ARC Review: Shadow in the Glass by M. E. Hilliard

Shadow in the Glass
Author: M. E. Hilliard
Series: A Greer Hogan Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 5, 2022)

Description: Murder rocks a wedding celebration at an idyllic lakeside home—and librarian-turned-sleuth Greer Hogan could be next on the killer’s guest list in this second exciting installment, perfect for fans of Louise Penny.

Librarian Greer Hogan is on hand to celebrate her old friend Sarah Whitaker’s nuptials at the Whitaker summer home on beautiful Mirror Lake, just outside the upstate New York village of Lake Placid. But Greer has an ulterior motive—to gather information that could reopen the investigation into her husband’s murder, a crime for which she believes an innocent man went to prison. Her plans come to a shuddering halt when a wedding guest goes missing and turns up dead in the lake. The guest, Brittany Miles, was an employee of the Whitaker family whom Sarah had long suspected was up to no good at work.

The police have no leads, but Greer—an avid reader of crime fiction who possesses an uncanny knack for deduction—begins her own investigation. She learns that the victim was seen with a mystery man right before she disappeared. Then the autopsy reveals that she didn’t drown in the lake after all, but in the reflecting pool in the Whitaker garden.

The suspect list is as long as the guest list itself, with no apparent motive. Now, Greer must rely on the wisdom of her favorite fictional detectives to tease out truth from lies—and keep herself out of the killer’s sights.

My Thoughts: Greer Hogan is in upstate New York near Lake Placid to help a friend celebrate her marriage. She does have an ulterior motive: many of the guests were acquainted with Greer's murdered husband Danny and she hopes to find information to reopen the investigation of his death. She's convinced that the wrong man was convicted. 

Before she can begin her investigation, another case takes center stage. A young woman who might have been having an affair with the bride's father is found dead. Greer and her friends are eager to find out who wanted Brittany dead - but it looks like the murderer was one of the family. So many of the family members are keeping secrets from each other and some of the secrets could have led to Brittany's death. 

I liked the way Greer uses her job as a reference librarian and her love of mysteries to help her solve the case. I liked that there were a number of plausible suspects among the family. I also liked learning about the pasts of some of the characters. 

This was an engaging and well-plotted mystery. 

Favorite Quote:

I wondered what she really thought, but it wasn't an easy ask. "Do you think one of your relatives killed your least favorite employee, and if so, which one?" was not the kind of thing you could drop into conversation over dinner.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.