Secrets in the Stacks
(2026)(The fourth book in the Pages to Die For Mystery series)
A novel by Hailey Hartley
When Nora Sullivan's bookstore cat Watson knocks over a stack of vintage mysteries and a yellowed note tumbles out, she expects nothing more than an amusing mess to clean up. Instead, she discovers a desperate message from beyond the grave: "I know who killed Dorothy Mercer. If anything happens to me, look to the past." The note is signed by James Caldwell, the hardware store owner who died of a sudden heart attack five years ago, and it references Dorothy Mercer, the beloved town librarian whose unsolved murder fifteen years ago remains Willowdale's darkest tragedy. Detective Michael Turner dismisses the note as paranoid ramblings from a dead man, but when he reluctantly agrees to exhume James's body and discovers traces of slow-acting poison, Nora realizes she's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a forgotten piece of paper. Someone has been getting away with murder for fifteen years, and they're not going to appreciate questions about the past.
As Nora begins investigating Dorothy's death, she discovers that several people in her quiet town have compelling reasons to keep old secrets buried. The defensive local historian who worked with Dorothy on a mysterious research project. The cold library director who conveniently destroyed records in a suspicious water leak. The nervous widow whose husband became paranoid before his death. The retired detective whose investigation of Dorothy's murder was strangely inadequate. And Dorothy's sister Susan, who moved to Willowdale two years ago and suspects someone has been following her. When a second hidden note surfaces revealing a hardware store receipt for foxglove seeds purchased eight days before Dorothy's murder, Nora pieces together a chilling truth: Dorothy discovered evidence of historical fraud that would have destroyed a prominent family's reputation, and she was murdered to silence her. With Watson's uncanny instincts keeping her one step ahead of danger and her knowledge of mystery novels guiding her investigation, Nora must untangle fifteen years of lies, forgeries, and betrayal before the killer makes her the next victim in a deadly attempt to keep the truth buried forever.
Settle in with the fourth installment of the Pages to Die For series, where a bookstore cat's curiosity leads to justice for two unsolved murders and proves that some secrets refuse to stay hidden between the pages. Perfect for fans of clever felines, small-town intrigue, and amateur detectives who won't let the past stay buried, Secrets in the Stacks delivers all the charm and suspense of classic cozy mysteries with twists that will keep you guessing until the final chapter. Nora Sullivan may run a quiet bookstore in a peaceful town, but when Watson knocks over the wrong stack of books, she discovers that Willowdale's history is far darker than anyone imagined, and the most dangerous mysteries are the ones everyone thought were solved.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
As Nora begins investigating Dorothy's death, she discovers that several people in her quiet town have compelling reasons to keep old secrets buried. The defensive local historian who worked with Dorothy on a mysterious research project. The cold library director who conveniently destroyed records in a suspicious water leak. The nervous widow whose husband became paranoid before his death. The retired detective whose investigation of Dorothy's murder was strangely inadequate. And Dorothy's sister Susan, who moved to Willowdale two years ago and suspects someone has been following her. When a second hidden note surfaces revealing a hardware store receipt for foxglove seeds purchased eight days before Dorothy's murder, Nora pieces together a chilling truth: Dorothy discovered evidence of historical fraud that would have destroyed a prominent family's reputation, and she was murdered to silence her. With Watson's uncanny instincts keeping her one step ahead of danger and her knowledge of mystery novels guiding her investigation, Nora must untangle fifteen years of lies, forgeries, and betrayal before the killer makes her the next victim in a deadly attempt to keep the truth buried forever.
Settle in with the fourth installment of the Pages to Die For series, where a bookstore cat's curiosity leads to justice for two unsolved murders and proves that some secrets refuse to stay hidden between the pages. Perfect for fans of clever felines, small-town intrigue, and amateur detectives who won't let the past stay buried, Secrets in the Stacks delivers all the charm and suspense of classic cozy mysteries with twists that will keep you guessing until the final chapter. Nora Sullivan may run a quiet bookstore in a peaceful town, but when Watson knocks over the wrong stack of books, she discovers that Willowdale's history is far darker than anyone imagined, and the most dangerous mysteries are the ones everyone thought were solved.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Hailey Hartley's Secrets in the Stacks