The audiobook narrator was overly dramatic (even the chapter numbers are read with emotion!) but the material she's working with is also at fault. I confess I am not a fan of cozy mysteries and, while the plot in this one is compelling enough, the characters and their actions never feel real. I suppose that's the escapist appeal of cozies. McKinlay's novels are probably on par with the more skillfully written cozies and I might have liked this better in print than on audio. ( )

I liked this up to the final ten pages when the mystery is explained. It was contradictory at points, didn't make a whole lot of sense, was full of holes and very jumbled. I read these not for the mystery but for the characters and the over all warmth and coziness the author elicits.

But, if you're looking for a complex mystery that makes sense, there are other cozies out there that do a much better job. ( )

Lindsey and Sully are in Chicago for an archivist convention when Lindsey finds a tote bag with a very rare book in it under her conference seat. They turn it in to the convention coordinator – a former professional collector of such finds – then start making their way home to Briar Creek on an overnight train. Straight out of Christie’s playbook, they wake the next morning to find that the coordinator, who was also homeward bound on the same train, has been murdered, and somehow that rare book has made its way back into Lindsey’s possession. But that’s just the beginning of their troubles when the murder train stops in Briar Creek and the suspects are all bunking in the local inn during a major snowstorm.

There’s a lot going on in this entry in the series, and it’s all a bit jumbled, to be honest. It seems that all cozy mystery series start to fray around the edges at some point, and I’m afraid this one is starting to show signs of unraveldom. I’ll stick with it for now because I like the characters, but if the writing gets much worse I’ll likely jump ship soon. ( )

Lindsey and her husband Sully are returning home on a train, following a library conference in Chicago. Lindsey finds a rare book that was left under her chair at the conference. She returns the book to the director, but then the book goes missing again, and the director is found dead in his private compartment on the train. The attendees of the conference are detained at the next stop, which happens to be where Lindsey and Sully live. A major snowstorm adds to the anxiety of the people involved, and still more trouble is in store for Lindsey and Sully. It’s an entertaining and exciting cozy, and sure to please readers of this wonderful series. ( )

If you're in the mood for a book that's just plain fun to read, pick up Jenn McKinlay's Fatal First Edition. Although this is one of my favorite series and I would love you to read all fourteen books in it, I think you could pick this one up and not feel confused about the characters and their lives if you don't have the time to invest in the entire series. (But don't blame me if you read it and find yourself looking up all the others.)

There are so many elements that make Fatal First Edition a winner. There's the cameo appearance by book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright, the main character in Kate Carlisle's excellent Bibliophile series. There are ties to master mystery writer Patricia Highsmith and master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock through Highsmith's Strangers on a Train. There's train travel for those of you who haven't had the pleasure (and those of us who have). Even the weather cooperates by providing a blizzard during the hunt for the killer.

With all these elements comes a first-rate cast that I consider part of my fictional family. When a character's life is in danger, I was reminded of how I think McKinlay could be an extremely talented thriller writer. She definitely had me turning the pages as fast as I could.

After this thrill ride of a mystery, I can't wait to see what is next in store for intrepid librarian Lindsey Norris. Hurry up with the next book, Jenn!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )