Whispers In The Reading Room

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—she never expected to be a suspect to a murder. And now she must rely on the one man she’s not sure she can trust. 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. “Shelley Gray writes a well-paced story full of historical detail that will invite you into the romance, the glamour . . . and the mystery surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair.” —Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author of Rosemary Cottage and the Hope Beach series The Chicago World Fair Mystery series Book 1—Secrets of Sloane House Book 2—Deception on Sable Hill Book 3—Whispers in the Reading Room Book length: 86,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

When librarian Lydia Bancroft is rescued by a man who she recogizes as a mysterious book-loving patron of her library named Sebastian Marks, they begin to form a promising friendship, until a shocking truth about Sebastian comes to light.

A middle grade debut that's a heartrending coming-of-age tale, perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Counting By 7s. Eleven-year-old Riley believes in the whispers, magical fairies that will grant you wishes if you leave them tributes. Riley has a lot of wishes. He wishes bullies at school would stop picking on him. He wishes Dylan, his 8th grade crush, liked him, and Riley wishes he would stop wetting the bed. But most of all, Riley wishes for his mom to come back home. She disappeared a few months ago, and Riley is determined to crack the case. He even meets with a detective, Frank, to go over his witness statement time and time again. Frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation, Riley decides to take matters into his own hands. So he goes on a camping trip with his friend Gary to find the whispers and ask them to bring his mom back home. But Riley doesn't realize the trip will shake the foundation of everything that he believes in forever.

Shelley Shepard Gray’s Chicago World’s Fair Mystery Series is now available as an e-collection! Secrets of Sloane House Against the backdrop of the 1893 World’s Fair, a young woman finds employment with an illustrious Chicago family—a family who may guard the secret of her sister’s disappearance. Deception on Sable Hill The World’s Fair has introduced many new ideas to Chicago society—but can two individuals from very different backgrounds find love together? Whispers in the Reading Room Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is a paradise for book lovers who come from all over for literary getaways. But manager Jane Steward is temporarily leaving for another renowned resort—in hopes of solving a twist-filled mystery . . . Jane’s boyfriend is missing, and she thinks she may find him at North Carolina’s historic Biltmore Estate. Officially, she’s there to learn about luxury hotel management, but she’s also prowling around the breathtaking buildings and grounds looking for secret passageways and clues. One of the staff gardeners promises to be helpful . . . that is, until his body turns up in the reading room of his cottage, a book on his lap. When she finally locates the kidnapped Edwin, his captor insists that she lead him back to Storyton Hall, convinced that it houses Ernest Hemingway’s lost suitcase, stolen from a Paris train station in 1922. But before they can turn up the treasure, the bell may toll for another victim . . . “Readers will find themselves wanting to live in Storyton, no matter how many people end up dead there.” —Suspense Magazine on Murder in the Locked Library

A captivating picture book about a very soft-spoken little girl’s ultimately successful struggle to find her own voice.

The Mantle that separates the kingdoms of Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall. And life will drastically change for both kingdoms. Born with a deadly magic she cannot control, Kyara is forced to become an assassin. Known as the Poison Flame in the kingdom of Lagrimar, she is notorious and lethal, but secretly seeks freedom from both her untamed power and the blood spell that commands her. She is tasked with capturing the legendary rebel called the Shadowfox, but everything changes when she learns her target’s true identity. Darvyn ol-Tahlyro may be the most powerful Earthsinger in generations, but guilt over those he couldn’t save tortures him daily. He isn’t sure he can trust the mysterious young woman who claims to need his help, but when he discovers Kyara can unlock the secrets of his past, he can’t stay away. Kyara and Darvyn grapple with betrayal, old promises, and older prophecies—all while trying to stop a war. And when a new threat emerges, they must beat the odds to save both kingdoms.

I heard him staggering down the hallway, banging into the banister sloshing his drink of choice, most likely a gin and tonic, along the way. As he reached for her door, I felt my airways constrict and the walls of the room close in around me. My body stiffened, and my senses numbed, as I listened for the faint squeak of my bedroom door to open softly. I am, 17 year-old aristocratic-born Candace Spencer, and I quickly recognized the monster that prowled the darkness of my sanctuary. My breath faded as the muscular figures slithered into my room and onto my body. My nightmare only lasted a few minutes several times a week but I lost a part of my soul a little bit more during each horrific moment. I closed my eyes and lived one more death as he devoured me, but tonight I vowed it would end. The prominent and respected businessman revered by the community would not return to my bedroom again. Never again! I had no idea how long it had been away; a Spiritual Guide's time was measured very differently compared to human lifetime. Was it a day later or had one or twenty years passed? Right now I had my first assignment in my new form, Mari Santiago, a 16 year-old teenager struggling to survive her family's domestic violence and sexual assaults in the tough streets of New York. The Whispers Within reveals the parallel of two dissimilar lives between two teenagers: one alive and the other dead. Mari comes to know Candace in a manner she would have never dreamt. Candace, having lived life at the opposite economic strata from the inner city life Mari was accustomed to, is only equipped with whispers of encouragement to defeat Mari's demons. How will Candace handle returning to earth as a spirit when she did not deal with her own nemesis while alive? Will Mari be consumed by the demons that surround her or will Candace pave a way for Mari to flee them? Will they both come to know each other's demons? Will Candace's whispers be enough for Mari to conquer her demons while building a new life?