Shelley Gray has proven herself to be talented in a variety of genres of Christian fiction. I first became a fan of her Amish stories (still am, by the way). Next I enjoyed her Heart of a Hero western series. Then she gave us readers the opportunity to visit Chicago during and immediately after the World's Fair in the series that concluded with Whispers in the Reading Room.Historical details of the era mixed with Shelley's creative storytelling make for a very enjoyable story. Mystery and romance, along with lots of twists and turns, keep the interest level high to the very end.
The characters in this story come from varied backgrounds but fit together in fascinating ways. Sebastian in particular is a multi-dimensional character who seems to slide effortlessly from one world to another. There are familiar "faces" from the earlier books that help tie the series together, but each of the books could work well as a stand-alone.
I recommend Whispers in the Reading Room to fans of good, clean fiction. Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
See what other readers think of the book here.
About the Book:
Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.
Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.
Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.
Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks—the man so many people fear—is actually everything her heart believes him to be.
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About the Author:
Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish
novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), “The Protector,” recently made
the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten
years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio.Find out more about Shelley at http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
