The Librarian of Crooked Lane

The Glass Library, Book 1

By: C.J. Archer

Narrated by: Marian Hussey

A librarian with a mysterious past, a war hero with a secret, and the heist of a magic painting. The Librarian of Crooked Lane is an intriguing new fantasy from C.J. Archer, the USA Today best-selling author of the Glass and Steele series.

Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she's descended from magicians, she's skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she's just an ordinary woman who loves books. She seeks answers from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won't be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.

War hero Gabe is gifted with wealth, a loving family, and an incredible amount of luck that saw him survive four harrowing years of a brutal war without injury. But not all injuries are visible. Burying himself in his work as a consultant for Scotland Yard, Gabe is going through the motions as he investigates the theft of a magician-made painting. But his life changes when he unwittingly gets Sylvia dismissed from her job and places her in danger.

After securing her new employment in a library housing the world's greatest collection of books about magic, Gabe and Sylvia's lives become intwined as they work together to find both the painting and the truth about Sylvia's past before powerful people can stop them.

But sometimes the past is better left buried?

©2022 C.J. Archer (P)2022 C.J. Archer

It was okay

The main character was annoying. She was indecisive, stubborn and not very bright. the other characters were all annoying in the own ways. The narrator's voice also rubbed me the wrong way, made Sylvia sound much older. Not sure if I will continue the series.

highly suggest this book

loved it. CJ Archer writes in a manner that keeps you wanting to read or hear more. the characters are developed so well, you feel like you are right there with them. I am looking forward to book 2

Awesome Worth the Wait.

Can't wait to get started on the next installment of the series. l may have to read it just in case.

Next book please!!!

I devoured the entire Glass and Steele series and then this book and now I’m dying for the next. Excellent writing, very engaging and well read. I highly recommend to anyone that wants thrilling stories, some romance without it being smutty and well developed character arks.

Just fun!

Light reading-listening that is fun. Probably for younger readers but this older lady enjoyed it too.

Romance disguised as historical fantasy

The book was well written. The characters were fleshed out nicely. The pace of the book was good.

My only “complaint” is that the synopsis didn’t make it clear it was a romance novel. The synopsis also implied that there would be more depth into the research into the MC’s background. While it was discussed it was not a main thread of the novel. It seems like that will be an arc of the series rather than a significant thread in this novel.

Delightful

This was a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The story was good, and the reading performance made it even better.

I am so excited for this series!

I loved the Glass & Steele series and devoured it in the month of November. This book was an excellent continuation of the Glass saga. I loved it. Willy, Cyclops & Professor Nash reprise their roles in this book and they fit seamlessly into this story line. I am excited for this new series! It is just so fun!

Interesting

I like this story. It was interesting to see how they solve the case and adding magic elements adds to the story. I look forward to more books.

Great start to a new series!!

This is a marvelous start to a a new series. Interesting characters, setting, time period, and magical system!