Smitten by Books

The New York Times bestselling Library Lover’s mysteries continue with a hot new case…

Loving a good cup of coffee runs in the family for Briar Creek library director Lindsey Norris. But when her brother, Jack, a consultant for a coffee company, goes missing, her favorite beverage becomes a key clue in a dangerous mystery.

Between preparing the library for the holidays and juggling the affections of ex-boyfriend, Captain Mike Sullivan, and her new crush, actor Robbie Vine, Lindsey has her hands full. But the mysterious disappearance of her world-traveling playboy brother takes precedence over all.

Afraid that involving the police could brew trouble for Jack, Lindsey takes matters into her own hands. But as her quest for her brother embroils her in a strange case involving South American business dealings and an enigmatic and exotic woman, it’ll take the help of both her library book club—the crafternooners—and her eager-to-please suitors to keep Jack from ending up in hot water…

INCLUDES READING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

It starts out as an ordinary day for library director Lindsey Norris. She is going about the daily routine of her job at the Briar Creek Public Library and is busy getting ready for the “Crafternoon” gathering in which participants share snacks while discussing books and working on a related craft. Lindsey is making the usual preparations to the meeting room for the event when her day takes a dramatic change when her brother Jack pops in unexpectedly. Jack travels frequently, so Lindsey is thrilled to see him, but something seems off. Before Lindsey can find out what’s going on, Jack disappears just as quickly as he arrived and in his place, Lindsey finds a dead body! It’s up to Lindsey to find her brother and find out who is responsible for killing the man she found in the library.

This book starts and ends wonderfully. The characters are easy to relate to and the plot caught my attention from the beginning. Lindsey and Beth are believable as best friends and the love triangle between Lindsey, her ex-boyfriend “Sully”, and actor Robbie Vine is well-done. Both guys are likeable and Lindsey has chemistry with both. It appears Lindsey is ready to choose between them by the end and if so, I appreciate that the rivalry won’t drag on too long and become frustrating instead of entertaining. Lindsey’s brother is also an interesting character and will hopefully appear in future books, but stick around a little longer. The ending gives the reader the solution of the mystery and includes a sweet scene related to Lindsey’s complicated love life.

The downside to the book is the implausibility of some of the action scenes in the middle. What Lindsey goes through to catch the murderer is reminiscent of Indiana Jones in a speedboat and too hard to believe when carried out by a small town librarian. In spite of these escapades, I enjoyed the book. I’ve read some of the earlier books in this series, but have somehow missed the last couple. When reading On Borrowed Time, I remembered how much I liked the characters and the premise of this series, and will be keeping an eye out for future installments. The rest of the investigation in the book is fun to read about and the way the author describes Lindsey’s work at the library, it seems so real you wish you could take a trip to Connecticut to join Lindsey and Beth for some afternoon snacks and crafting.

The bonus material at the back of the book is very cleverly done. There is everything you need to know to hold your own “Crafternoon”. There are discussion questions for the book Lindsey and her group read, as well as instructions for their craft and recipes for some of the snack they served. Jenn McKinlay fans will definitely love On Borrowed Time. Readers who enjoy Erika Chase’s Ashton Corners Book Club series will also like this clever cozy mystery.

Reviewed by Christine