A fun, easy read. It is a cozy mystery in a book setting and literary references. Well written and the characters are well formed. I enjoy the quirkiness of the characters which adds to the fun. Good book for comfort reading.

This was a charming cozy mystery. I loved the cast of quirky characters and learning more about them. Hayley is a very strong character and must try to solve Oona’s murder. There were many clues and red herrings along the way.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder Is A Must is the second book in the First Edition Library Mystery series.

Haley Burke is settling in nicely to her job as curator of the First Edition Library. The library of the late Lady Fowling’s collection of first edition books of Golden Age of Mystery authors, First Edition Library. Haley has started having literary salons, and these salons have been quite popular. When an opening comes up at a nearby exhibition hall, she decides to have an exhibition that will showcase the library. She hires Oona, who she has worked for before and not the best of conditions, but she knows Oona is a top-rate organizer. They soon find a note suggesting a first edition copy of Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers and signed by all the Golden Age authors. Soon, Oona informs Haley that she may know where the missing book is. Haley heads over to the exhibition hall but arrives too late, finding Oona’s dead body at the bottom of a staircase. Haley will now have to learn whether Oona was murdered because she had information on the missing book or she had made someone mad enough to end her life.

The blossoming romance between Haley and Val continues to grow. Haley will meet Val’s twin daughters and fears that they will try and come between Haley and Val.

I enjoyed this story and felt it was well-written and plotted, and the characters were well-developed and quite enjoyable.
It will be interesting to see what will happen next for Haley.

Hayley Burke is the curator at Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition library in Bath, England. The library is a mystery lovers dream, containing many Golden Age mysteries. Hayley and her former boss, Oona, are preparing a new exhibit showcasing Lady Fowling’s life and letters. When they learn a rare, signed book may be located somewhere in the library, Oona wants to locate it. Before the book id located, Oona is found dead. In addition to getting involved in the murder investigation, Hayley also needs to find the missing book.

Murder Is a Must is the second book in the First Edition Library Mystery series by Marty Wingate. This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first book, The Bodies in the Library, before this one. It’s a fabulous cozy series, and fans of cozies and Golden Age mysteries are sure to enjoy both books.

The setting is charming. The cast of characters is quirky and relatable. Hayley is a likable protagonist – smart, witty, and hard-working. The story is entertaining, and along with the mystery also includes other things happening in Hayley’s life.

A delightful cozy mystery. Recommended for fans of cozies, especially ones that feature books and libraries.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolutely wonderful book! I love the characters and setting. It was so nice to read what the main characters are doing in this latest book as well as learn about new characters and their back stories. The plot was delightful and excellently paced. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend this series to others.

Hailey Burke has grand aspirations for Middlebank and it’s future. Her grand salons are just getting started but she has her eye on an exhibition. That idea for an exhibition is where all the trouble starts. One of Hailey’s former bosses, Oona Atherton, takes the job as exhibition manager and then is murdered.
Hailey is up to her ears in other issues - the progression of her relationship with Val, meeting Val’s twin daughters, Dinah’s problems and her mother’s possible surgery. Still she becomes involved in little details of the investigation into Oona’s death. She goes to the police station so often with tidbits it’s a wonder they don’t charge her with interfering in an investigation, but the police in book Bath are very patient with the bits and pieces Hailey brings to their attention.
I’ve never read the book that this mystery is based on (Murder Must Advertise). This didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this second First Edition Library series mystery. This book may be the definition of life is what happens when you’re making other plans. The mystery gets solved along the way of living every other bit of life.

Title: Murder is a Must
Author: Marty Wingate
Genre: Cozy mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling's collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She's even made progress with Lady Fowling's former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling's life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.

Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.

When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she's unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but that wasn’t a problem. This was a solid cozy mystery read, but not a surprising one. I’ll admit the over-the-top character in the teal suit was a bit eccentric, but there really had to be one colorful character in this novel, didn’t there? This was an entertaining and fun read.

Marty Wingate is a bestselling author. Murder is a Must is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 12/2.)

Oh no! Oona, a problematic but brilliant woman and ace exhibit manger, is dead. Murdered at Middlebank House where she was helping Hayley plan an event to showcase the first edition collection of Lady Fowling. Lady Fowling loved Golden Age mysteries and she had a lot of them- enough that Hayley curates the First Edition Library. She had a bit of a rough settling in period but things seem to have evened out and now...this! Fans of the cozy know that Oona's fractious personality is more likely to have led to her demise than the recent discovery that a copy of a Dorothy Sayers novel, signed by multiple authors, has gone missing. I loved this for all the references to these wonderful mystery writers (I'm going to go back and read some I've missed) as well as for the characters. Hayley's a mature woman with a mature love life and a nose for detective. The mystery is twisty (no spoilers from me) but not too complex. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read which was fine as a standalone for me.

