Murder at the Merton Library: A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery, Book 7

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. The characters are well thought out, there are very interesting moments in history woven throughout the stories and vivid descriptions of people and places. Lots of twits and turns and bits of humor scattered throughout. Highly recommend

While this was another solid addition to the series, it wasn't my favourite as I found the flow a little off and jilted. As per usual, a murder has taken place that Wrexford and Sloane find themselves compelled to solve, all the while several other threads are being pulled by a nefarious force. There's once again a focus on a scientific discovery of the regency period - this time the story is concerned with the race to find a steam-powered ship capable of traversing the ocean and revolutionising water travel. While the background was well-researched as per the norm in this series, I found the facts thrown in rather than introduced and explained smoothly, leading to some clunky sections in the book where the information seemed to be there just for the sake of it rather than complementing the flow of the story. This was especially prevalent in sections of the dialogue between key characters.The murder at Merton Library was personal for Wrex with the victim being a long-time acquaintance and the best friend of his beloved brother who was slaughtered in the Napoleonic Wars. With few clues and a missing manuscript, there's possible treason as a traitor of the highest order may be betraying secrets for their own benefit. Worse, it may have led to the death of hundreds of English soldiers. There's also a string of unfortunate events linked to the discovery of steam-powered water technology and it seems that there's an antagonist who will stop at nothing to ensure their cunning money-making schemes to defraud others succeeds by whatever means necessary.While the premise of the murder and the resulting investigation was interesting and there was some tension and solid investigation, I found that a lot of the discoveries were brought about by super convenient occurrences rather than solid sleuthing. This, combined with the scientific facts that seemed forced into the storyline at times led to me taking off a star. Wrexford, Sloane and their loved ones still had to join the dots, but a lot of the key factors were overly opportunistic which I don't think our beloved crew need to rely on. The family unit, having expanded with Peregrine living at the Berkeley Square residence between school terms, meant there was a lot going on as family meetings now seem to involve half of London (this might be a slight exaggeration lol). Mac had some of her personal stuff popping up that also managed to be tied to the crime which stretched the friendship a bit as the reader is once again taken on a ride to coincidence central. Throw in a bit of random Da Vinci for good measure that seemed to be chucked in to add mystery and there was a lot going on rather than Wrexford and Sloane complimenting each other as they got to the bottom of the mystery through tried and tested methods. When things did heat up (and there was some solid action) it was solved pretty quickly. One of the characters get into trouble and it would have been good if this was emphasised a bit more rather than being a bit of a non-event by the time the others find out. There was a good twist that a lot of readers will figure out early-ish but it was still entertaining none-the-less.I liked the bit of affection and emotion that Wrexford showed, especially towards Charlotte, and Kit and Cordelia finally start to get their act together. Overall, it was a good, albeit predictable, read. I didn't find this one overly repetitive (which these books can sometimes be)... although readers once again have to suffer through the mention of shirred eggs. This time there's also the addition of the terms muckworm and skullduggery that must be the author's words of the month. I'll also add that the formatting was funky at times, especially around speech. There were new lines for dialogue unnecessarily thrown around like confetti - it wasn't needed as there'd been no change in speaker so this led to me having to reread sections to see if I'd missed something as it read like there was another character talking.If you're new to this series, the books can be read as a standalone. I'll be purchasing the next book and hoping there's better flow, especially considering the high price of the eBook. It was still an entertaining read but some of the previous books in the series have spoilt me.

This series is one of my favorites the author is great at weaving stories around some well rounded characters I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to read the next one

I have so enjoyed this series and recommend it to anyone interested in this time period. The characters are very believable and the story keeps you guessing as to what happens next.

Loved the book. Action packed with adventures galore. The entire gang were present and accounted for in this mystery of long ago and present day. The family of Wexford and wife are always ready to bring the criminal to Justice.

I like the historical period and strong characters. Good plotting too! I read an earlier book in the series. Enjoyed reconnecting.

Two different cases, one culprit. It wasn't hard to see that two investigations, one by Wrexford and one by Charlotte, were connected and why. But it took our two protagonists too long to figure it out. The plot was convoluted, and the "miscreant's" identity was hiding in the shadows. Not the best book in the series.I had forgotten how annoying the narrator is. He sounds like a stage actor overacting to reach the audience in the back of the theater. I may or may not pick up the next one in the series, but I'll get the print version if I do.

Murder at Merton Library, the 7th installment of the Wrestled and Sloane series was another terrific mystery. The intricate strand that build the mystery, the well developed characters and the attention to historical detail kept me riveted. I love how Penrose develops her mysteries around real scientific discoveries.

These books are so well written. The author brings up so much background knowledge that contributes to the plots. I love the warmth and the adventure.

Andrea Penrose at her best! Einmal mehr nimmt uns die Autorin mit auf eine sehr spannende Reise. Ich konnte das Buch auf jeden Fall fast nicht mehr zur Seite legen. Prädikat: Sehr zu empfehlen!

I have read all the books in this series - interesting plots & characters. Can't wait to read the next installment!

Throughly enjoy this series. Everyone is a great read. Always exciting edge of your seat. Read this one in one sitting.

This had all the necessary elements, everything from Romance to a surprise end. Well done, Ms. Penrose. I look forward to your next endeavor.