Murder in the Locked Library Read online

  Praise for Ellery Adams’s Previous Mysteries

  The Secret, Book & Scone Society

  “Adams launches an intriguing new mystery series, headed by four spirited amateur sleuths and touched with a hint of magical realism, which celebrates the power of books and women’s friendships. Adams’s many fans, readers of Sarah Addison Allen, and anyone who loves novels that revolve around books will savor this tasty treat.”

  —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW, Pick of the Month

  “Adams (Peach Pies and Alibis, 2013) kicks off a new series featuring strong women, a touch of romance and mysticism, and both the cunning present-day mystery and the slowly revealed secrets of the intriguing heroines’ pasts.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “This affecting series launch from Adams provides all the best elements of a traditional mystery ... Well-drawn characters complement a plot with an intriguing twist or two.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Adams’s new series blends magical realism, smart women, and small-town quirks to create a cozy mystery that doubles as a love letter to books. Readers will fall in love with Nora’s bookstore therapy and Hester’s comfort scones. Not to mention Estella, June, hunky Jed the paramedic, and Nora’s tiny house-slash-converted-train-caboose.... Overall this is a book that mystery fans—and avid readers—won’t want to put down until they have savored every last crumb.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4 stars

  The Book Retreat Mysteries

  “[A] suspenseful and compelling read.”

  —Kings River Life Magazine

  “[A] delight ... An idyllic mansion in a quaint village complete with secret passages and books, books, and more books—what could make for a more ideal setting for a cozy murder ... ? Ellery Adams spins a fine tale full of jealousy, love, greed, aspirations, and poison ... Highly recommended.”

  —Open Book Society

  “Adams . . . combines clever clues, a smart and courageous heroine and an interesting setting in a whodunit that will inspire readers to make further visits to Storyton Hall.”

  —Richmond Times-Dispatch

  “Adams makes Storyton Hall come to life ... Readers will relish the way Ellery Adams weaves together books, mystery, and fantasy.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “A mystery that takes place at a book-themed resort—it doesn’t get any better. The author has woven in a bunch of suspects that will keep cozy mystery lovers guessing. The story is well paced and keeps you reading until you find out whodunit.”

  —MyShelf.com

  The Books by the Bay Mysteries

  “Adams’s plot is indeed killer, her writing would make her the star of any support group, and her characters ... are a diverse, intelligent bunch.”

  —Richmond Times-Dispatch

  The Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries

  “[A] savory blend of suspense, pies, and engaging characters. Foodie mystery fans will enjoy this.”

  —Booklist

  “A sensory delight for those who like a little magic with their culinary cozies.”

  —Library Journal

  “An original, intriguing story line that celebrates women, family, friendship, and loyalty within an enchanted world, with a hint of romance, an engaging cast of characters, and the promise of a continued saga of magical good confronting evil.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Adams permeates this unusual novel—and Ella [Mae’s] pies—with a generous helping of appeal.”

  —Richmond Times-Dispatch

  Books by Ellery Adams

  The Secret, Book & Scone Society Mysteries

  The Secret, Book & Scone Society

  The Whispered Word

  Book Retreat Mysteries

  Murder in the Mystery Suite

  Murder in the Paperback Parlor

  Murder in the Secret Garden

  Murder in the Locked Library

  MURDER IN THE LOCKED LIBRARY

  Ellery Adams

  KENSINGTON BOOKS

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Praise for Ellery Adams’s Previous Mysteries

  Books by Ellery Adams

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Welcome to Storyton Hall

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Afterword

  Teaser chapter

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2018 by Ellery Adams

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-1563-0

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-1564-7

  eISBN-10: 1-4967-1564-0

  This is for the people who enter a bookstore and instantly

  become giddy with happiness and anticipation.This is for

  those of you who never tire of the feel, shape, and smell of

  books. Those who are drawn to beautiful covers like a

  moth to a bright light. Those of you who buy book-scented

  candles and take photos of your book collection. Those of

  you who can’t wait to tell another person—or the whole

  world—about the amazing book you just read. Those of

  you who find respite from life’s hardships by retreating

  to your favorite reading spot with a good book.

  This is for you, lover of books, with gratitude.

  “A little library, growing larger every year, is an honourable part of a man’s history. It is a man’s duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life.”

