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/> 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/> 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/> 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/> <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>