New York crime-fiction librarianโand reluctant amateur sleuthโRay Ambler investigates a puzzling murder thatโs too close to home for comfort.
Raymond Ambler, crime-fiction curator at New York Cityโs prestigious 42nd Street Library, doesnโt consider it a big deal when he misses a call from visiting professor Robin Cartwright . . . until she turns up dead in a hotel room.
Who killed the quiet academic, and why? Ambler feels duty-bound to find the culprit, and not just because the police half-suspect heโs guilty of the crime. It wasnโt just Professor Cartwrightโs phone call he missed, but any sign that she was in danger.
Robin was researching accidental deaths she believed were murdersโcould her work have got her killed? Soon Amblerโs knee-deepย in suspects, including a shady ex-husband, a slippery pastor, and at least one of his own colleagues. But the clock is ticking. If he doesnโt catch a ruthless killer soon, it wonโt just be his own life in danger, but those of his partner and newborn child.
The 42nd Street Library mystery series blends traditional mystery with a hint of noir, and is a great pick for fans of quintessential New York writers like Ed McBain and S. J. Rozan, along with those who enjoy traditional amateur sleuths and fair-play puzzles.