EXCERPT: Jennie Webber was right - the how was more important than the why.

If Brittany was killed after Jeremy saw her walk into the garden, anyone could have done it.

If Brittany was killed when I thought she was, no one could have.

That left only one possibility - someone was lying.

ABOUT 'SHADOW IN THE GLASS': 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: I enjoyed this cosy mystery centred around the activities of librarian Greer Hogan. It's a light easy and interesting read, which I galloped through, big on the mystery of who dunnit and, believe me, there are plenty of possibilities.

Greer is a confident smart woman who uses her powers of reason and deduction to solve this crime. The characters are a wonderful mix of family members from elderly aunts, one with a history of mental issues, to the younger generation, one of whom is getting married. There are a number of possible motives ranging from love to jealousy to business.

I loved that I didn't have to suspend belief at any point during my reading. The progression of the plot is logical, ordered, but never dull. It did become a tad confusing when Greer was trying to work out the timelines of where everyone was and when, but that is my only and minor criticism. It all became clear in the end.

Shadow in the Glass is an entertaining and intriguing read, with an appealing main character who is easy to believe in. I haven't read #1 in this series, The Unkindness of Ravens, but this in no way disadvantaged me. This is a series that I will definitely be following.

????.1

#ShadowintheGlass #NetGalley

I: @mehilliardauthor @crookedlanebooks

T: @crookedlanebks

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: M.E. is currently a librarian who started out in retail merchandising. Her first job was as an assistant buyer at Lord & Taylor, where her glamour job involved office space in the basement of the Fifth Avenue store. After twelve years of mergers, consolidations, and moves around the country, she went to graduate school and got a Master of Library Science degree. She has been in the information business ever since, working for public libraries small and large. Originally from the Connecticut shoreline, she has never lost her love of quaint small towns, big cities, and fashion, so she indulges that in her writing. A life-long lover of mystery fiction, M.E. completed her first novel while taking some time off to care for an elderly relative. She currently lives and works in Florida, where she has acquired a houseful of misfit pets and a violent palm tree allergy.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Shadow in the Glass by M.E. Hilliard for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...2022 2022-netgalley-challenge 4-star ...more56 s Karen2,008 518

I really wanted to this one.

It is about a librarian (Greer Hogan - 2nd in the series) who goes to a friends’ wedding, but wants to solve her husbands’ murder (even though someone is already serving time for the killing). She believes that person is probably innocent.

Anyway...

She has since moved on with her life, and this wedding will take her back to the town where it all occurred, and give her the opportunity to dig deep into what may have really happened.

Only...

Another murder occurs which overshadows her investigation into her husband’s murder.

So…what happens?

Do we get answers as readers?

Do we find ourselves satisfied by all this investigative digging?

And how many pages are devoted to going over and over and over who could have killed this new victim?

If you care to find out, go pick up a book.

(If you want a spoiler, as to why I might rate this a one star, maybe that might answer the questions!)disappointed thumbs-down16 s3 comments Wanda Pedersen2,047 429

Reminder from this novel: don't try to hide information from a reference librarian! I really Greer Hogan as a main character, with her research skills and sensible approach.

Greer goes to a close friend's wedding in Lake Placid, hoping to revisit the details of her husband's murder. Someone may have seen something to help her reopen the investigation. The event is far enough in the past that she has had time to process and she is increasingly convinced that the wrong person was convicted. However the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray and no sooner has Greer arrived in Lake Placid than weird things start to build up. There are dark undercurrents flowing and Greer can't piece everything together.

Un many amateur detectives, Greer doesn't go it alone. She assembles a team, divvies out the research, and writes out a time line. Meanwhile, there are spooky things happening in one of the guest houses—doors closing on their own, footsteps heard in the middle of the night, the piano being played for a few bars. I found this mystifying as I could see no reason to introduce potentially paranormal issues into a straight mystery story.

Needless to say, everything connects to everything else. Some of the strands stretch back into past of the older members of the family. Greer's puzzle solving mind and nosy nature are the perfect combination to expose the hows and whys of the crime.

