I received this ARC via Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Set in an English town, Hayley Burke is the new curator of the First Edition Library. The benefactor, the late Lady Fowling, left a large collection of Golden Age Mysteries, including first editions by the greats – Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, etc. As a divorced mother in her 40s, Hayley is new to the mystery field and her mental checklists about which author goes with which detective are fun bits within the story. Believing the Library will greatly benefit from a curated exhibition, she hires a good but contentious and difficult events coordinator, Oona, to stage the exhibit. Lucking into a cancellation at the only decent event space in town, there’s just three months to get everything together and ready which adds to the pressure. When Oona dies, Hayley ends up in the middle of the investigation and the exhibit planning, each incredibly stressful to manage. Luckily, Hayley has no qualms about sharing information with the police as she discovers reasons why Oona might have been killed.
This is a solid cozy and Hayley is a likable protagonist. She suffers from self-doubt and doesn’t always give herself enough credit for the things she can accomplish. Her new personal relationship adds interest as does her working relationships with the long-time former secretary to Lady Fowling whom she’s convinced doesn’t like her. This is a good sophomore work and sets the stage for future stories, perhaps the actual exhibition?

3.75 stars

This second series entry is entertaining and a fun read. I love the setup -- the main character is the curator for a special English museum celebrating female detective authors from the Golden Age of mysteries.

Hayley Burke loves her job, and despite not having previously been a mystery fan, is trying to get up to speed. She ambitiously decides to start a series of weekly literary salons, and also mount an impressive exhibition spotlighting the late museum founder, also a mystery author.

With mixed feelings, Hayley hires an old employer to manage the exhibition. Despite the woman's prickly overbearing personality and dictatorial style, she is really excellent at what she does. So, when she is found dead at the foot of a spiral staircase, the question is whether it was murder or an accidental fall.

Hayley and her new love are thrown in with the local literary/museum community, which is also the main suspect group. Hayley is frantically trying to carry on with the exhibit plans, stay current with museum happenings, and sniff around the murder investigation. Meanwhile, routine domestic crises -- such as her boyfriend's daughters' concerns about her, and her own daughter's catastrophes, require even more time.

Interesting series background, likable characters, and fun reading. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A book lover’s dream setting – First Edition Society of Golden Age Detective Fiction, and a mystery and a murder to solve. This is the 2nd book in the series, I did not read the 1st book (yet) but had not trouble following the characters.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an early read.

I love Marty Wingate's other series, and I really want to love this one even more. I say that because I know she can write books worthy of 5 stars! I like the main character, Hayley, and her literary job. But the ridiculous characters of Clara and Zeno and Oona just make it not as enjoyable as it should be. Hayley's willingness to let Zeno keep pulling the same crap over and over (rather like her ex) got kind of irritating. And really the same thing with Clara (though different crap). I would give this one a 3.5. Hoping for better out of her next one.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning. Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it. However, before the book can be found, Oona is murdered, and Hayley must try to find the killer and the missing book.

I read the first in this series last year, so was thrilled to get the second one from NetGalley and the publishers. The plot is well-written and the characters interesting. I enjoyed this new installment very much.

I had read the first book in this series, and was looking forward to reading more in this series. This can be read as a stand-alone though. I love the setting of Bath and revisiting the quirky characters in this series. it was also a great mystery.

Fun wine country story. Enjoy with your favorite wine!
I received a free copy from the the publisher and Netgalley.

A new book by Marty Wingate? Yes, please.

Hayley, the no nonsense middle-aged curator of a first edition mystery book collection/library, must hire a project manager to be in charge of a literary exhibit. Well, it didn't exactly end well with the manager's murder. A second manager was quickly hired as there was a huge time crunch for the important exhibit.

Mysteries and secrets swirl as Hayley determines to discover who is responsible, having to wade through deception after deception. Not only does she know the person murdered but also wishes to proceed with the exhibit. It's personal. She enlists help and finds out more information than she had imagined.

As a Golden Era mystery fan, including author Dorothy Sayers, I appreciate the references and connections in the story. There was a little something which surprised me, difficult to do in light cozies. Most was predictable but enjoyable nonetheless as in my mind the focus wasn't necessarily the whodunit. I liked that Hayley isn't a stereotypical "perfect" young flighty female sleuth. At the same time, I didn't really connect with her, either.

This book is a fun and light read for those who enjoy light cozies. It would be perfect on a chilly evening with tea at hand and a blazing fire in the fireplace.

My sincere thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of this delightful book.

This is a classic style whodunit by one of my favorite authors.
Hayley seems to be enjoying her new job at the First Edition Library, and against her better judgement, she hires her former boss to help with an upcoming exhibit.
Secret clues intrigue Hayley and her old boss, but soon things take a disastrous turn, and Hayley finds herself wrapped up in a murder investigation.
Fans of this author will enjoy Murder Is a Must.
#netgalley #murderisamust

Hayley Burke is still accustoming herself to her position as curator of the First Edition Society. She has almost convinced the board members to launch an exhibition in honor of Lady Fowling, whose collection is the core of the Society.. However, it has been nearly impossible to find a venue. When by luck she overhears a cancellation at the perfect place she jumps at the chance, even though it only gives her a short time to hire an exhibition manager. Hayley reluctantly hires a woman, Oona Atherton, she has worked with once before. Atherton is very good at her job, but an extremely cantankerous person and many people do not like her or will miss her when she is killed. Hayley cannot help but get involved in the investigation. I like that Hayley is in her forties, has progressed to more than friends with a likeable man, and worries about her daughter and mother.