  —Henry Ward Beecher

  Welcome to Storyton Hall

  Our Staff Is Here To Serve You

  Resort Manager—Jane Steward

  Butler—Mr. Butterworth

  Head Librarian—Mr. Sinclair

  Head Chauffeur—Mr. Sterling

  Head of Recreation—Mr. Lachlan

  Head of Housekeeping—Mrs. Pimpernel

  Head Cook—Mrs. Hubbard

  Select Merchants of Storyton Village:

  Run for Cover Bookshop—Eloise Alcott

  Daily Bread Café—Edwin Alcott

  Cheshire Cat Pub—Bob and Betty Carmichael

  The Canvas Creamery—Phoebe Doyle

  La Grande Dame Clothi
ng Boutique—Mabel Wimberly

  Tresses Hair Salon—Violet Osborne

  The Pickled Pig Market—the Hogg brothers

  Geppetto’s Toy Shop—Barnaby Nicholas

  The Potter’s Shed—Tom Green

  Storyton Outfitters—Phil and Sandi Hughes

  Robert Harley Rare Book Society Members:

  Bartholomew (Bart) Baylor

  Rosemary Pearce

  Aaron Sullivan

  Austin Sullivan

  Levi Ross

  Chapter One

  “Don’t touch that book!”

  Thrusting his index finger out like a rapier, Sinclair, the head librarian of Storyton Hall, waved identical twins Hemingway and Fitzgerald Steward over to the far side of the reading table.

  “Why not?” one of the brothers asked in surprise.

  “You told us to be curious about what’s between every cover in every library,” the other brother added.

  Sinclair pointed at their dirt-encrusted hands. “What else have I taught you about the proper treatment of books?”

  “To make sure our hands are clean before touching a book,” Hem said.

  “I was going to say that.” Fitz frowned, but quickly brightened again. “You also said never fold the corner of a page to mark our place. Civilized people use bookmarks.”

  Sinclair’s stern expression morphed into a smile. “Correct on both counts. Scrub those hands until I can see pink skin and I’ll tell you about this book. It holds a secret.”

  The twins cast matching glances of doubt at the modest leather volume before exiting the library at a speed their mother, Jane Steward, would have referred to as their “power-lurch” pace.

  “At least they’re not running,” she said to Sinclair.

  Jane had silently watched the exchange between the head librarian and her sons from the comfort of an oversized wing chair. She never interrupted Sinclair when he was instructing the twins. “It’s a daily battle to keep them from knocking into little old ladies, especially when all three parties have their noses buried in books.”

  “I could think of far worse transgressions,” was Sinclair’s reply as he placed a wooden book cradle on the large reading table. He then laid two pair of white gloves, a selection of foam wedges, and a book weight next to the cradle.

  At the sight of the gloves, Jane arched a brow and whispered, “I thought those were reserved for handling books in the secret library. And for initial contact only. Didn’t you say that gloves can be more dangerous than bare fingers because one can’t properly feel the pages and might accidentally rip them?”

  “I did,” Sinclair agreed amiably. “However, your sons and I have a markedly different definition of clean. I love those boys like they were my own flesh and blood, but their stained and jagged fingernails will not come into contact with this book.”

  Jane couldn’t argue against this precaution. The twins had just started a new school year, and after three months of reading, swimming, archery, fishing, martial arts, falconry lessons, picnics, barbecues, and bike rides into the village, they were finding the adjustment difficult. Today, for example, was a Friday afternoon leading into a long Labor Day weekend, and the twins had been home for less than ten minutes. In that short amount of time, they acted like they’d just been released from prison.

  Cleanliness had never been high on their priority list, and Jane was constantly reminding her sons to wash themselves and tidy their room. Now, with their earlier bedtimes, homework, and having to wear clothes that weren’t riddled with holes or covered with stains, the twins were rebelling by blatantly ignoring their personal hygiene, and today was no exception. Even the handmade soap crafted by Tammie Kota, Jane’s future spa manager, couldn’t inspire the boys to do more than pass their grimy hands under running water before drying them on what was inevitably a freshly laundered white towel.

  When Fitz and Hem returned to the library from the men’s restroom in the lobby, Sinclair offered each of them a pair of gloves.

  “Are we pretending to be Mickey Mouse?” Hem asked.

  Fitz stared at his gloves. “Or girls?”

  The twins exchanged horrified glances.

  Sinclair deigned to reply. He gazed placidly at the boys until they donned their gloves.

  “Now then, I told you that this book contains a secret. I’m going to teach you how to handle a very old book so that we can examine the secret together. When we’re done, I’m going to package the book, along with the other eleven volumes in the series, for shipment. The set will be sold at auction. Your mother hopes that it’ll fetch enough money to pay for part of the spa construction.”

