by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Nothing can get a bibliophile more excited than a book-themed conference, where attendees can learn more about innovations in their field while mingling with other like-minded book addicts. That is why Briar Creek Library Director Lindsey Norris is thrilled to be attending the Annual Archivists Convention in Chicago, especially since her husband Mike “Sully” Sullivan joins her when not visiting his old Navy buddies. Lindsey’s enjoyment of the riveting lecture by a special guest book restorer is hampered a bit by a rude conference attendee kicking the seat behind her, but it leads to the surprise discovery of a tote bag inadvertently shoved under her seat. Lindsey is shocked to find in the bag a signed edition of Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, a book worth over $10,000. The rather rude director of the conference swoops in and hands it over to his assistant for lost and found, but on the train ride back home the book goes missing and the director Henry Standish is brutally murdered.

Lindsey and Sully had thought that the train ride home was both a bargain and romantic, but now they have a train filled with suspects about to disperse into the wild. As fortune would have it, a storm grants the police an excuse to keep them all in Briar Creek until the blizzard clears, giving them all a ticking clock on tracking down the culprit. Henry Standish had lost a client due to accusations of failing to detect fraudulent books, but the subsequent theft of all of those items cast enough doubt that he was still made the conference director. There is an abundance of archivists hungering to take over his position, and one of those just happens to be the woman who brought to light the counterfeit books and cost Henry his job. Lydia Armand is but one of those who battled with the arrogant director though, as he belittled his assistant while numerous – very charming – book collectors were vying for Highsmith’s book. When Sully goes missing Lindsey fears the worst, so she and her library crafternooners will do everything they can to solve the mystery of the murder on the train and find the book thief who is stopping at nothing to win the prize.

This 14th of the series starts off with a fun departure by exploring the book conference world, but it quickly returns to the familiar Briar Creek Library and Connecticut setting. A Reader’s Guide for Strangers on a Train is included at the end, but the author is careful throughout the novel to not spoil anything for those who have yet to delve into this iconic book and Hitchcock movie. Lindsey being friends with the police chief allows the women to work together to solve the case, and the librarian uses her book knowledge and connections to put together the clues for an unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

There are enough new characters introduced to make this an easy entry for those unfamiliar with the series, especially with the unexpected crossover cameo by Brooklyn Wainwright, a book restoring specialist from Kate Carlisle’s Bibliophile mystery series. The immediate immersion into the book conference, followed by the romantic train ride, all lead to an action-filled ending and twisty conclusion. The witty dialogue and comfortable banter between characters reflects their close bonds and long histories, making this the ultimate cozy read for book lovers and classic mystery fans.

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To enter to win a copy of Fatal First Edition, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “edition” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 23, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.