The connection between Felicia Carparelli's Murder in the Library and Sherlock Holmes is not as strong as you might think from the silhouette of the Deerstalkered One on the cover, but in the end it turns out to be crucial.
Never mind that anyway. More importantly -- at least for me -- this is a delightful modern-day mystery with a solid plot, engaging characters and good writing. It is fun and often funny.
Cards on the table: It's hard to be objective when you're reviewing a book written by someone who has already given your own book a glowing review. But I took the challenge and tried to approach Murder in the Library with the same objectivity that I once brought to news stories as a reporter and editor.
Even discounting for bias, there is a lot to love in this first novel, starting with the quotes that head each of 24 chapters. The range of people quoted is both impressive and hilarious when considered in relationship to each other -- from Hamlet to Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, from Mae West to Immanuel Kant.
Lead character Violetta Aristotle, a 32-year-old widowed librarian born to a Greek father and an Italian mother, has a wonderful voice and wonderful romance with the chief policeman investigating the murder of two of Vi's fellow librarians.
Although the tone of the novel is light-hearted, the denouement is heart-pounding. By the time I got to the end, my favorite words of the book were "to be continued." I eagerly look forward to the next adventure of Violetta Aristotle.
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