Anita Davison brings back Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet for another fun, exciting and riveting crime caper: Murder in the Library.

Hannah Merrill is determined to do her bit for king and country, so she volunteers for the library in the local military hospital. Hannah is well aware that dead bodies at a hospital are a regular occurrence – only she never imagined that she would end up finding one one cold winter morning in the library! It doesn’t take an amateur sleuth to realise that there is something sinister going on at this hospital – and Hannah’s suspicions intensify when a beautiful young nurse confides in her that she’s being followed and then abruptly disappears!

She is absolutely positive that the two cases are connected and as any good sleuth knows, she cannot solve this case alone. Luckily for her, her Aunt Violet is on hand to help her in this investigation and her meddling if slightly devious ways will help Hannah get even closer to finding the missing nurse and unmasking the killer. Only, what both ladies hadn’t realized was that they are now firmly in the sights of a dangerous killer intent on keeping their identity a secret!

Anita Davison’s Murder in the Library is a witty, unpredictable and nail-biting historical cozy mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats absolutely desperate to find out whodunnit. Anita Davison’s deftly plotted crime novel pulls the rug out from under readers’ feet on plenty of occasions and will leave them racing to the finish with their jaws on the floor when the perpetrator is revealed.

A superb historical cozy mystery, Murder in the Library is another top-notch read from Anita Davison.

1916, London, Hannah is volunteering as a librarian at the hospital library but one morning she finds a patient has been shot dead. The man had been unpopular among the other soldiers, patients and medical staff but who wanted him dead? Then a nurse, who she thinks she is being followed, disappears...
Murder in the Library is the second book to feature Hannah and her aunt Violet. I have previously read and reviewed the first book Murder in the Bookshop. There are spoilers about characters, events and the culprit so I would advise reading the books in order.
Hannah has two mysteries to solve. First a shooting of a rather unpleasant man and then the disappearance of a nurse. Her sleuthing puts her at odds with the police and she also has a romantic tension which offers a different dimension to her personality. There are lots of threads for Hannah to unpick and follow towards the solution, with twists and red herrings thrown in to keep readers guessing.
Once again, it is aunt Violet that steals every scene she is in. However, both women are passionate and strong willed, surprisingly modern in outlook while their world changes around them during WW1. I enjoyed the historical setting and thought it had been researched well to support the plot and character development.
Murder in the Library is an enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery.

Murder in the Library is the second outing for Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet by Anita Davison. Released 19th Feb 2024 by Boldwood Books, it's 266 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU.

This is an engaging and well written historical cozy set in 1916. MC Hannah is volunteering to do her bit for the war effort by volunteering in the library of the local military hospital. She's soon drawn into another amateur investigation when an inconvenient murder occurs there. With the possibly related disappearance of a hospital nurse, Hannah and the inimitable Aunt Violet are once again called on to get to the bottom of things.

The plotting is tight and well engineered and without obvious holes. The author does a good job with the period dialogue and characterization. The writing is clean and there is no bad language or on-page objectionable content. There are several threads, murder, disappearance, malfeasance, and more.

The denouement and resolution were twisty and satisfying with some unexpected surprises.

Four stars. This is definitely one for historical cozy fans. There are 3 books extant in the series with a 4th due out in 1st quarter 2025. It would be a good choice for a binge/buddy read. It's not derivative, but fans of Lydia Travers, Carola Dunn, and Catriona McPherson (the Dandy Gilver series, although the Last Ditch ones are hysterically funny and not to be missed, totally different vibe) will likely enjoy this one as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this was no exception. I really like Hannah as a character, and I love the sassiness of the women in this series. The twists in this book was also perfect, so I'm honestly just excited for more books!

Anita is a new author to me but hasn’t disappointed at all, great storyline and characters and can’t wait to read more

This was the perfect book-themed cosy mystery! Davison's choice to have Hannah working as a library aide in a veteran's hospital (the shop is being restored after suffering damages) is a great way to keep the story on theme while still progressing the series' overall story and to broaden Hannah and Violet's world.
I also love Hannah and Violet as a pairing; Violet's life experience and Hannah's energy and enthusiasm work so well together. A fantastic series for any cosy fan!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and although I enjoyed this one, it wasn't quite as good as the first. Hannah Merrill is still managing the bookstore for her aunt, although it was damaged in a bombing at the end of the last book, she wants to keep busy while it is being restored. This is her chance to do something for war effort, so she donates books and works in the library at the nearby military hospital. Arriving one morning, she is surprised to find the body of a dead soldier in the library. On that same day, a young, attractive nurse tells Hannah she is scared as she thinks she is being followed. Now there are two mysteries to solve and Hannah is sure they are connected. She calls on Aunt Violet who also volunteers at the hospital to help her find the missing nurse before she also ends up dead.