I like the characters and the friendship that is developing between the co-workers. I like the setting. The mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to more in this series and seeing friendships/relationships continue to grow.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What I Loved:

Oona Atherton. It is sad that one of my favorite characters in Murder is a Must is the murder victim, but there you have it. Oona reminds me of Anna Wintour ala Devil Wears Prada, with a slightly less icy demeanor replaced with brusqueness instead. Like Clara, that is the kind of boss I enjoy having, one who works her ass off and has high expectations of everyone else she works with. Hayley is petrified of her and calls Oona’s appeal “the Oona effect,” seemingly insultingly, but Oona is just highly confident, good at her job, passionate, and thorough. Hayley could use some of that confidence, since she is also thorough, good at her job, and passionate. It really seems to me like Oona got a lot of flak for being awesome.

Exhibit planning. I know that Lady Fowling is a fictional character, but she feels so real in this series that you become actually invested in seeing this exhibit come to life. A woman widowed young, who spent her life as a patroness of the arts and female writers in particular, who glories in detective fiction and writes in code? Sign me up. Not only is Lady Fowling an easily believable character, but the pitfalls of large scale exhibition planning were also very realistic and painful to watch. Having been in the service industry and helped on multiple events of this scale, there is a lot of planning involved that made this a very relatable read. I wish Lady Fowler and the Charlotte exhibition center were real!

What Didn’t Work as Well:

Hayley’s Flaws. Gosh, what I mean thing to say. I generally like Hayley as a protagonist – her instincts, when she listens to them, are on point, I love that she speaks with Lady Fowler’s portrait, and she has my dream job. However, she is immensely insecure, dwells on her budding relationship too much, and was clearly one of those guilty type single parents who now has a child that isn’t as mature as she should be at 23. Each new character introduced further highlighted these flaws (Oona’s cool competence, Val’s daughters with great careers at the same age as Hayley’s daughters), and even as she notices these flaws, she doesn’t improve. Hayley herself makes a clear comparison between her ex husband’s gaslighting behavior and Zeno’s, and yet she doesn’t put her foot down when Zeno acts poorly. Her instincts are good but she never listens to her gut, and it hurts her at every turn. It is frustrating to read about a smart woman who self sabotages.

The Murder Mystery. This is a bit vague, but I honestly loved the set up of the mystery and various clues, and felt that too many red herrings and unnecessarily complex plot points led to a more obvious murderer than it should have. I like being surprised, and found this mystery to be a little dull. The mystery of the missing singed book was much more intriguing and fun.

This is such a fun read from a favorite cozy author of mine. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My review opinion is my own. I love the charcters and the humor the author infuses into this book.

Hayley Burke our protagnist is the curator of the First Edition Society a library for first and rare editions of classic mystery novels by women writers in the Golden Age. Haley is putting on a lecture series and a exciting exhibit . Her reputation is on the line for the events. She finds the venue and signs on a event manager she previously worked with. The women is demanding and difficult to work with for everyone. When she is found dead on a staircase Hayley must find a missing book she was seeking before her death to save the exhibit and her reputation. As she struggles to hold the event together while solving the murder of her very contentious former event manager she finds the victim was disliked by many and clues to her death abound.

I enjoyed the charcters and the humor throughout this fun read. . I look forward to the next in series.

Haley Burke is curator of the Lady Fowling collection of first edition mysteries and is taking her position at the First Edition Library. She wasn’t expecting to hav e to solve an old friend’s murder. As the women prepare for an exhibition Hayley hires Oona Atherton her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help. Oona feels the priceless edition of Murder Must Advertise signed by many Golden Age of Mystery authors should be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed to find it in the First Edition Library.. Haley ends up finding her boss at the bottom of the stairs of the library. Did her finding the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past. Hayley has to read between the lines to catch the murderer.The y and turns make for an exciting story to catch a killer. This is a very enjoyable read for people of all ages who love a good mystery.

