Murder at the 42nd Street Library

Lehane’s enjoyable first in a new series introduces crime fiction librarian Raymond “Ray” Ambler (possibly a nod to authors Raymond Chandler and Eric Ambler). When a researcher is shot dead at the New York Public Library and a potshot is taken at special collections head Harry Larkin, Ambler starts to ask questions. He soon learns of a rivalry between the murdered man and Maximilian Wagner, the would-be biographer of Nelson Yates, a mystery author who has deposited his papers at the library and suffers from problems related to drink and age. Ambler uncovers disquieting connections among the researcher, Wagner, Larkin, Yates, estranged members of Yates’s family, and Wagner’s lascivious wife. The bodies begin to pile up as Ambler and two librarian colleagues dig deeper, evoking poignant parallels in the lives of Ambler and his homicide detective friend, Mike Cosgrove. Fans of Lehane’s cranky bartender Brian McNulty, the hero of his earlier series (Death at the Old Hotel, etc.), will welcome his appearance in a supporting role. [em]Agent: Alice Martell, Martell Agency. (Apr.) [/em]