Hannah is a smart women who is able to put together clues, but I find she takes chances that puts her in danger. It isn't long before both her and Aunt Violet are in the sights of a killer. This is a slower story than the first, with a lot of red herrings and roadblocks. I found the mystery interesting, and the suspects numerous. There is a personal story going on as well, with Aunt Violet and the Police Inspector, who have begun seeing one another, and he seems to encourage Hannah's sleuthing. I liked the outcome of the murder, but found the solution to the missing nurse a bit of a disappointment. Although I really enjoyed the first book, this was just an okay follow up for me.

Well, this was riveting! Truthfully, I couldn’t put it down. I love books with this kind of pace. Great book and congrats. I’m sure many more will enjoy it as well. I loved it . . . stayed up late to finish it!

Several months after having found her best friend, Lily-Anne, dead in Aunt Violet's bookshop – and after having to rebuild it following bombardment – Hannah volunteers part-time at a local hospital library, coordinating the lending of books to recuperating soldiers.

When she arrives one morning to find the large auditorium, from where the library is run, locked, she wonders why but thinks nothing much of it. As she tidies up the shelves, she notices that the curtain of the stage in the room is drawn. But when she opens it, she comes across the dead body of a soldier, lying in a pool of blood.

When Detective Inspector Farrell arrives, he pretends not to know her, and this suits Hannah well as she volunteers to snoop around a bit, listening in to conversations.

She soon discovers that the dead man, Sergeant Tillman, was hugely unpopular amongst the other patients, and had run-ins with a number of staff and fellow injured soldiers.

But when a young nurse, Alice, who had confided in her that she fears she was being followed, suddenly disappears, Hannah is set on discovering what happened – and if the girl's disappearance is somehow linked to the murder. But in doing so, she finds herself in the killer's sights!

Can she avoid a tragic fate and help save Alice? Or has Hannah gone too far this time? Well, read the novel!


Murder in the Library is full of clever twists and unexpected turns. We have several suspects, and there is a growing sense of tension as the story progresses.

The setting is, again, expertly researched, and the author gives us a real glimpse at everyday life in London during WWI. Life didn't grind to a halt because there was a war on, so it's fascinating to read about how ordinary people coped with the daily threats.

Hannah is a fabulous character, with an open mind and a curious nature. And Aunt Violet is delightfully eccentric. Their characters really make the story.

Murder in the Library is a worthy sequel to Murder in the Bookshop, and I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series. Clearly, Hannah shouldn't be anywhere near a bookshelf, or more bodies will turn up... In truth, hope so!

Murder in the Library reads well as a standalone story, but I think the introductions to the characters and their relationships with each other provided in Murder in the Bookshop will help get a clear image from the start.

Another exciting murder mystery by Anita Davison. Do check it out!

Hannah and her aunt Violet are top choice sleuth duos, in my opinion! This book is set in 1916, the middle of WW1 and Hannah and Violet are women of means and mind and any library in a book is a good start for me! I love this series and this book did not disappoint. I have hit and miss rhythms sometimes and this was hard to put down and I finished in just a few days!

Anita Davison gives us another World War I murder in England which takes place in a vets hospital. Complex plot involving missing heroines, presumed dead soldiers, and other misbehaviors. Enjoy the shenanigans.

Murder In The Library is the second book in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet historical mystery series. While it is the second, you could definitely jump into this one without a lot of confusion. This is by no means saying that you shouldn’t go back and read the first one. One aspect that I appreciate about this series is that we have two generations of amateur sleuths.

It is 1916 in London and Hannah Merrill is volunteering in the library of a military hospital. One day when she arrives at work, she finds the dead body of a patient in the library. In this book we get more about suffragette movement, a villain that collects secrets, London in the spring, Irish nationalism, and a missing nurse. In addition, Hannah warms up to DI Aidan Farrell, who has eyes for her aunt. The ending is nerve wracking. I gave this 4.5 stars. I can’t wait to read more in this series.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review.

What another delightful cosy mystery featuring Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet! Still in the midst of the Great War, there is more murder, more suspicious activities, more nefarious characters as well as the hint of romance or two! What more can you want in a delightful cosy mystery brimming with wit and humour?

London 1916: After the murder in their bookshop six months or so previously, renovations have brought the aging premises back to life as Aunt Violet elects to man the front whilst volunteering niece Hannah for the library at the local military hospital. Hannah loves her job and exchanging tales with the recuperating patients, until one of them turns up dead in the library one morning.

Enter the amiable Inspector Aidan Farrell, not at all surprised to find Hannah in situ as it were. However, the other witnesses to the discover or thereafter somehow prove to be somewhat recalcitrant. One of them apparently so faint she has been given leave to go home and recover. But then when Nurse Alice Dalglish proves difficult to track down for questioning, Hannah believes her disappearance to be linked to that of the murder of the soldier, Sergeant Tillman, whom she found in the library.

What ensues is a race around London in a search for answers to both the murder and Alice's whereabouts. Of course it is Hannah doing to unofficial investigating with the help of her incorrigible Aunt Violet. With the help of both Inspector Farrell and Darius Clifford. But will they get too close to the truth and place themselves in danger? Or will they uncover the murderer and Alice's whereabouts?

