It’s murder by the book in the latest hit Library Lover’s mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Death in the Stacks.
When a stack of library materials is found at the scene of a hit and run, library director Lindsey Norris finds herself dragged into the investigation as the police try to link the driver of the stolen car to the person who borrowed the books. Before Lindsey can delve into the library’s records, the victim of the hit and run, Theresa Houston, suffers another “accident” and the investigation shifts from driver negligence to attempted homicide.
A clue surfaces in the confiscated library materials that could crack open the case and it is up to Lindsey to piece it all together. But things are not as they seem in the sleepy town of Briar Creek and when the driver of the stolen car turns up dead, Lindsey, her staff and her library friends have to hit the books before the murderer gets the last word…
Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
FTC disclosure: I would like to thank Penguin Random House for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the First to Read program.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Though this was the first one I have read in the series, I didn’t find it too difficult to get to know the characters or to jump into the story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the cozy mystery genre.
The author, Jenn McKinlay, wrote the characters with charm and relational traits which made it easy for me to join the series. I appreciated the point of view being both prospective and limited third-person omnipresence for purposes of character and plot development.
As far as the plot is concerned, I enjoyed the pace of the unveiling and the story itself. It unfolded in sort of in a Scooby-Doo-esque type fashion in that it read a bit fanciful at times along with a “those meddling kids” type quality to it which was fun and ultimately ended with a creative plot twist that kept it somewhat grounded in reality. There was this charismatic attribute of the protagonist and setting of a small town which allows for such casual interactions to take place and I wouldn’t have minded to have read even more town gossip and even more imaginative and speculative construct support from that perspective. All the library thematics made for a fun and engaging read.
And of course, recipes and a craft project, such pleasant surprises as well!
