I usually like mysteries. I didn't enjoy this one. It took too long to get to the murder and the language and humor was very dated. I did not finish this book.

It was a lot of fun to read this vintage mystery, set in a University library with a librarian sleuth, a miscellany of professors who could have done the deed, student workers who find ways to slack off, mysterious "stacks" and entrances. Too bad the pseudonymous author only did this as a one off instead of the series it seems to portend. Recommend to fans of Christie and her ilk.

This is what I would call a cozy mystery.
I have not read such books in a while and it was actually reviving to do so for a change.
A slight mystery with a hint of academic world mockery.
I was surprised that the book is dated 1942!

The Widening Stain is a quirky, funny and humorous mystery from 1942. It’s set at a university and the cast are professors and staff. When Mademoiselle Coindreau, the French assistant professor, is found dead in the library, apparently having fallen off a ladder, the police assume it’s an accident. Gilda Gorham, the Chief Catalogurer, is suspicious, however. Too many things just don’t make sense, so she begins a discrete investigation.

The mystery was fine. We have several suspects including professors and the chief librarian, but Gilda maybe spends more time thinking about who the killer is than actually trying to solve the case.

The book shines in its setting and dialogue. The author knows academia well and pokes fun at it just enough. The characters are entertaining and don’t see how funny they are. The word play is fabulous, including more limericks than I’ve ever come across in one book before. I listened to the audio, which worked well for me. The narrator did a good job distinguishing all the characters and kept the whole thing light-heartened. The narrator was in on the joke even if the characters weren’t.

This book was not my jam and I can tell you it was a me problem and not a book/author problem. This was my 1st book by W. Bolingbroke Johnson but I will certainly give them another read!

Thanks to High Bridge Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes I enjoy these old-timey classic mysteries, but it seems like this is one of the more minor ones. The prologue includes a lengthy discussion of the author and his history and how it informed the novel (the female MC is evidently based on his wife), which was fine but rather lengthy.

The story itself is OK. In essence, it's a locked room mystery, but there were so many similar characters that I found it difficult to keep them straight (lots of old white professors). The voice acting didn't make it much easier. Todd Menesses uses a transatlantic accent, which I suppose is correct for the time, but it is grating. There is minimal distinction between male characters, and the female voices are ...not quite at Monty Python level, but also not good. Imagine the average man imitating a woman and you're pretty much there.

MC Gilda the librarian is tenacious and smart, but suffers at the whims of the men she is surrounded by in the university. It seems like she is a bit plain (at least in contrast to La Sexy French professor Miss Cuandro who is noted carrying around a pendulum on a string, seemingly for the sole purpose of gotcha-ing the murderer in Act III.). There are a few good moments (the scenes depicting various characters getting ready for the President's Ball had surprising depth, which unfortunately was not fulfilled in the rest of the story), but overall this is a very average mystery. Very dated, and the limericks are ... well, if you like limericks maybe this is for you; I don't, so there you go.

2.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to the author, narrator publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this book in exchange for my review.

I love the Golden Age Detective novels. The writing is just so different from the books now. There are issues with some of the generalizations, some of the phrases - it was a different time - but the stories are my first choice.
I'm not familiar with this author, but was excited to have a chance to listen to a new to me Golden Age mystery. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. I look forward to more of these books published with Otto Penzler. So glad these books are being re=printed.

3 stars for "I liked it"

"The Widening Stain" by W. Bolingbroke Johnson is an interesting romp through the hallowed halls of academia, filled with humour, intrigue, and plenty of bibliographic charm. Set in a library at an institution reminiscent of Cornell University, this Golden Age mystery offers a satirical glimpse into academic life while delivering a captivating whodunit.

What sets this book apart is its blend of humour and literary charm. Johnson infuses the narrative with playful limericks and witty banter, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere.

However, I had greater expectations for the book. I rate the book three out of five stars and recommend it to anyone in search of a light-hearted and amusing mystery read.

"Thou shalt not murder"

What appears a tragic accident might be a murder and the recent death of a library staff, that looks like a fall from the rolling ladder, might just have more to it than what meets the eye.

The plot is certainly a catch with a murder occurring in the library and the story flow was that of a classic murder mystery, with a detective and a protagonist eager to solve the murder. The overall book gave me a cozy murder mystery vibe, though the 1st half of the book felt a little slow-paced for me as the book invests quite some time catching up with the plot.

The twists in the story kept the reading entertaining though I felt the stakes were low and there could be a more anticipation buildup around the danger the staff is in, This book would do well for a light mood read and the low stakes would make it a good companion for your next travel.

Thank you @netgalley @penzlerpub @highbridgeaudio for the Audiobook ARC.
Genre: #mystery #thriller
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this audio.

I really wanted to like this book. I am not someone that DNFs book I try and push thought it but I couldn’t finish this book. I’ll try picking it up again later.

A classic brought to audio. Good narrator. Taking place in 1940s, the feel of the times was here. An early cozy that is easy to listen to.

