Redheaded Reviews: Murder in the Readiing Room by Ellery Adams

In this latest in the Jane Stewart series, Jane begins the book rushing off to Biltmore Estates in the North Carolina mountains to rescue her lover Edwin who she has recently discovered is being held there by the local pharmacist who kidnapped her kids in order to get her to open the secret library. He was an evil Templer and part of a larger group of evil Templers. But he had a map with Edwin's coordinates on it.

So now Jane and the Fin Lachlin are arriving at Biltmore where a hotel management seminar is being held. They make friends with Gardner who tells them that the manager spends a lot of time around the Baccachus statue so they explore the statue and discover Edwin inside, much thinner, but alright. The gardener, they later found dead under suspicious circumstances.

Their reunion is cut short when the manager, Parrish, interrupts and shows her another man being held: her believed to be dead husband, William, who has no memory. Her feelings for him are long buried and she's moved on. But she refuses to leave either man behind. So they all travel back to Storyton because Parrish wants certain books and if he doesn't get the bad things might happen. As soon as she can Jane has Parrish locked up and sure enough at the battlefield reenactment of the Great War one of the men dies and they suspect is murdered. But it is believed that he was mistaken for Fin Butterworth's cousin, another Fin at another residence, and one who is working for them to help find out who Parrish's men are.

Jane finds out what Parrish is after but will she just hand it over to him? I really loved the theme of World War I and all the little historical notes included as well as the full-scale reenactment. Adams is the Queen of the twist and here is no different. What will she do with William and Edwin? This was a fantastic book that I really loved, The setting was amazing and the characters were great; I give it five out of five stars;

Quotes

Ernest Hemingway warned that we should never confuse movement with action.

-Ellery Adams (Murder in the Reading Room p 9)

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world.

-Ernest Hemingway

If you don’t want to help me, help my dog. The heartbeat at my feet.

-Edith Wharton

Love is fearless in the midst of the sea of fear.

-Rumi poem

Love means doing what it takes to be together. After that, it means doing what it takes to stay together.

-Ellery Adams (Murder in the Reading Room p 96)

Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes,

-Rumi poem

The larger we make our circle of trust the easier it will be to break.

-Ellery Adams (Murder in the Reading Room p 104)

I think a book is like a good climbing tree. They both yearn to be touched.

-Ellery Adams (Murder in the Reading Room p 119)

In the real battlefields there weren’t winners or losers. Only losers. Lost lives, lost loves, lost years. Even the earth is scarred by war.

-Ellery Adams (Murder in the Reading Room p 159)