Murder in the Reading Room

<p><b><i>New York crime-fiction librarian</i></b>-<b><i>and reluctant amateur sleuth</i></b>-<b><i>Ray Ambler investigates a puzzling murder that''s too close to home for comfort.</i></b><br><br>Raymond Ambler, crime-fiction curator at New York City''s prestigious 42nd Street Library, doesn''t consider it a big deal when he misses a call from visiting professor Robin Cartwright . . . until she turns up dead in a hotel room.<br><br>Who killed the quiet academic, and why? Ambler feels duty-bound to find the culprit, and not just because the police half-suspect he''s guilty of the crime. It wasn''t just Professor Cartwright''s phone call he missed, but any sign that she was in danger.<br><br>Robin was researching accidental deaths she believed were murders-could her work have got her killed? Soon Ambler''s knee-deep in suspects, including a shady ex-husband, a slippery pastor and at least one of his own colleagues. But the clock is ticking. If he doesn''t catch a ruthless killer soon, it won''t just be his own life in danger, but those of his partner and newborn child.<br><br><b>The 42nd Street Library mystery series blends traditional mystery with a hint of noir, and is a great pick for fans of quintessential New York writers like Ed McBain and S. J. Rozan, along with those who enjoy traditional amateur sleuths and fair-play puzzles.</b></p>