A mysterious mansion, a suspicious death, and a cat too smart for its own good…
Laura Lee and her secret book club, led by Hank the marmalade cat, find themselves in the heart of their deepest mystery yet! Laura Lee's efforts to bring the beautiful but decrepit old manor back to life uncover even more secrets that the ancient house has been keeping from her.
Hank, hiding from the workmen, gets himself stuck under a broken board. Rescuing him, Laura Lee finds not only a small root cellar, but a nearly intact skeleton holding a sheaf of papers. How long has it been there? Who was it? And why were those papers so important?
It's not just a lesson in history; someone who's very much alive is trying to stop them from discovering the secret . It will take the entire book club's help to discover the truth as every clue they find takes them in a different direction and puts them in unknown danger.
The third installment of the Secret Library cozy series is exciting, and a little spooky, yet great fun! Humor abounds, and all the staff, except Margarite, are there when a skeleton is discovered inside the secret tunnels of the mansion. Once the bones are identified by the watch the victim was wearing, an age-old mystery begins to unravel. There are plenty of clues to piece together in this excellent cozy that’s a two-three hour reading journey. I highly recommend this entertaining series!
This series is so much fun and this newest book did not disappoint at all. Such a unique and interesting series. Laura Lee is working (as a maid) and living in a mansion that has so many crazy secrets that they may never all be discovered. The eccentric owner is a hoot, Laura Lee's fellow maids and the cook are super fun and Hank, the cat, is a most lovable assistant mystery solver for Laura Lee and her co-workers. In this book, a skeleton holds the clues and Laura Lee and the gang find themselves in danger trying to figure out who the bones belong to and why they were inside the labyrinthine passages behind the walls of the mansion. I enjoyed every minute of this book. Highly recommended.
After a chaotic night, Miss Janice asked for volunteers to check out the tunnels hidden behind the walls throughout the old Thornberry manor. Laura Lee had checked out a few of the tunnels before, so she was willing to go again. Stephen, Mary, and Lucy also agreed to accompany her.
As they explored the dusty tunnels, they found some rotting boards forming a wall. They found a skeleton behind the wall and it had obviously been there for a while. Meanwhile, Hank, the cat, has wandered off and Laura Lee is determined to find him so nothing bad happens. When she finds Hank, he has an old leather envelope. Based upon a picture of the watch found with the skeleton, Cook identified it as belonging to Bernie Thornberry. Bernie had mysteriously disappeared many years earlier and was never heard from again. It turns out that Bernie had been murdered. With a new head housekeeper, Patty, to deal with and Gerald Hawkins visiting more often, the atmosphere around the manor is quite tense.
Who killed Bernie? Why was he killed? Are there still more treasures hidden in the old mansion? Can Laura Lee and the Library Club solve the mystery? Will Marguerite return or will Patty be the new head housekeeper?
This installment of the Secret Library Mystery series has plenty of intrigue and mystery to keep the reader engaged clear to the end. The use of short chapters helps to make this a quick and easy read while also making it almost impossible to put down.
I enjoyed this book, but a bit less than books 1 and 2 of the series. The characters and timeline confused me. Maybe I was trying to read it too quickly. I love the ladies in the book club and I'm glad (SPOILER ALERT) they're reuniting, but I couldn't keep the other characters in this one straight, and couldn't quite follow the "crime." I think Hank is my favorite character. Anyway, moving on to #4 now!
I liked this book, I actually read it in one sitting. I must admit though that it had me confused, because, at first I was convinced that I was reading a period novel featuring cooks, butlers and parlor maids and even secret passages . I was shocked into the present age when cell phones were introduced in the narrative. The introduction of the cell phone and the other modern amenities did not do much to change my perception as there were other times when I still felt suspended in time.edit Nice, engaging characters not to mention Hank, whom I felt I knew by the end of the book. Strange mix of old and new but enjoyable nonetheless. Go ahead and read, you will enjoy.
It's such a beautiful and a delightful read. Author CeeCee James has penned a wonderful cozy mystery that's very exciting and thrilling. This book is so riveting that I couldn't put it down even for a moment.
Laura Lee and her friends, Mary, Janet, Jessie, Lucy and Cook are employed in the Thornberry Manor for a wealthy widow, Miss Janice. Margeruite , the main housekeeper, is away and is replaced by Patty, a stern lady and a stickler for discipline. One day, Laura Lee tries to sleep when she hears a loud scream. She decides to find out and exits her room. Her other friends are also out of their respective rooms. It turns out that Janet screamed because she felt an intruder in her room. Cook and Laura enter her room and are shocked to find the state of her room. It is so cluttered that it looks a tornado visited her room. Janet insists that her lucky ring is missing.
