her brother Leonard at his pub, The Minerva. Leonard seems to be a shifty character. Another suspect is Leonard's girlfriend, Lulu. She was seen arguing with Pauline and acts suspicious. If Lulu is the killer, did Pauline know about it? Did Pauline assist?
Not safe from suspicion are certain members of the writer's group who don't have alibis for the time of the murder. Mariella has a young child and a husband at home. She has everything to lose if she killed Trist. Harry is a do-gooder type, always telling tales about her fellow writers. She seems more nervous and silly; brooding over Trist's death and trying to help the police. Could she be feeling bad because she killed him? What about Peter who was seen arguing with Trist? Peter seems to have an edge about him. I don't like his temper. Amanda, a student in Val Moffett's writing class, seems very upset by Trist's death but has taken over leading the group with gusto. I don't particularly like her. I find her personality abrasive and she acts like Trist when she takes over the group. If she doesn't take care and one of the other writers killed Trist, she'll be next.
The murder seemed mentally unbalanced. Of course one would have to be to commit murder but the motive was rather weak and strange.
The police in this novel have a sense of humor. They're well aware of the cozy mystery fans out there who like to play armchair detective. We can't all be Miss Marple. Detective Sergeant Hopgood is non-nonsense but fair. He's always kind to Hayley and listens to most of what she has to say. He gets exasperated by the mystery writers trying to get information from him but he doesn't lose his temper and arrest any of them. They're not doing anything wrong. DC Kenny Pyle is a fun character. He has a sense of humor more than Hopgood and isn't as tough. Hopgood has to be tough to do his job and I appreciate that he checks into the things Hayley asks him to and takes her concerns seriously. This isn't your usual small town sheriff mucking up an investigation. This is Bath, an old and popular city, a tourist destination where crime happens.
I can't wait to read more in this series. It's a lot of fun.
November 22, 2019
ARC received courtesy of Berkley Publishing
This is the first of the cozy mysteries in the "First Edition Library Mystery" series. I do enjoy this genre every so often. I always know the mystery will be solved and everything will turn out well in the end. This new series is off to a good start.
Hayley Burke is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition Library; a job for which she's not totally qualified. The library is the home of first edition mysteries by writers of the 30's and 40's and Hayley hasn't ever read one. As the new curator she allows a group of fan fiction writers to meet in the library once a week. The trouble begins when one of the writer's is murdered and his body is brought inside the library in the night.
I thought the book was well written and a little odd which is perfect for this genre. I enjoyed the characters and I didn't have the mystery solved right away. It's a good first book in a new series.
This is the first of the cozy mysteries in the "First Edition Library Mystery" series. I do enjoy this genre every so often. I always know the mystery will be solved and everything will turn out well in the end. This new series is off to a good start.
Hayley Burke is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition Library; a job for which she's not totally qualified. The library is the home of first edition mysteries by writers of the 30's and 40's and Hayley hasn't ever read one. As the new curator she allows a group of fan fiction writers to meet in the library once a week. The trouble begins when one of the writer's is murdered and his body is brought inside the library in the night.
I thought the book was well written and a little odd which is perfect for this genre. I enjoyed the characters and I didn't have the mystery solved right away. It's a good first book in a new series.
April 5, 2023
I loved this start to a new series. Hayley Burke is the new curator at the First Edition Library in Bath, England. The library is the late Lady Georgiana Fowler's collection of books from the golden age of mysteries. The only catch is that Hayley studied nineteenth century literature and has never read a detective story. Nonetheless she is bluffing her way through and eventually begins reading Agatha Christie. Hayley has invited a group of Agatha Christie fan fiction writers to meet at Middlebank house. That is when the trouble starts with "the body in the library."
This book is so charming. Hayley is a flawed character who brings her mother and daughter into the story. Her love life is a mess, but she eventually gets on a better path with that. The mystery was good with plenty of red herrings. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
This book is so charming. Hayley is a flawed character who brings her mother and daughter into the story. Her love life is a mess, but she eventually gets on a better path with that. The mystery was good with plenty of red herrings. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
January 2, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Very well written, very much keeps your attention and I literally couldn't put it down.
It helped that I just recently finished my 1st two Agatha Christie books about Miss Marple. This book is set in a library focused on classic mysteries where Agatha Christie is spotlighted. The main character often wonders "what would Miss Marple do?".
It helped that I just recently finished my 1st two Agatha Christie books about Miss Marple. This book is set in a library focused on classic mysteries where Agatha Christie is spotlighted. The main character often wonders "what would Miss Marple do?".