Hayley Burke is an interesting character. She has been the curator of the First Edition Society for six months. That is the collection of Lady Fowling's books and home. Now she decides to mount an exhibition for the public. That is when the problems start. There just might be a very rare first edition of a Lord Peter Wimsey book signed by several authors from the Golden Age of Mystery writers.

The entire exhibition is on an accelerated time line. The exhibit manager is murdered and the rare book can't be located.

This story moved well. It wasn't quite a five star read, but it was still pretty good. Characters were good. I got involved with them and I wanted Hayley to succeed when it seemed that lots of things were stacked against her.

Hayley Burke is determined to make the First Editions Library a success and relevant to today's fans of mystery novels. She is beginning a series of literary salons. But the big event to increase the Library's membership and reputation is an exhibition.

Hayley needs to find a perfect location and an exhibitions manager. Her first choice of venue has a surprise cancellation that Hayley is quick to jump on and an exhibitions manager that Hayley worked with previously is able to take the job. Oona Atherton is a wonderful, creative exhibitions manager but she is also a severe taskmaster who makes many enemies as she finishes her creative exhibitions. Hayley herself once with with Oona and knows her faults but thinks she's the best choice considering the need for a quick turnaround.

Hayley has also found a clue in one of the Library's books that indicates that there is a rare first edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE by Dorothy L. Sayers hidden somewhere which contains the autographs of all of the members of the Detection Club from 1933 including Sayers and Agatha Christie among others. The book would make a fine centerpiece for the exhibit - if only Hayley can find it.

But then Oona is found murdered and Hayley has a murder to solve, a new exhibition manager to hire, her boyfriend's two daughters to meet, and various other problems to solve including a fire caused by her ex-husband at her daughter's rental flat.

I enjoyed the many interesting characters in this one from an exhibition manager who is rather famous for his disasters to a computer geek with an obsessive personality but a great eye for detail. I enjoyed Hayley's new romance with Val which has many other obstacles than his two daughters disapproval of a a new woman in their father's life.

This was an engaging and entertaining new episode in this series. I look forward to more of Hayley's adventures.

The curator is hiring an exhibition manager to handle the display of the mystery library’s holdings while dealing with a new boyfriend, her daughter, and a missing, expensive rare book gifted to the library by Sayers. The exhibition preparation details take up a lot of page space that doesn’t have much to do with any mystery and are rather pedestrian. The only connection to the earlier book comes with the actual murder, which is also down a spiral staircase, and the rare book. (The gimmick of this series is that the curator hasn’t actually read mysteries before, so no knowledge of the classics is assumed or necessary on the reader’s part.)

The rest of the book goes much the same, with more emphasis on domestic disagreements and handling exhibition planning than finding the book or solving the murder. I can’t say that I remember much about Murder Is a Must after reading, but it got me to re-read Murder Must Advertise, which I really enjoyed.

This is the second in a series; a classic who-dun-it with a lovable protagonist and plenty of red herrings.

I enjoy Hayley and the auxiliary characters, and this was a nice follow up to the first mystery. Hayley's character evolves and she advances in career and romance. Wingate does an excellent job of making one feel as though they're in the book, and the soothing literary society/small town England setting is welcome during this globally stressful year.

It did feel like it ended a little abruptly - I would have liked to see more resolution with Zeno, as well as the exhibit.

Dorothy L. Sayers is my favorite Golden Age of Mystery writer, so I couldn’t resist this modern-day takeoff on her classic Murder Must Advertise.

The protagonist of the book (and of the first in the series, The Bodies in the Library) is Hayley Burke, the curator of the First Edition Library in Bath, which resides (as does Hayley) in the stately Georgian home of the late Lady Fowling, a minor mystery writer herself. Fowler’s home is a treasure trove of Golden Age books. As curator, Hayley organizes frequent speaker nights and other events. As this novel begins, Hayley is determined to mount an exhibition featuring Fowler and her collection.

Hayley’s ambitious project requires her to hire an exhibition manager—or at least she thinks it does. She chooses Oona Atherton, a supremely talented woman, but also a perfectionist who is difficult to work with. In short order, Oona is ordering around her intern, Clara, as well as Hayley and Hayley’s lover, Val, who is a literature professor. And in short order after that, Oona is found dead at the bottom of a spiral staircase, just like the featured death in Dorothy L. Sayers’s classic, Murder Must Advertise.

Coincidence plays a strong role in moving the plot along. Hayley is a fairly appealing character, though I grit my teeth at women like her, who lack self confidence and who allow themselves to be manipulated. The romance element is there for those who enjoy that, but isn’t too obtrusive.

