Murder in the Reading Room

By: Ellery Adams

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is a paradise for book lovers who come from all over for literary getaways. But manager Jane Steward is temporarily leaving for another renowned resort - in hopes of solving a twist-filled mystery....

Jane's boyfriend, Edwin, is missing, and she thinks she may find him at North Carolina's historic Biltmore Estate. Officially, she's there to learn about luxury hotel management, but she's also prowling around the breathtaking buildings and grounds looking for secret passageways and clues. One of the staff gardeners promises to be helpful...that is, until his body turns up in the reading room of his cottage, a book on his lap.

When she finally locates the kidnapped Edwin, his captor insists that she lead him back to Storyton Hall, convinced that it houses Ernest Hemingway's lost suitcase, stolen from a Paris train station in 1922. But before they can turn up the treasure, the bell may toll for another victim....

©2019 Ellery Adams (P)2019 Tantor

Rescuing Edwin

The fifth in the Book Retreat Mysteries has Jane and the Fins searching for Edwin at Biltmore Estate. As always, Ellery Adams does a fine job of keeping the listener/reader engaged. Literature and book lovers will admire this latest (and I’m assuming final) installment to the series. I’m a tad disappointed about one decision that Jane makes, but all in all this is my favorite series by the author.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Twists and turns ..

This is by far the best yet in this series. These should be read/listened to in the series order. The surprises were great plot twists for the reader. And as always there are some great literary references that make you want to revisit classics.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Cannot put down

OMG!!! This series gets better and more suspenseful with each book. Cannot wait to see want next

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

So Memorable

Love, love this series. So real and authentic. Especially love all the book references and quotes.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another home run by Ellery Adams!

As Murder in the Reading Room by Ellery Adams opens, Jane Steward is getting ready to mount a rescue effort to locate and free Edwin, her lover, whom she has reason to believe is being held prisoner at the Biltmore Estate. It takes her time to locate him, and then she gets discovered by Ramsey Parrish, Edwin’s captor and the manager of the Biltmore. Parrish allows her to leave with Edwin but on certain conditions, which include letting him go back to Storyton Hall with her.

As Jane and the Fins, her protectors, face challenges in dealing with situations arising from Parrish’s presence in Storyton Hall, a group of historians stages a World War I reenactment. But when one man ends up dead, they have to figure out the murderer before facing death themselves.

As with all books in the Book Retreat mysteries series, Murder in the Reading Room is a delightful book. With a hint of fantasy, a touch of history, a flavor of romance, and a lot of clever mystery, this book has something for everyone. I have become deeply invested in the characters and highly enjoy the lives of those in Storyton and Storyton Hall. The mystery kept me riveted to the book and intrigued me from start to finish. The book concludes with a resolution that seems to wrap up the series, but fortunately, Ellery Adams has confirmed that it is not the last book, and she has just completed the first draft of the next book in the series.

Johanna Parker performs the audio edition of this book, and she continues in doing an effective job of making this series a delight to listen to. Parker makes the characters come to life, especially the fun mischief of Jane’s twin boys, Fitz and Hem. This is one book that I think will be enjoyed on audio more than just in reading visually.

I highly recommend listening to Murder in the Reading Room, but one must read the prior book before reading this one. Readers would do best to read the whole series first, but at the very least, everyone ought to read Murder in the Locked Library before this book, as book five contains crucial details from book four. This book is truly a great book, and I give it five stars.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Pure disappointment - preachy - predictable

I told myself I could get by the reader based on the earlier books in the series. I knew about the breathy way of reading and the peculiar rises at the end of each sentence. But nothing prepared me for the inane story and the preachy attitude at the end f the story and in the epilogue. The excessively detailed description to foods served throughout the story were boring and usually acted as filler with no bearing on the story itself. The "sermons" on peace, love, and equality were straight out of the hippie credo of the 1970's.

Don't waste your time and money.

0 of 2 people found this review helpful