MYSTERY

Murder at the 42nd Street Library

by Con Lehane
Minotaur: St. Martin's. Apr. 2016. 320p. ISBN 9781250009968. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250036872. M
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Raymond Ambler is the archivist for the crime fiction collection at the 42nd Street Library, the gorgeous beaux-arts New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue. The fatal shooting of a visitor in the office of his boss, Special Collections head Harry Larkin, propels Ambler into an investigative mode when his buddy Mike Cosgrove of the NYPD needs information about the library. Then, Ambler's literary hero Napoleon Yates is killed. Something is rotten in Special Collections. Can our hero's encyclopedic knowledge of crime fiction translate into real-life crime solving?
VERDICT Lehane, better known for his "Bartender Brian McNulty" series (Death at the Old Hotel), brings McNulty along for the ride (as a minor character) in this library-set series launch. His protagonist, named after two masters of the genre (Raymond Chandler and Eric Ambler), reflects the author's in-depth knowledge of the history of the genre. A fun read for mystery buffs and librarians alike. [Library marketing.]
Reviewed by Viccy Kemp , Mar 01, 2016
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