I went immediately to the library catalogue and placed a hold on book 3, Three Can Keep a Secret. It's still on order, but I am excited for the next Greer Hogan installment.


favourites female-authors mysteries-thrillers ...more8 s Kathleen1,163 6

Another whodunit with Greer Hogan, Librarian. She's off to the Adirondacks to attend the wedding of a best friend and to sniff out clues pertaining to her (Greer's) husband's murder. Classic dead body on the grand estate on the eve of the wedding scenario, there are a LOT of people to keep track of, some instant friendships created, and old ones rekindled.
I enjoyed the first book in this series; nice to have a mature, intelligent, not-rich woman doing what she wants to do. It is, to me, a true cozy series.
Back to this book: I d the characters, well enough, there was the twists in family, business, love, that could keep you guessing. But then it did drag on. Repetitious verbiage and rehashing, and please, let her get a little closer with her husband's murder? I realize it is her raison d'etre but it is a ball and chain, too.
I kept turning the pages, did finish, but the conclusion was not satisfying. Perhaps if it was tidier? I'm not an editor. I do think I'm done with this series, now.
Thanks, #netgally, for this free read and this was my honest review.




2022 arc disappointed ...more8 s Vintagebooklvr3,658 55

A satisfying mystery with plenty of twists to keep the reader interested to the very end. Greer, the main character, is already on a road trip in this second story in the series, to a wedding. She hopes to find out some answers about her husband’s murder three years before. Of course, things don’t go as planned. A guest disappears and is later found murdered. Greer is determined to find the real culprit, even if the local police do not want her help.

Greer is not your typical librarian/amateur sleuth in cozy series with a light-hearted approach to life. She is by no means a depressing character but her past gives her more facets that most. She once was a high-powered executive in New York City then her husband was murdered which changed everything. Not only did she leave New York City for a small town but changed careers as well. Greer also believes there is more to her husband’s death than just a burglary gone wrong which the police have put forward as the motive behind the crime.

One draw back to this story is that there are a lot of character to keep track of. I got mixed up several times in the story, even near the end. There are also some details about the murder that weren’t completely explained either.

But these are small complaints. I was entertained and engaged to the very end. Hilliard is a good story-teller. I also enjoyed her references to a lot of fictional detectives throughout the book. I definitely will be waiting for her next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
mystery4 s Amy2,757 548 Shelved as 'not-going-to-finish'

I was excited for this one but the boring sentence structure ("I walk...I thought...I said...") made this a struggle. 4 s Janet4,399 48

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.
This is the second outing for Greer who I love, she’s mature & down to earth & is a people watcher. I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though it did begin to drag & some of the chapters could have been edited out without losing anything of the plot. I would have preferred a more satisfying ending but guess I now need to read the next book as I want to find out about Greer’s husband's death & also how her relationship with Ian develops
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
3 s Susan1,561 20

Greer Hogan is attending a friends wedding at a very posh mansion in the Adirondacks but it's more than celebrating their nuptials in this three day event. Greer's husband was murdered and just about everyone at the wedding knew him. Because she believes that the wrong person was convicted she wants to find answers. Too bad most of the attendees are keeping lots of secrets. Well, she is a librarian and has a talent for investigating murders so she is ready to ask questions. What she didn't expect was one of the wedding guests being murdered. All the more reason to ask questions.
The list of suspects is pretty much the entire guest list so there are a lot of people to keep track of and plenty of threads to follow. Greer is a good sleuth and knows how to deal with the police. She is helped in her search by her ex-boyfriend, her best friend and others and together they put the pieces together to catch the killer.
I enjoyed spending time with Greer again, the setting was perfect and the mystery kept me entertained to the end. While it can be read as a stand alone I think reading them in order is best, letting the reader get to know Greer. She's a great character.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.3 s BonnieM??311

Shadow in the Glass was a very good whodunit. The story takes place at Desmond and Janie Whitaker's estate on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York. Greer Hogan who works as a librarian at the Raven Hill Manor Library is the main character who has come to attend the wedding of her best friend, Sarah who is marrying Jack Peterson. It is a weekend of many house guests and activities. Greer's late husband, Danny, was murdered and she wants to investigate to see if she can find answers from people who are attending the wedding.

The other supporting characters all are important to the story. +The first party is a tea where Greer meets Sarah's aunts, Barbara (Janie's sister) and Carolyn (Coco) Quinn, Desmond's cousin. She also meets Isabelle, Jack's sister. Greer runs into her old boyfriend, Ian Cameron who is staying in the boathouse along with Sarah's brother, Jeremy for the wedding. Because of the overflow of people staying at the house Greer is staying at the hotel in town. At the evening cocktail party she runs into Frank Benson who worked with Danny. He is attending the wedding with his fiancé, Shelby Travis. His ex-wife April is also there. At one of the parties Frank has a heart attack and later dies at the hospital. Brittany Miles works for Desmond Whitaker. She is murdered and this is when the story gets intriguing.. The Granville house next door is owned by Janie and Barbara. adds to the mystery. Isabelle and her parents are staying there. Greer also moves in when Jack's parents leave after the wedding.