The next day, Miss Janice learns about the intruder and asks for volunteers to investigate. Laura Lee, her friend Mary, Lucy, and the gardener Stephen enter the secret tunnel outside the cupboard under the bookcase in the library. They are shocked to discover a skeleton. The skeleton is wearing an old-fashioned pocket watch and Stephen clicks its picture. Laura Lee's cat, Hank, also happens to be in the tunnel and her friends scramble out in fear except for Stephen. Laura Lee rescues her cat and finds an envelope. They exit the hidden tunnel and inform Miss Janice about the skeleton of a man who might have been murdered. They gather in the kitchen as Butler calls for the police. Stephen shows the picture of the pocket watch to the Cook who gasps and identifies the skeleton to be of Bernie Thornberry, brother of Henry Thornberry, the owner of the Manor. Laura and her friends learn about a new visitor Gerald Hawkings who is a guest of Miss Janice. Later, Laura Lee reads the letter from the envelope that gives a cryptic message. She suspects it might be a clue to a hidden treasure and that Bernie might have been killed for it. Laura Lee and her friends have a secret meeting in Marguerite’s bedroom. They discuss the history of the manor. Cook tells them about Bernie's history and that the old butler, Nelson lives at Rosewood Nursing Home over in Granite.
Unfortunately, when Laura Lee and Mary visit him, they find that he is dead. Are these two murders interlinked? How did the murderer know about their plans? Will Laura Lee find out the truth behind Bernie's and Nelson's murder? Read this highly gripping tale of thrill and excitement as there are secrets waiting to be revealed.
Cute series. I haven’t read the previous 2 books for about a year, but I remember the characters somewhat. I know them enough to enjoy this book number three. James plays a little backstory in each book in order to remind the reader what is going on.
This was about Laura Lee finding a skeleton in the secret tunnel beneath the house she is a maid in. Laura Lee and the other live-in “servants” of Ms. Janice (who several are also members of The Secret Library Club) come together to talk about clues Laura Lee and Hank, the cat pull together to get the murder solved.
There is a temporary Head Housekeeper named Patty who is filling in for Marguerite while she is away for a couple of weeks. Patty is not liked by the rest of the staff, including Cook and Butler, because she is always harping on them never even allowing proper breaks. In the end, opinions of Patty turnaround…for the better? Maybe. Read to find out. Will Marguerite return or is Patty there to stay?
Some of the read was a bit twisty and it was hard for me to follow, but everything comes together eventually.
Next book is Poisonous Paws which is the fourth and last book of this series…at least for awhile. Maybe we’ll see a fifth book eventually.
I have read several of Ceecee James books before, but it has been quite some time. This book, Catastrophe in the Library, is Book 3 of The Secret Library series. This book was as fun as the rest of the ones I read. The picture of a wonderful old Victorian house with secret passages and a skeleton in the walls set you back in time. Miss Janice, the owner, still has a full-time staff, even a wonderful wholesome lady in the kitchen addressed only as “cook”. But…the cell phones and laptops make sure you remember that you are in present day times. Somehow this mix of eras seems to fit. It isn’t a back-and-forth-in-time type of story. It’s a staff of today working in jobs in an old Victorian house. Somehow it all fit perfectly with me. I liked the picture of running to help cook get the table set and running back to your room to text someone.
As usual, the author has added enough clues in this cute cozy to make you wonder who the “bad guy” is, and her play with the dialog of the three young girls who are amateur sleuths is fun. It’s light and humorous and adds to the atmosphere of a cozy. I would tell you that this is a series not to miss, but all of the books I’ve read by CeeCee James are in a series not to miss.
I love mysterious old mansions with secret hiding places, passages, and of course the secrets of those who inhabit the homes. James has written a very fun mystery with a beloved cat, Hank, that prowls the mansion, a group of characters that have worked at the mansion for many years, and the manager of the house. Laura Lee is determined to get the old house into working order and has a secret book club that meets after hours in the servant's quarters.
When the construction work gets Hank stuck while hiding from the workmen, Laura Lee searches for him and in the process discovers the skeleton of a man that has papers in his boney hand.
Determined to find out who this man was and why he is hidden in the walls of the mansion, Laura Lee takes advantage of the other servants and their years at the mansion to help her solve the mystery. The search for the truth becomes a history lesson as well as a real-life murder mystery for the book club. An enjoyable cozy for anyone that loves historical settings.