I chose this book for its Golden Age connection, but there really isn’t all that much of it worked into the fabric of the book. The Golden Age is more of a hook for the series that an integral part of it. While this isn’t anywhere near the level of the Golden Age writers, it will likely appeal to those looking for a light cozy read with a bit of non-graphic romance thrown in.

A satisfying second installment in such a delightful series.

Hayley Burke embarks on a new career as the curator of the First Edition Library, housed in Bath, England, which was founded by the Lady Georgina, lover of the Golden Age of Mysteries. The library holds books by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and others and as Hayley becomes familiar with these works, she is somehow involved in murders that share striking similarities to the stories she is reading.

This series makes me want to cuddle up by the fire with a warm cup of tea and this second book was no different. I enjoyed how the clues and suspects are given upfront and the “killer” didn’t come out of leftfield at the end. The background love story is sweet and gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling when I read about their encounters. I find the main character a bit matronly but I also find this refreshing to read.

I recommend this to those who enjoy cozy mysteries or authors of the Golden Age of Mysteries, those who like books taking place in England, those who want an easy but engaging read between heavier novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite authors these days, the story is so well written and engaging that the reader easily loses themselves in the story. Characters are compelling and believable. I loved this book.

It was well worth requesting. I enjoyed it very much. The mystery had enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I was positive it was one of two people but the murderer turned out to be a surprise. I had it all figured out but then got distracted. I especially liked the lost book plot and the quest to find it, almost more than the murder mystery. I am intrigued enough to want to read Murder Must Advertise and have downloaded a digital copy from the library. My only major complaint about this story is that Hayley has too much going on in her life. I would rather have seen the romance slowed down and evolve gradually and leave the family drama for later. It was unnecessary for a relationship of barely only 4 months and made the book super long. I could have done without the Roger drama too but he's necessary for Hayley to figure out her dynamic with Zeno.

For an ARC, I didn't notice too many errors. There were a couple of typos but Adobe Digital Editions wouldn't let me highlight or bookmark when I saw them. There was one formatting error with the large capital letter

The characters are great! I LOL at Hayley because I also have a degree in 19th-century literature and would love to work for the Jane Austen Centre but have little knowledge of the classic mystery writers. I know a wee bit more than Hayley because I read cozy mysteries but like Hayley, I've read one Christie and seen a few movies! Hayley is kind and motherly. She's frazzled and sometimes snaps at people when she shouldn't but that's OK because it makes her human. She tries to look after younger women and protect them. Hayley is a Mama Bear when it comes to her Dinah. At 23, Dinah isn't quite ready to be an adult yet and needs her mother's guidance and help, especially when it comes to her father, Roger. Roger is one of those ne'er do well dreamers with big plans and schemes but no results. This time Roger goes too far. I really like how Hayley tried hard with Clara and how she dealt with Val's daughters too.

What I really don't like is the romance. Four months seems awfully fast to be sleeping together and meeting families. He was forced to meet Dinah because she showed up at her mum's flat unannounced when he was there but she doesn't really need to meet his daughters yet. Maybe I'm out of touch with modern, middle-aged romances but if I'm going to read a series, I want a nice, slow burn romance. Val is a nice guy but rather bland. I don't get much chemistry between them. Bess and Becky are opposite sides of one coin! Bess is bold, tough and bossy while Becky goes along with whatever her sister says. I understand their protectiveness towards their dad but he's a grown man and can take care of himself. Bess's story didn't go where I thought it would.

Mrs. Woolgar is growing on me. She seemed uptight and conservative in the first book, but she's getting to know Hayley better and they seem to be coming to an understanding. She's just protective of the Society and Lady Fowling's memory. I have to admit to liking Bunter, the cat too. He's charming and not over used or used in a cartoony, cutesy sort of way. Adele is a fun friend but her romantic drama was misplaced and unnecessary. Board members Mrs. Audrey and Mrs. Sylvia Moon are lovely ladies and don't appear enough in this novel. Hayley's mum is very wise and witty. I love how she does anagrams - on an app on her phone! I hope the anagrams keep her mind sharp. Hayley doesn't need to deal with her mom losing her memory.