  Fitz’s eyes widened. He turned to Jane. “Didn’t you say that it’ll cost thousands and thousands of dollars?”

  Jane nodded. “Remember when I showed you the plans? I explained that a spa like ours has to be fancy. We’re going to have treatment rooms, a relaxation space, and a boutique selling all-natural botanical products. These rooms are expensive to build, especially when you include water features and custom—”

  “And people are going to get wrapped in seaweed,” Fitz interrupted.

  “Like sushi!” Hem chimed in giddily.

  Sinclair cleared his throat and all three Stewards snapped to attention. It didn’t matter that Jane was the manager of Storyton Hall Resort and technically, Sinclair’s boss. Her position as manager carried little weight in the Henry James Library. The library was Sinclair’s domain. In this cavernous room, with its reading tables, soft chairs, oil paintings, globes, mammoth fireplaces, and shelves upon shelves of books, only one person was in charge.

  “The proper way to examine a rare book is to place it in a cradle like this,” Sinclair explained to the twins. He gently transferred the book, which was about the length of his hand, to the cradle.

  “What are those pieces of foam for?” Hem asked, reaching for one.

  “I’m delighted you asked, Master Hemingway,” Sinclair said. “Observe. When I open the cover, I meet with resistance when I get to . . . here. An angle of approximately one hundred and twenty degrees.”

  Closing the book, he looked at his pupils. “Would you like to try?”

  Both boys did. Very carefully, they took turns opening the cover.

  “I think I hear a little crack,” Fitz said. “Like it’s telling me to stop.”

  Looking pleased, Sinclair gestured at the foam blocks. “You have correctly interpreted the book’s needs. Would you like the honor of placing this foam on the cradle and opening the cover again?”

  His face shining, Fitz shot his brother a triumphant glance before doing as Sinclair directed.

  Ignoring Fitz, Hem pointed at Sinclair’s hand. “Why aren’t you wearing gloves?”

  “Excellent question. The answer is that it’s best to turn the pages with clean hands. Completely clean hands. Now. Allow me to show you the first copperplate, which is opposite the title page.”

  The boys flanked Sinclair and bent over the book in anticipation. Sinclair revealed the illustration, which depicted a ship in wild seas, a wooden barrel being tossed by a rogue wave, and a formidable fish.

  The boys released a stream of questions.

  “Is there a storm?”

  “What’s in the barrel?”

  “How can the fish be on top of the water?”

  “Who’s Jonathan Swift?”

  Sinclair focused on the last question. “Among other things, Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels.”

  The twins were advanced readers for their tender age, which was no surprise considering they’d grown up surrounded by books and book enthusiasts. And while they’d yet to conquer Gulliver’s Travels, they had seen an animated film adaption of Swift’s famous tale.

  “How old is this?” Fitz asked in a reverent tone.

  Sinclair gingerly turned pages until he came to a copperplate of a map. “One of the reasons this book is so rare is that it’s part of a series published between 1703 and 1740.”

  “Whoa
, that’s old!” Hem exclaimed, after a brief pause in which he seemed to be performing calculations in his head.

  “Indeed,” Sinclair said. “Most owners lost some of the books in their series. Or books were damaged. It is very unusual for the entire set to be together like this. And in such excellent shape. Look at the Moroccan calfskin binding of this volume. It’s in sublime condition.”

  Fitz, who’d seen countless examples of leather-bound books, was indifferent as to its appearance. “What’s the secret?”

  “Ah, the secret is actually part of the book. It’s literally been glued into the binding between the end paper and the back cover.” Sinclair turned to the place in question and unfolded a sheaf of paper.

  The twins stared at it in confusion.

  “It’s hard to read,” Hem complained. “The writing is so curly. Is it cursive?”

  “Wait. Is this about people getting married?” Fitz’s voice was laced with indignation. The twins disliked any subject pertaining to romance. They were at “that phase” of their development, as Mrs. Pimpernel, the head housekeeper, tended to say. Mrs. Hubbard, the head cook, simply referred to it as a “three-year-long case of the cooties.”

  Sinclair chuckled. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but yes. This is a certificate of marriage between Jonathan Swift and Esther Johnson. See? Here’s his signature. And hers. This third signature belongs to a man who witnessed what must have been a very small, very secret ceremony. His name is Alexander Pope. He’s another famous author.”