Library director Lindsey Norris is happy to learn the Briar Creek Public Library is the beneficiary of the Dorchester family’s vast book collection. However, when Lindsey and the library staff arrive at the old Victorian estate to gather the books, things take a sinister turn. One of the bookcases reveals a secret passage, leading to a room where a skeleton is found, clutching an old copy of The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe.
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Lindsey does a quick check of missing persons, using the distinctive 80s era clothing worn by the deceased to determine a time frame, and discovers that Briar Creek has an unsolved missing person’s case from 1989. A runaway bride went missing just weeks after her wedding. No suspects were ever arrested and the cold case remains unsolved. Lindsey and the crafternoon crew decide that justice is overdue and set about solving the old murder mystery, using some novel ideas to crack the case.
Release Date: Oct 18, 2022
Series:Â A Library’s Lovers Mystery
Book: 13
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â BerkleyÂ
Price: $14.99
Lindsey Norris enjoys her job as the director of the Briar Creek Library. She is surprised one afternoon by an unexpected guest – William Dorchester who is back in town for the first time in over thirty years. At that time, his mother wouldn’t allow him to marry Grace, the woman he loved, and mother and son have been estranged ever since. Grace married someone else, but then disappeared six weeks later and was never heard from again. William’s mother’s health is declining, so he has come to town to get her settled into an assisted living home. He is donating Marion’s 12,000 plus books, many of which are first editions in mint condition, to the library and needs Lindsey to handle it. Lindsey is surprised and thrilled with the donation, but then she discovers a secret room behind Marion’s bookcases that has been hiding a human skeleton. Despite her horror at the situation, Lindsey can’t help but get involved in the investigation.
Lindsey is able to balance her work at the library, her home life with her husband, Sully, sorting the huge donation from the Dorchesters, and investigating Grace’s disappearance. I really like the fact that Lindsey listens to warnings to be careful while sleuthing and keeps her husband and law enforcement informed about what she learns as well as what her next steps will be throughout the investigation. In spite of her caution, a dramatic and scary event still occurs before everything is resolved, but at least it’s not due to poor decisions made by Lindsey. Since the author provides several clues, I was able to figure out part of the solution to the mystery surrounding the skeleton, but there are still some surprises to the story.
Lindsey’s friends and co-workers are an important part of her life and they participate in “crafternoons” featuring a book discussion, snacks, and some kind of crafting activity. The author gives you everything you need to have your own book club/crafting get-together with discussion questions for the book Lindsey’s group read (P.G. Wodehouse’s The Code of the Woosters), instructions for an autumn craft, and recipes for vegetarian snacks. If you belong to an in-person book club, this would be really fun.
Even though this book is the 15th in the Library Lover’s series, it works very well as a standalone. I’ve not read all of the prior books and had no problems connecting with the characters. This book is perfect for cozy mystery readers, especially if you’re looking for a well-written October read. Mysterious things going on in the Dorchester mansion lead Lindsey and those helping her pack up the huge book collection that the house might be haunted. There are also references to Edgar Allen Poe in this intriguing, sometimes, creepy mystery. This book is the favorite I’ve read in this series so far, and I highly recommend it to those who follow this series and to all other cozy mystery fans.
~ Christine
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