Peppered with humour, wit and the hint of romance for both young ladies, who are decidedly single, this is a delightful addition to this cosy mystery series. I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first one which I found utterly delightful!

A quick read which I devoured in one sitting, I can't wait for the third one "Murder at Midwinter Manor" which is to be published in September. Another delightful escapade, I'm sure.

I would like to thank #AnitaDavison, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #MurderInTheLibrary in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This book sees us halfway through World War 1, and when Hannah finds the body of Sargeant Tillman dead in the hospital library, of course she has to investigate, with the brilliant Violet.
She finds Tillman wasn't widely liked, so was that the reason.
When Alice disappears too, they need to solve the case, but will they be able to avoid danger.
Despite this being a cosy read, the backdrop of the war is all too real. The fear, and the bombings were written into the story to add to the setting without making it a historical or war story. Brilliantly done. This is the second in the series. I haven't read the first, but this didn't take away from my enjoyment.

In the latest Hannah Merrill mystery, another dead body appears at Hannah’s new place of temporary work -- a military hospital’s library. Once again on the case to solve this murder and uncover the secrets of the military hospital’s patients and employees, Hannah, along with Aunt Violet, must use her insights and her instincts to solve this murder. And if she solves it before the police do or ignores the police’s code of ethics when collecting evidence, well they really ought to be grateful for her work! Once again, Anita Davidson has created another cozy mystery and a strong sequel to the first Hannah Merrill mystery novel with this latest installment. Davidson’s mystery and characters are once again the star of this novel; Hannah continues to grow as a strong protagonist, and her relationships with other characters (Aunt Violet, the other returning characters, and the new characters introduced in this novel) are engaging, lively, at times difficult, and always enjoyable to follow. Davidson’s latest cozy mystery is a fun, high-stakes affair set against the backdrop of World War I in London’s home front, and readers are sure to enjoy Hannah and Aunt Violet’s latest investigation and the changes they experience along the way.

I quite like this historical fiction novel set during World War 2. It reads smoothly and flows well.
The characters are likable and well distinguished apart so that they aren't confused with each other.
This is the second book in the series and is easily read as a stand alone as all the important information is covered in this book and there are no huge holes that leave you guessing.

The story itself is enjoyable and keeps you guessing. The hints and clues are dotted throughout the book and it's not until the grand reveal that you know what the character had put together in their head.
The book is almost in 2 parts as when 4 of them leave on a holiday after the main bit is solved, theres a whole different plot and feel to the story.
All in all, very enjoyable and I look forward to reading the next installment.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/02/21/blog-tour-murder-in-the-library-anita-davison/

This is the second book in this series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. The main characters are likeable and fun, and I like the time period of the first world war and the changes that were coming to society. The mystery was interesting and there were enough redirections that the solution wasn't obvious. I especially liked that there were historical aspects to the story that were included even though the average reader probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't included (such as during that time period officers in the british military had moustaches and enlisted members did not). This book was engaging enough that it made it a fairly quick read for me. I hope that there will be more books in this series as I have really been enjoying spending time with Hannah and her aunt Violet.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A strong sequel to Murder in the bookstore. I enjoyed another story with the main character and her life. The story was engaging and kept me coming back. So glad to have read this book!

Here are my thoughts on this book, in no particular order:
The use of question marks at the end of a sentence that is not a question is repetitive and annoying.
Events did not flow in an organized manner all the time. There were skips in time where people would be talking in a hallway and then were immediately in an office. Later, a character was described as sitting but two sentences later was being offered a chair. Instances like these happened a lot.
There is too much back and forth over Hannah’s involvement in the case. She’s encouraged one minute, despaired of the next, warned off the next, and then asked what she knows the next. Mix and repeat all through the book.
The characters aren’t particularly likable, baring Archie, who there was a distinct lack of after his large presence in book 1. Aunt Violet is very unlikable.
The interactions between Hannah and the Inspector are strange. He tells her way too much information he wouldn’t be able to share. Their banter sometimes reads as flirting even though he’s been linked to her Aunt. And see above about Hannah’s on/off involvement in the case.
The interactions between all the characters are strange, actually. It may be down to word choice, but they don’t come across as friendly towards one another. Or they are and then suddenly they aren’t. This goes back to descriptions and weird dialogue choices. For instance, characters are talking and joking but are described as “snarling” and things like that.
At some points, especially about halfway through, there’s way too much dialogue to get through for small bits of information.
Because I read the first book in this series, I understood all the references to it. A reader new to the series may struggle with the frequent allusions as they aren’t all explained particularly well.
My gripe with Book 1 was that it was too heavy to be considered a cozy mystery, despite being described as one. In this book, I think the heaviness was an alleviated a bit. But, it still doesn’t feel like a cozy mystery to me. And that’s fine. But I don’t think it should be marketed as one.