Whispers in the Reading Room (Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series #3)

by Shelley Gray

Overview

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—she never expected to be a suspect to a murder. And now she must rely on the one man she’s not sure she can trust.

Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks—the man so many people fear—is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

“Shelley Gray writes a well-paced story full of historical detail that will invite you into the romance, the glamour . . . and the mystery surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair.” —Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author of Rosemary Cottage and the Hope Beach series

• The Chicago World Fair Mystery series
  • Book 1—Secrets of Sloane House
  • Book 2—Deception on Sable Hill
  • Book 3—Whispers in the Reading Room
• Book length: 86,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310338499
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	11/10/2015
Series:	Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series , #3
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio. Visit her website at www.shelleyshepardgray.com Facebook: Shelley Shepard Gray Twitter: @Shelley SGray

Editorial Reviews

'Gray is a master at integrating rich details and historical accuracies to create an engaging tale that will take the reader back in time, Strong secondary characters are well integrated. It is a shame to see this series end.' - 4 starred

RT Book Reviews

2015-08-31
An unlikely pair finds love in the shadows of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.Ever since the death of her father, Lydia Bancroft and her mother have struggled to survive, their place in society endangered unless Lydia can make an advantageous marriage. Lydia's become intrigued by a handsome man who often comes to sit and read at the library where she works, though he never speaks. The man is Sebastian Marks, who rose from dire poverty to great wealth. Now he owns the Silver Grotto, a popular gambling club, and lives in a suite in a hotel. He's been so intent on reading to improve himself that it would be hard to tell he wasn't born a gentleman. Neither Lydia nor her fiance, Jason Avondale, knows that the person they must marry for money has none. Taking Lydia to tea at Sebastian's hotel, Jason physically hurts her when he realizes she knows Sebastian, a man he hates because he owes him large gambling debts. After coming to Lydia's aid, Sebastian slowly builds a relationship with her, even providing her with a maid when he realizes she's selling all her family's valuables to keep food on the table. Lydia naively begs him to take her to see the Silver Grotto. When Jason is found stabbed to death on the doorstep, they're both prime suspects. The last in Grey's Chicago World's Fair mysteries (Deception on Sable Hill, 2015, etc.) uses an anemic mystery and a far-fetched love story to explore her continuing theme of mismatched couples.

Kirkus Reviews