The Secret Library Cozy Mysteries, Bk 3, EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2021, Read 3/16/25, Fiction, Cozy Mystery. A strange mix of old and new, confusing the reader of a set timeline. The Thornberry Mansion is an old family manor with hidden tunnels, secret rooms, and a widow who owns it. She still has quite the staff, a cook, a housekeeper, many maids, a butler, gardeners, many who are second generation staff. Yet, the maids have cell phones, some staff have their own personal cars, and many modern conveniences are found in the house. A body is found in the hidden tunnels, and is quickly identified as the widows brother-in-law who was thought to be lost years ago in the jungles of the Amazon. Now staff must figure out how, who and why, before more murders occur! 3☆'s = Good, again not earth-shattering, but quick and fun.
I've really enjoyed this series and this book is no exception. I always love returning to the Thornberry mansion where Laura Lee and the marmalade cat, Hank, make an awesome sleuthing team. The book was well-written with wonderful characters and relationships that are done well. The engaging story drew me in and kept me hooked from beginning to end. The mystery will keep you on your toes throughout the book. I'm looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which I believe is best read in order.
This is the 3rd in the series.. The main character is Laurie Lee. Laurie Lee works as a maid in an old English manor. They start with exploring hidden passages in the manor and then they find a body of an heir of the manor that went missing years ago. Then they realize they have someone trying to find something they think is hidden there. Laurie Lee she thinks she knows who it is and what he's after and then everything hit the fan. Can she figure out who did what and why before it's too late?
Who is the handsome gentleman with the sexy accent ? Why is there a skeleton in the wall under the porch? Sometimes the past has a way of returning in strange ways. Marguerite is on vacation visiting her family. The temporary housekeeper, Patty, is about to cause a mass exodus with all her changes and demanding ways. Laura Lee and Mary must solve the mystery of the skeleton found under the old porch and how it could be connected to Miss Janice's new gentleman friend.
A good, solid, whodunit. Laura Lee and her secret book club with Hank, a fearless feline, are put through their paces to figure out who did what, including multiple murders. There are several exciting moments as Laura Lee takes a bit of physical damage during the investigation.
I didn't figure out the villain before the big reveal near the end. May you will. Maybe you won't. I did find that the story began to get bogged down at one point. Hopefully, you won't have any issues.
I felt like I entered the story in the middle. I realized there were two previous books in the series. So, I think this is a series that should be read in order so the reader can understand the who the characters are as well as the setting - or there should be a short introduction. I was also distracted by several typos. I know editors miss them sometimes, but early on it seemed there were several. Otherwise it was a good storyline.
This story wasn't a typical cozy, but definitely held my interest. At first, perhaps because the main characters were servants, maids, butlers, and cooks, I thought it was in an earlier era. Then a cell phone was mentioned so I had to adjust my thinking! The mysteries were solved step by step by the employees of the manor and all was good in the end. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery and a story about friends and family.
Marguerite, the head Housekeeper, is on vacation and her substitute, Miss Patty is a real stickler for detail. All of the staff hope Marguerite returns instead of deciding to retire. In this episode Laura Lee and several staff members explore another secret passage and find a skeleton and an envelope. Murder and mystery ensue.
I read the entire book before I realized it was book 3. It is short and a cute story with likeable characters. It is an upstairs / downstairs story set in modern day so the servants have more freedom to solve the murder of a skeleton found in the walls of the manor. Can be read in a few hours.
I just finished reading the first 3 books in The Secret Library Cozy Mysteries and each one gets better. The stories draw you in bit by bit until you're just as involved as Laura Lee and Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed each one. Oh and wait until you meet Hank who is a great help in solving the mysteries.
I enjoyed this story. Hank being my favorite character. But I didn't realize this was the 3rd book in the series. While some series writers give you enough background to be able to read their series as stand alone books, this is not one of them. I felt lost and like a was missing a lot of context.
Wasn't sure if it was historical or modern until Stephen pulled out his phone - mostly I think cause the whole setting and cast of characters including Laura Lee read like they are NOT modern at all. Also this was book 3 and reads like you already know the characters and their backstories which would normally be a good thing but because i hadn't read books 1 or 2, wasn't.
Glad Patty is gone & the housekeeper returning. Gerald/David certainly had great patience. It must be twenty years or more since he killed Bernie. Yet now he decides to investigate and tie off loose ends to his crimes.
One is never too old to learn new things about ourselves!
Hank (a cat) is instrumental in helping finding out about an old murder as well as helping others find out the one responsible for that horrible event.
A rich widow and her staff love in a big house with lots of hidden spots. Hank the cat helps the staff solve 3 murders as well as get rid of an unsuitable suitor.
Isolation, loneliness can make ones awareness down. Laura Lee finds herself in a middle of a mess again. Crawling, climbing into cobwebs and not knowing what else in lurking. All the while trying not get caught by the interim head housekeeper.