Review by Booklist Review
Nine years after the last Brian McNulty mystery (Death at the Old Hotel), the New York City bartending sleuth is back, but this time in a supporting role. He's an ear-to-the-ground resource for his friend Ray Ambler, curator of the New York Public Library's crime-fiction collection. A shooting just took place in the library's hallowed halls, and Ray and his colleagues are putting their research skills to the test to find the killer. The murder seems to be connected to the library's collection of papers by writer Nelson Yates and to an odious biographer who has been hassling the mostly even-tempered staff. There is a reserve in Lehane's writing that makes the book feel like it takes place in another era mention of a cell phone seems anachronistic. Readers should be prepared to take their time following the large cast of characters and the myriad ways their personal disappointments could drive them to drastic actions. Still, the library setting, in general, and the crime-fiction special collection, in particular, will be a draw for many mystery fans.--Keefe, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lehane's enjoyable first in a new series introduces crime fiction librarian Raymond "Ray" Ambler (possibly a nod to authors Raymond Chandler and Eric Ambler). When a researcher is shot dead at the New York Public Library and a potshot is taken at special collections head Harry Larkin, Ambler starts to ask questions. He soon learns of a rivalry between the murdered man and Maximilian Wagner, the would-be biographer of Nelson Yates, a mystery author who has deposited his papers at the library and suffers from problems related to drink and age. Ambler uncovers disquieting connections among the researcher, Wagner, Larkin, Yates, estranged members of Yates's family, and Wagner's lascivious wife. The bodies begin to pile up as Ambler and two librarian colleagues dig deeper, evoking poignant parallels in the lives of Ambler and his homicide detective friend, Mike Cosgrove. Fans of Lehane's cranky bartender Brian McNulty, the hero of his earlier series (Death at the Old Hotel, etc.), will welcome his appearance in a supporting role. Agent: Alice Martell, Martell Agency. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Raymond Ambler is the archivist for the crime fiction collection at the 42nd Street Library, the gorgeous beaux-arts New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue. The fatal shooting of a visitor in the office of his boss, Special Collections head Harry Larkin, propels Ambler into an investigative mode when his buddy Mike Cosgrove of the NYPD needs information about the library. Then, Ambler's literary hero -Napoleon Yates is killed. Something is rotten in Special Collections. Can our hero's encyclopedic knowledge of crime fiction translate into real-life crime solving? VERDICT Lehane, better known for his "Bartender Brian McNulty" series (Death at the Old Hotel), brings McNulty along for the ride (as a minor character) in this library-set series launch. His protagonist, named after two masters of the genre (Raymond -Chandler and Eric Ambler), reflects the author's in-depth knowledge of the history of the genre. A fun read for mystery buffs and librarians alike. [Library marketing.] © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A biographer is killed inside one of the world's premier research libraries. The New York Public Library of the 1990s, edged by wino-infested Bryant Park, would have seemed a more likely scene for murder than the contemporary version, with the park full of "sculpted ivy beds, a small, cheerful merry-go-round, and fashionable Manhattanites sipping lattes from a kiosk," muses librarian Raymond Ambler, who works in the crime-fiction collection. Still, somebody shot Dr. James Donnelly in the office of Harry Larkin, who runs the Special Collections Division. NYPD homicide detective Mike Cosgrove wants to know who, and he can't think of anyone better to ask than Ray. Their friendship runs deep. Not only do they share histories involving alcoholic spouses and screwed-up kidsthough Ray's son, John, is a convicted felon while Mike's daughter, Denise, is just a rebellious teenagerbut Ray has helped Mike solve earlier cases. The librarian gives the cop a rundown of the major players in the case: Donnelly, who was preparing a book about crime writer Nelson Yates; professor Maximilian Wagner, Donnelly's rival biographer; Donnelly's ex-wife, Kay, who now works for Max; and Max's wife, Laura Lee McGlynn, the ex-wife of professor Arthur Woods, who died mysteriously in the presence of Yates's daughter Emily when he, Wagner, the Donnellys, and Yates all worked at Hudson Highlands University. But as Ray's friendship with fellow librarian Adele Morgan deepens, he finds himself increasingly having to edit his story to Cosgrove. Ray continues to walk the fine line between protecting the innocent and obstructing justice even as the threat of more violence looms. Lehane (Death at the Old Hotel, 2007, etc.) awards his previous detective, bartender Brian McNulty, a cameo but focuses on the complicated Ray, who looks like a promising newcomer in the talented-amateur ranks. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
