Murder in the Locked Library

Written by Ellery Adams

Narrated by Johanna Parker

With her twins, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, back in school, Jane Steward can finally focus on her work again-managing Storyton Hall, and breaking ground on the resort's latest attraction: a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman. But when the earth is dug up to start laying the spa's foundation, something else comes to the surface-a collection of unusual bones and the ragged remnants of a very old book. The attendees of the Rare Book Conference are eager to assist Jane with this unexpected historical mystery-until a visitor meets an untimely end in the Henry James Library. As the questions-and suspects-start stacking up, Jane will have to uncover a killer before more unhappy endings ensue . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Apr 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781541475212

Ellery Adams

Ellery Adams has written over forty mystery novels and can’t imagine spending a day away from the keyboard. Ms. Adams, a native New Yorker, has had a lifelong love affair with stories, food, rescue animals, and large bodies of water. When not working on her next novel, she reads, bakes, gardens, spoils her three cats, and rearranges her bookshelves. She lives with her husband and two children (aka the Trolls) in Chapel Hill, NC. For reading guides and a list of bibliotherapy titles, please visit ElleryAdamsMysteries.com.

Reviews for Murder in the Locked Library

[EimsDT · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah, this was such a nice book! It's the 4th in the series and it's my second favorite. I was getting a bit bored of the repetitive plots of the last two books but this one had some good twists. Apart from that, the book, the characters, the literary references, the coziness of Storyton Hall and the food descriptions are perfect for an autumn read... and Johanna Parker is still the best narrator I've ever listened to.

[newsieq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jane Steward, owner of Storyton Hall and Guardian of its secrets, is busy with a remodeling project AND a rare book conference in the hotel. Then two murders, one historical and another contemporary, add to the work of her and her staff. The construction crew building the new spa addition comes upon a body (and an old book that may hold some clues) in what used to be the rose garden on the property – and it appears to be centuries old … possibly one of Jane’s ancestors. The more recent murder victim is one of the guests in attendance at the conference. He’s a lovely man who everyone respects and admires. Who could have killed someone in a locked library? How did they do it? And why would they want to? Jane and her able assistants, all specially trained to protect the secrets of Storyton Hall, are on the case. And that puts them at risk – especially when they learn that the murder was very well planned and may very well have to do with a larger conspiracy to steal Storyton’s secrets. Meanwhile, Jane’s two young sons, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, are having great fun working with the professor and grad students who are excavating the old rose garden from which the body was disinterred. I love this series and it’s just different enough to stand out among cozy mysteries. I’d suggest reading this series in order to understand some of the goings on in this book.

[murderbydeath · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

 Sometimes I run across books that, in spite of obvious points of diversion from my personal taste, I can't help reading anyway. This series is a perfect example. The premise is both wonderful and cheesy as hell. Like 70's cheesy, but still really wonderful. The series centers around Storyton village and resort; a luxury resort centered around the love of reading. Wonderful. Jane Stewart is the manager and heir of the resort, as well as the Guardian of a super-secret repository of all. the. books. Or at least all the books, scrolls. manuscripts, clay tablets, that are priceless, rare. dangerous. This part is 50/50 wonderful/cheesy. The super-secret repository comes complete with a super-secret security force that has access to all the toys, and they guard against other, evil, super-secret organisations that want access to the library. Super-cheesy. Still, I can't resist. The author's love of books is obvious and she casually title-drops interesting sounding books throughout the narrative. This book focused on books about books too, which is my personal weakness, so several titles have been added to my lists. The mystery around this one was ... so-so. A very old skeleton was dug up during excavations on site and the only known copy of a controversial book is found with it. Then new murders start occurring. So far, so good. Unfortunately, the author made the murderer too obvious by overdoing the hiding in plain site chestnut. And then giving him a motive that is firmly in the cheesy camp. I'm never in a rush to buy these, but when I'm in the mood for a between books palette cleanser, these work and I get to imagine how amazing an entire resort centered around books would be.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If a picture is worth 1000 words a map included in a book must be worth 10,000, because it’s not only a picture but it has words as well. It gives a sense of place and of history to any book that includes them. Tolkien’s hand drawn map in the Hobbit introduced them to me many years ago and I still am inclined to give a book with a map an extra chance to draw me into it’s world.

