Murder at the Merton Library (Wrexford \u0026 Sloane, #7) by Andrea Penrose

Murder at the Merton Library (Wrexford \u0026 Sloane, #7) Reviews

• 
  Ami

  3.5 stars
  
  I mentioned several books ago that with this series, I no longer pay attention to the mystery. It all feel repetitive after a while. Plus it involves a LOT of talks about mechanical invention of the yesteryear (that I don't really care about) or conspiracy/secrecy of government (another thing I don't care about). So the series become ALL about the characters for me.
  
  Unfortunately, after the high of the previous book, with an addition to Wrexford & Sloane's colorful family, this one felt rather stagnant. Not much happening in terms of character development. Charlotte still worried a lot about her family, especially now that Peregrine was going back to Eton. The Weasels would always be able to insert themselves in the family investigation. Kit and Cordelia still somehow fighting about money (really, Kit, STOP being idiot!). And well, people were still dying
  
  The few things I did enjoy here was a more insights about Wrexford's relationship with his deceased brother. There was a WONDERFUL moment here between Wrexford and Raven that just made my heart felt tight. Also we found out slightly more about Mac's past.
  
  But the rest, wasn't as good as the previous books. I hope the next one would be a bit better. I wonder if it would take in Kit and Cordelia's wedding... because THAT would be another havoc in their life *laugh*
  
  
  
  
  The ARC is provided by the publisher via
  Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
• 
  Lucinda

  I love love this series!
  Wrex and Charlotte, the Weasels, the newest weasel, Kit and Cordelia, the dowager, Mac, Baz, Tyler—I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but they're the best as a found family.
  
  The story starts out with two different mysteries to solve, one by Wrex and one by Charlotte, but the more they delve with the help of their friends and family, the more things get tangled up until they realize what's at stake. It's personal for Wrex, trying to bring justice to his brother and his brother's friend, but there also clues to a case of national treachery.
  
  The historical side of the technology to develop ships capable of crossing oceans was fascinating, as were the parts related to the Oxford library. I also enjoyed seeing Wrexford's connection to the boys.
  
  It's a standalone but you'll enjoy it more when you've read the previous books in the series. This is one series you don't want to miss.
  
  I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
• 
  Lastblossom

  tl;dr
  Another great installment in the Wrexford & Sloane series with a well-researched historical mystery and a very strong cast.
  
  Thoughts
  The historical and scientific research that goes into this series has always impressed me, and this book is probably one of the best in the whole lot. I absolutely love Andrea Penrose's ability to build up the thrill of scientific discovery. With most of our mystery-solving crew now well established, the focus of this book manages to be the mystery instead of the relationships. Not that we don't get a touch of drama between Kit and Cordelia, and unfolding a bit more of Wrex's history is a welcome piece of storytelling, but it is nice to see everyone working together so efficiently to unravel what turns out to be a very cool mystery. This also feels like it might be the last "casual" story of the series, with even more international intrigue happening, along with my new favorite character (I've always had a soft spot for librarians). The Weasels are, as always, a delight, with Peregrine finally hitting one of the plot points I've always wondered about (in terms of recognizing art style), and I'm happy to see that they haven't been relegated to background characters over the course of the series.
  
  Fans of the series will find this another solid book. Newcomers are welcome to start here if it's what you've got, but I do heartily recommend reading at least the first volume just to set the stage.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
• 
  Lauren

  3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed this latest entry in the series, even if it was a little slower than than some of the other stories. We learn more about Wrex's backstory, particularly his relationship with his late brother. We also get to learn more about Mac's history here, as her past starts to intertwine with the mystery that Charlotte and Wrex are investigating. The scientific focus of this story is the race to develop early prototypes of the steam engine and the important role that it would play in the military, trade and government. I will admit I was less interested in this area than some others that have been featured in the series (even with all the sabotage and spying involved), but I always appreciate that I learn something new from each of these stories. One other minor critique: I was not a fan of the potential new addition to the Weasels' group, Osprey. I don't recall how old Raven is supposed to be at this point, but Osprey was both older yet less mature than him. Given the difference in their upbringing that's not surprising, but I still was not a fan.
  
  Looking forward to reading what's next for Charlotte, Wrex and their crew!
  
  Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!
• 
  Tammy Buchli

  I love this series. This books aren’t for dummies - you have to pay attention to both the history and the mystery, to say nothing of the science. Fun team of Regency/ Scooby-Doo style sleuths, too.
• 
  Mary Hart

  5 stars
  
  There was a bit of a delay while I purchased the previous book. I'm glad I did as they are almost a pair. This book leads on from the second. A librarian is murdered. Wrex got him the job at the college as he was one of the few survivors from a raid that killed Wrex's beloved younger brother. The weasels are very much a part of the enterprise as is Peregrine before he returns to Eton. We then meet another member of the flock, Osprey.
  