An interesting classic mystery, set in a university library in 1942. I read this in audiobook format and the narrator did a great job of making me feel like I was listening in the period in which the novel was set. The library staff and professors who make up the cast of characters are typical of this environment and create a lively backdrop for two murders that take place in the library—and the solving of these crimes in the end. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

**I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Johnson's mystery set in an academic library has layers of humor and intrigue, which makes this an overall enjoyable book. Gilda's character was delightful - parts stereotypical librarian but yet parts struggling to break away from the confines of 1940s mores - and I would have loved to read further books featuring Gilda as the amateur sleuth. The quirks of the professors and other library staff were amusing, and the mystery itself held my interest. A great example of a classic mystery novel, and I can see why Penzler Publishers selected this as part of the American Mystery Classics series.

As for the voice narration, it took me some time to adapt to the various voices and characterizations. Admittedly, it is not often I listen to a male reader - it just seems the books I listen to tend to be voiced by a female - so it takes me some time to adapt to the narration. However, once I did, I thought it was well done.

"The Widening Stain" is one of the first cozy mysteries, written in 1942. It was very popular and is what really got the genre started. This is a new audio recording for the book, narrated effectively by Todd Menesses. It is a good murder mystery with lighthearted humor in the form of limericks in each chapter.

This book lists the author as W. Bolinbroke Johnson, which was a pseudonym for Professor Morris Bishop of Cornell University. This is his only novel. His other works are all nonfiction. The setting resembles that of the library and campus of Cornell.

There are some differences for a book set 80+ years ago versus current times. There is a big divide between men and women and their place in society. Everyone smokes cigarettes, and most people drink a lot of alcohol. The language and dialogue are a bit different, and some esoteric vocabulary was used, such as fecundate and badinage.

The main character is a female librarian, Gilda Gorham. She's a smart cookie, and she tries to figure out the murder. Others think it's just an accident. Then a precious book goes missing. Soon, another dead body is found in the library. Read the story to figure it out with Gilda.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5
Overall - 4.1/5

I enjoyed this comic mystery classic. You may like it, too!

Thank you to Netgalley and High Bridge Audio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This comedic bibliomystery was such a fun surprise. A bit dated as it was originally published in 1942 but a lot of the misogyny is tongue in cheek and meant to be satirical. As murders begin to occur in the library of Cornell a female librarian seeks to discover who is behind the crimes. The mystery is enjoyable, the narrator is top notch, but it's the limericks you'll stay for. If you're a fan of the humor of Agatha Christie but always wanted her to be a bit more ridiculous then you'll love this.

A classic mystery that I have never read before. The audiobook version narrated by Todd Menesses who brought the characters to life in a way where they all felt easy to distinguish who was speaking because of the quality of the narration. As for the book itself, it is a story that people who enjoy reading murder mysteries are likely to enjoy and the setting of a library was not one that I have read before and it turned out to be a very interesting aspect of the story for me.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the academic setting. It was nostalgic from my years in college, and was the perfect setting for a cozy mystery. I also loved the limericks scattered throughout, and the more vintage-style writing.

My negative feelings regard two main areas. First, it was hard to keep track of all of the characters. Maybe this was because I listened to it on audiobook rather than reading a physical copy, but I frequently had to use contextual clues to match names to characters.

The second thing I didn't love was that (spoiler alert) the whole mystery (and ultimately the murder) hinged on male virginity, and the insecurity/irrationality (?) that it brings. This didn't really fit the cozy mystery vibe, and lent itself to a lot of sexual undertones throughout the book, which also didn't fit the vibe.

Overall, if you are looking for a vintage cozy mystery, I would suggest keeping with Agatha Christie.

This was a delight! It is rare in 2024 to come across a mystery from the 1940's that I've never heard of, but this one had escaped my radar until now. The odd origin story of the author being an academic writing under a pseudonym is likely what has kept it from being adapted into a movie, play, etc. - but that somehow just adds to the charm. The introduction adds little, unfortunately, but is blessedly brief, so skip it and get right into the story.

The story holds up remarkably well for being 80+ years old - to a modern reader it will fall somewhere between the classic whodunit and a cozy. And the setting of a university library with the head cataloguer as the sleuth will appeal to all who love books. It never feels like a generic story plopped into a library setting - books are central in a believable way to all of the story's threads.

There is some period-typical sexism - but it is challenged by multiple characters. And American perception of gender roles plays an unexpected role in the resolution in a way that is surprisingly (and disappointingly) timely.

This is the perfect story for curling up by the fire with a cup of tea and passing an entertaining afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Widening Stain" is an interesting mystery. The story follows the entire investigative thought process, which I thought was fun. The mystery is pretty basic, and there are some problematic moments. All in all, it's a good classic mystery.

This book was an interesting read, partially because of the moment in time it captured. Originally released in 1942, this mystery shows how society has changed while still staying the same. The murder when all is revealed reminded me of news headlines that we see now and demonstrates how we feel society has evolved while so much of it hasn't changed.

This was a great little read that keeps you guessing, the language is a bit old-fashioned because of the time it was written if that's a deal breaker for you.