I’ve enjoyed this series in the past having read the first 3 books a few years ago but it has an essential difference from other cozy small town mysteries. It almost seems like a fantasy spy series with the secret societies and the very nature of the Storyton Hall secrets. Most cozy novels are set in very mundane albeit sometimes exotic locations. At first I thought that action included in the series was a detriment but now I actually consider it to a positive.

I liked to see Jane spring into action to retrieve her kids after they have been kidnapped, and look forward to the next book in the series where it appears that Jane will travel to a Templar location to try and find out what’s happened to her lover and her best friends brother Edwin.

[lorimpalmer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Murder in the Locked Library is book #4 in the Book Retreat Mysteries. This is also the first book I have read in the series & by Ellery Adams. While I was able to read as a stand alone book without feeling lost, there were a few terms/etc that would have been of benefit from reading from the start of the series. I will be reading the other books in this series.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars (Rating shown may vary depending on whether the site allows half star ratings)When you see the title "Murder in the Locked Library" you're probably thinking that a murder happens in a locked room and the investigators have to figure out how the killer got in or how the killer set up the murder--that's not really how the murder happens in this book though.This is one of the cozy mysteries that I picked up at the library book sale--and it was actually one I was looking forward to reading. I have read at least one book from this series before, though I don't remember which one. The idea reminds me a bit of The Librarian movies and The Librarians tv show but without the magic. In this case the "librarian" is called a Guardian and his/her goal (a her in this case) is to protect a secret library. And those in the role of what The Librarian series calls guardian are called Fins. So, if Guardians have owl tattoos, does that mean Fins and/or Templars also have identifying tattoos? It seems a little careless that Jane would wear an outfit that could reveal her "secret identity" to anyone in the know, even if it was because a man dipped her at the end of a dance. I like the literary theme(s) of the Book Retreat Mysteries and Storyton. It's nice to see a group of women (the Cover Girls) who enjoy books and book discussions as well as other book related activities. I like that this book discussed things about books (talepieces, how to set type, etc.) and the game at the conference sounds like it would be fun both to come up with a costume and to try to decipher what the costumes meant.I think the author did a decent job of having several characters that could have had a motive. I wasn't very successful at solving the murder but that is usually the case for me, so your experience may differ.

[clue_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The fourth in the Book Retreat Mystery Series, a very old grave is uncovered on Storyton Hall grounds while a rare book conference is taking place there. Amazingly a book is found in a metal box along with the human remains. Is there a tie between that book and the murder of one of the rare book experts that examined the book?The books in this series grow stronger as the series progresses and the author's book knowledge makes pleasurable reading for likeminded readers.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is pure delight to return to the setting of Storyton Hall in Virginia and especially with characters like Resort Manager and "Guardian" Jane Steward, Head Chef Mrs. Hubbard, and Muffet Cat to name only a few. The names of Jane's twins, the names of the stores in Storyton Village and the names of the rooms within Storyton Hall all add a special charm to this series. I also can't help but wish that I could step between the pages to view and taste Mrs. Hubbard's delicacies not only at daily tea time but especially at dessert time for the Pre-Raphaelite dinner dance and the transformation of the Madame Bovary Dining Room into a Victorian banquet hall.

It's also very exciting when the writing captures your interest to the degree that you feel like you're reading a page-turning thriller within the cozy mystery genre. With the preparations and then arrival of Rare Book Conference attendees, this mystery is filled with twists and turns. There were multiple developments that I tried to guess the outcome and all my guesses were incorrect. Disappointing to a mystery reader in one aspect but in some ways the intricate developments are then even more intriguing to the crescendo as Jane Steward and her fins solve the mysteries.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams is the 4th book in the Book Retreat Mystery series. I have not read any and when I began to read this one, I realized that it is important to read the others in the series first. I was able to figure out what was going on but I have so many questions.