Greer, Sarah, Jack, Ian, Jeremy and Isabelle group together to find out who killed Brittany. There is a lot of twists and turns that take the reader to the surprise ending of who killed Brittany.

Greer had put her investigation of her husband's death on hold. I will be interested in the next of the series who killed her husband and why. Also where the relationship between her and Ian goes.netgalley3 s Jackie M152 6

Shadow in the Glass: A Greer Hogan Mystery by M. E. Hilliard. Crooked Lane Books, 2022.

This book grabbed and kept my attention from the beginning to the end.

Fortyish Greer Hogan attends her close friend Sarah’s lavish three-day wedding in the Adirondacks, intending to help and to see old friends there who might have insight into why Greer’s husband was murdered three years earlier.

I enjoy stories most when I can respect and connect with the characters, as happened immediately with the very smart and able Greer, and her close friends and eventual partners in solving the mystery – the wedding couple and their siblings and slightly kooky aunts, and an old flame Greer meets again.

Aside from the wedding and its satellite events, there is an unexpected murder, a spooky house next door, quite a bit of sneaking about, trying not to be caught or seen, and the hint of new romances.
The mystery isn’t what I expected it to be though, and with a few red herrings in the story, some diverting, sad side stories that make the story more complex, I was perplexed until the last chapter.
There is everything to about this book. Warmly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Shadow in the Glass for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #ShadowintheGlass #NetGalley
3 s Elvan661 2

Greer Hogan is a librarian who fancies herself a sleuth thanks to her love of murder mystery novels. While attending the wedding of a friend in Lake Placid, one of the guests goes missing, then turns up dead in the nearby lake. Every guest is a suspect and so are most of the wedding family. Greer tries to put together a timeline of events leading up to Brittany’s disappearance along with many discussions on means and motive for the woman’s death. The police might be in charge but seem to be doing very little to solve the murder so it’s up to Greer to find the answers and solve this whodunnit.

I love reading police procedurals but admit I am not a fan of amateurs solving crimes while the detectives take a back seat and look lost puppies. The blurb sounded a lot more exciting than this book turned out to be. I found I wanted the killer identified just so the book would end. Had I known it was going to be a cosy murder mystery I would have passed on reading it. I’m sure many will love Greer’s dogged efforts to uncover the truth but it was an eye rolling read for this reader.

A copy of this book was received from the publisher via NetGalley for review.
3 s Annette Geiss453 23

For the most part, I somewhat enjoyed reading Shadow in the Glass. But too many laborious paragraphs with too many boring details, that caused confusion. I kept hoping to reach the ending, so as to “get on with it” and find the murderer. More to just have the book end than to anticipate “who done it!” Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. I appreciate it.3 s Rhonda534 2

First book by this author and it was pretty good. I was a big surprised by the ending. All in all a good mystery3 s Lata4,151 235

Greer Hogan, “girl detective”, is attending her best friend Sarah’s wedding, and looking for clues amongst the people she knew years earlier that might help explain her husband Dan’s murder.

The wedding is busy: Greer helps Sarah’s mother Jane with some of the arrangements, as Jane is up to here with unexpected guests, a renovation and a week (rather than just a day) of get together and festivities. The marriage week also gives Greer a chance to spend time with Sarah, and to reconnect with the man she shared a kiss with the night of Dan’s murder.

It figures that Greer stumbles into a murder investigation here, after one of Sarah’s family business’ executives is found dead under suspicious circumstances.

There are lots of clues and conflicting sightings of the woman prior to her drowning death, but thanks to Greer’s heroes of Agatha Christie and other classic mystery writers and fictional detectives, and her work as a reference librarian, Greer figures things out.

I love all the references to both fictional amateur sleuths and detectives. Greer has a sense of humour and a nicely nosy attitude to everyone around her, and it comes in handy as she has lots to figure out within a week or so. Though I saw some clues before she did, Greer is fun to spend time with again.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.arc auth-f mystery ...more2 s Mystica1,491 33

Greer is there to celebrate her friend's wedding and to help out in the elaborate arrangements made at the various events. It is a posh, upscale wedding, no expenses spared and a murder is not what you would expect.

