HITTING THE BOOKS is the ninth
book in Jenn McKinlay's Library
Lover's cozy mystery series. HITTING THE BOOKS is loads of fun for cozy mystery
fans as well as readers, like me, who enjoy a delectable gothic mystery.
There are elements in HITTING THE
BOOKS reminiscent of some of my favorite Dorothy Daniels' stories
full of ghostly figures, mysterious deaths, and bumps in the night.
Library director Lindsey Norris tries to stay sensible and focused as
she attempts to find out who is behind the violent attacks on her friend
Theresa Huston.
There are murder and mystery in HITTING THE BOOKS, but this story starts out a little
differently than most. Rather than a death right out of the gate, it's
attempted murder that lures Lindsey into a tangled tale of shadowy
assassins, tales of tragedy, and mysterious disappearances. Lindsey
has a lot of back-ups as she hunts down clues and suspects. Theresa's
fiancé Larry Milstein provides her with two superb bodyguards --
Stefan and Steig Norrgard. The Norrgard brothers are friends of
Lindsey's and, in my opinion, a sexier and more competent version of
the classic detective pair Thomson and Thompson from "The
Adventure of Tintin" comic albums by Herge. Robbie Vine, actor and
main squeeze of chief of police Emma Plewicki, is also on hand to
charm information out of locals. Captain Mike Sullivan aka Sully,
Lindsey's roommate, and love interest gets my vote for most valuable
sidekick. Sully is very hands-on in this mystery and is a cool head and
fierce protector when things get a little too hot to handle. Lindsey's
adorable dog Heathcliff even makes an assist in nabbing the bad guy.
Overnight it seems as though the little town of Briar Creek becomes a
hotbed of dark secrets and devious plotting. Well-known, and some
very well-liked, locals take on a slightly sinister cast as strange facts
become known. I love the mystery-within-a mystery involving one
suspect's wife who disappeared years earlier. Several straightforward
scenarios are plausible motivations for the recent attempts on
Theresa's life, but some terrifying and outlandish motives start to make
sense to Lindsey and her crew as well. This is a hoot to read and one of
my favorite books in this Library
Lover's series so far.
HITTING THE BOOKS is a
superlative mash-up of gothic staples and cozy mystery goodness.
There are suspects aplenty and shady activities for this amateur sleuth
and her friends to investigate. Jenn McKinlay does a fabulous job of
balancing the fun, mystery, and spooky good times. I look forward to
Jenn McKinlay's next mystery.
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...