  Great addition to the series.
  
  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
• 
  Bee

  When the Earl of Wrexford is summoned to Oxford by an old family friend, he arrives just in time to discover that the reclusive librarian has been murdered. The only pieces Wrexford has to go on are a missing manuscript and the fact that Greeley was overheard saying Wrexford’s name in a heated conversation with his potential killer. Solving this crime is personal for Wrexford, as the dead man was best friends with Wrexford’s younger brother, killed in the Peninsular War. Emerging whispers of a British traitor connected with Greeley’s death — and perhaps that of Wrexford’s brother and other soldiers — fuels his determination to root out the truth.
  
  Meanwhile, Charlotte is drawn into a seemingly unrelated series of sabotages on laboratories and a naval facility, both locations at the heart of the race to design the first ocean-traveling steamship, a race spanning countries and continents. It becomes apparent that these sabotage attempts and the murder at Merton Library are connected after all, and bound together by the missing manuscript.
  
  Soon Wrexford, Charlotte, and their inner circle band together to figure everything out and catch the ‘villains’ and ‘miscreants’ holding the puppet strings in this tangled mess. It’s always good fun to join this cast of characters, and I enjoyed this entry in the series. At times the details surrounding the mechanics of propeller design and steam travel bogged down a bit for me, but not overly so.
  
  Here’s the big puzzler that kept niggling in my mind and I’d love to ask the author for an understanding of it: Horatio being a midshipman in charge of a unit of thirty men. I understand that the aristocracy were officers without having to rise through the ranks, but did they really have that kind of responsibility at his age? The book refers to him being about Peregrine’s age, which is roughly 13 based on the previous book. Someone that young would command a unit of men? Was I the only reader confused?
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
• 
  Sarah-Hope

  As a general rule, I'm a bit of a purist as regards historical mysteries. I appreciate realism, the use of historical detail, and genuinely believable characters. Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane series is playful with a mix of characters unlikely to have historical counterparts, but they're just such fun reads that the have me tossing my purism aside and embracing far-fetched plot elements and characters.
  
  These novels are set in Victorian London, but feature the kind of blended family of choice that readers would be more apt to accept in contemporary fiction. The family includes
  • a female political cartoonist who works under a pseudonym and is married to...
  • a once rogue-ish member of the nobility turned fighter for justice, and who along with the cartoonist has adopted...
  • a pair of former street urchins who they are raising in simultaneously traditional and iconoclastic ways and who have been joined by...
  • an half-Black, orphaned aristocratic child who, like the former urchins is utterly devoted to
  • an aging aunt who is simultaneously a model of propriety and devil-may-care independence.
  The family (and some of their closest friends) receive support from
  • a cook with a mysterious background and a gift for baking ginger biscuits and
  • a valet with wide ranging skills from the sartorial to the scientific.
  
  Would this crew actually have existed in Victorian London? Absolutely not. Do they make delightful reading? Yes, absolutely. It's great fun to see the conventions of this period reinvented to make room for such a disparate group.
  
  The mystery begins with the murder of a librarian at the Merton who is wrestling with shell-shock and the theft of an obscure scientific publication. As the book progresses the unlikely crew of investigators must look both back and forward to an act of treason during the Peninsular War and present-day competition among scientists on a quest to design a propulsion system not subject to the whims of winds and weather that would allow cross-ocean traffic between Britain and the US.
  
  As a bonus, Penrose has an interest in history of science, so amidst all the unlikely characters and happenings, is some carefully researched and interesting material about the design of propellers and steam engines and the increasing role of entrepreneurship in the British economy. Not many writers can offer a mix of playfulness and precision the way Penrose does.
  
  I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
  
  
• 
  Jane

  Charlotte Sloane is a widowed lady of quality with a secret. She is a satirical cartoonist under a pen name. She uses her pen to cast light on injustices and misbehavior. Circumstances bring her together with two orphaned guttersnipes who she comes to love as her own, and with the intimidating Earl of Wrexford. This series has a nice mix of mystery, historical details, and found family. The relationships feature romantic love, parental love, family love, and deep friendships.
  
  The book that introduces these characters and other series regulars is Murder on Black Swan Lane, and book seven in the series is due out in September. This is a great time to start reading, because if you like the first book, you can move right on to the next, but the number of books already published is not intimidating. Set in Regency London, the author likes to spotlight legitimate scientific innovation of the time period. Real scientists make occasional appearances in her stories.
  