The protagonist, Jane is the guardian of a Secret Book Library. She is assisted in protecting this library by a group of people called Fins. (at this point I am not sure who they are). She is a single mother with twins. She runs a resort called Storyton Hall that is a retreat for book lovers. They hold teas, balls, conferences and give book lovers the opportunity of a lifetime. All the rooms, including the group rooms are literary themes. The mystery in this book involves a skeleton found during the digging for a new spa, a mystery book buried with the skeleton, the death of a rich book collector as well as repairing books for others, a hit and run and more.

The characters seem to be well known and developed, but as I have not read the other books, again, I feel I have missed a lot. The plot of this story had me turning pages to see how it would end and it was well-paced. Although there were many guests attending the conference, there were only a few suspects that were investigated. There were a lot of clues, although many I missed until the end of the story. There were also many twists and turns. I had no idea who the real culprit was. The reveal was climatic and leaves the reader with a lingering question that I hope will be solved in the next book. This was a well written cozy with a very different theme from others I have read. I will go back and read the first three books in the series and I recommend that you start and read these books in order. I am sure I would have given it a higher rating if I has done so. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[cyderry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jane Steward of Storyton Hall is finally seeing one of the items that has been on her "wish list" get underway. The Walt Whitman Spa has finally broken ground, however, there is a complication - bones have been found in the ground and so construction is halted while an investigation is put in place. Archaeologists come to the "dig" and must determine if this is an old death or something that the police should look into. In the meantime the retreat is hosting the Robert Harley Rare Book Society led by a man with severe superstitions but Jane has managed to keep him on an even keel, however, the construction issues throw a damper all around, things only get worse. Somehow the society leader is murdered in the locked library while Jane is sitting right next to him.Fascinating writing, great mystery and wonderful how it all comes together in the end! Can't wait for the next one!

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams is the fourth tale in A Book Retreat Mystery series. Jane Steward is excited that the construction is beginning on the Walt Whitman Spa. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the next evening. After the digging begins, it looks like the festivities will have to be postponed. Bones were uncovered by the excavator along with a padlocked box and a farthing. Inside the box is the remains of a badly deteriorated book. It so happens that the Robert Harley Rare Book Society is attending a conference at the Storyton Hall and they are happy to help discern the books title. Bart Baylor identifies the book and then expires in the Henry James library. Jane, with the aid of her trusted, employees delves into the lives of the members of the Rare Book Society to pinpoint the culprit before the conference ends. How does the skeleton relate to Bart’s death? Jane is also worried about Edwin Alcott. There has been limited communication and the recent postcards people have been receiving seem unusually chatty (for Edwin). As the investigation into Bart’s murder heats up, her concerns about Edwin will have to take a backseat. Time is of the essence. They need to work quickly or something very precious could be lost. I love the concept for A Book Retreat Mystery series. As a booklover, I would love to visit (let’s face it—live at) Storyton Hall. If you are new to the series, I suggest starting with Murder in the Mystery Suite. There is more to Storyton Hall than a beautiful book themed inn. Jane is the latest Guardian who safeguards a hidden library filled with priceless (and rare) books and manuscripts. Jane’s role and that of her staff (the Fins) is explained in the first book. Murder in the Locked Library is well-written, but it does have a slower pace. I did not mind the pace because the story drew me in from the very beginning. Storyton Hall with its beautiful book themed rooms were brought to life for me courtesy of the author’s descriptions. The characters are established and engaging. There is a cast of regular characters that include Mr. Sinclair, Mr. Butterworth, Hem and Fitz (Jane’s twin boys), and the Cover Girls (Jane’s friends which make up the female book club). I like the boys are portrayed as mischievous and curious. Jane loves them dearly, but she does get frustrated with them at times (which is realistic). I like how the three storylines come together in the end. The mystery was compelling and complex. I do wish, though, that it had been harder to identify the guilty party. Two little pieces of information gave it away to me (this is the only weak part of the book). The why did not become apparent until much later in the book. I am glad that the sheriff works with Jane and her group on the investigation. They have resources that are not available to the local police. At the end of Murder in the Locked Library, we get a glimpse of what will be happening in the next A Book Retreat Mystery (which I am eager to read). My rating for Murder in the Locked Library is 4.5 out of 5 stars.