Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murder in the Manuscript Room | 2017 | Con Lehane | Buy |
| 2 | Murder Off the Page | 2019 | Con Lehane | Buy |
| 3 | Murder by Definition | 2022 | Con Lehane | Buy |
| 4 | Murder at the 42nd Street Library | 2016 | Con Lehane | Buy |
| 5 | Murder at the College Library | 2024 | Con Lehane | Buy |
| 6 | Murder in the Reading Room | 2026 | Con Lehane | Buy |
The 42nd Street Library Mystery series is set in and around the New York Public Library’s landmark main branch on Fifth Avenue. Raymond Ambler, curator of the library’s fictional crime fiction collection, keeps finding himself at the center of murder investigations – from killings inside the library’s marble halls to crimes that pull him to college campuses and beyond. The series has a traditional amateur sleuth feel, with fair-play puzzles and a strong sense of place.
Lehane’s library mysteries have been compared to the work of Ed McBain and S.J. Rozan for their New York settings and careful plotting. The series began in 2016 with Murder at the 42nd Street Library and has grown to six books. Each book stands well on its own, but readers who start from the beginning will see Ambler’s world and relationships develop over time.