The Bodies in the Library - (First Edition Library Mystery) by Marty Wingate (Paperback)

About the Book

Hayley Burke has landed a dream job. She is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition library. The library is kept at Middlebank House, a lovely Georgian home in Bath, England. Hayley lives on the premises and works with the finicky Glynis Woolgar, Lady Fowling's former secretary. Mrs. Woolgar does not like Hayley's ideas to modernize The First Edition Society and bring in fresh blood. And she is not even aware of the fact that Hayley does not know the first thing about the Golden Age of Mysteries. Hayley is faking it till she makes it, and one of her plans to breathe new life into the Society is actually taking flight--an Agatha Christie fan fiction writers' group is paying dues to meet up at Middlebank House. But when one of the group is found dead in the venerable stacks of the library, Hayley has to catch the killer to save the Society and her new job.

Book Synopsis

Hayley Burke's fresh start as the curator of the First Edition Society's library in Bath, England, is about to take a rotten turn in this charming new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke has landed a dream job: she is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's First Edition library. The library is kept at Middlebank House, a lovely Georgian home in Bath, England. Hayley lives on the premises and works with the finicky Glynis Woolgar, Lady Fowling's former secretary.

Mrs. Woolgar does not like Hayley's ideas to modernize the First Edition Society and bring in fresh blood. And she is not even aware of the fact that Hayley does not know the first thing about the Golden Age of Mysteries. Hayley is faking it till she makes it, and one of her plans to breathe new life into the Society is actually taking flight--an Agatha Christie fan fiction writers group is paying dues to meet up at Middlebank House.

But when one of the group is found dead in the venerable stacks of the library, Hayley has to catch the killer to save the Society and her new job.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Bodies in the Library

"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"--Booklist

"Cozy Mystery fans, rejoice! The Bodies in the Library is the first in a fresh and lovely new mystery series by Marty Wingate that checks off some of my favorite boxes: a library of rare mystery novels; a setting steeped in history; lots of intriguing characters; and a valiant cat named Bunter. The plot gently unfolds as our spunky protagonist gathers clues--with a little help from Dame Agatha and a benevolent ghost--in order to solve a rather coldblooded murder that kept me turning pages and guessing to the very end."--Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Supremacy

"Hayley Burke thought her new job at the First Edition Society would be a walk around the Royal Crescent, that is until bodies start piling up in the library. Marty Wingate's smart new mystery, The Bodies In The Library, is better than a buttered scone and a pure delight."--Lorraine Bartlett, New York Times bestselling author of Yule Be Dead

"A book lover's delight! Marty Wingate has crafted a perfect cozy mystery! Set in Bath, England, everything is at stake for the intrepid amateur sleuth, Hayley Burke, as she must solve the mystery of who murdered a member of an Agatha Christie fan fiction writing club before the book is closed on her new career as curator to the exquisite library of the First Edition Society. Engaging, suspenseful, and smart! I thoroughly enjoyed The Bodies in the Library."--Jenn McKinlay, New York Times Bestselling author of Word to the Wise

"The Bodies in the Library has all the best elements of a classic cozy; a charming British setting, a beautiful Georgian house, a collection of aspiring writers with a love of Agatha Christie's novels, a dead body in the library and a reluctant--but resourceful--amateur sleuth in Haley Burke. Engaging characters, a clever plot and yes, there's even a cat! What more could a mystery-lover ask for? Marty Wingate's new series is off to an entertaining start. I'll be watching for the next book!"--Sofie Kelly, New York Times Bestselling author of A Night's Tale

"Marty Wingate clearly knows her mysteries well and seamlessly weaves all the traditions of the genre into this clever new series. Hayley Burke's love affair with Golden Age mysteries will bring back happy memories for cozy readers."--Sheila Connolly, New York Times Bestselling Author

About the Author

A Seattle native, Marty Wingate is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and leads garden tours through England, Scotland, and Ireland when she is not killing people in fiction.