May 8, 2020
Setting: Bath, England. Marty Wingate’s The Bodies in the Library (First Edition Library Mystery,#1) begins a new series in which Halley Burke becomes the curator of Lady Georgians Fowling’s First Edition Library which is in what was her home, Middlebank House, a beautiful Georgian house. Lady Fowling passed away recently, but she was in her 90s. Lady Fowling enjoyed reading ‘Golden Age� mysteries by authors such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margaret Allingham. Hayley has a flat on the Library’s 2nd floor, and Mrs. Woolgar, Lady Fowling’s personal assistant, is the Library’s secretary and ‘militant� keep every thing where it belongs person. Hayley wants to ‘update� some of the Library’s programs, but Mrs. Woolgar just wants to keep Middlebank as Lady Fowling Hadith set up! Then a body is found in the Library, and The First Edition Library is the place to be. I think this series has super possibilities, and Hayley, who knows not a thing about these mysteries, will become a ‘Miss Marple� much to the horror of the local constables, but as this is #1, the author must ‘set the stage�, and I believe #1 is too repetitive and too long. I am looking forward to #2 though. 3.5 stars.
August 16, 2019
Huge thanks to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and Berkley/Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC!
Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery! As someone who is just now starting to really read Agatha Christie, I could really appreciate the references in this book.
Hayley is a relatable MC - smart, funny, and is aware of her faults.
I feel like typical cozies have a good amount of light romance and mystery. This one had the romantic element, but definitely focused on the mystery itself more which definitely gave more time for secondary character development.
Will be buying a finished copy and checking out the next one whenever it comes out!
Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery! As someone who is just now starting to really read Agatha Christie, I could really appreciate the references in this book.
Hayley is a relatable MC - smart, funny, and is aware of her faults.
I feel like typical cozies have a good amount of light romance and mystery. This one had the romantic element, but definitely focused on the mystery itself more which definitely gave more time for secondary character development.
Will be buying a finished copy and checking out the next one whenever it comes out!
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 1, 2021DNF @24%
The cute cover drew me this novel, but the story was sooo slow in picking up that I abandoned right when a character was killed. The main character seemed more like a secondary character. I just couldn't connect with the character or book.
The cute cover drew me this novel, but the story was sooo slow in picking up that I abandoned right when a character was killed. The main character seemed more like a secondary character. I just couldn't connect with the character or book.
November 19, 2019
You can read all my review on Blog -
The Bodies in the Library was interesting cozy murder mystery that revolved around Hayley’s job as curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition Society at Lady Fowling’s Middlebank House, turned into library containing vast collection of first edition books by women authors from Golden Age of Mystery. It was about fanfiction, maintaining and respecting the legacy, secrets, conflicts, and friendship.
Book was first person narrative. Hayley’s voice was relatable, fun and so very British. Like her, I also haven’t read Christie, Slayers or Daphne books, and similarly I feel so bad for not reading them now. I could see how she felt when her position as curator was questioned.
Hayley’s expertise was 19th century literature. She never read mystery novels, knew nothing about Miss Marple and Poirot. She was lucky to have this job. With job, she was given accommodation in same premises, a grand and beautiful Georgian house. Mrs. Woolger, former secretary and caretaker of society, also lived and worked at Middlebank and didn’t know about Hayley’s lack of knowledge about the Golden Age of Mysteries. She didn’t like Hayleys� ideas ways of running things. They didn’t see eye to eye. So, Hayley’s constant fear of being taken as fraud and losing her dream job was palpable.
She worked hard to fulfil her job and to spread word about the society, she invited fanfiction writers to society’s library for weekly meet up, but when one of the writer’s dead body was found in the library, that ended up in jeopardizing her job and Society’s reputation.
No clues and many suspects, I was curious to know how Hayley was going to find the murderer. What made the idea even more exciting was, she knew nothing about investigation until she read Christie’s Miss Marple book, The Body in the Library. It was fun to see her growing interest in mysteries and she did wonderful job in gathering clues. We could see how armature she was, not asking questions so subtly, taking risks and not keeping an open mind.
Hayley was great throughout the book. I liked her passion and ideas. Her efforts to keep her job safe. Her relationship with her mother was lovely. I also enjoyed Hayley and Mrs. Woolger contrasting nature in the book and how both could work together when it came to saving Society.
All characters, especially writers, were quirky and inetreting. Author did wonderful job with them. Their fanfiction ideas and stories were fun. It was entertaining to see them inquiring about murder. Each had lot of questions and advise for Sargent who was so frustrated within few days of murder. And did I tell you anything about that cat in the cover. All credit for discovering clues and mysterious things goes to him.
