Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper is called to the apartment of Tina Barr, where she finds a terrified woman who refuses to cooperate with the authorities.  Tina is a conservator of rare books and maps, Later, a different woman is found murdered in Barr's apartment.  Under her body police find a rare book, which is believed to have been stolen. Investigation leads Alex and the police to the dysfunctional and wealthy Hunt family, who are major benefactors of the New York Public Library and avid map collectors.  The police follow clues through the search for hidden pieces of an antique map.   They must contend with family rivalries which obstruct them from their search for the truth.

Along with the pleasure and challenge of the core mystery, this book offers fascinating details about the history of the New York Public Library: its establishment, its construction, its functions, its politics. Did you know that there are tunnels under the streets of New York in which part of the inventory of the library are shelved?   We are also given a close look at the world of book and map collectors.  This well written mystery is filled with action and suspense.  It has an excellent cast of erudite and eccentric characters.

Highly recommended