The Monster of Lightower Library: A Lamplight Short Story

The Lamplight Murder Mysteries #1.5

by Morgan Stang

Enter the library of Lightower Keep, an ancient depository of arcane knowledge. With secrets around every corner, mysterious tomes, and even the odd ghost or two, monster-hunters throughout the ages have consulted its vast bestiary. Now, for Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, it may hold the key to putting down her most recent an invisible entity that can kill without warning.

Of course, things are never that easy for a Huntress. When a dead body is discovered in the library, one of the patrons might just be responsible. It'll be a long night filled with frantic page-turning, studious research, and plenty of gunpowder and explosives.

The Monster of Lightower Library is a short story set in the Lamplight Murder Mysteries series, taking place between the events of Murder at Spindle Manor and Murder on the Lamplight Express.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Steampunk, Short Stories, Paranormal

59 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[L.L. MacRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also posted on FanFiAddict: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-mo...

The first book I read in 2025 was also a Lamplight Murder Mystery, so it was a curious, yet fitting coincidence that that the first book of 2026 was also from the same series!

I hadn’t known there was a short story, otherwise I would have devoured its such sooner! Set between books one and two of the main series, this short story covers one night in the Lamplight Tower, a library that serves as a place where Hunters and students can come to study. Fresh from the events in Spindle Manor, Isa, Evie, and Penny arrive to find out more about a particularly rare monster they’re tasked with bringing down.

But as to be expected, not all is what it seems, and when the old caretaker is found dead, an intense night of a double Hunt begins. They’re joined by the Head Librarian and a Veteran Hunter, and everything gets chaotic and fun - with a particularly dark, almost horror, addition to one of the final chapters.

Another breathless and enjoyable story in this exciting world, and well-worth a read if you enjoyed Murder At Spindle Manor or the whole series!

[Stacey Markle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

Absolute perfect short story featuring all my favourite characters!
I love the Lamplight world and the mayhem Izzie, Evie and Penny get into. We are hunting a particularly rare monster this time but as always, the author, Morgan, has some tricks up his sleeve with the direction the tale goes to. A side mystery with a long time ghost gets resolved in the most satisfying way!
This fits perfectly between books 1 & 2 and really does make me excited for the bext book of the series!

[Charoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight. Just when I started to miss Isabeau and company, I found out that this short story exists!
If you like the shenanigans of the main series, you will love this one. Again a fascinating genre blend with twists and impeccable atmosphere, a somewhat antisocial heroine and quite gruesome monsters - and a library! Really, what more could you want?

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues to be a favourite series of mine.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad this was written and released when it was. Not only because it was incredibly fun, which it was, but because it reminded me that I love this world and these characters and that I need to continue on with this series. I will definitely be picking up the next installment in the series very very soon. Much like Spindle Manor this was very well paced, funny in a quirky kind of way, interesting in terms of world building, satisfying in terms of character development and just overall a good time. 5/5 no notes.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories are not something I usually reach for, but since this one is set in one of my favorite self-published worlds, it was kind of required reading.

This takes place between books one and two, so the characters aren't quite as chummy as their current counterparts. A lot happens in 50 pages, but it was well paced and very easy to read. There were some easter eggs tying into the other books, but nothing happened that I consider to be essential to the overall universe. Even if this book is an optional read, I would recommend it to anyone invested in the series.

In a year where I'm reading a ton of 600+ page books, this is going to absolutely tank my average page count.

[Tzia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just going to say it, I had the best time with this. Usually wouldn't go in for short stories but this was just brilliant.

I have read the first book in the Lamplight series however you don't really need to have done that in order to enjoy this. Given that this is set between the first and second books in that series, that alone is pretty impressive.

The plot is simple - Isabeau the Huntress has encountered a very rare monster on a hunt. To find out what she's facing, she along with her assistant Evie and maid Penny travel to Lightower Keep and specifically it's library. While there they encounter the unexpected, and have to work quickly to prevent disaster.

The story moves quickly but without being rushed, and given just how short it is the amount of worldbuilding and storytelling squeezed in is exceptional. This could easily have been fleshed out into a full novel but works incredibly well as a short one.