It casts a pall on the post celebration because we have detectives all over the place and Greer herself
feels that there is more to it than meets the eye, because the entire Whittaker family seems to have secrets which they have successfully hidden for decades. Whether the wedding was the catalyst for it to all come breaking down is left to be seen.

This is more or less an amateur detective trying to link clues together with no help from others because the family themselves want history kept as history. It begins to unravel slowly but this was a slow detective read not a page turner. The police do not seem to be doing anything at all, and whether it is the influence of the family or sheer ineptitude I never could find out.2 s Rebecca2,521 11

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up. This book feels it's playing the long game with the series- while there is a self contained mystery that is pretty solid, it does carry through to do a little to work on Greer's investigation into what really happened to her murdered husband several years prior. Part of what I had really loved about the first book in the series was seeing Greer in her element as a librarian as it was one of the most accurate depictions of library work I'd seen in fiction, and I did miss having that setting in this book- but, as Greer points out towards the end, she does use her very particular skills as a reference librarian in her research (this made me giggle, as a fellow reference librarian with those skills). I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a standalone, I think Greer's backstory in the first book is important.2022 netgalley2 s Debbie1,342

This series about an early middle aged but relatively new librarian has its strong points. The references to mystery novels are fun. The setting, right out of something by Mary Roberts Rinehart (there is even a nod to a perhaps supernatural element) was well developed, although my own experiences of Lake Placid were more of a tourist nightmare than described here. Off season? I d Greer Hogan better than I did in the first book of the series, but she still, over time, rubs the wrong way. She doesn't trust the police because of what happened when her husband died, but since this happened prior to the series we just have to take her word for it. She is one little Miss Nancy Drew, or maybe more of a Snoop Sister. In this case she pulls in all her pals into a sort of Micky and Judy thing. Except instead of putting on a show in the barn they all decide to solve a murder together. What fun! Keeping information from the police and an endless convoluted monologue towards the end about where everyone was when and who they each saw were a bit much. Maybe not the series for me. 2 s Masha M.Author 1 book5

This is book 2 in the Greer Hogan mystery books. However, this can be read as a standalone.

Greer Hogan is a librarian, amateur sleuth who fancies solving murder mysteries. Recently widowed, she has questions regarding her husband's death. She feels there's more to his death. Could it be murder? What greater way of finding out than going to her best friend's luxurious wedding, where almost everyone attending knew her former husband?! In the midst of the wedding frivolities, a dead is found. Cops are called to the scene and before long, it becomes clear that one of the guests is responsible. Greer is on a quest and alongside her best friend, the groom, her ex boyfriend, and a new friend, they pursue the leads they have in their quest to solve the murder.

I Greer's character, she's quiet, attentive and watches what goes on around her. The descriptions in this book were out of this world! What luxury! I love reading about strange houses, so when I got to the mysterious mansion with the weird noises, I was intrigued the more. I was ready for the shocking twist at the end. It made sense but I had other suspects from the beginning. Some chapters were boring and I believe didn't add anything to the book. In general, it was kinda slow, chapters dragging on and on and at times boring.

Apart from that, I enjoyed it. It has a mix of suspense, mystery, drama, layered with betrayals, hate and love. It also has some pretty hilarious dialogues that got me cracking up. Much thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc copy of this book2021-books2 s Annie (is so far behind 😬)352 8

I loved the first book in this series so much, and have been waiting for this second installment ever since. I love Greer as a sleuth. She's mature, smart, thoughtful and solves the mysteries using her research skills and sharp observation. Having already helped solve one murder mystery, she understands the process and how she needs to present the information to the police. In this book, part of the reason she attends her friend's wedding is to dig into her husband's murder. There will be people attending who knew and worked with him, and she wants to figure out why he died.

My only niggle is that it felt very choppy, un the first book, but that's just my feeling. The story was good, the mystery complex enough to keep me guessing and the characters well-drawn and not too plentiful.

Already looking forward to number three in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.

