Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

About the Book

★★★★★

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.

Third in Shelley Gray’s Chicago World’s Fair Mystery series (but could easily be read by itself), Whispers in the Reading Room takes place after the conclusion of the fair, as Lydia Bancroft and Sebastian Marks strike up an unlikely relationship from their interactions in a reading room. As they spend more time together and their histories and vulnerabilities come to light, the drama and intrigue heighten with dangerous implications. It’s a fascinating story, with plenty of romance, and I couldn’t put it down. I would certainly recommend it to fans of historical romance.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of Whispers in the Reading Room and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

Shelley Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail. 

Find her online at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.