The romance in between murder mystery was sweet. Hayley’s conflicting emotions for Van Moffatt and Wyn Rundle added spice to story. Wyn was really exhausting and I wonder why she liked him in first place. Val was brilliant throughout the book. I didn’t appreciate Val’s behavior in first meeting. He looked a bit jealous but as I knew him more, I liked him better.
What I loved most in the book was modern day setting along with Golden age of Mystery. It created wonderful atmosphere. Description of Middlebank house, the First Edition Society, Bath was mesmerizing. It was interesting to know Lady Georgiana Fowling’s life and her passion. And book cannot be complete without Christie and other mystery writers� characters.
Suspense was good. I couldn’t guess who the murderer was until last few chapters. And the motive was only cleared in last chapter. End was satisfying and lovely. I can’t wait to see what new mysteries awaits for Hayley in next books.
Why 4 stars-
Everything was perfect but that motive for murder ruined the fun.
Overall, it was promising first book in new series. Interesting writing, atmospheric setting, and cozy mystery makes this book perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and this genre.
*** Note: I received e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to PRHGlobal for free copy. ***
The Bodies in the Library was interesting cozy murder mystery that revolved around Hayley’s job as curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition Society at Lady Fowling’s Middlebank House, turned into library containing vast collection of first edition books by women authors from Golden Age of Mystery. It was about fanfiction, maintaining and respecting the legacy, secrets, conflicts, and friendship.
Book was first person narrative. Hayley’s voice was relatable, fun and so very British. Like her, I also haven’t read Christie, Slayers or Daphne books, and similarly I feel so bad for not reading them now. I could see how she felt when her position as curator was questioned.
Hayley’s expertise was 19th century literature. She never read mystery novels, knew nothing about Miss Marple and Poirot. She was lucky to have this job. With job, she was given accommodation in same premises, a grand and beautiful Georgian house. Mrs. Woolger, former secretary and caretaker of society, also lived and worked at Middlebank and didn’t know about Hayley’s lack of knowledge about the Golden Age of Mysteries. She didn’t like Hayleys� ideas ways of running things. They didn’t see eye to eye. So, Hayley’s constant fear of being taken as fraud and losing her dream job was palpable.
She worked hard to fulfil her job and to spread word about the society, she invited fanfiction writers to society’s library for weekly meet up, but when one of the writer’s dead body was found in the library, that ended up in jeopardizing her job and Society’s reputation.
No clues and many suspects, I was curious to know how Hayley was going to find the murderer. What made the idea even more exciting was, she knew nothing about investigation until she read Christie’s Miss Marple book, The Body in the Library. It was fun to see her growing interest in mysteries and she did wonderful job in gathering clues. We could see how armature she was, not asking questions so subtly, taking risks and not keeping an open mind.
Hayley was great throughout the book. I liked her passion and ideas. Her efforts to keep her job safe. Her relationship with her mother was lovely. I also enjoyed Hayley and Mrs. Woolger contrasting nature in the book and how both could work together when it came to saving Society.
All characters, especially writers, were quirky and inetreting. Author did wonderful job with them. Their fanfiction ideas and stories were fun. It was entertaining to see them inquiring about murder. Each had lot of questions and advise for Sargent who was so frustrated within few days of murder. And did I tell you anything about that cat in the cover. All credit for discovering clues and mysterious things goes to him.
The romance in between murder mystery was sweet. Hayley’s conflicting emotions for Van Moffatt and Wyn Rundle added spice to story. Wyn was really exhausting and I wonder why she liked him in first place. Val was brilliant throughout the book. I didn’t appreciate Val’s behavior in first meeting. He looked a bit jealous but as I knew him more, I liked him better.
What I loved most in the book was modern day setting along with Golden age of Mystery. It created wonderful atmosphere. Description of Middlebank house, the First Edition Society, Bath was mesmerizing. It was interesting to know Lady Georgiana Fowling’s life and her passion. And book cannot be complete without Christie and other mystery writers� characters.
Suspense was good. I couldn’t guess who the murderer was until last few chapters. And the motive was only cleared in last chapter. End was satisfying and lovely. I can’t wait to see what new mysteries awaits for Hayley in next books.
Why 4 stars-
Everything was perfect but that motive for murder ruined the fun.
Overall, it was promising first book in new series. Interesting writing, atmospheric setting, and cozy mystery makes this book perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and this genre.