I have to give credit, Morgan Stang is capable of creating genuinely frightening monsters, yet balancing it with lightheartedness. This story honestly had one of the most graphic horror scenes I've read in a while - I mean real nightmare inducing - but a page or so later I was back to giggling. Fabulous and highly recommended.

[Sakina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay love this lil novella for one of my most enjoyable light hearted series this year. And the news of a fourth book 😍

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like we saw more monsters in this 60 pages than we did in the first full book, am I crazy? Anyway, this was deeply enjoyable yet again. I really enjoy this world.

[Nana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25

[Stormy McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Morgan Srang's Lamplight series. it's a marvelous blend of steampunk and paranormal monster hunting. This tale occurs between books one and two of the series, and an excellent addition to the series. I'm looking forward to more adventures of Isabeau, Evie, and Penny!

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful!!! Can’t wait for book 4, when we’ll have it.

[Kellie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! This was a short little story, but did not lack in excitement or surprises. This series really has a little bit of everything, I'm excited to learn more about Lamplight and Isabeau, and I'm excited for her next adventure!

[Liliana Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful!

[Acantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that the author can get so much story into such a short number of pages is incredible.

You don't need to have read anything from this world to be able to enjoy this short story, its all effortlessly laid out and then you are in a hunt that rapidly multiples, and a mystery, all within an ancient library. What's not to love?

The characters are great, you have the core three from the previous books then a couple of new ones for this story alone. Standout character has to be the teacher who believes the answer is more guns and/or explosions. He was amazing.

And the horror. Geeze, some of the descriptions are going to linger in my mind for a looooong time to come. Again, in such a short amount of time, the author has managed to create a couple of deeply disturbing and wonderfully horrible monsters. I still feel a little queasy just thinking about the last monster.

But there is also humour here, moments that made me smile and laugh out loud. Again, all within a tiny amount of pages.

Did I wish this was longer? Of course. This could have easily been a full length story, the plot is deeply fleshed out as it is, there is so much happening that it could have been one. But that's just me jealously wanting more from this world because I loved it so much. This was five stars for entertainment, enjoyment and all round great fun.

[A.M. Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Monster of Lightower Library" is a short story/novelette that takes place between books 1 and 2 of "The Lamplight Murder Mysteries." Although I didn't realize it existed until I finished book 3, I highly recommend reading it between books 1 and 2 as it really gives a lot of fun world lore, and it'll help some more things make sense in books 2 and 3. Please don't read this until you've read book 1 as it won't make much sense without it. 🙂

Although this was short (only 57 pages), it was SO much fun! It was the perfect blend of spooky plus hysterical! The characters are well-developed, the setting is rich, and the mystery is just downright fun.

I honestly don't have anything negative to say other than what I've said with the other three books: the Monty Python-esque humor may not be everybody's cup of tea, and that's OK! 🙂

For the parents out there, this short story is significantly cleaner than the full novels (minimal cursing, minimal to no sexual content that I can remember, etc.), but since it does directly build on Book 1, I would still save this one for your late teens/adults that have read Book 1 already. 🙂

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah... Morgan Stang is becoming one of my favorite Fantasy writers and the Lamplight Murder Mysteries is definitely one of my favorite fantasy series.

This quick read, was a fun romp with our favorite Huntress, her Waxwick Yard partner, and living doll maid. We get to peer a little deeper into Isabeau Agarwal's history, as we enter the library of where the Hunters learn their trades.

Some monster things happen, as they usually do, and Isabeau saves the day night, as she usually does.

Fans of the Lamplight Murder Mystery stories will love this. My only complaint is that I read this after I finished Murder on the Lamplight Express and not before. That being said, I didn't love it any less.

Highly recommend.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect addition to the Lamplight Murder Mysteries series, and I love that the author's note mentions another upcoming novel for me to look forward to reading. My only regret is that I didn't get to read this short story in between the first two books, Murder at Spindle Manor and Murder on the Lamplight Express, where it is chronologically set. If you haven't read anything from this series, my recommendation would be to read them in order. However, if you're not sure your interested, this is a good, quick taste of what the series is about.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was so good.