  Book seven, Murder at the Merton Library, starts with the murder of an Oxford librarian. It deals with fallout from the Napoleonic wars and intrigue around competition to create a marine propulsion system utilizing steam engines. (If that sounds boring, don’t worry – the author makes it interesting.) The Regency details seem perfect, and the author believably makes her female characters as important to the action as the male characters. I’ve found some of the other books in the series a bit draggy at times, but this one moved along briskly for me.
  
  This series is a lot of fun for the serious historical mystery reader. I read an advance reader copy of Murder at Merton Library from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be published on September 26.
• 
  Julie Carlson

  I always look forward to reading a Wrexford and Sloane mystery. I love the characters, and I always learn fascinating tidbits about science/technological discoveries during the Regency period. In this new book, the plot focuses on the race to develop an ocean-going steam ship, something I had never thought about. Wrex and Charlotte actually must solve two mysteries in Murder at the Merton Library. Neville Greeley, a librarian who suffers from PTSD and who was the best friend of Wrex's late brother, is murdered at Merton Library in Oxford. Meanwhile, Charlotte, with the Weasels, investigates sabotage taking place at laboratories that are working on how to create an ocean-going steamship. Soon the couple realizes that they might be chasing the same villain. Charlotte and Wrex are strong characters but the secondary characters, particularly the Weasels, make the series fun. We even are introduced to a new character, Horatio (a midshipman in the British Navy), who we might meet again (I do hope Penrose includes in an author's note information about military officers and how a teen, such as Horatio, could command 30 men. I was puzzled by that). This is a series best read in order. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. Murder at the Merton Library will release in September, which will give you plenty of time to catch up on the series.
• 
  Kiki Clark

  I received an advanced copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
  
  I enjoyed this book even having not read the previous books in the series. I may even go back and read some of the previous books because I really enjoy the premise of the series which brings scientific learning and achievement into a Regency murder mystery. The mystery was not overly simple and neither was it overly complicated. The story left a few breadcrumbs that may make you want to pick up the next book without leaving you at a cliffhanger restlessly waiting the next installment.
  My main critique is that all the protagonists were too over-the-top modern in their attitudes towards society. One thing I think authors of historical fiction in general need to realize is that having your characters have completely modern attitudes and morals is as historically inaccurate and jarring as having your Regency heroine wear a mini-skirt and stilettoes as she hops in her motor car to go to the Duke's ball. I understand wanting your protagonists more relatable to modern audiences, and even having them be better than those around them, but it borders on unbelievable when they are a veritable saint compared to the entire rest of the world at the time.
  
• 
  Phyllis Eide

  A key reason I wanted to obtain and read this book was related to the title. I thought (reasonably, I’d argue) that a title should reflect the main focus of the book, or at least imply it. I was surprised to find that the titular murder, which did indeed occur at Merton, was quite secondary to the main plot, which circled around the development of steam powered transoceanic travel, and the sometime murderous quest by various governments to procure the same. I guess that would make for a very clunky and dry title, so I can see why the author went a different route, but it was a bit ‘bait and switch’ for my liking. The characters must have been more clearly delineated in prior books in the series, because there was not much exposition and development here. The clutch of precocious boys that the main characters had taken under their wing had tonal shifts in dialog that ranged widely from gutter snipe to a sort of faux middle to upper class lingo. I guess if I had to offer a rating on a 1-5 scale, I’d give this a 2. Not sure I’m impelled to go to prior volumes for more insights.
• 
  Beth

  Before I dive in, please note that I have NOT read any of the series' previous books. My thoughts and reactions are based off of this book and this book alone. [3.5 stars.]
  
  Do I feel reading the other books may have helped me better enjoy this book? Possibly. I definitely would have had a better sense of all the characters and their motivations. However, this book was written in such a way that it could have been a standalone and I commend that. Otherwise...
  
  This story dragged. A lot. In part due to all the science elements. I understand that it's a component in the world / setting and the mystery itself, however, you end up spending a significant amount of time reading the details of the research only for the sleuths to have no new clues, answers, or suspects.
  
  I went into reading this expecting the typical murder mystery vibes, and was sorely disappointed. It was more a general mystery where someone happened to be murdered.
  
  I enjoyed Charlotte, the Weasels (plus Peregrine) and a few other side characters which was the saving grace, in my opinion.
  
  Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this ARC.
• 
  Christa Johnson

  Murder at the Merton Library is another excellent entry in the Wrexford and Sloane series. The head librarian at Merton Library, who was also an old war buddy of Wrexford's late brother, is found murdered in his office and Wrexford feels obligated to investigate. At the same time, he and Charlotte are drawn into both a mysterious laboratory fire and a money making consortium that both have ties to the international race to develop a steam engine powered ship propulsion method that will revolutionize ocean travel.
  Charlotte and Wrexford once again rely on assistance from their young wards and inner circle of close friends and family to investigate both cases. This great cast of recurring characters and the author's attention to period details are what make these historical mysteries so good. In this book, all of the background information on the history of the transition from sailing and paddle wheel ships to engine powered ones was particularly fascinating. A complex mystery and an increasingly dangerous hunt for the villains make for another thrilling adventure through Regency London. #NetGalley
• 
  Steve

  I loved this book. The story captured me right away and didn’t let me go until the end. I loved the characters, the good and the bad. The camaraderie and banter between the protagonists were excellent. But to me, a great part was the Author’s Note which put the science into historical context and is a must read. This book is a great historical fiction/mystery story with history of science added in. Many books try to cover multiple areas and the stories get lost in the process. Not this book, it stays on target. The only thing I didn’t like was that I just found out about the series at book 7 which functions very well as a stand-alone. I did not feel lost for a second because I didn’t read any of the prior books. Now I want to go back and read books 1-6. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the digital review copy.
• 
  Jan

  This is not an unbiased review because I geek history and love this series.
  This one centers on the marine use of steam engines and the race among English businessmen to back their competition with the Americans.
  Lady Charlotte Sloane was born to the aristocracy but escaped for a time and now is a satirical cartoonist (and at peril) with surprising investigative skills, and her husband the Earl of Wrexford is a brilliant and rather reclusive man reputed as one never to be crossed. Together they are formidable enough but add in the orphans they call The Weasels and others who are valued for their abilities, and you have just the right people to investigate murder, extortion, disappearances, and financial crimes. As always, there is a core of truth that has been well researched.
  I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
  
• 
  Avril Hemingway

  Another solid book in this series. Lots of detail as usual about the scientific discovery involved this time. The usual cast of character's are involved as usual although we do learn a bit more about Wrexford's history. The difference this time is that Wrex goes off on his own to investigate his friends death while Charlotte looks into what appears to be a separate mystery however the two intertwine and our sleuths are reunited as a unit. This one did feel a bit slower paced at times but still just as entertaining. Looking forward to more as I love these character's I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
  
• 
  Samantha

  I really enjoyed this book. When I picked it out, I didn't realize it was part of a series. It's definitely fine to read as a stand alone mystery, but I think reading books 1-6 would certainly give more details and background about the characters. The book reads comfortably and keeps a good pace. There were some sections that felt slightly dense due to the science being discussed, but I still enjoyed it.
  
  I recommend this book to readers who enjoy library settings and an oxford-style theme (i.e. light academia lovers).
• 
  Blue

  Oh my goodness, I have fallen in love with the dedication written in the pages of "Murder at the Merton Library." Such a one entering the family is thought of as blissful. Within the pages of the book there is the smell of the library. If you love libraries, you will adore this mystery. The murder scene is particularly sophisticated and ugly. "Murder at the Merton Library is one of the finer pieces of Historical Fiction. Where there is fire, you smell the ashes and smoke. This book brings back to life all the deadened senses.
• 
  Joseph

  I was fortunate to get an ARC of this title at the 2023 ALA Conference. This being book #7, I of course had to read books 1-6 first, and I am so glad I did. This is a fantastic series! Great characters, great plots, great settings, just plain great. And it gets better as it goes. This is my first five-star book of the year, and it so deserves it. Lots of exciting action, intriguing mysteries, enjoyable history lessons, characters you would love to be friends with. I can't wait to see where Penrose takes this series next.
• 
  Vicki F

  Murder at the Merton Library reminds me of a Nancy Drew style mystery and would be perfect for young teen readers. Even though it falls in a Historical Fiction category, the historical content does not overwhelm the reader.
  
  Murder, arson, espionage, sabotage, and new inventions all contribute to the plot of the book.
  
  A copy was provided for my review. All opinions are my own.
• 
  hurriyah

  Ahhh, I missed all these characters. It was so much fun jumping into their lives again. The love between Charlotte and Wrexford is simple yet so profound.
  
  Their relationship with the Weasels has been and remains my favorite part of this series. It is always wonderful to see Alison as a side character.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
• 
  Caroline

  Very enjoyable, but perhaps not the strongest in the series. Perhaps it’s my lack of interest in ships and ocean travel, but I found it very difficult to get into the story. About halfway through, though, the pace picked up, and it was back to the Wrexford and Sloane mystery I adore.
  
  I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.