*** Note: I received e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to PRHGlobal for free copy. ***
October 11, 2019
Marty Wingate’s latest novel The Bodies in the Library is the first installment in her new cozy mystery series entitled First Edition Library Mystery and boy, is it a gem of a book! Set in the wonderful city of Bath, England, The Bodies in the Library follows Hayley Blake, who is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition library.
I, quite frankly, was sold on this cozy mystery as soon as I realized it was set in a library, but my enjoyment of the book only grew as I got to know Hayley and her coworker, Glynis Woolgar. Hayley is a delightful character and it’s fun to watch her determination as she strives to make a go of her new job, with a major goal being to modernize the library and make it more relevant and vital to Bath’s society. Glynis is not a big fan of change and so pretty much fights her every step of the way. Glynis is especially not a fan of the writer’s group Hayley invites to use the library’s space for their weekly meetings. Hayley thinks it’s a perfect fit because the library is known for its collection of first editions written by famous mystery writers like Agatha Christie, and this particular writer’s group specializes in writing fanfiction based on Christie’s novels. When one of the writers turns up dead in the library, however, Hayley starts to think that maybe Glynis was right and when the police don’t move fast enough to suit her, she takes matters into her own hands to see if she can catch a killer. After all, her library’s reputation is at stake here!
Okay, I really don’t want to say much else since it’s a mystery and I don’t want to spoil it, but seriously, how can you resist a cozy mystery set in a library with a bunch of fanfiction writers as possible murder suspects? The Bodies in the Library is a fun read with plenty of plot twists to keep you thoroughly entertained and guessing who the murderer is until the very end. If you like libraries, feisty protagonists, and cozy mysteries, The Bodies in the Library needs to be on your reading list!
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I, quite frankly, was sold on this cozy mystery as soon as I realized it was set in a library, but my enjoyment of the book only grew as I got to know Hayley and her coworker, Glynis Woolgar. Hayley is a delightful character and it’s fun to watch her determination as she strives to make a go of her new job, with a major goal being to modernize the library and make it more relevant and vital to Bath’s society. Glynis is not a big fan of change and so pretty much fights her every step of the way. Glynis is especially not a fan of the writer’s group Hayley invites to use the library’s space for their weekly meetings. Hayley thinks it’s a perfect fit because the library is known for its collection of first editions written by famous mystery writers like Agatha Christie, and this particular writer’s group specializes in writing fanfiction based on Christie’s novels. When one of the writers turns up dead in the library, however, Hayley starts to think that maybe Glynis was right and when the police don’t move fast enough to suit her, she takes matters into her own hands to see if she can catch a killer. After all, her library’s reputation is at stake here!
Okay, I really don’t want to say much else since it’s a mystery and I don’t want to spoil it, but seriously, how can you resist a cozy mystery set in a library with a bunch of fanfiction writers as possible murder suspects? The Bodies in the Library is a fun read with plenty of plot twists to keep you thoroughly entertained and guessing who the murderer is until the very end. If you like libraries, feisty protagonists, and cozy mysteries, The Bodies in the Library needs to be on your reading list!
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
October 20, 2019
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.
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.
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.
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.
February 3, 2020
The Bodies in the Library is book one in the First Edition Library Mystery by Marty Wingate. After achieving the job of her dreams, the curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition Library Hayley Burke decided to allow the Agatha Christie fan fiction, writers group to meet in the library. However, for Hayley, after a body was found in the library to start to investigate before she loses her dream job. The readers of The Bodies in the Library will continue to follow Hayley to find out what happens.
The Bodies in the Library is the first book I have read of Marty Wingate, and I did find The Bodies in the Library awful slow in parts. However, I did enjoy reading The Bodies in the Library. I love Marty Wingate portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other. The Bodies in the Library is well written and researched by Marty Wingate. I like the way Marty Wingate described the setting of The Bodies in the Library.
The readers of The Bodies in the Library will learn about being a curator of small private Library. Also, the readers of The Bodies in the Library will learn about setting up a fiction writers group.
I recommend this book.
The Bodies in the Library is the first book I have read of Marty Wingate, and I did find The Bodies in the Library awful slow in parts. However, I did enjoy reading The Bodies in the Library. I love Marty Wingate portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other. The Bodies in the Library is well written and researched by Marty Wingate. I like the way Marty Wingate described the setting of The Bodies in the Library.
The readers of The Bodies in the Library will learn about being a curator of small private Library. Also, the readers of The Bodies in the Library will learn about setting up a fiction writers group.