What a wonderful read-I was so engrossed in the story and the characters that I couldn't put it down.
Murder is a Must is the second book in the author's A First Edition Library series featuring Hayley Burke, the curator of the First Edition Library which features the collection of Lady Fowling's first edition mysteries from the Golden Age of Mystery.-Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers etc. I did not read the first entry (but I will!) and had no problem at all with following along. It would be fine as a standalone.

Haley has convinced the Board of the Library to hold an exhibition about Lady Fowling and her collection. She's not confident to manage the exhibition herself so she hires Oona Atherton. Haley had worked with Oona before, and while it was not a pleasant experience, she knows she has the skills to get the job done especially with a quick turnaround-a cancellation at the preferred venue in only three months. Unfortunately, Oona is found murdered-a tumble down a staircase. Haley searches for motives-was it related to a priceless book that Lady Fowler has hidden, or due to her personality or past. Haley is not a TSTL protagonist, while she does some snooping, she shares the info with the local police. Haley is someone I'd like to share a coffee with, a divorced woman in her 40's who has a daughter and a mother she loves and spends time with. She also has a love interest who is also a strong character himself.

I highly recommend this book-I had a heavy sigh when it finished and can't wait to see how things progress in the next volume.

I requested and received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. However, the opinions expressed are honest and my own.

murder, museum, mystery, rare-books, detective-fiction, situational-humor, sly-humor, England

Hayley is the new curator of Lady Fowling's collection and member of the First Edition Society which involves (among a host of regular duties) arranging for an exhibition showcasing Lady Fowling's writing and collection. The regulars are certainly characters, but the infinitely capable but socially disastrous first event manager is murdered and her assistant is stuck in first gear since finding the body. Then there is the second event manager who is pretty loony in a different way. Hayley has been in contact with the DCI on the case before and keeps him up on any and every thing she happens across, all the while having some major wrangles in her personal life. I had not read the first book in series but never got lost in past issues. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Berkley Publishing/Penguin Random House via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed the continuation of these characters.
An interesting premise with a top notch whodunit.
This is a solid cozy mystery,
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.
Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going well until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it. When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she's unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at the exhibition center, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

The second book in the series has a lot going on. Besides the mystery, Hayley and her boyfriend Val are trying to find time to do things together, she's meeting his daughters, dealing with her ex-husband, and trying to steer her new exhibition manager, who happens to be Oona's ex-husband, into making good choices.
Hayley is a great character. She doesn't do anything completely silly to place herself in danger like so many women in these cozy mysteries. She's a good narrator and keeps the story going. I look forward to the next book in this series.

This was fun and held my attention; the lead character, Hayley Burke, was smart and driven, and her trajectory and personal relationships were interesting. I loved the setting - a library of first editions from mystery's Golden Age of Detective Fiction, curated by Hayley, who is also hoping to stage an exhibition. (Fans of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, and their fellow writers will find much to enjoy here - one of Sayers' novels, Murder Must Advertise, even features prominently in the plot). When Hayley hires an exhibition coordinator, things go awry, and it's up to her (in cooperation with the local police) to solve the murder that results. I don't usually read a lot of cozies, but this is definitely one I would recommend to my library customers in search of that genre.

This is the second book in Marty Wingate's First Edition Library Mystery series. Haley Burke, curator of the First Edition Society, is attempting to create an exhibition showcasing Lady Fowling, her writings, and her collection and love of Golden Age Mysteries. There are wonderful references to Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie throughout the book. I enjoyed this book even more than the first. There is humor and a depth of character that one doesn't always find in cozy mysteries. This series is a must read for Anglophiles and fans of a good mystery.
I can't wait for the next book in the series. I hope that one day there is a prequel featuring Miss Woolgar (such a dark horse, I love her character) and Lady Fowling.

For fans of Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey, as well as other Golden Age of mystery authors. Hayley is the new curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, and is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. Along with the library comes Miss Woolgar, Lady Fowling's lifelong secretary. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of Murder Must Advertise, signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. While searching for the mysterious book containing all the signatures of the mystery authors of that time, Hayley goes out for coffee after coffee, and tea after tea. There are numerous references to Sayers, Christie, and others. If you enjoy these authors, you will want to go read everything from the Golden Age .

While technically a cozy, I think this title (second in The First Edition Library Mystery series) is so much deeper and more developed than that. The research that Wingate does, and references to Sayers, Christie, etc makes me want to go read (and reread) everything from the Golden Age so I can catch even more of her Easter Eggs. Simply loved this book!

I enjoyed "Bodies in the Library,< and the second book in this series did not disappoint. If you love classic mysteries as well as cozy mysteries, this book is for you. Looking forward to the next one.

This is a wonderful follow-up to The Bodies in the Library. It features Haley Burke, an ambitious young woman in who has recently taken a job as curator of a collection of novels from the Golden Age of Mystery (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, etc.). Wanting very much to put the collection on the map, she gets busy setting up a series of literary evenings and begins the enormous undertaking of putting together a special exhibition. Unfortunately, the event planner she's chosen to mount the exhibition is murdered. Haley, working closely with the local police department, solves the crime. A great book for book-lovers and readers who enjoy mysteries that are on the cozy side. I absolutely loved both of the books in this series and hope Ms. Wingate keeps writing them!