2 s Barbara Tobey2,485 69

The characters and story had me intrigued from the beginning. It did sort of fall apart and become repetitious. I was also not satisfied with the conclusion. It kept me turning the pages, but still felt unresolved. I wanted a solution to the murder that Greer Hogan was originally seeking, too. Maybe in the next book, or not. Although I d Greer, I think I am one and done. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.2 s Annette Geiss453 23

For the most part, I somewhat enjoyed reading Shadow in the Glass. But too many laborious paragraphs with too many boring details, that caused confusion. I kept hoping to reach the ending, so as to “get on with it” and find the murderer. More to just have the book end than to anticipate “who done it!” Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. I appreciate it.2 s Susan Willis440 7

Greer's husband was murdered 3 years ago and she does not believe that the man convicted is responsible for his death. Perhaps seeing old friends at a wedding will allow her to investigate - except now a young woman is missing. Second in the series (first I had read), I enjoyed the character interaction as well as the plot. An added plus for me is Greer's reading choices.2 s Billie33

Meh. A librarian “amateur detective” stumbles onto a murder while attending a wedding. Plenty of uninteresting characters (possible suspects).
Pages and pages of boring speculation about the murderer. When the crime was finally solved I really didn’t care who did it or why. No more Greer Hogan mysteries for me.2 s Leane716 24

Good sophomore effort from Hilliard with more of an emphasis on twisty plotting in a new setting (Lake Placid lakeside compound and friend’s wedding), continuing development of a classy URN who is also investigating the murder of her husband as she grapples with all the unknowns of that enigma which will probably be an ongoing background theme going forward until it is I imagine the primary arc in an upcoming novel. The author is slowly unveiling the motives and CHs that make up that personal arc, as she introduces a whole new group that may overlap in the future in this story, again, full of Red Herrings. A few references back to the 1st outing and Greer’s career change to librarian at the Raven Hill Manor, her coworkers, and the town police add welcome background and color to this current mystery which finds its strengths in Hilliard’s use of Setting detail to build Tone and create suspense as floors creak and doors slam. If I saw the satisfactory conclusion coming, I still enjoyed the journey. Most of the secondary CHs resonate and Greer’s involvement in yet another murder explained as the day-to-day activities of a long weekend wedding provides a compelling reason. I did miss the sparkling literary allusions of the 1st book and look forward to reading the 3rd in the series. I hope to see even more growth in fleshing out 2nd CHs, a continuance of excellent framing, and more nuance in the Plotting. Still not seeing the heralded Penny- standard of prose but do think there is promise still brewing as the author grows as a writer.urn1 Jeanne589

Really about a 3.7. I love Greer-- she is truly an adult, in a way that most cozy heroines are not. Clear-eyed, thoughtful-- reminds me of Shelia Mallory in Hazel Holt's books a bit. I confess a little disappointment in this one, just because the bar was set so high in the first one. Still wonderful, but I felt the plot lines were a little diffuse. Part of the reason for Greer's presence is to investigate her husband's murder, so she was doing some sleuthing there before the current murder takes place. I was more interested in the former so it was hard to get into the latter. Also I kept waiting for a revelation about an incident in the past in connection with this murder and it never came-- or I guess it did but for me it fizzled instead of sizzled. And maybe this is all the reader's fault instead of the author's; I also admit I had a little more trouble keeping track of characters and relationships. So maybe the fault is mine. I adore how the author has literary references worked into the story in such a way as to be entertaining and not pretentious. She doesn't drop references to show how smart she is, they just seem natural. Anyway, I love the writing and the character and am certainly on board for the next one.cozy-mystery library1 Barbara Blindauer382 1 follower

I enjoyed his book, but felt there were some unanswered questions. They may be addressed in Book 3, but at the end it was not mentioned. Greer attends the wedding of a friend that she worked with. One of the reasons she goes is to find out why her husband was murdered and if any of his former colleagues knew anything. I think she jogged some memories. One of the attendees is murdered and Greer spends the week not only solving the murder but opening old wounds. Hopefully book 3 will focus more on her husband’s murder.1 Lauren490

Another enjoyable mystery with a whodunnit librarian :), looking forward to Greer Hogan #3!1 Becky H.808

Greer is at it again. This is book 2 in the series and Greer is off to a friend's wedding. But there is a mystery to solve when one of the guests goes missing.

Great audio to have in the car

#BookQuest category=Dead, Blue, and New (published 2022)2022 audio book-quest-22 ...more1 Kathleen Gray10.6k 175

Someone really didn't Brittany but who went so far as to drown her during the three day wedding celebration of Greer's BFF Sarah? Greer has planned to collect more information about the murder of her own husband during the event in Mirror Lake but now she's spending time winnowing out leads in this killing. There are a lot of people who had issues with Brittany and Greer finds herself calling on more than her gut instinct. This is classic cozy territory enlivened by Greer's job as a librarian and penchant for crime novels. It's unfair to Hilliard to compare this to a Louise Penny novel (nowhere near as complicated) but it's a good read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Will be fine as a standalone. 1 Jeannine683 5

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