I recommend this book.
September 13, 2022
I thought it was a fun read, and I'll put the next in the series on my library hold list. It wasn't great literature, but the characters and plot were enjoyable.
January 25, 2020
I was impressed with how well this was written. I thought it was excellent. The idea that the curator of a Mystery Library does not know anything about mysteries is hysterical but I'm glad it didn't last forever because too many people love the Golden Age mysteries, including me, that it would get annoying fast when she was mentally doing a who is that whenever any of the detectives are mentioned.
A down-to-earth MC who indulges her almost-grown up daughter, is in a dead-end relationship, and has work problems is very easy to identify with. Love that she believes that the police should actually do the investigating and she has no plans to become an amateur detective. She actually tries to bring all what she believes to be "clues" to the police to let them deal with it. Well, then she has an epiphany of reading an Agatha Christie and understands why people love mysteries. Of course she decides to do a little investigating on her own, if she didn't there wouldn't be a series. But at least she still tries to give the police all that she learns. A personal pet peeve of mine--though it doesn't stop me from reading mysteries--an amateur detective thinking that they know better than the police can be annoying unless there is real reason behind it.
This was a great start to a new series. I really liked the characters, there was humor, mention of the Golden Age classics, and a good series.
A down-to-earth MC who indulges her almost-grown up daughter, is in a dead-end relationship, and has work problems is very easy to identify with. Love that she believes that the police should actually do the investigating and she has no plans to become an amateur detective. She actually tries to bring all what she believes to be "clues" to the police to let them deal with it. Well, then she has an epiphany of reading an Agatha Christie and understands why people love mysteries. Of course she decides to do a little investigating on her own, if she didn't there wouldn't be a series. But at least she still tries to give the police all that she learns. A personal pet peeve of mine--though it doesn't stop me from reading mysteries--an amateur detective thinking that they know better than the police can be annoying unless there is real reason behind it.
This was a great start to a new series. I really liked the characters, there was humor, mention of the Golden Age classics, and a good series.
January 26, 2020
Author Marty Wingate's newest series, The First Edition Library Mysteries, is off to a great start with The Bodies in the Library. Meet Hayley Burke, who's landed her dream job as the new curator of the The First Edition Society which specializes in the novels of the women authors of the Golden Age of Mystery. Two small problems - first, Hayley is completely unfamiliar with the novels, and second, it doesn't take long until she actually finds a body in the library (cue suspenseful music!)!!! Hayley must work to solve the murder and save the library from the greedy nephew of its benefactress, all whilst dealing with a multitude of relationship problems. I adored the book and think that any lover of British cozies will as well! Do yourself a favor and pour a cup of tea, grab a scone (or perhaps a ready meal from Waitrose), and commence reading!
January 2, 2021
this was okay - the first in a series. Nothing really stood out for me in this and some of the conflicts weren't believable. For example, if the reader buys into the idea that the board of trustees hires Hayley to curate a collection of First Editions of the golden age of detective fiction written by women (Christie, Sayers, etc), and didn't care enough to find out if Hayley a)has read ANY detective fiction or b) has read these authors (by the way she hasn't), then why would a threat to expose her ignorance to the board have any teeth? The same with some of the blackmail threats - an affair-between two consenting adults?
I guess that is my problem with this story -in general everything was just so-so. I won't seek out any more but if one fell in my lap I would probably read it.
I guess that is my problem with this story -in general everything was just so-so. I won't seek out any more but if one fell in my lap I would probably read it.
April 25, 2022
First book in the First Editions Library series and it was an okay start to a series. Hayley has a job as curator for the first editions library society and she is in charge of the golden age mysteries but she knows nothing about mystery because she has never read any. She lets a group of writers use one of the rooms and then one of the writers is murdered and Hayley tries to figure out who killed the victim. Overall it was okay but I thought the part where she has a boyfriend but doesn't really have one since he is gone all the time, then starts liking this other guy so decides to break up with said boyfriend part of the story could have been left out it just didn't make sense, other than that I thought it was okay and had a decent mystery.Ìý
October 10, 2020
A good book to pick up and enjoy immediately.
A murder occurs in theSociety Library. An investigation proceeds involving the library director, police and suspects. Written in typical British vernacular, the book is delightful. Along the investigation there is a bit of romance thrown in. An easy fun book.
A murder occurs in theSociety Library. An investigation proceeds involving the library director, police and suspects. Written in typical British vernacular, the book is delightful. Along the investigation there is a bit of romance thrown in. An easy fun book.
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