By Kelly
Bridgewater
Back Cover Copy:
 |
| From Amazon |
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.
My Thoughts:
I truly
enjoyed reading the first two books in The Chicago World’s Fair Mystery Series
by Shelley Gray. Secrets of Sloane House
and Deception on Sable Hill. Both of
the stories were rich in historical detail and interesting characters. In
Whispers in the Reading Room, I sadly have to have did not hit the mark with
me.
First, being
part of a mystery series, I expected a mystery. There was none. If you called a
dead body and accusing the owner of the gambling saloon the only suspect
without looking at anyone else, then this could be a mystery for you. But as an
avid mystery reader, this really had nothing to do with the story. The mystery
element felt like it was thrown in at the last minute but really had nothing to
do with the overall conflict. It was majorly downplayed for me.
As for the
characters of Lydia Bancroft and Sebastian Marks, Sebastian was the only
character that I felt a smidgen of empathy for. Lydia is a fallen woman of
society because of a couple of financial issues her father left her and her
mother in, so her mother is pushing her to marry anyone with money to help them
out and keep face in society. Lydia loves books and hides all her emotions
while she widdles away the hours reading them. Even though Lydia is demanding
and pushing to Sebastian, she is a weakling to everyone else in the story.
Sebastian
Marks made a better life for himself by promising to not be like his mother who
was a prostitute while she was alive. He now has money and fear of the slums of
Chicago’s society’s underbelly. Presently, he owns a gambling club, so he still
wants more from his life. He is a closet bookworm, which is how he meets Lydia.
I really liked how he swore to better himself and he did.
As for the
romantic conflict, way too fast for my taste. In the beginning of the novel,
Lydia is engaged to Jason, a wealthy man in society. Then Sebastian helps her
escape Jason, and they slowly move through a relationship, even an akward
proposal. I really didn’t feel that they loved each other the way Gray wanted
us to believe they did. Their relationship was weird and odd.
On a
positive note, Gray does a good job at keeping the historical detail on target.
I was reminded of Chicago right after the World Fair in 1894. Every tiny detail
now to the outfits the woman wore or the positions in the job market appeared
to fit the time period. I really felt like I was enjoying life in Chicago in
the late nineteenth century.
Overall,
Shelly Gray’s Whispers in the Reading
Room is a lackluster conclusion to her The Chicago World’s Fair Mysteries.
I really couldn’t wait for the book to be done. It did not grab my attention at
all.
I received a
complimentary copy of Whispers in the Reading
Room from Zondervan Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Purchase Whispers in the Reading Room
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