Review: Murder at the Merton Library

What do a murder in an Oxford library and a suspicious fire in a warehouse laboratory have to do with each other? In “Murder at the Merton Library” Wrexford and Sloane take on seemingly unrelated cases, but then they discover connections between the murder victim and some of the people involved in research related to what was happening in the burned laboratory. Suddenly, they are in a race to find a murderous traitor before he strikes again. Wrex, Charlotte, and the Weasels, along with a delightful cast of supporting characters, including Aunt Allison, take the reader on a fast-paced journey through intrigues old and new.

One of the things I really enjoy about Andrea Penrose’s books is the inclusion of well-researched political or scientific intrigue into the story. In this case, the intrigue revolves around the race to develop an ocean-going steamship. High risk investments are also explored as the characters work through whether or not a proposed investment scheme is legitimate or not. 

This book is great for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries and regency-era historical mysteries. Don’t miss the afterword about the competition to develop a steamship that could easily travel on the ocean.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.