Publisher: Berkley
Published: October
8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1984804105
Genre: Cozy
Mystery
Format: Hard
cover from publisher
THREE HEARTS
Hayley Burke has landed her dream job as
the new curator of the famed Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition library. On
top of having her dream job, Hayley has the opportunity to have her own
apartment in the late Lady Fowling’s home, Middlebank. What is not to love in a grand old house
surrounded by some of the world’s best known books – first editions at
that! As part of her mission to bring a
fresh look to Lady Fowling’s work and home she allows a group of would-be writers
to meet weekly in the library. Life,
being what it is, has a few flies in the ointment, or at least in
Middlebank.
First of all, there are the would be
writers. Agatha Christie fans one and
all, but they are bent on writing not just fan fiction, but not exactly your
usual fan fiction. No…well-loved
characters taking part in a zombie apocalypse just doesn’t fit with Christie or
Lady’s Fowling. And then there is Hayley’s
co-tenant, Mrs. Woolgar who consistently finds new ways to keep Haley from her
mission and to succeed in her job.
Despite their disparate personalities
Hayley and Mrs. Woolgar are forced to join forces when one of the writer’s
group ends up dead in the library.
I was drawn to the premise of Marty
Wingate’s BODIES IN THE LIBRARY, the first book in her new First Edition Library
Series—a house dedicated to not only Agatha Christie, but to a host of Golden
Age mystery writers. The idea of Middlebank with the apartments for both Hayley
and Mrs. Woolgar set the stage for some interesting activities in this and
future books.
I never really warmed up to Hayley as a
character. It could have been the wobbly
venture into the love triangle cozy mysteries seem to devolve into these
days. She came across like a bit of a
doormat constantly giving into the absent boyfriend with his robot. She just went along with whatever was
happening with her.
Mrs. Woolgar is your classic “gothic
housekeeper”. While this is a cozy
mystery and not a gothic, Mrs. Woolgar’s character was actually likeable in the
sense that she was a character you love to dislike. The character reminded me
of the Cloris Leachman housekeeper in Young Frankenstein and I enjoyed her
scenes.
Except for Val I didn’t care much for any
of the other characters.
Speaking of the love triangle. A few years ago either the cozy authors on
the whole or publishers decided to add these annoying love triangles to cozy
mysteries. They aren’t ménages. If I want to read a romance I’ll pick up a
romance. I read cozies for the quirky
situations and characters and having those love triangles just takes away from
the story. BODIES IN THE LIBRARY would
have stood on its own just fine without the absentee boyfriend showing up for a
quick lay and then going about his business. And for Hayley not to call him on it was just
wrong.
The other thing that is annoying me in
cozies these days is the push to be inclusive of all the Title VII
categories. I’m all for inclusion. I think it’s important in these days to try
to include as many diverse groups as possible.
But when diverse populations are put in just to look inclusive and not
move the story along it annoys me.
Hayley deciding that two of the characters are gay and should be a
couple did nothing to move the story along and seemed to basically be there to
look inclusive.
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of
this book.
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