I was pretty excited when I saw on Goodreads that there was a new addition to the Lamplight Murder Mysteries series. I dove into *The Monster of Lightower Library* right away, and I’m happy to report it didn’t disappoint.

This short story is set between books one and two, returning to the early stages of Evvie and Izzie’s relationship. Their dynamic is one of my favorite aspects of the series, so it was a treat to see more of their initial interactions.

Despite its brevity, the story is packed with memorable funny moments. I love Morgan Stang’s creativity with the creatures here, they were so cool. The blend of cozy mystery and gaslamp fantasy is something I really enjoy in this series.

For me, this is a solid 4-star read—which is high praise for a short story as I am usually not really a fan of them. I’m really looking forward to the fourth main entry in the series and can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

[Evan Martinsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m already long term committed to this series, so even seeing that there is a short story (I wouldn’t consider this long enough to count as a novella) following our heroines was easy to pick up. The charms Stang has displayed thus far are largely still present, but muted down a little by the brevity of this story.

I can’t help but wonder if this was a story Stang began writing, only to realize it didn’t have the oomph to sustain a full novel. It’s really difficult to write a clever mystery in the first place, but one that is only 50 pages seems borderline impossible. Either the characters are one note, or the setting is bland, mystery is straightforward, etc. There’s just not enough words to accomplish all these things at once.

So I never really got drawn into this story fully, but there were fun moments (unique monsters, enthusiastic dialogue, Penny) that made reading this a good time, even if it is entirely non-essential. (Grade:6.5/10)

[James Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In lieu of book four, which is not yet finished, it was nice that we were given this little gem of a gift that is set between books one and two.

As always, Penny is the real MVP in these books, but this was just the sort of thing to read before bed. There are new interesting and amusing characters, really cool new villains, and really the only complaint is that it's too short.

I guess we can't have everything our own way. And really it worked out perfectly because I was able to finish it right before it was lights out. If you want a quick read before bed you can't do much better than this.

Now we wait for book four.

[Katyslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story of Isabeau and her gang on another hunt, in a library, during another storm. I'm in! This was a cute read and I wanted to get it in before I start book 2 in the series since this falls between book 1 and 2. Adds a little more to their characters and the start of their group working together. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait to start Murder on the Lamplight Express.

[Shyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

They passed [...] a table where a single Hunter studied archaic tomes with an enormous magnifying glass. [...] He mumbled as they passed, lost in his own studies.

“Of course...” he whispered, [...] “the solution is more gunpowder.”

Very funny, great as always.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been quite a while since I read the last two books, and I hate to say I don't remember much about them so jumping right into this short story was a bit of a plunge into deep waters. A nice little story involving multiple characters and multiple monsters. The formula still works. Onward to book three.

[Daniell Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, fun read

I have read the books in this series and didn't realize there was a novella between some of the books. Was glad to find it and get another brief glimpse into these characters' lives again. Fast read, that pulls you in and keeps you there. I was so involved that the next thing I knew, I was at the end. Would definitely recommend the series.

[gee ☽ (IG: momoxshi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was short and sweet. It had the usual fun and chaos of a full Lamplight novel but with only a few pages. I did miss Mr. Homes but was glad there was one line that cements his whole role in the series.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inbetween

A lovely little pallet cleanser between emotionally heavy books. Also a nice tie between books 1&2 of this series good to see the relationship between Izzy and Evie become more friendly.

[Vamshi aruru · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was enjoyable enough read but it felt kinda weird because there were two villains in this short 60 page book. I donno why that was done, with only one villain or mystery more time could have been spent on fleshing it out.
Still fun to read but a very strange choice. 3.5/5

[Virginia LeBrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great filler story

Quite enjoyed the short story. It's a perfect fit between books one and two. I truly hope that there will be more of these in the future. Kind of a fun way to learn more about the people and the environment.

[James Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little revisit to the familiar characters and setting of Lamplight!

The usual whimsical who dunnit formular, but bitesize. What's not to like.