The Bodies in the Library

August 1, 2019
A curator of a collection of rare mysteries solves a puzzle of her own. A degree in 19th-century literature doesn't open many doors, Hayley Burke discovers, and those that do open seldom lead to treasure troves. So when her stint as assistant to the assistant curator of the Jane Austen Centre in Bath doesn't quite cover expenses, Hayley thinks herself lucky to be offered the position of curator of The First Edition Society. Founded by the late Lady Georgiana Fowling as a repository for her vast collection of mystery novels, the society hasn't quite decided whether it's a library, a social club, or an educational institution. What it clearly is is Hayley's home, since the job offers both Hayley and the society's secretary, Glynis Woolgar, apartments in Middlebank House, the spacious mansion that houses the late Lady Fowling's collection. In an effort to expand the society's profile, Hayley also opens Middlebank House to the weekly meetings of a local writers' group that specializes in mystery fan fiction. But the morning after a particularly contentious session pitting writers of Agatha Christie vampire mashups against creators of Agatha Christie zombie pastiches, the corpse of Tristram Cummins is discovered in the library. Now Hayley's job is on the line, as the tabloids move in and the board of directors suddenly finds the society's profile a little too high. Even worse, Charles Henry Dill, Lady Fowling's rapacious nephew, discovers that Hayley hasn't read most of the authors featured in his aunt's collection. Alarmed, Hayley gets down to work, and only a few novels later, Wingate (Midsummer Mayhem, 2019, etc.) shows her channeling Miss Marple accurately enough to give the police a run for their money in unmasking a killer. Not as tightly clued as a Christie original, this initial First Edition entry still gives readers what they came for.

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August 5, 2019
Hayley Burke, the narrator of this appealing, if flawed, series launch set in Bath, England, from Wingate (the Potting Shed mysteries), accepts a major responsibility when she becomes the curator of the late Lady Georgina Fowling’s collection of first editions of women authors from the golden age of mystery. Desperate to prove her worth and revitalize the public image of the library that houses the collection, Hayley invites a group of mystery writers to hold their weekly meetings there. When the arrogant group leader is found with his head bashed in on the library floor, the police have no murder weapon and no clues. Inspired by Miss Marple in Agatha Christie’s The Body in the Library, Hayley turns amateur sleuth. Wingate focuses more on setting up the characters and a romance for Hayley than on developing the mystery, making for a somewhat muddled plot. Hopefully, the sequel will better balance the various elements. Fans of British sleuths will appreciate the references to the classics of the genre. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

October 11, 2019

A degree in 19th-century literature doesn't really qualify Hayley Burke to be the curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition Library in Bath, England. Lady Fowling's prized first editions are actually locked up, but there are numerous examples of Golden Age mysteries in the library at Middlebank House--books by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh. Hayley hasn't read any of them. However, when a member of a small writing group is found dead in the library, she brushes up on her Christie. What would Miss Marple do to investigate the death? Hayley's suspects include the writers, Lady Fowling's lout of a nephew who wants to challenge the will, even the cleaning lady. She's lucky the police would rather listen to her fumbling suggestions than deal with the author group. VERDICT The heroine of this new series from Wingate ("Potting Shed" series) is a pushover for anyone with more confidence, including her daughter, her boyfriend, the secretary at the library, and the writers. Owing to her lack of knowledge and insecurity, the book feels too long. Fans of Golden Age mysteries would do better to read the authors themselves.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
Hayley Burke has a plummy job: curator at the First Edition Society's library in Bath, England, home of the late Lady Fowling's collection of classic mysteries. Against the wishes of the society's secretary, who is disgusted by change, Hayley tries to increase the collection's profile by inviting an Agatha Christie fan-fiction writing group to meet there. Life follows art a little too closely when one of the group is found dead in the library, evoking Christie's The Body in the Library and forcing Hayley to take a page out of Miss Marple's book if she is to save both her job and her employer's reputation. The whodunit offers challenges to even savvy mystery fans, and it is nicely complemented by a sweet romance between Hayley and a local professor, with extra intrigue thrown in by the presence of Lady Fowling's gold-digger nephew. This series debut will delight lovers of literary-themed romance and mystery; the perfect companion, of course, is the nearly eponymous Christie work, but fans of Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry (2014) should also be steered toward Wingate's latest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)