Carrie Singleton rarely stays in one place very long and she's starting to feel it's time to leave Clover Ridge- until she's offered the job heading program and events at the library where she's been working temporarily. Unfortunately, her first official event concludes with the speaker dead, poisoned by a cookie given to him at the library. Had the speaker, a retired homicide detective, intended to reveal new details about an old murder case? Carrie starts investigating but will she find the murderer or just put her own life in the crosshairs of a killer?
The Haunted Library series kicks off with DEATH OVERDUE. Allison Brook has created a whole cast of likable characters with very distinct personalities. Carrie is a good, solid heroine for the storyline and I suspect she'll become even more fun as the series evolves. I'm very curious about Dylan Avery in particular, as I'm curious to see how his investigative background may play out in future books.
However, it is the ghostly Evelyn Havers who steals the show in DEATH OVERDUE! Ghosts can be tricky in mysteries as sometimes they make solving the murders far too easy. Evelyn, however, mainly provides us with someone for Carrie to bounce ideas off of. Even more intriguing, she gives us some insight into the nasty Dorothy Hawkins, offering a sadder side to an otherwise mean woman.
DEATH OVERDUE is a fun, albeit slightly uneven, start to what looks to be a promising new cozy mystery series. The reader gets a little bogged down in the endless family drama of the Foster family meals and outbursts, but the overall concept and execution have me intrigued. I look forward to seeing what is in store next for Carrie and her friends in the Haunted Library series!
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge,
Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of
programs and events at the spooky local library, complete
with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a
program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al
Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a
much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to
death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the
audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels
over and dies.
The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him
in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward
with the program despite pushback from her director.
Driven by guilt, Carrieβs determined to discover who
murdered the detective, convinced itβs the same man who
killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she
has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as
she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case,
disturbing secrets come to light and with each step
Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.
Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue the
delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook.
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