New characters include author Arthur Fish. He's an odd duck but seems popular. His friend, Bulldog Moyle is a sketchy guy. He's an unusual book collector. He seems more the flipper type but his passion seems to be buying rare books on the cheap but not selling. He's way too interested in the Sayers book to not be suspicious. Bulldog becomes Hayley's chief suspect in the murder. I adore Dom Kilpatrick, an IT manager who once worked with Hayley. He appears to be on the autism spectrum given his love for routine, attention to detail, lack of understanding of emotions and not wanting to be touched. He's a positive portrayal of someone with a disability. I think he's sweet and although most people would say he lacks social skills, he really doesn't. He makes eye contact and he speaks quite well. Dom even has a girlfriend! I was happy with the role he plays in the story. Another writer, Margaret Raines, is also eccentric. Are all writers in this world talkative and eccentric? She sure talks a lot about herself, especially for an ex-cop. People seem to really like her though.

I can see why Oona was murdered. She's very driven and doesn't understand people who don't have type A personalities and her work ethic. She's way too intense for me even with her creative ideas. I really disliked how she announced prematurely the rare book find. Doesn't she know that invites thieves possibly murderers into the Society's orbit? Oona seems to have a brilliant mind and solves the mystery of the missing book but her notes are also missing! Was the murder about the book or was it personal? If it was personal, it could be someone she worked with in the past or present. The murderer could be also be about a failed relationship! Even though she was a difficult person, Oona really didn't deserve to die, especially not like that. Not that anyone deserves to be murdered but as far as characters in a book go, she didn't. She was complicated and unlikable, yes but not a bad person.

Zeno Berryfield reminds me a lot of Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Zeno is... unusual. His sense of style is eclectic and his idea of a great exhibition is too sensational for the stuffy First Edition Society. I understand Hayley's concerns, especially later on when he starts brainstorming (OMG snooze) but sometimes I think she's a little hard on him. Still, that doesn't mean I like the man or would hire him for a literary exhibition. He's lazy and creativity is as unusual as his suit and tie. Could he be a murderer? He doesn't seem to know Oona is dead at first and seems genuinely shocked at the news. Plus he doesn't know about the book or the exhibition yet, does he?

Naomi Faber, reservations manager at the Charlotte seems a bit uptight. Just because one organization with a committee didn't work well together doesn't mean all others automatically won't. She's the reservations manager so why is she so concerned with the exhibition? I think she's rather rude and snippy to everyone and bossy too. I suspect she could be after Oona's job and may have murdered the other woman. It seems plausible yet she has an alibi.

Clara Powell seems like a nervous young woman and an eager beaver. She's a bit over eager to achieve and has made Oona her model. I don't think that's very healthy. She seems fragile. There seem to be hints that Clara feels underappreciated, perhaps put-upon and that makes her appear more like she has a steely spine and perhaps her shock at finding Oona dead is faked or shock over having killed someone? Tommy King-Barnes is a modern day druid. He seems fun and unique but Hayley uncovers some information that makes him seem suspicious. I don't want him to be a murderer or a co-conspirator. He's so friendly and nice and helped Hayley a lot. He takes Naomi's fussiness in stride too.

Detective Sergeant Hopgood is tough but fair. He seems to respect Hayley but is also annoyed by her interference in the first investigation. I appreciate the fact he's not incompetant because Bath is a city and there IS some crime. Kenny Pye is a nice young man. He knows not to cross his boss but he also knows Hayley is going to do what she wants anyway. Kenny is kind and considerate. He has a sympathetic nature and an understanding of something that is unique to himself and another character. I can relate to that.

Lady Fowling sounds like she was an amazing woman. I liked the brief look into her mind and the little peek at her detective hero. I especially thought it was cute how she wrote in radio play commercials. I was disappointed Hayley didn't realize that's what Lady Fowling was doing.
I love how Bath is a character in the novel. I enjoyed an incredible visit there in 2013 and in my mind I could walk the streets with Hayley. I recognized a lot of the street names and of course the Jane Austen Centre and Assembly Rooms. I did not remember seeing what was across from the Assembly Rooms and the author's note reveals the Charlotte is fictional. One quibble - COFFEE? In a Georgian city? :Cringe: Do only tourists seek out quaint tea shops? I loved all the references to biscuits eaten with tea and now I have to see if I can buy some McVitie's Penguins! I somehow missed them the two times I was in England. I do like digestive biscuits though and don't think Hayley should turn her nose up at Maries. They're sort of like thick graham crackers. Yes they could be improved by chocolate LOL!

The ARC doesn't have the preview of the third novel in the series but that makes me even more eager to read it!