Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

I'm not a huge fan of mystery/suspense books, but I really enjoy Shelley Gray. Since I have come to like Gray, I knew that I had to at least give this series a chance or I would always wonder if I would like it or not. I have only ever read her Amish fiction, so to break out into genre of mystery felt like a huge leap for me. After finishing this book, I now want to read the rest in this series, A Chicago World's Fair Mystery.

I'm sure if someone loves mystery with lots of suspense and twists and turns, then this book may not be one of the top suspenseful books you've ever read. However, for me, it was the perfect amount of suspense and mystery. Lydia and Sebastian both have a lot of mystery surrounding them. Sebastian hides a lot and very slowly more of who he is really is exposed throughout the story. The relationship between Sebastian and Lydia's ex-fiancé also holds a bit of mystery for a while. Even Lydia doesn't quite know all of who he is.

The mystery book seems perfectly fitting to take place in a library. It was the perfect setting for this story. Gray did a wonderful job in crafting a story that leaves the reader turning page after page, anxious to understand who Sebastian is and what decisions in the past have lead to who he is now. I also found Lydia's mom fascinating because she has just faded away ever since her husband's death. She has different idea of what Lydia's life should be like because she so desperately wants Lydia to marry for wealth and society.

Not only is there the mystery surrounding who Sebastian Marks is, there is also a mystery surrounding a death.

All throughout the book, I wrestled with which characters were being honest, which ones were hiding things, and tried to narrow down those who could be trustworthy and those who could be lying or manipulative.

I am quite impressed with Gray's ability to write Amish fiction and then to turn around and write this series. I really think that is quite an accomplishment to cross such wide genres.

Read more reviews on this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray.

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Whispers in the Reading Room (Zondervan, November 2015)
Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.
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.
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Shelley Shepard Gray

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.
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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Zondervan Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.