Con Lehane brings back two of my favorite characters in his latest mystery, Murder in the Manuscript Room. Of course, I appreciate Raymond Ambler, the troubled librarian at the iconic 42nd Street Library. But, Brian McNulty, the shrewd bartender at the Library Tavern, is also a favorite. And, Ambler needs McNulty’s assistance is this tangled investigation.
Raymond Ambler’s life is messy. He has an alcoholic ex-wife. His son is in prison for murder. He’s fighting for custody of his grandson. And, the court time for the custody battle has delayed his work on a new exhibit at the library, “A Century-and-a-Half of Murder and Mystery in New York City”. But, Ray, the library’s curator of crime fiction, has counted on his coworker and close friend, Adele Morgan, for assistance. Right now, though, Adele seems to be spending time with a research assistant that Ray doesn’t trust, Leila Stone. Leila is abrupt and discourteous when Ray has guests at the library. Mike Cosgrove, a friend, and a NYPD homicide detective, introduces an author who wants to donate his collection of papers. Ray isn’t too interested until he learns Higgins is a retired cop who was with the NYPD intelligence forcers for years. But, the collection, and the strings attached, stir up all kinds of trouble.
Leila Stone also stirs up trouble. When an Arab scholar claims Leila was spying on him, Ambler is forced to question Adele’s friend. And, then Leila is killed and dumped in Ambler’s reading room. Her murder, the intelligence team checking on the Arab scholar, and a story from a childhood friend about a cold case, the murder of a union leader, are all clues for the intelligent librarian. He can’t bounce his theories off of Adele because she’s on her own quest to help the mysterious scholar. But, McNulty, at Ambler’s hangout, the Library Tavern, has time to listen, and has some connections.
This is a weighty story, a complicated one. But, at least for librarians, it has it’s lighter moments. I have two favorite quotes in the book. “Most people don’t appreciate librarians as much as they should.” Then, there’s this one. “You’ve been kidnapped, your apartment broken into, and now shot at. You thought about looking for a less dangerous job than being a librarian?”
Murder in the Manuscript Room is a complex mystery that forces people to ponder their responsibility for others. Ambler, Leila, and Mike Cosgrove, the homicide detective, all have weighty decisions to make. It’s pointed out to Raymond, “One is responsible to act when one knows something is wrong, even when it requires courage. You are in the unfortunate position of seeing a wrong others don’t see.” It’s a timely message in a thoughtful book.
Con Lehane’s website is www.conlehane.com
Murder in the Manuscript Room by Con Lehane. Minotaur Books. 2017. ISBN 9781250069993 (hardcover), 320p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.
I put the first book in this series on my list yesterday. I love books about libraries and librarians. My small town library is the heart of the town and the librarians are more than terrific!
Gram, That is wonderful news! I love to hear that about libraries and librarians.